This Week in Horse History - January 4th Through January 10th

January 5, 1961 - The television show "Mr. Ed" debuted for its six year run. The show featured Wilbur Post (Alan Young) and his talking horse, Mr. Ed. Mr. Ed was played by Bamboo Harvester, a parade horse. He was foaled in 1949 and was owned by the president of the California Palomino Society. Bamboo Harvester was purchased by the Mister Ed Company and was trained by Les Hilton. Mr. Ed did many scenes in one take. The show often fed the horse peanut butter to encourage him to move his mouth. In 1968, Bamboo Harvester was put to sleep due to medical problems. The Mr. Ed who died in 1979 was a horse who posed as him for publicity photos, not the actual horse who played him on TV.


Information and photo courtesy of: Mr Ed Story

January 8, 1853 – A statue was unveiled in Washington, DC of Andrew Jackson sitting on his rearing horse. This was the first equestrian statue ever made in America. Sculptor Clark Mills was commissioned by the Jackson Monument Association to create the piece. He bought and trained a horse to rear on command so that he could study its anatomy as it balanced. Mills hopes to transfer that balance to the sculpture so that its center of gravity would be over the horse’s rear legs, making it sturdy and freestanding as a work of art.

After two years of work the plaster model was completed. Mills then had to start a foundry himself, since there were none present in America. The dedication of the statue took place on the 38th anniversary of Andrew Jackson's victory at New Orleans. Millis demonstrated the sculpture’s perfect balance by putting all of his weight on the horse’s front legs. During the demonstration the statue did not move at all.
Information courtesy of: Andrew Jackson Memorial
Photo courtesy of: Andrew Jackson Statue

January 9, 1969 – Etiw, a famous Polish Arabian stallion, was born in Poland today. He was imported to the United States in 1973. Etiw, pronounced "Etive," was a hugely successful racehorse and of his first 143 foals, 30 went on to become champions. During his career as a stallion Etiw sired 264 foals, all of them grey. Etiw was the sire of the mare SW Tyncza, who sold for $80,000. Etiw died of cancer in January of 1988.


Information courtesy of: AMAHA Etiw
Photo courtesy of: Polish Arabian Horses