Cleveland Bay horses originated in England during the 17th
century, named after its coloring and the Cleveland district of Yorkshire. They
are the oldest established horse breed in England, and the only non-draught
horse developed in Great Britain.
Cleveland Bay horses are well-muscled, with legs that are
strong but short in relation to the body. They are always bay in colored,
although a few light hairs in the mane and tail are characteristic of some
breed lines.
In the middle ages in the north east of England bay colored
horses were bred for pack work, which was the preferred way of transport of the
travelling salesmen, often referred to as chapmen. So these horses were called
Chapman horses. In the 17th century breeders crossed the Chapman horses with
imported Andalusian and Barb stallions to produce a fine coach horse, renown
for its stamina and active paces. The main breeding area was in Cleveland Bay.
With the introduction of motorized vehicles coach horses
were no longer required. A small number of Cleveland Bay horses survived and
were crossed with the Thoroughbred to produce a handsome, upstanding,
heavyweight hunter and excellent carriage horse. The survival of the breed was
greatly helped by Queen Elizabeth II who bought a colt named Mulgrave Supreme
that was broken to saddle and harness and made available to breeders of pure-bred
and part-bred Cleveland Bay. Prince Philip drove teams of these horses in
international four-hand events. This led to new interest in the breed. There
are approximately 500 Cleveland Bay horses world wide, mainly in Britain, North
America, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia.
About Cleveland Bay Horses
