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.

[nuconvert]

Oh you're stretching there

[El Gato]

http://www.percheron.ca/images/six.jpg

Purty. When I was a kid we had show ponies, or had family friends who did, depending on exactly when. I always like the 4 and 6 horse hitches of Belgians, a similar but heavier, breed.

[Cobra64]

Was this animal influenced by Mr. Ed?

[Stoat]

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

I beg your pardon...?

with·ers [wíərz]

plural noun

highest part of horse’s back: the ridge between the shoulder bones of a horse, sheep, ox, or similar four-legged animal, forming the highest part of its back

  [Early 16th century. Origin uncertain: probably ultimately from Old English wiþer “against.”]

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

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

I beg your pardon...?

[clee1]

Seriesly!

[martin_fierro]

Ah.

*whew*

< |:)~

[Americanchild]

stands 6 feet, 5 inches from his hoofs to the top of his withers. I beg your pardon...?

The withers are the shoulders on a horse. It's that high point on the back that the front of the saddle sits on.

The hoofs are those hard things on the ends of their feet......sorry FRiend! I couldn't resist!

[endthematrix]

Imagine in the Middle Ages being an infantryman and seeing line of knights mounted on Percheron war horses, cresting the top of a hill about to charge against you...

[CindyDawg]

big horse ping

[mountn man]

[RosieCotton]

Cool...

There used to be (may still be) guys that logged with horses near where I grew up in Vermont...the guy I most remember used a big Percheron named Diamond. He was HUGE, but an incredibly big baby. Really loved kids, and having his nose and neck petted. We used to hang out at the end of the logging road at quitting time with a couple of apples for him. Really a gentle giant, though we were always careful - wouldn't take much to get hurt by a critter that big!

[martin_fierro]

Oh, I already know 'bout all that kinda stuff.

What kinda city slicker do you think I am, anyway?

I even know about the horse's udder.

[Dad yer funny]

ping

[HairOfTheDog]

Ping!

[wolficatZ]

What a majestic beast, thanks for posting.

[Stoat]

Imagine in the Middle Ages being an infantryman and seeing line of knights mounted on Percheron war horses, cresting the top of a hill about to charge against you...
 

I hope that I would have thought ahead and had some carrots in my rucksack, with which to make friends with angry war horses   :-)

[Stoat]

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.

What a wonderful thing to have in your memory and what a wonderful tribute to your family.

[Stoat]

There used to be (may still be) guys that logged with horses near where I grew up in Vermont...the guy I most remember used a big Percheron named Diamond. He was HUGE, but an incredibly big baby. Really loved kids, and having his nose and neck petted. We used to hang out at the end of the logging road at quitting time with a couple of apples for him. Really a gentle giant, though we were always careful - wouldn't take much to get hurt by a critter that big!

What a wonderful childhood memory.

[endthematrix]

Nice horsie...

[Stoat]

What a majestic beast, thanks for posting.

You're quite welcome; I'm glad that you liked it  :-)

I'm as interested in politics as the next guy, but it's nice to take a break from it now and then isn't it?