See King Buck Up Close — The 3,126 lb Tallest Horse In The World

Key Points

• At 19.3 hands tall, the Belgian horse King Buck is the tallest horse in the world today.
• The previous record holder, 20+ hand tall Big Jake passed away in 2021.
• The tallest horse ever recorded was a 21-hand-tall Shire horse named Sampson.

The Largest Horse Recorded Weighed Over 3,000 Pounds

Horses are some of the most majestic animals. Most weigh between 840 and 1,200 pounds. They are measured in hands rather than feet, inches, or centimeters. One hand equals approximately four inches. Most horses are between 12 and 18 hands, although both height and weight can vary greatly depending on the breed.

The largest breeds include Shire horses, Clydesdales, and Percherons. These heavyweight horses were bred to do agricultural and industry work – mostly pulling wagons that carry massive weight. Clydesdales were used during WW1 to carry ammunition, supplies, and artillery onto battlefields and were hailed as heroes. The largest horse on record was Sampson, a Shire horse. He stood over 21 hands tall and weighed over 3,000 pounds. That is more than a small car!

The Tallest Horse in the World Lives on a Working Farm

King Buck is another gigantic horse that is worth noting. The tallest horse in the world lives at Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery in Millersburg, Ohio. On the farm, he welcomes visitors with some information about him. In addition to King Buck, the farm is home to cows, goats, sheep, and other animals.

King Buck is a Belgian horse and was born in 2012. At just 10 years old, he is already 3,126 pounds and 19.3 hands tall. He is slimmer than Sampson, who had a broader chest based on photos. But King Buck is still absolutely massive and worth a visit. He was born on the farm and gets a lot of love and attention from his owners as well as the people who come to see him in person.

Belgians in the United States are often smaller than Belgians in Europe, although we think that King Buck may be the exception. As a breed, they are known for being very strong and used to pull heavy weights. That makes a horse like King Buck very useful around a working farm.

Many Belgians, including King Buck, are chestnut in color. This means that they have a reddish-brown coat and their manes and tails are similar, although sometimes they can be a bit lighter.

See King Buck for Yourself in This Video!

How Long Do Horses Live?

On average, horses are expected to live about 25 to 30 years old. There are some incredible exceptions to this statistic, however, with many notable examples living twice as long as the average horse. Shayne is a 51-year-old chestnut Gelding and is thought to be the oldest horse alive today. The oldest horse in recorded history lived to be 62 years old and came to be known as Old Billy. He was foaled in 1760 and lived until 1822.

Other Amazing Videos You Might Like

You don’t have to be the tallest horse in the world to dominate. You may not know it but just outside Gainsville, Florida, there is a population of wild horses descended from Spanish steeds. And if you’re wondering if they encounter alligators, they most certainly do as seen in this video. One of the horses rushes forward to trample a large reptilian and returns again just to make sure the giant predator has been suitably chastised. Angered, the ‘gator lashes out, but knowing it’s no match for a wild horse backed up by its family, it ambles away from them.