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The Cleveland Bay is a carriage-type horse, and is always true to its color: bay. This uniform color is desired in carriage horses because a team is more easily matched. In Britain, they are still used to pull carriages on state occasions. Believed to be the oldest breed in Britain (besides the native ponies), the Cleveland Bay was bred in the Cleveland area of north-eastern England. The foundation stock is said to have dated back to the times of the Romans, and there are record suggesting that the breed was in existence in medieval times. They were originally known as Chapman Horses, since they were used as pack horses for travelling salesmen known locally as 'chapmen'. The now-extinct Galloway pony was thought to have been added to give the Cleveland Bay more surefootedness, while Thoroughbred blood was added for refinement. Two thoroughbreds who had an influence were Manica (a son of the Darley Arabian) and Jalap (a grandson of the Godolphin Barb). These big, strong horses were used for a variety of purposes, from working the land, to carrying goods, to foxhunting, to carriage work. As roads improved, there was a need for a faster carriage horse and the thoroughbred was, once again, introduced. The tall, elegant offspring, known as the Yorkshire Carriage Horse were very popular and exported across the world. |
