We get asked this question in the museum quite frequently. How much can a horse pull?
The general rule of thumb is about three times its body weight under ideal conditions. The average horse weighs about 1000 lbs so 3000 lbs can be pulled on flat roads. The weight ratio changes based on various conditions. In hilly country, the ratio changes to about 2 to 1 and in very bad road conditions (sand or mountains) that ratio can become 1 to 1. Other factors such as the horse’s physical condition, the weight of the vehicle, weight distribution, soil conditions, weather and even the driver’s skills can affect the amount of weight a horse can pull. Who knew!?
This picture is said to show Mammoth, the Guinness Record holder for largest horse. While the photo is not confirmed and may be too new to be the authentic record-holder, it certainly depicts an outrageously large horse as a reference point for Mammoth’s impressive size!
Did you know the world’s biggest horse lived in the 19th century? Originally named Samson, Mammoth was a Shire horse gelding born in 1846 at Bedfordshire, England. Towering at 21 hands and 2 ½ inches (about 86 1/4inches), the horse was aptly renamed Mammoth, and he weighed a hefty 3,360lbs! By comparison, many cars don’t even weigh that much: For instance, a 2022 Honda Civic weighs between 2,877 and 3,077 pounds, depending on the model.
Fun fact… the average 1000 lb horse drops about 31 lbs of manure and 2.4 gallons of urine per day. I would not have wanted to be in charge of mucking Mammoth’s stall!
Our old wooden wagon seat is an incredible piece of Washington State history.
The Longacres Racetrack in Renton was founded in 1933 by Seattle Real Estate magnates Joseph Gottstein (1891-1971) and William Edris and designed by B. Marcus Priteca. The track’s storied history is amazing. State legislation allowing pari-mutuel betting was passed in early 1933 and signed into law by Gov. Clearance Martin on March 13, 1933.
The track closed to live racing on September 21, 1992. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, “Before the last race, announcer Gary Henson told the
crowd, ‘These horses belong to you. Listen to their final thunder.'” Then, for probably the first time in track history, the race was run in silence, without Henson’s customary calls (September 22, 1992). More than 23,000 fans crowded the stands to see Native Rustler, ridden by Gary Stevens, win the final race.
For many years, our wagon seat was part of the decor in the jockey’s locker room. Over the years, hundreds of jockey’s used the seat for “booting up” before a race. The seat was removed during demolition of the track and was
in a private collection until gifted to our museum several years ago. Oh… if that seat could talk!
