When the horses’ working days are through, many are retired tothe Menifee ranch. The West Coast hitch is scheduled to returnto Menifee in October after a September stay at the Los AngelesCounty Fair. Each of the five hitches travels100,000 miles a year. Some of the horses are sent back to Warm Springs Ranchduring the year either because of minor injuries, such as aninjured hoof, or just for a rest. This week, the West Coach hitch is at the Colorado State Fair inPueblo and the San Diego hitch is at the California State Fair inSacramento. The hitch can be on theroad up to 10 months a year, traveling to state and county fairs,parades and other major events. The caravan stopsat local stables each night on long trips. Cameras in the trailers allowhandlers in the truck cab to monitor the horses.
The horses and the turn-of-the-century beer wagon travel instyle from Menifee in three 50-foot tractor trailers that eachweigh 24 tons when fully loaded. Thehitch based in San Diego at SeaWorld - which is also owned byAnheuser-Busch - is on display at the theme park most of the timebut also does some traveling. The West Coast hitch appears mostly in the 13 lower westernstates, although it has traveled to Puerto Rico and Alaska. These days, two additional hitches, based in San Diego and SanAntonio, also travel the country. To qualify for a hitch, the horse must be a gelding at least 4years of age, stand 6 feet tall at the shoulder, weigh between1,800 and 2,300 pounds, be light brown in color, have four whitestocking feet, a blaze of white on the face and a black mane andtail.Ĭlydesdales that don’t pull a hitch are typically put on displayat Budweiser breweries and other facilities. “Weusually start breaking them at age 3 and they’re ready to go outwith a hitch at age 4.” “Progress depends on the horse’s temperament,” Soto said. Training tobecome a hitch member begins early, right after each horse isweaned from its mother. “They’ll standoutside the fence and look in, especially at the babies.”Ī hitch is made up of 10 Clydesdales, eight to pull the famousred, white and gold Budweiser wagon and two in reserve. “Somehow, people find us anyway,” he said. Warm Springs Ranch is not open to the public and Soto asked thatits exact address not be given. Actually, the weather here is perfectfor raising horses.” “Therewere some concerns about how hot it gets here in the summer, butthat hasn’t been a problem. “It was only supposed to be here temporarily,” Soto said. The decision was made in 1979 to base the West Coast hitch onthe Menifee ranch. “Those two hitchestraveled around the whole country.” Louis since the 1930s and another in Merrimack, N.H.,that was established about 1973,” Soto said. “Before that, there were only two hitches - the one that hasbeen in St. kept a few cattle on its Menifee property, andAnheuser-Busch acquired the land in the deal, Soto said.įor most of the 1970s, cattle continued to graze on theproperty, but the beer company decided it needed a West Coast basefor its famous team of horses. Anheuser-Busch acquired the land in the early1970s when it bought the Helms Bakery plant next to its brewery inVan Nuys and tore it down to expand the beer-making operation. The ranch is 960 acres of undulating hills and flat grasslandnear Scott Road.
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