Phar Lap's skeleton

Educational value

• This asset is the skeleton of an extraordinarily successful and admired racehorse - Phar Lap won 27 out of 37 starts, boosting national pride in New Zealand and Australia during the Depression.
• It is only part of the remains of the horse - the owners donated the skeleton to New Zealand and the heart and the hide to Australia, a division that has sparked an ongoing debate between Australia and New Zealand about who really 'owns' Phar Lap.
• It reveals that Phar Lap had a very large skeleton - he was an abnormally large horse, standing 17 hands high.
• It was originally preserved as a scientific specimen but is now a cultural icon for New Zealand.

Year level

2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12

Topics Skeleton Horses Leaching (Mixtures)