09/06/2026
IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS:
10 EVERYDAY MOMENTS AROUND THE CLYDESDALE BARN WE LOVE
Owning Clydesdales gives us some pretty awesome moments.
(Lots of stresses too, but we'll save those for another day.)
Big events. Big crowds. Road trips. TV appearances. Viral videos. And more than a few experiences we never could have imagined when JFP Equine started.
But here's the funny thing.
Some of the best moments aren't "big" moments at all.
They're the little things.
And they still make us smile.
Here are 10 of my favorites.
1. WALKING OUT THE DOOR IN THE MORNING.. AND THEY'RE ALL WAITING
These guys are no dummies.
They know exactly which door we use to come in and out of the house.
So first thing in the morning, you'll often look outside and see them standing near their pasture gates...
Watching that door like hawks.
Waiting.
Then a human finally appears.
Game on.
They know breakfast is near.
2. THE SOUND OF THOSE FEE HITTING THE BARN FLOOR
Seriously, how many times have I heard someone tell us:
"I LOVE the sound of their feet."
Well, we do too.
There's truly nothing like the sound of a Clydesdale walking down a barn aisle.
One giant hoof after another hitting the floor.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
It's kind of like a 2,000-pound orchestra...
Playing to perfection.
3. WATCHING ACE PROVE HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE HE LIVES
ACE knows his stall.
And ACE knows his pasture.
Experiencing him prove it every day is magical.
Open the gate to his pasture and he'll walk toward the barn, come inside, head all the way down the aisle and walk directly into his stall.
Then, when it's time to go back outside?
Open his stall door and he'll head down the aisle, out of the barn and right back to his pasture gate.
No GPS needed.
4. HEARING THEM RUN BEFORE YOU CAN SEE THEM
If you picture Clydesdales running around the pasture all day like a Goldendoodle with the zoomies... that's not really how it works.
They're generally pretty content conserving their energy, eating grass and hay, and enjoying life.
But every once in a while...
They run.
One of my favorite things is sitting on our back patio and suddenly hearing it in the distance.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
You can't see them yet.
But you know exactly what's coming.
A few seconds later, several thousand pounds of Clydesdale come thundering into sight and right past us.
It can seem completely random.
But they've usually got their reason.
Often they're headed to the water for a quick drink before returning to the extremely important business of nibbling grass or hay.
5. IT'S NOT MOUNTAINS OR A LAKE BUT...
Some people have mountains outside their windows.
Some have a beautiful pool.
Some have a pond or a lake.
We have Clydesdales.
And we take advantage of the view, often.
Eating.
Walking.
Standing completely still doing absolutely nothing.
Doesn't really matter.
You glance out the window and there's a 2,000-pound Clydesdale in the pasture.
Sometimes several.
Epic? Yep. That's the word that comes to mind.
6. WATCHING 2,000+ POUNDS GET BACK UP
Oh yeah.
2,000-pound animals can—and do—lie down.
Sometimes they're resting.
Sometimes they're sleeping.
Sometimes they're rolling around trying to scratch their side or back.
But one of my favorite parts is watching them get back up.
You'd think moving that much horse from completely horizontal to standing would be a major production.
It is, I guess, but they make it look easy.
And then they're right back to being 2,000 pounds tall again.
7. THE GIANT CLYDESDALE YAWN
Big mouth = big yawn.
And those lucky enough to witness it, well, it always seems to bring a giggle.
It kinda humanizes them a bit.
Because they get tired just like we do.
8. WATCHING THE BUDDY SYSTEM IN ACTION
Take FLAME and TORCH, for instance.
In the pasture, they're typically inseparable.
They like to eat together.
Graze together.
Walk from one end of the pasture to the other together.
And sometimes...
They just like to stand in the exact same spot together.
Not doing anything.
Just hangin'.
Spend enough time watching horses and you quickly realize they have relationships just like we do.
FLAME and TORCH?
It's the buddy system.
And they've perfected it.
9. WATCHING A CLEAN CLYDESDALE STAY CLEAN...BRIEFLY
Yeah. This one is cool, except for that "briefly" part.
There are times when you finish cleaning one of these guys, step back, admire your work and think:
"Why do I even bother?"
Because you know what's coming.
White feather.
Clean legs.
Clean mane.
Clean tail.
Looking spectacular.
And then...
Horse meets dirt.
Sometimes almost immediately.
But whatever amount of time we get with a perfectly clean Clydesdale is pretty spectacular.
And don't get me wrong...
The dirty ones are pretty cool too.
10. TURNING THE BARN LIGHTS OFF
Successful day.
Productive day.
Happy Clydesdales.
Everybody has been fed.
Everybody is where they're supposed to be.
Things get quiet.
You take one last look down the barn aisle...
And turn off the lights.
Around here, barn lights out typically means one thing:
Mission accomplished.
See you tomorrow.
___________________________________
The big moments are pretty great.
But there's something special about the ordinary days too.
No crowds. No cameras. No events.
Just Clydesdales being Clydesdales.
And if you'd like to experience a few of these "little things" yourself, that's a big part of what our Ultimate Clydesdale Experience is all about.
Getting up close and personal. Spending time in the barn. Meeting the horses. Learning their personalities. And maybe catching one of those giant yawns if you're lucky.
Because a life lesson we all know (but sometimes forget) applies very much to Clydesdales as well...
The little things really are the best things!
📸 ARK IMAGES
