As a proud horse owner, I tend to think that my horse is pretty much the greatest thing on four legs. He has his lapses, sure, but at the end of the day he’s still the best in my book. Then I decided to do a post about equine world records. Apparently he needs to step it up to match Lukas, the “smartest horse in the world” as certified by World Records Academy, who can identify shapes, letters, numbers, and performs various other tricks. Personally I find this a little suspect, since the letters and shapes are “identified” in the same spatial pattern in different exercises, but that is neither here nor there.
Then there is Huaso, ridden by Captain Alberton Larraguibel Morales, who holds the official record for highest jump of 8 feet 2 inches. Originally named Faithful, Huaso (“Cowboy”) was a Chilean Thoroughbred, an ex-racehorse turned cavalry mount, and jumped the record height on February 5, 1949. This fence makes our show jumping look like a Pony Club rally.
Big Jake (in the middle) is this year’s largest horse, standing at 6 feet 10.75 inches at the withers. There seems to be some internet feuding about who actually claims the title of largest horse, but Jake has the official stamp of approval from Guinness which makes him more official than others in my book. Historically speaking, the largest horse ever recorded was a Shire named Samson that was 21.2 1/2 hands tall and weighed in at 3,360 pounds. That’s about how much a two-horse trailer weighs, for perspective. Luckily Samson lived in the days predating a lot of hauling, as he died in 1846.
In contrast, the smallest living horse, appropriately named Thumbelina, is only 17 inches tall. My Jack Russell could give her a run for her money.
Once you get past the usual suspects, there are quite a few weirder records out there as well. For example the record for longest distance walked by a horse on its hind legs goes to Doc and his Italian rider Gregory Ancelotti. Doc walked upright for an impressive 95 feet and 5 inches. If they should happen to introduce this skill into our dressage tests I know a few particularly emotional Thoroughbreds that would receive top marks. The longest tail recorded on a living horse is 12 feet 6 inches. The most expensive draught horse ever sold was a 2 year old stallion for a steep $112,500. I’m not sure what qualities he possessed to make him so valuable, but at that price a trip around Rolex would be expected. And finally, the highest jump by a pygmy miniature horse (Lovebug, such a great name) is 24 inches.
In Eventing, Charles Pahud de Mortanges of the Netherlands holds the record for both most Olympic gold medals: two individual (1928, 1932) and two team (1924, 1928). In addition he won team silver in 1932, making him also the only Eventer to have five Olympic medals to his name (Update: Mike Plumb won 6 Olympic medals). His horse, Marcroix, holds the equine record for most gold medals, as Mortanges’s mount in 1928 and 1932. The great Mark Todd is the only rider to have come close to Mortanges, having won individual gold twice (1984 and 1988).
So if you, like me, have been casting around for an appropriate and doable resolution for 2011, just take a gander at one of these. If you manage to break a record (or accomplish a new one) you even get your own certificate, as see on Lukas’s website. Now if you will excuse me, I’m off to search for nine foot tall standards. Cheers!
Note: Most of the information in this post comes from here
