
Standing at 19.1 hands, Goliath was the Guinness record holder for the tallest living horse in 2005. Meet the famous horses who awed crowds with their sheer size and thundering steps! Big Jake

Biggest Horses in Historyīesides Sampson, several horses made it into the history books for being far beyond the usual measurements for their breed. However, some equines have since come close to his impressive size. There’s a good chance that Sampson’s name might forever remain in the Guinness World Records as the biggest horse that ever lived. Had he not been gelded at one and a half years old, this famous giant could’ve reached even more extraordinary heights.

With his impressive measurements, Sampson was both the tallest and heaviest horse in history.įoaled in 1846 in Bedfordshire, England, Sampson was renamed Mammoth at the age of four when he already stood 7ft 2 in. The biggest horse in history was a Shire horse named Sampson, who stood at a towering 21.25 hands (7 ft 2.5 in) and weighed 3,360 lb (1,524 kg). However, conservation efforts are ongoing to preserve and protect these gentle giants. Unfortunately, many large horse breeds diminished in numbers during the 20th century due to a declining need for their use. While draft horse breeds were already an impressive size back in the day, it was only around the 19th century that these horses began to reach very big sizes. Their exceptional work ethic and docile temperament made these animals indispensable assets to society. These large horse breeds were originally developed to work on farms, pull carts, and mobilize heavy loads. Some of the world’s biggest horse breeds have gained the admiration of humans due to their majestic appearance and phenomenal strength. Learn Moreįor thousands of years, horses have been selectively bred into over 600 breeds for various purposes.
