Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev is caving to political pressure.
The brewing giant disclosed Wednesday that it had stopped the practice of cutting the tails of its iconic Clydesdale horses.
“The safety and well-being of our beloved Clydesdales is our top priority,” a company spokeswoman told The New York Times.
“The practice of equine tail docking was discontinued earlier this year,” she said.
The American Veterinary Medical Association advocates against subjecting the animals to the cosmetic procedure.
The horses — traditionally used to tow carriages — have long been utilized by Anheuser-Busch to market its Budweiser brand.
The company sent a beer wagon with six of the horses to New York following the end of Prohibition in 1933.
The “Budweiser Clydesdales” are used at marketing events and in commercials to this day.
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Animal rights activists have long objected to Anheuser-Busch’s use and treatment of the horses, according to the Times.
The company came under fire this year after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals disclosed the amputation practices used at company facilities in Missouri.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that animal rights activists in the U.S. and Europe had sent a joint letter to AB InBev this month urging it to stop the practice.
Anheuser-Busch’s run-in with animal rights activists is far from its first foray into political controversy.
The company has suffered the effects of a lasting boycott spurred by its short-lived partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney this spring.
Bud Light could lose retail shelf space as Dylan Mulvaney boycott persists: experts https://t.co/grUR4REyyp pic.twitter.com/LkLrHVYHrI
— New York Post (@nypost) September 15, 2023
Consumers’ rejection of Bud Light in the aftermath of the partnership has cost the beer its status as the most popular in the United States.
A local distributor canceled an event featuring the Clydesdales in April, citing “safety concerns” related to the Mulvaney backlash.
Anheuser Busch has cancelled appearances of their Clydesdales across Missouri this week due to safety concerns caused by a backlash from people over their new spokesperson, trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. pic.twitter.com/tz4oxeihjS
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 6, 2023
A descendant of the Busch family that founded the beer giant before its sale to the Belgian conglomerate InBev has urged the company to sell the brand back to him to restore its legacy.
“I’ll be the first in line to buy that brand back from you, and we’ll make that brand great again,” Billy Busch said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
