Thoroughbred Horse

Breed History of Thoroughbred Horse

The thoroughbred horse breed came to existence in the late 17th century. The source of its origin is Great Britain. However, horse racing was not a new concept in that era. Rather, this amusement started its journey a few centuries back. The late 17th century witnessed horse buffs to breed some specific breeds for the racing purpose.

So, the whole story of the thoroughbred started from three stallions. People imported them to England. One of the three stallions was the Godolphin Arabian, which was named after Francis Godolphin.

The other two stallions of the modern thoroughbred were the Darley Arabian and the Byerly Turk. So, all three stallions acted as the source of thoroughbreds. The worth-noting point is any of these species did not have any history of racing.

What was about the mares of thoroughbreds? They belonged to more than one breeds. Some of the mares were native. However, people also imported some mares for the breeding of a new offspring.

And the result of this breeding was quite amazing. Those horse breeds successfully bred an amazing new species, named thoroughbred. It is a great combination of agility, speed, power, and stamina.

When this new species came to the American provinces?

It was in 1730. Horse enthusiasts imported thoroughbred. Nonetheless, they stopped import it throughout the Revolutionary War.

Time went by and racing started getting fame in the USA during the 1800s. Two storehouses of thoroughbred breeding were Tennessee and Kentucky. Even racing also became popular over there.

Thoroughbreds also contributed to the breeding of multiple horse species. It includes American quarter horse, Morgan, and so on. The Jockey Club acts as the registry for this species in the USA as well as Canada.

The main inspiration for breeding thoroughbred was achieving a powerful racing horse species. The horse buffs of Britain used to breed various horses for high running performance.

And thoroughbred was a great addition to this list. All of the base stallions of thoroughbreds were Arabians and you already know their names.

This breeding resulted in a fast and powerful horse breed. These horses have excellent endurance to cover long distances.

Moreover, it is an elegant species. Hence, people greatly prefer and acknowledge thoroughbreds as an ideal racehorse species. Horse enthusiasts of different areas of the world have the same opinion.

Do you know thoroughbred becomes the most well-known equine species in the racing field?

Physical Characteristics of Thoroughbred

Thoroughbreds come with a height range of around 60 inches to 68 inches. Most of the horses of this breed are 64 inches tall. The range of the weight is from 1,000 pounds to 1,200 pounds.

The thoroughbred comes as an excellent choice for proficient riders. Especially skilled riders, who like racing and different equine activities, prefer this breed. Besides, they are exceptionally intelligent. These horses exhibit a great work attitude.

This breed is a popular hot-blooded equine species as well. That is why they have bold nature and vivacious traits. It is also the reason why thoroughbred is not suitable for beginner or inexperienced riders.

Do you want to start your journey with thoroughbred? Then, you must hold enough experience, skill, knowledge, and confidence. That is how you can match your riding capabilities with the extreme energy of this horse.

Intermediate or experienced horse riders greatly enjoy their riding with thoroughbreds. The journey will be smooth, robust, and flowing. Thoroughbred has excelled power, strength, agility, and grace in the truest sense.

As a result, owners can teach them various disciplines with proper training, including dressage, jumping, polo, racing, and lots more.

Horse owners nurture thoroughbreds in a way so they can become mature earlier. The reason lies in the racing. The key racing duration of this breed is only two to three years.

Thoroughbreds possess a long neck. Even it is a bit longer as compared to many other breeds. In addition, they exhibit a refined head with attractive eyes. However, the foundational Arabian breeds of thoroughbreds did not have such noteworthy features.

Are there any other specific features of this breed?

Thoroughbreds exhibit deep shoulders along with a brief & uniformly sculpted back. Their chest is deep and robust.

The hindquarters are powerful and withers are high and well-curved. Moreover, thoroughbreds come with a muscular body with a lean structure. Their legs are clean with a great length.

Thoroughbreds are indeed robust, strong, large, and muscular. Nevertheless, they are sophisticated and refined.

Why thoroughbreds can run with great speed?

It is because of a long-distance between their hind hip and the hock. Their robust physique has made them attain the maximum thrust. Owing to a great girth depth, these horses can also greatly expand their lungs.

Colors

The thoroughbred horses are available in various colors. It includes brown, black, bay, gray, buckskin, white, dark bay, chestnut, cremello, perlino, etc.

However, a typical white spot is also seen in these horses. Moreover, their legs can also share the same spot. It is seen below their knees.

Moreover, thoroughbreds can also have various other marks, such as stars, stockings, and so on. Nonetheless, they do not exhibit white spots on their body. On the other hand, many thoroughbred horses come with little or zero marks. They have a plain body color.

A number of breed registries do not accept horses as thoroughbred if they have multiple-colored coat patterns.

Health

You already know that thoroughbred horses are powerful, strong, lively, and agile. They also exhibit an excellent look and amazing athleticism.

Besides, these horses can attain speeds of approx 40 miles/hour. That is brilliant, is not it? The back legs of the thoroughbred need a special mention, as they are typically long. It further speeds up their thrust when they start galloping.

They are indeed muscular and strong breed but their movement is graceful and agile.

Thoroughbred horses have come with the susceptibility of various health issues. Mostly, it is because of the training for racing.

These horses often experience extreme physical conditions during the race. And that is why they meet with accidents and face various health problems. They are more likely to face severe fractures as well.

On the other hand, thoroughbreds also experience bleeding in their lungs. And the source of the same is intense workouts. Some of the thoroughbred horses suffer from abnormal small hearts. It can result in circulatory difficulties.

Some other horses can also come with extremely small hooves as compared to body size. And it can result in lameness as well as soreness.

Temperament of Thoroughbred Horse

The thoroughbred breed is well-known for its athleticism, speed, strength, stamina, and power. Even horses that belonged to this species can run at a great speed.

An experienced equine rider can train thoroughbred horses in multiple equine sports. However, that person must be confident enough.

It is difficult to retrain retired racehorses for general riding etc. It is due to their rigorous training in racing all around their lives. These horses do exhibit fundamental behavioral training.

Activities

Thoroughbred horses are extremely famous for their performance in racing. And that is quite obvious for their excellent robustness, agility, strength, and stamina.

However, thoroughbreds have come into existence as a multifaceted breed. They used to work as racehorses. Therefore, people used them as driving or riding species.

These horses come under the category of “hot-blooded” horses. Therefore, they show intelligence, courage, athleticism, and agility. All these traits have made thoroughbred an excellent breed.

Thoroughbreds would also work as trail breeds. They also contributed as common riding horses.

Moreover, people also use these horses to include some fine traits like athleticism and polishing to other horse species. Thoroughbreds act as the ancestors for lots of sports horse breed. Additionally, these horses also worked as a pleasure-driving breed in the past. Other than racing thoroughbreds also contributed to dressage as well as jumping.

Diet

A common equine diet is completely suitable for thoroughbreds. The diet comprises of grains, grass, hay along with some vegetables & fruits.

However, the food quality must be high. These horses are more likely in high demand for vitamins and minerals.

Thoroughbreds are believed to have a high metabolism rate. Therefore, these horses may be in need of more food as compared to other breeds. Proper diet in the right quantity will help to keep up an ideal weight of thoroughbreds.

Grooming and Upkeep

As an owner, you need to take proper care of your pet. And it is no exception with a thoroughbred horse. Nevertheless, thoroughbred horses call for extra care since they are well active throughout their journey.

It is essential to brush these horses properly at least a few times a week. Moreover, a thorough examination of thoroughbreds is extremely important.

You must clean its hooves regularly. This, it gets possible to find out injuries as well as stop any sort of infection. Nevertheless, the care of thoroughbreds needs extra gentleness from your part.

It is due to that these horses exhibit thinner skin as compared to various other breeds. Therefore, they have some sort of sensitivity.

Even they can get irritated if any sore parts of their body get stroked. So, you ought to groom them at a slow pace.

You can also appreciate the behavior of thoroughbreds for their decent behavior. Always use soft grooming equipment sets. If you are using a brush, choose a soft one having natural bristles. Avoid the ones with nylon bristles.

Hot-blooded breeds like thoroughbreds often suffer from muscle soreness. It is due to their extreme agility. Hence, you need to follow proper grooming techniques for thoroughbreds.

The grooming of thoroughbreds calls for the inspection of their body. Thus, you can find out which of the areas can bear with grooming. Such areas are of two types: “no spots” & “yes spots.”

You must take care of the “no spots” with extra care. And do not forget to reward them throughout the grooming process. It is also significant to take pauses all along the session.

When it comes to opting for a comb for thoroughbreds, you must go for a jelly scrubber. A rag or dry sponge will also work well. Are you still using a curry comb? Then, utilize a washcloth over it to provide a mild experience to your pet.

Handle a thoroughbred with soft-touch unless your pet likes stronger handling. Use the brushes in the parallel direction of their body before you start sweeping. Thus, the body of a thoroughbred can mostly stay safe from the end-part of the bristles.

Adoption

Do you want to adopt a thoroughbred horse? Then, the good news is, you will get it available in various parts of the world. However, you will experience a great variation in price structures.

It often depends on several factors like training, lineage, age, and health. The thoroughbreds that belong to champion bloodlines are priced at over $100,000. However, retired thoroughbred horses or ones used for riding come at $1,000 to $10,000. 

You should know about the shortlisted horse well before finalizing your decision. Do not fail to talk to the owner regarding the thoroughbred’s history. It includes temperament, training, and health.

For instance, a retired racehorse can have prolonged injuries or insufficient training. Hence, you must make sure to fulfill the requirements of that horse before selecting it for adoption.

Things to know about Thoroughbred Horse

Height – 15 hands to 17 hands

Live Weight – 1000 to 1200 pounds