This Breed Of Horses Only Existed In The 19th Century And The Story Behind Them Is Fascinating
Shortly before the turn of the 20th century, a new breed of horse emerged from the American West and took the country's circuses and sideshows by storm. They were known as Oregon Wonder Horses, and they had beautiful manes and tails that grew over 10 feet long.
For about 20 years, they remained one of the country's most popular attractions. However, as suddenly as they'd appeared, these majestic creatures vanished and are now only remembered in photographs.
Long-haired Oregon Wonder Horses were famous in the late 1800s for their rich chestnut coats, and more importantly, for their extremely long, soft manes and tails.
This one, for example, was named White Wings, and he had a tail that was 17 feet long and a mane that was 14 feet long! A 1902 book on extraordinary animals described him as the most beautiful horse that ever lived.
Most owners of these equine marvels ended up braiding their horses' hair or putting it in pigtails. This was actually less about style and more to keep their manes and tails from getting tangled and knotted while they slept!
Despite their almost otherworldly appearance, these horses' impressive locks were actually achieved through crossbreeding normal draft horses like Percherons and Andalusian horses.