The Rural Voice, 2003-04, Page 44n the family hoof -prints
Anew generatiost carries on the Toll
lgdesdale tradition
By Bonnie Gropp
Having gained prominence as
the famous Budweiser horse,
the Clydesdale, once used on
farms for its power, is favoured more
these days for its impressive beauty.
Vaughn Toll of RR3, Blyth grew
up around these majestic workhorses.
Born and raised on the farm on which
he, his wife Marlene and their family
now reside, he cash crops 400 acres
and raises beef. But he recalls a time
when his father used Clydes on the
land.
A mixed farmer, even after
purchasing a tractor Aubrey kept his
horses and eventually began breeding
and showing them.
"He got into showing them really
heavily in the late 1950s then through
the 1960 and '70s," says Vaughn.
He recalls recently seeing a
televised clip from the 1960s of the
Manitoba Winter Fair and catching a
glimpse of his father's hitch going
into the fair.
When Vaughn took over the farm
in 1973 he didn't own any horses.
But a life -time of working around
these majestic animals couldn't keep
him from adopting his father's
40 THE RURAL VOICE
Giants like Cherry Blossom, junior champion at a Michigan show in 2000,
have helped keep the Toll family name synonymous with Clydesdales.
hobby. "I basically bought an old
mare and started raising colts from
her. Everything evolved from that."
Comparing the breeding of
Clydesdales to other animals, Toll
says they cost no more than a cattle
beast to feed and are relatively low
maintenance. "Foaling season can be
difficult. One year two had
contracted tendons (walking on their
knees). It can't be fixed. But that said
in all the years we've been here there
have only been two cases." With
these examples being one year apart,
the Tolls suspect that feed may have
been the cause.
The biggest problem with foals is
getting them on the ground and
getting them to suck, says Toll.
"They don't seem to have much
hybrid vigour, but if you can get to a
week, they're okay."
The reason for this he explains is
because bloodlines in pedigree
livestock have become so
concentrated.
Today the Tolls have 18 horses, a
number that's a little greater than
they would prefer. "Ninety per cent
of our sales are to the States and right
now they are concerned about their
investments. It's a cyclical thing, but
it means we have wound up with a
few more than average."
Though Vaughn says Clydesdales
have to pay their way, Marlene adds
that he does consider breeding them
his hobby. "He just says that it's too
bad it's the hobby that keeps us
living here. It's had to become part of
our income."
"We try to turn enough money out
of the horses each year to take the
place of a part-time job."
Breeding horses that other people
want requires knowledge in feeding
and shoeing. Judges, Toll said,
expect a Clyde's foot to be a certain
way. "Good overall quality, wide, a
nice set to the angle, good clean
joints, how they move and show
themselves are all things they look
for."
There are several good blacksmiths
Photo by Brian Richman