Budweiser’s PR department has had a busy year, but the company’s Clydesdale department is about to have a happier year. According to the Wall Street Journal, Budweiser’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, has made a new concession: it will no longer cut, or dock, the tails of its famed draft horses. AB InBev stated, “The safety and well-being of our beloved Clydesdales is our top priority.” While this change may not impact the horses at Budweiser’s breweries in St. Louis, it will affect new arrivals to its breeding herd of 75 in Boonville, Mo.
This decision comes after mounting pressure from various European countries and animal-rights groups, including PETA. The WSJ notes that PETA argues that cutting the tails off causes the horses “lifelong pain, affects their balance, leaves them unable to brush away flies, and interferes with their ability to communicate with herdmates.” Recently, PETA posted a video showing horses with docked tails, referring to them as “insect buffets” without the benefit of their full tail to brush bugs away.
Budweiser has been showcasing the Clydesdales since 1933, after the end of Prohibition. Docking the horses’ tails was initially done to prevent them from getting caught up in the reins or other carriage equipment. This procedure, which involves cutting part of the tail off or using a band to cut off blood supply, is banned in several states and European countries. The American Veterinary Medical Association states that leaving the horses’ tails intact is important for fending off flies and biting insects, as well as for displaying mental and physiological states. (Read more Budweiser stories.)
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