Horse Breeds Of The World- Cleveland Bay

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Cleveland Bay

History	In the North East of England a race of bay horses was being bred, primarily for pack work, back in the mediaeval times. As the preferred way of transport by of the chapmen, or traveling salesmen of the time, and accordingly known as the Chapmen Horse. Using the Chapmen horse as there base, seventeenth-century breeders used some of the Andalusian and Barb stallions that were being brought into the country at the time to produce a fine coach horse, known for its active paces and great stamina. This breed of horse became known as the Cleveland Bay after the area it was chiefly bred. As the roads improved, and a faster type of coach horse became necessary, some Thoroughbred blood was introduced, usually by taking half-bred stallions to Cleveland mares. The lighter faster version of the Cleveland Bay was called the Yorkshire Coach Horse. It had its own breed society founded in 1886, and stud book. The coming of motorized transport signaled the demise of coach horses everywhere and the Yorkshire breed was no exception. The stud book was finally closed in 1936, by then the breed had virtually died out. Fortunately the Cleveland Bay survived, in small numbers. Crossed with the Thoroughbred, the breed produces fine upstanding heavyweight hunters and excellent carriage horses. The Cleveland Bay has a true straight and free action. (high action is not a characteristic of the breed) It moves freely from the shoulders and covers ground well. As well as making an excellent hunter and carriage horse, the Cleveland Bay, when crossed with Thoroughbred, has produced some fine-rate show jumpers.
Conformation	Bold head, not too small, with large, well-set, kind eyes and large, fine ears; long, lean neck and deep, sloping, muscular lions, powerful hindquarters and well-set tail. The breed has clean limbs (without feather), with muscular forearms, thighs and second thighs, large knees and hocks, and strong sloping pasterns with sound feet.
Height	16-16.2hh, though height doesn't disqualify an otherwise good animal. (hh= Hands High, one hand is 4 inches)
Color	bay with black points.

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