What Horses Are Used in Racing?

Horse racing for competition and betting dates back to the 12th century when knights would challenge each other to races. It was not until around 1702 that races started to have more than two horses and that spectators would wager on the outcome. Today racing can be short or long distances as well as flat or with jumping hazards. Certain horse breeds are better for different types of racing.

  1. Thoroughbred

    • The thoroughbred breed is the ultimate race horse and is bred almost entirely for the purpose of racing. The origins of the breed date back to the 17th century when three Middle Eastern Arabian stallions were brought to England and bred with local mares. The resulting offspring had the sturdy strength of English horses with the speed and endurance of Middle Eastern horses. From that point on, selective breeding began with the horses that proved their worth on the race track being favored. In 1791, the pedigrees of 387 mares were traced back to the three original stallions, and all thoroughbreds today are descended from these mares.

    Arabian

    • The Arabian can be described as the father of racing horses because the three sires of the thoroughbred breed were all Arabians. The horses have been prized for thousands of years by the Bedouin desert tribes for their speed and endurance. The true origins of the breed are shrouded in legend and myth, but it is known that their attributes were important in desert life and tribal war. Today it is a racing breed in its own right as well as being a foundation breed for almost all other race horse breeds.

    Standardbred

    • Not all horse racing takes place with a jockey on the animal's back. Harness racing has been taking place in the U.S. since the early 1800s and has its own star breed. The standardbred traces back to a horse named Messenger who was a descendant of the original Thomas Darley stallion. The horse was shipped to the U.S.in 1788 and became one of the founding sires. Standardbreds are generally shorter than their thoroughbred ancestors but have longer bodies. Harness racing horses pull a small framework single-seat cart with a driver.

    Quarter Horse

    • Quarter horses are so called because they are sprinters and generally compete in quarter-mile races. The exact breed origins are not certain, but the breed does have thoroughbred ancestry and may be descended from some of the earliest Spanish horses brought to the U.S. The breed is powerfully built and bred for speed over endurance.