Article Surfing Archive

The Cleveland Bay is thought to be the oldest British breed of horse, existing even back in the Middle Ages. Sadly, the Cleveland is now the rarest breed in Britain, close to extinction.

The Cleveland Bay got its name from where it was first bred, in the Cleveland area of north-eastern England. Because of their size and strength, these horses quickly grew popular in the early 1900s and were used for many different purposes, from farming, to hunting, to pulling carriages. During this time, some Cleveland Bays were bred to Thoroughbreds, resulting in the Yorkshire Carriage Horse, unmatched in speed, style and strength. Unfortunately, as roads improved, faster carriage horses were needed and the number of Cleveland Bays began to decline. The breed almost disappeared for good when the car came along, as there was little need for carriage horses anymore. Luckily, because of their versatility, they continued to be used as hunters and farming horses. Yet again, the breed was threatened when they were used as artillery horses during World War I and, consequently, their numbers dropped greatly.

Luckily, the breed began to come back in the 1960s, thanks to Queen Elizabeth II, who bred many of the finest Cleveland Bays for the Royal Stables. They are still used in many ceremonial duties. They are also still a popular choice for crossing with other breeds for their size, intelligence and docility.

Cleveland Bays are true to their name, as they are purely bay colored horses, with black legs to just above the knee and a black mane and tail. Their uniform color is desired in carriage horses because a team is more easily matched.

The Cleveland Bay is an extremely intelligent horse, and never forgets what it is taught. They are renowned for their longevity, courage, stamina and good temperament.

The breed has a long, sloping shoulder, sturdy legs with lots of bone and a strong back and hindquarters. They stand between 15.3 and 17 hands high, generally 16 hands or so.

Today, you can find Cleveland Bays competing in jumping, dressage, eventing, driving, hunting, endurance and hacking. Rare though they are today, these horses will remain an important part of Britain and its equine history.