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English Thoroughbred |
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English Thoroughbred |
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Originating from cool temperate environment of Great Britain (England), the hot-blooded Thoroughbred is distributed worldwide. Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, it is a dolichomorphic-type horse of elegant lines and harmonious form. The fastest and most valuable of the world's equines, the Thoroughbred is bred for an enormous industry with its sole purpose that of producing racing animals. Thoroughbreds are essential to the bloodlines of the world's competition horses, and are used to improved and refine many warmbloods. The Thoroughbred is comparatively long alongisde the more heavily built breeds of Europe, and with its near-perfect proportions, this highly courageous horse is of great quality and posesses excellent athletic abilities, as well as both physical and mental stamina. The one drawback the Thoroughbred possesses as a common horse for everday folks is its high-strung and often difficult to handle temperament.
The origins of this renown breed go back to the early eighteenth century when three stallions were imported into England: The Byerley Turk (a dark bay Arab, 1689), the Darley Arabian (an exquisite bay of Arab origin, 1704) and the Godolphin Arabian (a brown horse also of Arab origin, although sometimes referred to as a Barb, 1728). Native "running horses" were mated with these Oriental stallions to produce four principle lines -- Herod, Eclipse, Matchem, and Highflyer (Herod's son). All modern Thoroughbreds can trace their descent in the direct male line, to these three foundation stallions. One part of the base stock for the Thoroughbred came from the Galloway (now considered extinct), which produced the English "running horses." The Spanish Horse also contributed to the base stock and its excellent running qualities. The Arabian added spirit and quality, as well as hereditary soundness and great prepotence, to the Thoroughbred. According to calculations made by Joseph Osborne in 1881, 475 other stallions, all of Oriental origin, also contributed in some measure to the Thoroughbred breed.
One hundred broodmares are entered in the Stud Book, of which only forty have kept their direct female line alive through their descendants. The broodmares were the result of a closely supervised and selective breeding program which involved a consistant input of Oriental blood. They were a small nucleus which was known as the "Royal Mares." From the three foundation stallions, three major bloodlines emerged. Herod (b. 1758) descended from the Byerley Turk in the fourth generation, and Eclipse (c. 1764) descended from the Darley Arabian in the fourth generation. Eclipse was called "the fleetest horse that ever ran in England: in his day. The third bloodline, descending from the Godolphin Arabian in the second generation, is that of Matchem (b. 1748). Matchem's maternal grandsire Partner was a grandson of the Byerley Turk.
While the English Thoroughbred does not present very uniform morphological features, three physical types, each with different qualities, can be categorized. The "stayer" is smaller and more gathered, with good stamina over long distances. The "sprinter" is tall with a long back and loins, and is very fast. The "middle-distancer," which has a sloping croup, sloping shoulder, and a rather short back, is well-suited for the steeplechase. dating back to 1791, the Stud Book is kept up to date by the Jockey Clubs of the various countries where the Thoroughbred is bred. The English Jockey Club was founded in 1750.
The Thoroughbred's head is well set-on with a straight profile. The mobile ears are well-proportioned, and the eyes lively and large. The nostrils are flared and the lips are thin. It has a long, straight neck, sometimes slightly arched, that is well-shaped and well set-on. The prominent withers are clean. The long, well-muscled shoulder is sloping in the stayer but straighter in the sprinter. This long, sloping shoulder is complemented by a graceful neck, which together help to produce the long, low galloping action for hich the Thoroughbred is notorious. The high chest is wide in the stayer and deep in the sprinter. Its abdomen is tucked up, and there is good depth through the girth to allow for maximum lung expansion. Its back is long, its loins well set-on its croup, and the quarters powerful. The croup may be sloping, in the sprinter, or flat, in the stayer. Its quarters are powerful and the tail is set-on high. It has fine, long and muscular legs, often with a thin cannon, and clean, well- defined, strong tendons. The hindlegs are long, to produce its speed, and it has lagre flat joints for mobility. The bone below the knee measures approximately 8" (20 cm). Its pasterns are long, and its small hooves are well-formed and strong. Its very fine skin allows superficial veins to show through.
The Thoroughbred stands 14.3-17 hands high, averaging between 16 and 16.2 hands, at the withers and can weigh 705-990 pounds (320-450 kg). Its coat may be bay, dark bay, black, chestnut or grey (all solid), with roan and red roan rare. White markings may be found frequently on the head and the legs. It has an aptitude for flat and jump racing and as a riding horse, all under the saddle. Its qualities include speed and stamina, and it has a high strung and energetic temperament.
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Last update 11/22/2001 Breeds Index Back to NWBHC home page |
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