About Thoroughbred Horses

The long, sleek bodies of modern Thoroughbred horses can trace their ancestry back to three imported Arabian stallions brought to England from the Middle Easy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The stallions Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian provided stud services to more than 74 foundation mares, leading to the modern breed known as the Thoroughbred.

  1. History

    • English flat racing began in England as early as 1174. The Smithfield in London remained a popular spot for flat racing (4 miles) through the Middle Ages. During the reign of King James I, the practice of handicapping horses (adding weight to them) began. Raising, training and working with horses became the sport of royalty, with Charles II, Queen Anne, William III and George I taking avid interest in the races, breeding their own horses and competing those horses at Smithfield. By 1727, a newspaper devoted exclusively to racing ("The Racing Calendar") began publication. During this time period, 3 Arabian stallions imported from the Middle East (between1680 and 1721) were bred to more than 74 mares to begin the Thoroughbred breed.

    Significance

    • Thoroughbreds are beautiful horses, marked by their long, sleek lines and slender builds. The average height of thoroughbred horses is roughly 15.3 to 16.2 hands, though they can be as tall as 17 hands (1 hand equals 4 inches). The height comes from their English dams, but their speed and hot-blooded nature comes from the Arabian bloodline. The long legs and smaller hooves makes them agile runners, but also leaves the breed prone to leg and hoof injuries. From their Arabian ancestry they take predominantly dark colors (bay, brown, chestnut and black), but gray, palomino and roan are not uncommon. Pure white is extremely rare, although many thoroughbreds have white markings on the legs and face.

    Time Frame

    • Thoroughbred racing standards set an artificial birth dates for all horses born in a particular calendar year. These artificial dates are important to recognize breeding standards for age groups. For example, in the Northern Hemisphere, all Thoroughbred foals are a year older, whether they were born on the previous January first or on December thirty-first. While many breeders foal in the spring (March to May), a horse may foal anytime in the year following their 11-month gestation. A thoroughbred foal born on October first, 2008, would be considered a yearling by racing standards on January first, 2009.

    Function

    • Thoroughbreds compete well in dressage, show jumping and eventing. The racing life can be very tough on many horses, and horses that do not race well or are ready to be retired are retrained in other sports, including pleasure riding. Thoroughbreds were heavily featured in the 3-day eventing Olympic sport events during the 2008 Summer Olympics. The breed does well in hotter, steamier climates.

    Warning

    • Thoroughbred horses do not make good beginning riding horses. The athletic, often strong-willed breed requires a cautious but experienced hand in the saddle. While not all thoroughbreds are raised to race, owners know to keep the breed busy with plenty of regular exercise in order to temper their high spirits.