PHOTO GALLERY: Clydesdale ranch raises Anheuser-Busch hopefuls

John Soto, head of operations at Warm Springs Ranch, leads mare Amanda and an unnamed colt to the main barn from a lower pasture on Wednesday at Warm Springs Farm in Boonville. The unnamed colt was born on June 5 and still is unable to handle the heat for extended periods of time. Each day colts get stronger and can stay outside longer. Until then, Soto checks on the youngest foals almost hourly and will bring them inside when they begin to pant mildly.   |  Carrie Durkee

Danny, sired from Perfection, hides beneath his mother's neck on Wednesday at Warm Springs Ranch. Danny was born on May 21. All eight colts sired by Perfection this foaling season have the correct traits, such as four white socks, white face blazes and a solid bay coat, to continue as Budweiser hitch horses at age 4.   |  Carrie Durkee

John Soto, head of operations at Warm Springs Ranch, points out the foals sired by Perfection during the 2012 season on Wednesday at Warm Springs Ranch. Soto uses the board to track when mares are due, when they are in heat, which mares are crossed with which sires and which foals are born to the various mares. Warm Springs Ranch has a total of 108 horses on the property, including about 40 breeding mares, four studs, 28 new foals and other young horses of various ages.   |  Carrie Durkee

Perfection stands with handler John Soto in his day pen on Wednesday at Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville. Perfection is one of four studs on site at the breeding farm. During the 2012 foaling season, he sired 16 of 28 foals.   |  Carrie Durkee

Perfection scratches an itch on the fence surrounding his pen on Wednesday at Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville. John Soto, head of operations at the facility, said that it is typical for all of the horses to scratch on whatever they can find, especially the fencing.   |  Carrie Durkee

Halters hang from the wall in bundles in the Clydesdale wash room in the main barn on Wednesday at Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville. A major part of a Clydesdale's life at Warm Springs Ranch is regular grooming and handling. Studs receive weekly baths, on average, but grooming activities start early, as the foals' heavy coats are clipped shortly after birth.
  |  Carrie Durkee

An unnamed filly scratches an itch with her hind foot on Wednesday at Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville. She was the last of the 28 foals to be born during the 2012 foaling season. She will receive her name on Saturday.   |  Carrie Durkee

Mares and yearlings stand near the pasture fence around midday at Warm Springs Ranch on Wednesday in Boonville. Warm Springs Ranch is one of two breeding facilities in the nation for Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales. Its focus is to produce foals with specific traits in size, color and markings to be trained as hitching horses for Budweiser.   |  Carrie Durkee