Front Porch: What was your best gift?

Share your story

It’s better to give than to receive, right?

Tell us about the best holiday gift you’ve ever given someone. Say why it was so good and the response.

Maybe it was something you saved for all year. Or did you made it happen with no money?

It can be serious, sentimental or just plain silly.

We’ll publish selections on the Dec. 25 Good Life page.

Write it in 100 words or less. Deadline is Dec. 11. Send items to Andrea Brown at abrown@heraldnet.com

Meet the Clydesdales: The famous Budweiser Clydesdales are scheduled to make an appearance at the Navy Exchange in Marysville from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 23 for the holidays.

The eight-horse hitch will be harnessed and hitched to the red beer wagon as a part of the November military tour.

The appearance in Marysville is one of hundreds made annually by the traveling hitches. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800s. Today, the giant draft horses are used primarily for breeding and show.

Horses chosen for the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at least 3 years of age, stand approximately 18 hands — or 6 feet — at the shoulder, weigh an average of 2,000 pounds, must be bay in color, have four white legs, a blaze of white on the face, and a black mane and tail. A gentle temperament is very important as hitch horses meet millions of people each year.

Each hitch travels with a Dalmatian. In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries.

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