get to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, New Hampshire in time to see harnessing up and hitching up of the huge Clydesdale horses in an eight-horse team to pull the famous Budweiser wagon, like the ones seen in their commercials. The wagons, made by Studebaker, weight 7,200 pounds empty.
Getting the harnesses and ornate collars on the eight horses, one at a time, took almost an hour. Once each horse was harnessed up, it was hitched to the wagon. These giant beasts are the most docile, patient creatures I've ever seen. None could move until all eight horses were hitched up. One gentleman sat on the wagon holding the reins just to keep them still. Once all the horses were hitched, he was relieved by the two official drivers, and they could finally move, much to the delight of the large crowd of spectators that had gathered.
They made several laps around a large field, then finally stopped for picture-taking. Here again the horses remained still for about a half hour as spectators took photos and had their own photos taken by an official Budweiser photographer. Following that, there were a few more laps, then they finally headed for the stables, almost three hours after being harnessed.
You can see the majestic Clydesdales in a video and a handful of photos at this link:
https://www.linwoodstreet.com/clydesdales2018/
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