In fact, Digger is so brawny that his handler Lisa McFarlane has difficulties to record his exact size. With his head up he measures close to 9 feet tall. Horses are conventionally measured in 4-inch ‘hands’ from the ground to the withers — the highest point of the back just before the animal’s neck — for Digger, that’s about 6 feet 6 inches. He measures 8 feet 5 inches (3.05 meters) from his ears to the top of his tail, and his hooves are 15 inches (35 centimeters) across. Digger is now ‘neck and neck’ with Cracker, a shire horse in Lincolnshire measuring 19 hands and 2 inches in 2005. Tina, a shire from Tennessee, was dubbed tallest horse in the world last year, standing in at 20 hands. The floppy-fringed Shire horse was an orphan and didn’t have the best of starts in life. He was taken in to International League for the Protection of Horses’ Belwade Farm in Aboyne, Scotland, shortly before Christmas after his owners could no longer cope to look after him due to their serious health problems. Despite his former intricacies, Digger has grown strong and healthy, weighing 1,980 pounds (900 kilos), eating 3 times more than an ordinary horse, and drinking between 20 to 25 gallons of water a day. He devours 42 to 55 pounds (19 to 25 kilos) of food a day, including 3 servings of cereal grain, and chomps through a 4 foot bale of hay every 2 days. Treats include his daily morning chocolate muffin, plus gifts from visitors — about 4 apples or carrots per day. Digger is covered at night to keep cozy with a 7 foot 9 inch long blanket. The strapping stallion is so sizeable that has to be transported by a specialized truck. Farm manager Eileen Gillen said, “He is the largest horse we have ever had. He is the equivalent of a growing teenage boy — never out of the fridge. Heaven knows what size he is going to end up.” Though some may find Digger’s size daunting and intimidating, he’s made best friends at the farm with Sweep — a 12 year old mini Shetland pony who stands merely 34 inches (85 centimeters) tall, and can walk straight under Digger’s belly. Clydesdale horses originated from the valley of the River Clyde and developed as a breed in the early 1700’s. They have typically been used as work horses on farms and for long distance haulage, due to their magnitude in size and muscular power. The average Clydesdale’s life span is between 20 to 25 years.
Photo Barcroft
Photo Barcroft
Photo Barcroft
Photo Barcroft
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