Budweiser Clydesdales get tangled, fall down during San Antonio Stock Show

Spectators at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in Texas witnessed a tense moment when a team of iconic Budweiser Clydesdales got tangled up and collapsed to the ground. 

A video shared by the Model Horse Tack School shows the demonstration going awry after a pair of the Budweiser Clydesdales tripped, and the crowd gasped in horror as the massive horses stumbled and fell onto the ground. 

A group of officials and trainers rushed to the horses aide and frantically checked for injuries.

As the team of professionals worked, the announcer narrated the suspenseful action to the audience, noting that in the rodeo business, “when you’re working with animals, you never know what can happen.”

The video shows the workers proficiently untangling the horses and removing them from the arena. 

The horse that fell was immediately checked for injuries with the announcers assuring audience members that they have, “an animal care unit, and if we need to transport any livestock, even a 2,000-pound bull. We’re able to do it.”

After a few minutes, the two lead horses and a third horse were freed from the pack to create space around the downed horse. When the animal finally tries to rise to its feet, the crowd roars their encouragement, but it did not quite make it.

During a second attempt, the massive horse managed to regain its footing after the handler removed the heavy harness from the horse. Once the horse rose up, the animal received a thunderous applause from the audience. 

“He is going to totally examine that animal,” the announcer shared. “They will look over the rest of them that were in that hitch as well. They are beautiful.” 

Following the debacle, animals welfare organizations criticized the beer company for using tight-fitting harnesses during horse shows and removing the horse’s tailbone.

According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), investigators went to the official breeding facility for the Budweiser Clydesdales. 

“We uncovered that Anheuser-Busch Companies LLC, which produces Budweiser beer, amputates the tailbones of the famed Clydesdales—primarily so they’ll look a certain way as they pull the wagon.” PETA shared on its website.

Clydesdales use their tails for balance, mobility, and communication, PETA shared. The removal of the tailbone is prohibited in 10 U.S. states, unless medically necessary, and in several countries. 

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo kicked off on Feb. 9 and runs through Feb. 26. The iconic Clydesdales have become synonymous with the Budweiser brand, including their annual Super Bowl commercials.