A History of Hacks Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hands

Hands are unique in that their measurement, when subdivided to a value smaller than the full unit, is in base four instead of base ten; since hands are standardized to inches, a horse which was 43 inches tall would be ten hands, three inches, spoken as "ten three" and written as 10.3, and another inch would make it simply 11 hands.

The use of hands as measurement dates back to as far as ancient Egypt.

Answer: Rocinante

Rocinante ("rocín" meaning hack/workhorse + "ante," suffix meaning first or before) was also the name that John Steinbeck gave to his camper truck. "Manzana" is the name of Sancho Panza's donkey, and Huidobro and Unamuno are the surnames of other famous Spanish-language authors.

Answer: Gallant Fox and Omaha

When Gallant Fox became the second Triple Crown-winning horse in 1930, there had not been one in eleven years; Omaha became the third Crown-winner only five years later. Both horses were retroactively and posthumously awarded the Triple Crown trophy when it was commissioned in 1950.

Answer: Incitatus

While accounts and opinions differ on whether Caligula was insane or a political satirist, it is known that he did not actually appoint Incitatus to any public office. It is alleged, though, that the horse was fed gold flakes along with his oats and made a priest.

Answer: Losing at least 100 races and never winning

Zippy Chippy and Haru Urara were both active in the early 2000s, and neither ever won a race. Zippy Chippy lost 100 races, placed in the top three in about one-fifth of his races, and once famously lost a footrace to a baseball player. Haru Urara placed in the top three only twelve times in her career, which earned her international attention and widespread branding.

Answer: Hoof Hearted

"Hoof Hearted in the winner's circle." ("Who farted?")

As it happens, Potoooooooo (pronounced "potatoes;" that is, Pot-8-o's) was also a real and remarkable racehorse in the 18th century. "Marcus Gluetus" and "Neigh Kid" are not, to my knowledge, names that have been given to any actual horses.

Answer: Mister Ed

Mister Ed was voiced by former Western actor Alan Lane, who accepted a pay raise in return for remaining uncredited when the show first garnered popularity. Bamboo Harvester's stunt double, Pumpkin (or Punkin), later appeared on "Green Acres."

Answer: Staff Sergeant Reckless

Reckless was purchased from a stable in Seoul for $250 and was noted for her ability to quickly memorize supply routes. In 1960, she retired with full military honors, and a statue of her was unveiled in the National Museum of the Marine Corps in 2013.

Answer: Clydesdale

Clydesdale horses take their name from the county of the same name, now called Lanarkshire. The use of the name "Clydesdale" to refer to the horse breed dates back to the 1820s.

Answer: Equus

There are seven recognized extant species within the genus Equus, and all horses are considered subspecies of equus ferus. Donkeys and zebras fall within sub-genera of asinus and hippotigris, respectively.