Over the years we've heard of famous race horses and horses famous for other things , but I found some amazing records that maybe we haven't heard a lot about...
1) Biggest and Heaviest Horse : Samson... Born in England in 1846, Samson was a shire gelding. Shires are noted for being the tallest breed; on average they grow to be about 17 hands . Samson stood an incredible 21.25 hands tall and weighed 3,360 pounds.
2) Smallest: Thumbelina... Guinness World Records made this official in 2006 when it recognized the 17 '1/2-inch-tall miniature horse, Thumbelina . Five years old at the time "Thumby" was so small that she spent more time with the owners dogs than with other horses.
3) Oldest: Old Billy... Born in England in 1760, Old Billy lived for 62 years
4) Richest: Cigar... Since he started racing in 1993, Cigar has earned nearly $10 million, taking home $4 million at the 1997 Dubai World Cup alone. He's the great-grandson of Northern Dancer (the first Canadian horse to win the Kentucky derby) . Cigar was born in 1990 in Maryland and won 16 straight races in 1995 and 1996, the first American horse to do so since 1950.
5) Fastest Racehorse: Big Racked and Onion Roll... A tie for the title. Both horses posted a speed of 43.26 mph on a quarter mile track.. ( Big Racked in 1945 and Onion Roll in 1993)
6) Longest Jump: Something... In South Africa in 1975, Something (and his trainer, Andre Ferreira ) jumped 27 feet, 6'1/4 inches over water.
So there are a lot of horses out there that have done fantastic things, won races , set records and many we haven't heard of yet and maybe never will. Just remember if you own a horse , he may not of set a record or won a race, or jumped the highest, but he is still your horse to care for, feed, love and spend time with. And in return, he will give you his love, unconditionally.
R.H.
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