The Budweiser Clydesdales are what I consider to be one of the greatest marketing ideas ever to trot the face of the earth. Who's going to resist not one, but ten adorable gentle giants? They're internationally recognized from numerous Super Bowl ads and advertising campaigns. So what exactly goes on behind the scenes of a Budweiser horse's life?

Well let’s start with their history. They were first introduced in 1933 to August A. Busch Sr. in celebration of prohibition’s repeal. His son, August A. Busch Jr. Decided to incorporate the horses into a beer brand in recognition of the happy day. And so the Clydesdales became a part of St. Louis life as men began to anticipate the hitch thundering down the road carrying what would one day become known as the "King of Beers".

To this day, the people of Budweiser have narrowed down several precise characteristics in selecting the best possible horses for the job. To qualify for any one of Budweiser's six hitches ( five of them traveling, one stationary), horses must meet the following criteria. They must be a gelding of at least 4-years of age. They must be at least 18hh, weigh between 1,800 to 2,300 lbs as well as bay in colour with four white stocking and a blaze on their face.

The official home of the Clydesdales is in St. Louis, Missouri. There, they are kept in an ornate brick and stained-glass stable on a 100-acre brewery complex built in 1885. They also have several other homes/bases in Menifee and San Diego California; Merrimack, New Hampshire and San Antonio, Texas.

The horses are on the road approximately 10 months of the year. Ten horses (eight for the hitch and two as alternatives) travel in three 50-foot tractor trailers and stop each night at local stables to rest up. The tractor trailers are equipped with air-cushion suspension and thick rubber flooring more maximum comfort.

When hitched up, there is a certain criteria for which horse is placed where. "Wheel-horses" are the ones closest to the front and are generally the strongest as they start the wagon’s movement and must use their weight to slow or stop the wagon. The leaders must be the fastest and most agile of the team but are also the "prettiest" as they're first and foremost in the procession.