Horses come in many sizes, but have you ever wondered about the tallest horse in the world? The tallest and heaviest horse ever recorded was a Shire horse named Sampson, who was later renamed Mammoth. Sampson was no ordinary horse – he was a giant!
To give you an idea of just how big he was, most horses are between 14 to 17 hands tall. A “hand” is a special way of measuring horses, and one hand is about 4 inches. Sampson, however, stood a towering 21.25 hands, or 7 feet 2.5 inches tall, which is way taller than most people! He was measured in 1850 and weighed a massive 3,359 pounds (1,524 kg). That’s heavier than a car!
Shire horses, like Sampson, are known for being very big and strong. They are often used to pull heavy loads on farms and for transportation because of their power and size. On the related note, got the scoop of the smallest horse in the world?
But Sampson isn’t the only famous the tallest horse in the world. More recently, another huge horse held the title of the tallest living horse. His name was Big Jake, and he lived at Smokey Hollow Farms in Wisconsin, USA. Big Jake stood at 20.3 hands tall, or about 6 feet 10.75 inches. That’s still incredibly tall! He became the record holder in 2010, and even though he sadly passed away in July 2021, he is still remembered as a gentle giant.
These horses are special not just because of their height, but also because of their strength and the amazing lives they lived.
