Karina, I can't help you at all with draft horse skeletons in Britain. However, should fortune smile on you and research grant money falls on you from the sky, you might consider making a trip to the East Coast of the U.S. The American Museum of Natural History in NYC and also the Smithsonian Institution/U.S. National Museum in Washington, D.C., each have several complete draft horse skeletons. As you might expect, some of these are real whoppers that were donated because they were famous, i.e. 'Big Jim' who was well over a ton in weight and stood 19 hands +. Their thighbones are so big at first glance you'd think the specimen was a bull rhino -- I know because I had the chance to examine them, long ago when I was a student apprentice at both places. Other institutions in the USA that hold more than one draft horse skeleton include the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and the University of Nebraska State Museum. Others may know of a concentration in some other place; I hate to send you larking around big distances just to get a single set of measurements. Are you looking at exostosis/arthritis/weird wear or development on the articular and intertransverse articulations? Or kissing/bridging spines? Very common in draft horses but I am not convinced it's due to draughting; I think it's basically allometric, because no equine is really "supposed" to be that big. Cheers -- Dr. Deb
-----Original Message-----
From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Karina Rapp
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 1:50 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ZOOARCH] Complete Draft Horse Skeletons
Good morning, zooarchers.
I am a master's student at the University of Exeter, working on a dissertation relating to the equine vertebral column and the pelvis. I am wondering if anyone knows of any complete draft-type horse skeletons (Shire etc.) in Britain.
I have already exhausted the collections at the Natural History Museum in London, and the National Museum of Scotland, and I have checked the Archaeology Data Service website. The University of Southampton and the Historic England has a few horses I haven't measured yet, but again, no draft horses that I can see from the ADS website. I am aware of some collections in France, Germany, and Prague, but I can't spare the money or time to visit those.
In addition to looking for a draft skeleton, I am also interested in any already-collected data worldwide (does not have to be Britain specific) on the thoracolumbar and pelvic regions for any horse types (especially horses bred and used for driving activity).
If anyone can think of anything else off the top of their heads, I would be very grateful. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Karina Rapp
MSc Zooarchaeology Student
University of Exeter, HumAnE Lab
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