Tag: Warm Springs Ranch

Unforgettable Tour of Budweiser Clydesdales at Warm Springs Ranch

by msminnie72, posted in Missouri

On our way to Illinois, we stoped for the night in Higginsville, MO off of highway 40 at a place called The Great Escape RV Park and Campground. This was quite a nice campground for only $49.

Can’t believe how green it is.

Horsing Around!

Ever since 2015 when we visited the St. Luis Arch and went to the Budweiser factor tour, I have had a dream. You see, I learned about Warm Springs Ranch on this tour and fell in love with Budweiser Clydesdales, so I have since wanted to see them.

Andrew surprised me with a tour of Warm Springs Ranch, home of the Budweiser Clydesdales. Initially we looked at pricing for tours and they were very expensive, then later we looked and they were reasonably priced. We thought we would get an early tour because we were still traveling with our 5th wheel. So, our plan was to get there a little early, park the 5th wheel, open it up, enjoy the view, and have lunch. Well, they don’t open the gates until 20 minutes before your tour starts. So, we had to back out, go up the road, and find a place to turn around. That was no easy task since we are 45 feet long when hooked up. Andrew did an amazing job doing a 3–5-point turn with railroad track there also. We went into town to a gas station up the road and made our lunch since we had an hour to kill. So let our mistake help you in the future! They do tell you this in the email confirmations as well, but we didn’t see it.

When we were able, we got to the gate and they let us in. The tour, called Becoming a King; Hitch Journey, is a 1.5 hour long for $50 per person; “Immerse yourself in the extraordinary lives of these iconic hitch horses, tracing their journey from their early days at the ranch to the magnificence of being part of a world-renowned 8-horse hitch. Gain an exclusive, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the intricate training process that molds our Clydesdales into ambassadors of the Budweiser legacy on the road, serving on one of three elite hitch teams.” https://www.warmspringsranch.com/

Our tour guide met us in the parking lot with a golf cart and our tour started there because we were the only people on the tour, can you believe it?
The famous wagon pulled by the Cyldesdales!
Since we were alone, we got to go behind the scenes and see the new colts. What a treat this was!
This little one was having a first bath. He wasn’t too excited for the bath, but the trainer was slow and patient and the little one came around to accept his fate.
Imagine trying to control all of these bikes at once. It is really hard!
A training modular. It is not as easy as they make it look. You have to hold the reins a certain way.

It takes a crew of 6 handlers and 4-5 hours to get the horses hitched up and ready for a show.

The harness weighs approximately 130 pounds and is handmade from patent leather and brass.
The horses begin their training at 2 years old. They begin with a sleigh and harness to get use to the feel, then they graduate to this wagon.

I am a 5 foot tall woman and to try to reach up to brush the horses mane was a tall reach. An adult weighs 2,000 pounds. They drink up to 30 gal. a day of water and eat 20 quarts of oats.
The semi that drives the Clydsdale around the country.

At the end of our tour, our guide hung around while we shopped in the gift store and was gracious enough to take our picture in front of the building and then drove us back to our truck. This was a great experience, and I would highly recommend this!

Stayed tuned as we stopped for 2 nights in St. Louis/I-270/Granite City KOA Journey.

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