The Budweiser Clydesdales made their first Super Bowl commercial appearance in 1975. Since then, they’ve appeared in more than 25 Super Bowl commercials for the company—but their legacy began long before the Super Bowl was a thing.
As you might imagine, the Clydesdales are carefully monitored by a team of dedicated handlers. That includes a fleet of expert groomers, as well as a team of equine experts who oversee the horses’ diet. Per a Budweiser spokesperson, each horse consumes the following on a daily basis:
Between four and 12 pounds of grain
Between 30 and 40 pounds of hay
Up to 30 gallons of water
Up to 1,800 pounds of grain
Up to 6,000 pounds of hay
Up to 4,500 gallons of water
It’s tough to quantify 6,000 pounds, but a cursory Google search tells me it’s roughly equivalent to:
A Ford F-250
Are you champing at the bit yet? If my calculations are correct, Budweiser is responsible for acquiring, transporting, and distributing a large white rhinoceros of hay every seven days a week, 365 days a year. And that’s not including treats! (Or beer, which horses apparently enjoy.)
The spokesperson went on to explain that each traveling team includes 10 horses, while Budweiser owns approximately 150 horses total. According to my complex and highly mathematical calculations, that means Budweiser is responsible for providing the following every single day:
Anyway, it’s not like the horses need a snack. You wouldn’t either if you had a Ford F-250's worth of hay waiting for you.
Photo: Getty Images North America