World's tallest horse visits Missoula today

The Missoulian ^ | May 8, 2005 | VINCE DEVLIN

[Stoat]

World's tallest horse visits Missoula today
By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian

Goliath, a Percheron draft horse, who was born in Canada, stands 6 feet, 5 inches from his hoofs to the top of his withers. Photo by KURT WILSON/Missoulian

You wouldn't need a crane to mount Goliath, the world's tallest living horse.

Then again, it wouldn't hurt.

Leslie Fish, a Hawthorne fifth-grader, has ridden Goliath before, and it took two people to boost her onto the horse's back.

 

 

Goliath is a 14-year-old Percheron draft horse who stands 19.1 hands tall. That's three to five hands taller than your typical horse and a hand or two higher than the average Percheron.

In all, Goliath stands 6-foot-5 from hoof to withers. He weighs 2,500 pounds, or 1 1/4 tons.

That's about double the average horse, and 500 pounds more than most Percherons.

"We weren't sure he'd fit," said Sheila Lowden of Missoula's Professional Farm Quarterhorses, where Goliath spent Friday night in a stall.

Goliath is so tall it's hard for him to graze - his neck just isn't long enough to get his mouth to grass. The horse has to stretch his front legs apart, like a foal, in order to reach the ground.

He goes through 18 pounds of Pilgrim's Pride Grain, 40 pounds of Coastal Bermuda hay and 20 gallons of water a day.

Owned by Priefert Ranch Equipment of Mount Pleasant, Texas, Goliath's claim to the title of world's tallest living horse is backed by the Guinness World Records, which in 2003 declared him such.

He replaced the previous listee by half an inch, according to Charles Woods.

Woods and his wife Guilda ferry Goliath around the country for promotional appearances at stores that sell Priefert products.

Born in Canada, Goliath was a wheel horse in a six-team hitch in Colorado when Bill Priefert purchased the team.

The team - named Texas Thunder by Priefert - still works promotional events, too. Indeed, Goliath was still a part of the team when it appeared at the Western Montana Fair in Missoula two years ago.

That's when Leslie Fish - whose father, Dave, is the saddlemaker at Quality Supply, where Goliath will be on display Saturday - got to ride him.

But after Goliath was certified as the world's tallest horse, he was broken off into his own one-horse show (although Goliath, as he will Sunday in Hamilton, occasionally reunites with his old teammates on the road).

Goliath makes 100 to 150 promotional appearances and travels 40,000 miles in his custom-built horse trailer every year.

When they're not on the road, Goliath and Texas Thunder live at Bill Priefert's ranch outside Mount Pleasant.

Reporter Vince Devlin can be reached at 523-5260 or at vdevlin@missoulian.com

 

 

See for yourself

You can see Goliath Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Quality Supply, 2081 W. Broadway in Missoula; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Quality Supply, 1189 First St. S. in Hamilton; or Tuesday at Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply, 2330 Highway 93 S. in Kalispell from noon to 6:30 p.m.

Texas Thunder, a six-team hitch, is also appearing at the Hamilton store from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

[Stoat]

History of the Percheron

The History of the Percheron

The exact origins of the Percheron have been lost over time. Some believe they are descendants of the original horses found in the Ice Age, while others believe that the Percheron is closely related to the Boulonnais horse used in the Roman invasion of Brittany. Still others believe the breed is from Abdel Rahman's Arab stallions or part of the horses used by the invading Moors at the battle of Poitiers, which were divided among the victorious French forces.

From this point in history we believe the Percheron originated in the area of La Perche, a district of Normandy, one of the oldest horse breeding regions in the world. The breed developed from the local heavy Flemish breeds. Today, Percherons are primarily noted for their heavy draft work but in the 8th century Arabian and other oriental horses were mated with the heavy native horses and cob stock, producing the first of the Percheron horses. This lightened up the Percheron for riding and light draft work.

Around the Middle Ages Spanish blood was introduced by the Comte de Perche and later the Comte de Rotrou imported Andalusian stallions, which were used on the Percheron mares. In the 18th century, Arabs and the new English Thoroughbreds were also imported and used. The Royal Stud at Le Pin made Arabian stallions available to breeders of Percheron horses in an effort to improve the breed. In 1820, two gray Arab stallions were imported into the Le Perche area and used extensively on the existing stock, and it is from these two that the present day gray colour on the Percheron stems. In 1823, a horse named Jean Le Blanc was foaled in Le Perche and all of today's Percheron bloodlines trace directly to this horse.

The breed has served as a carriage and farm horse. It has also been used as a warhorse, and an artillery horse. It was exported to North America, South America, and Britain and was used as a working horse, and as a genetic influence on other heavy breeds. By the end of the 1800s, breeders were becoming more interested in a heavy draft horse than a carriage horse. By the middle of the 19th century, the old strains of Percheron blood had almost disappeared and the heavy mares from neighbouring Brittany were brought in to mix with the last remaining old Percheron stock. The small area of La Perche focused on agriculture around this time and began breeding for the heavier Percheron again. This is the type of Percheron that is familiar today.

Percherons were first imported to the United States in 1839, by Edward Harris of Moorestown, New Jersey. The stallions, Normandy and Louis Napoleon, were imported to Ohio in 1851. Louis Napoleon was later sold into Illinois and wound up in the hands of the Dunham family who were instrumental in forming the Percheron Association. The first Percheron imported into Canada came via the United States, but originally came from France. Hence, the Percheron remains genetically pure, with registered animals in both Canada and the United States tracing directly through all lines of their ancestry to the nucleus of foundation stock originating in La Perche.

Following World War II, the invention of the modern farm tractor nearly made the breed extinct. As America modernized and mechanized, the Percheron was all but forgotten. However, a handful of farmers, including many Amish, dedicated to the preservation of the breed and kept it alive through the next twenty years of the draft horse depression.

Throughout the centuries, the Percheron has changed type (today there are still heavy and lighter-heavy types), size, and jobs with great adaptability. Throughout this the Percheron has remained amenable, active, kind, energetic and elegant. Hence it’s popularity.

Character and Care

The Percheron is noted for its equable temperament, its intelligence, ease of handling and willingness to work. It is an elegant heavy horse due to the infusions for the Oriental-type blood throughout the centuries. Despite their great size, Percherons are active, showy and easy movers. Their stride is not as choppy as that of other heavy horses. Its action is stylish, long, free and comparatively low.

In color, blacks and grays are preferred, but browns, sorrels and bays appear and are also registerable. Although a heavy horse this elegant type shows it’s Oriental ancestry in its head and facial expressions. The head should be medium sized, have a lean, clean cut and be quite broad between the eyes, with an alert pointed ear of medium size. A large, prominent eye showing plenty of spirit is desired. Stallions should have a bold masculine head while mares have a more refined, feminine head. Percherons should have a wide, deep chest which provides for greater lung and heart capacity but one does not want the shoulders standing out prominently from the body. The shoulder should have a slope of about forty-five degrees to enable the horse to lift its head naturally. A low-headed horse is not as smart looking as one that holds its head up without effort. A nicely curved chest and a neat throatlatch go with a reasonably high head. Also, a horse with a neat, clean throat line can tolerate a lot more heat than one that is coarse and rather fleshy between the head and the shoulder.

The horse should stand squarely on its front legs. The knees should be wide, deep, flat and well defined. A post-shaped leg is not desirable because it reduces flexibility in the joints. A pastern that is fairly long and a slope at about forty-five degrees is one that usually stays sound the longest since it provides more spring to the stride. There should be a good length of flat bone between the knee and the pastern. At the bottom of this leg should be a large round foot, moderately deep and wide at the heel with a good frog to serve as a cushion. A flat foot is not desirable.

The back should be straight, broad and strong in proportion to the length of neck and shoulder height. The croup should be long and fairly level, enabling the animal to have a large, well-muscled hip. From the standpoint of power and action, it is important that the points of the hocks be turned in slightly and that the horse stand with the hocks fairly close together. The hocks should be so placed that if a line is dropped from the point of the buttock it will touch the point of the fetlock. Here again there should be a long sloping pastern. The cannon bone should be of fair length and flat but not thin. The hocks should be quite close together when the horse is walking or trotting as well as standing. The lack of feathers on the lower legs distinguishes from other heavy horse breeds.

The modern Percheron often reaches 17 –18 hands with a few even taller. Tall horses with smoothness of stride are much in demand for hitch purposes. Mature Percherons range in weight from 1600 pounds to and in excess of 2400 pounds. There are many Percherons being raised that do not reach the top heights or weights, but are good quality and provide the breed with a wide base for genetic variation.

Like any heavy draft breed, it is resistant to most weather conditions and for its size, surprisingly does not need excessive amount of food to keep it in good condition. However, due to it’s thin skin and fine satiny coat this could indicate that it is not as hardy in extreme winter conditions as other draft types - yet the Perheron has been exported all over the world and has been credited on how well it adapts to it’s new climate.

Today’s Percheron

Today, Percherons are used in a variety of ways. The 1960's saw a renaissance in the draft horse business as Americans rediscovered its usefulness. Percherons are now back on small farms and working in the forest. Thousands of Percherons are used for recreation such as hayrides, sleigh rides and parades. Due to their elegance, docility and stunning appearance they are often found working for brewing companies. Percherons are shown in competition hitching and halter classes in many US and Canadian county fairs across both countries. The light breed of Percherons are used under saddle for both English and Western riding horses and are very popular for breeding up quality for horses in the hunter and driving breeds.

The Percheron is known throughout the world as the breed characterized by a long, aggressive, smooth and true stride that shows determination and willingness. In spite of mechanization and automation the Percheron breed has survived, and in recent years, has increased tremendously in popularity and numbers.

A strong demand exists for well-bred Percherons that are consistently placing among the top national and international shows. Whether your interest is the flashy hitch classes, the exciting pulling contests or a good chore team, the Percheron has no peer!

[Paul Atreides]

Wait for it...

[Charles Henrickson]

it took two people to boost her onto the horse's back.

It was hard to perch her on.

[Brooklyn Kid]

Wonder how many hands those Clydesdales are? I had them walk by me in a parade and they're big.
This fella sounds huge.

[Charles Henrickson]

. . . stands 6 feet, 5 inches from his hoofs to the top of his withers.

Withering Heights.

[NormsRevenge]

2,500 pounds? Wow!

That's a big 'un.

[dalereed]

My great grandparents had the worlds champion Percherons for over 20 years straight at the turn of the century (20th) in Lamore ND where they used them to farm 10,000 acres of wheat.

I have one of the gold medals that they won.

[xJones]

Nope, not gonna happen. Even if the Percheron is 19.1 hands tall. No LB jokes, no way.

[martin_fierro]

stands 6 feet, 5 inches from his hoofs to the top of his withers.

I beg your pardon...?

[hole_n_one]

Got milk?

[Psycho_Bunny]

There's "horses" and then there's "Mr. Horses"

That's a "Mr. Horse"

[fieldmarshaldj]

...and in other news, the biggest horses' ass in Montana occupies the Governor's mansion.

[Stoat]

Wonder how many hands those Clydesdales are? I had them walk by me in a parade and they're big.
This fella sounds huge.

Clydesdale, breed of working horse, and the national horse of Scotland. A comparatively new breed, the Clydesdale was developed in the Clyde Valley of Scotland during the 18th century. The Sixth Duke of Hamilton brought Flemish draft mares to Scotland to increase the size of local draft horses. A Scottish farmer later crossed this new line of horses with a black Flemish stallion, which had a wide white stripe running down his face. That coloring and the flowing, high-stepping action of this stallion became hallmarks of the Clydesdale breed.

The Clydesdale has a large, solid body. It stands about 163 to 173 cm (about 64 to 68 in, or 16 to 17 hands) high at the withers (the sides of the ridge between the shoulder blades). The long legs are muscular with solid joints and the front legs are straight below the wide chest. The back is short, straight, and wide, the medium-length neck is arched, and the head is long and straight. The hooves are broad and bell-shaped.

The coat of the Clydesdale originally was colored black, gray, roan (gold, brown, or black hair mixed with white hair), bay (reddish), and brown. Bay and brown have emerged as the dominant colors. The lower legs are white. The mane traditionally is braided to emphasize the heavy, arched neck.

The Clydesdale looks more like a show horse than a heavy draft horse. An impressive appearance, coupled with a hoof shape suited for work on city streets as well as farming on soft ground, the Clydesdale was a popular delivery horse in both European and American cities. This horse is still used for farm and delivery work, especially in its homeland. Its popularity in the United States has increased with tours by the Budweiser Clydesdale team, which pulls an old-time beer wagon in exhibitions.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 

[Jean S]

I used to manage a breeding stallion who was 17.2 hands (a Westphalian) and he was huge! We weighed him once, he was 1500 pounds. I can't even imagine a horse this big.

[Bear_Slayer]

or Tuesday at Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply, 2330 Highway 93 S. in Kalispell from noon to 6:30 p.m.

Add it to my calendar - the families going to see him.

[ElkGroveDan]

Something else for Canada to be proud of.

Next time a tyrant threatens the Western World the Candians can say "Hey, look out eh? We have the world's tallest horse!"

[NormsRevenge]

I remember seeing some pretty big plug horses as a kid, but this is hugh!

[Stoat]

Add it to my calendar - the families going to see him.

Be sure to take your camera....you're welcome to post pictures of your visit here on this thread  :-)

I'm sure that many here would enjoy seeing more pictures.

[Rennes Templar]

LOL! Got that right!

[Rennes Templar]

I'm down in Paradise Valley, can't get up there but also love to see pics here too!