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The Thoroughbred Horse

Height
From 14.2hh to 17.2hh

Colour
Any solid colour permitted.

Build
Body should be deep, with muscular hind quarters. Shoulders should be sloping, with well set neck, that is of ample length and elegant. Head should be refined. Legs should be long and fine, with tendons well defined.

Movement
Straight, with a good, generous stride.

History
The Thoroughbred horse was originally bred in England for racing. The foundation sires were three Arab stallions, named Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Arabian.
Every thoroughbred pedigree today can be traced back to one of these three horses.
The first studbook including these bloodlines was published in 1791; it is said that Captain Byerley brought Byerley Turk back from a campaign in the East. Byerley Turk was Captain Robert Byerle's charger, and had been ridden by him in the Irish wars of 1689. The Darley Arabian was purchased in Aleppo, Syria, by Thomas Darley in 1704; sent over to England with the intention of improving stock. The Godolphin Arabian was imported from France in 1729, by Mr. Edward Coke.

These Arabian horses were crossed with British Native breeds.
Over the years less Arab blood was introduced; there was a changing trend towards breeding horses for speed as opposed to endurance.

The Thoroughbred of today makes an excellent riding and competition horse; who excels at racing, showjumping and eventing. The Thoroughbred qualities make a very popular outcross, many are crossed with Arabs to produce Anglo Arabs; these are very successful show animals.

Breed Society
Thoroughbred Breeders Association
http://www.thoroughbredbreedersassociation.co.uk

Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association
http://www.itba.ie

The Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre
http://www.thoroughbredrehabilitationcentre.co.uk

Further information
http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/tbred.html

Did you know?
Sir Humphrey de Trafford's thoroughbred, Rosewater, is considered to be one of the foundation sires of the modern Polo Pony.

Thoroughbred racehorses today are capable of galloping at speeds of 45 mph.

There are over 5,000 Thoroughbred foals born in Great Britain each year.

Famous race horse, Eclipse, went undefeated during his racing career from 1769 to 1770.
He was forced to retirement early, as few others were willing to run their horses against him.
Eclipses 216 year old skeletal remains can be seen at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket.

The oldest race winning thoroughbreds are the 18-year-old, Revenge, at Shrewsbury, England, 1790, Marksman, at Ashford, Kent, England, 1826; and Jorrocks, at Bathurst, Australia, 1851.
At the same age, Wild Aster won three hurdle races in 1919, and Sonny Somers won two steeplechases in February 1980.

Horse of the Year Show champion, Secretariat, died in 1989 from complications of laminitis.
His post mortem showed him to have a heart twice the average size; the heart weighed 22 lbs.

Successful Thoroughbred, Pocohontas, is said to be the oldest ever thoroughbred broodmare.
She died in 1870 aged 33.

The term Thoroughbred is derived from the Arabic word, Kehilan, meaning pure bred all through.

Many successful show hacks are thoroughbred or thoroughbred crosses.

Time line
1791 - First stud book issued by Weatherbys.
1917 - Thoroughbred Breeders Association founded.

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