Thoroughbred
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known as a race horse. While carefully bred racehorses had existed throughout Europe for centuries prior to this time, the breed as it is known today developed during the 17th century in England when English mares began to be bred to imported Arabian stallions. This addition of verifiable Arabian blood coincided with the creation of the General Stud Book of England and the practice of official registering of horses. Today all modern Thoroughbreds trace to these imported stallions.
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[edit] Basic information
The typical Thoroughbred stands just over 16 hands (64 inches/1.63 m) high, and is bay, brown, chestnut, black, gray or roan in color. The face and lower legs may be marked with white, but white will generally not appear on the body (although certain color genes, possibly the rabicano or sabino genes, result in white hairs and white patches in the coat—the study of equine coat color genetics is complex).
A horse cannot be registered as a Thoroughbred (with the Jockey Club registry) unless it is conceived by "live cover;" that is, by the natural mating of a mare and a stallion. Artificial insemination, though prevalent in other large animal breeding operations, cannot be used. Originally this was because DNA testing had not yet developed to a degree adequate to verify parentage, but today the reasons may be more economic: a stallion has a limited number of mares who can be serviced by live cover. Thus, the practice both preserves the supply of Thoroughbreds, preventing overbreeding, but also preserves the high prices paid for horses of the finest or most popular lineages.
[edit] Origins
All modern Thoroughbreds carry the genetics of three stallions imported to England from the Middle East in the late 17th and early 18th centuries: the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian, also known as the Godolphin Barb (there is dispute among historians whether this horse was an Arabian or Barb), and the Byerly Turk, together with around 35 mares. (The first part of these stallions' names refers to the stallion's British owner, the second part is an indicator of the horse's origin.) There are also other horses that have been less of an influence but are still noteworthy. These include: the Unknown Arabian, the Helmsley Turk, the Lister Turk and Darcy's Chestnut.
The first Thoroughbred horse in the American Colonies was Bulle Rock, imported by Samuel Gist of Hanover County, Virginia, in 1730.
Maryland and Virginia were the centers of Colonial Thoroughbred breeding.
[edit] Uses
Although the Thoroughbred is primarily bred for racing, the breed is also used for show jumping and combined training due to its athleticism, and many retired race horses become fine family riding horses, dressage horses, and youth show horses. The larger horses are sought after for hunter/jumper and dressage competitions, whereas the smaller horses are in demand as polo ponies.
[edit] Horse racing
The Thoroughbred is bred primarily for racing under saddle at the gallop. Some families of Thoroughbreds are known primarily as sprinters or as distance runners.
Although buyers generally select for larger individuals, most great racehorses and great stallions have tended to be average or small in size. While Longfellow, Man O' War, Secretariat, Phar Lap, Dr. Fager, Silky Sullivan and Forego were famous, big horses, a significant number of famous race horses have been average to small. These include Northern Dancer (15.1 HH), Hyperion (15.1 HH), Danzig (15.3 HH), Aristides, (the winner of the first Kentucky Derby), Roamer, Round Table, Seabiscuit, John Henry, and more recently, Dalakhani and Smarty Jones.
Many experts who purchase Thoroughbreds attempt to assess a young horse's potential by observing its overall structural balance, the athleticism and willingness of its walk, the perceived intelligence of its outlook, and the correct conformation of its legs. Buyers of more expensive horses often hire veterinary experts to examine and report on the condition of the horse's breathing apparatus, soundness of bone structure, and size of heart.
Thoroughbreds that are born in the Northern Hemisphere technically become a year older on January first; those born in the Southern Hemisphere turn one on August first. These artificial dates have been set to enable the standardization of races for horses in certain age groups.
Approximately 35,000 Thoroughbred foals are registered each year in the U.S. The largest number of foals are born in Kentucky, Florida, and California. The Thoroughbred industry is a huge agri-business. It supports tens of thousands of jobs in each of these states, from jockeys, trainers, starters, grooms, and kitchen employees at the race track, to farm employees assisting with the birth of foals, the grooming of yearlings, or the growing and preparation of feed, to veterinarians who understand and treat horses, to drivers of horse vans who transport horses across country, to employees of auction houses that specialize in the sale of horses, to employees of companies who develop products to improve the lives of horses and people who work with them. Gambling on races provides purses to the winners and taxes to the state.
[edit] The Thoroughbred in other disciplines
A natural athlete, with a generally strong work ethic, the Thoroughbred excels in many equestrian sports. While other breeds are preferred over the Thoroughbred in both dressage and show jumping, certain individuals of the breed may be competive at high levels in dressage, and the Grand Prix ring in show jumping. Flowing, long gaits and good jumping form makes the Thoroughbred a top show hunter as well.
The Thoroughbred mare Touch of Class helped win the show jumping gold medal for the United States Equestrian team at the 1976 Olympics, and the Anglo-Arabians on the French dressage team helped earn that nation a bronze medal at the 1936 Olympics.
Of all the equestrian sports, the Thoroughbred is probably most suited for eventing, and dominates the highest levels: almost all Olympic or World Championship horses are full or part-Thoroughbred. The breed is most suited for the cross-country phase, due to its long stride, natural speed and stamina, as well as its athletic jump.
Thoroughbreds are also the favorite breed for use in polo. They are seen in the fox hunting field as well.
[edit] Science dilemma
Modern thoroughbred racing involves a science dilemma. The horses are bred for extreme speed, and a primary goal of this breeding has been to decrease bone mass while raising muscle mass, as a horse "carrying" a light skeleton using abnormally strong muscles will travel faster at a gallop than one with a heavier bone load. As a result, modern thoroughbreds are muscularly powerful but osteologically delicate creatures. Three out of every 2000 races result in a career-ending injury to one or more racers, typically due to broken leg bones; a ratio far in excess of almost all other human and animal sports. Of those injuries, more than 60% result in the horse being euthanized. Leg injuries, though not immediately fatal, are life-threatening because a horse's weight must be distributed evenly on all four legs to prevent circulatory problems, laminitis and other infections. If a horse loses the use of one leg, it cannot function; its other legs will quickly break down as well, leading to a slow death.
In the wake of the 2006 Preakness Stakes, in which Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro sustained severe fractures, there were signs that animal rights groups intended to target the thoroughbred racing industry. The bioethics are seldom clean-cut, however. While thoroughbreds are delicate and horse racing is hazardous, veterinary science is also developing, so that previously hopeless cases (such as Barbaro's) can now be treated successfully. Thoroughbreds are arguably [citation needed] as much helped as harmed by the racing industry, with the research in veterinary medicine, largely funded and driven by the industry.
[edit] The Thoroughbred in breeding
The Thoroughbred remains one of the most important breeds used in modern horse breeding. They have been incredibly influential on many of the favorite breeds of today, including the American Quarter Horse, the Morgan (a breed that went on to influence many of the gaited breeds in America), the Standardbred, the Irish Horse and many other modern breeds. The Thoroughbred continues to be a favorite as an improver of breeds. By far the two best horse breeds used to improve other types of horses are Thoroughbreds and Arabians. A cross of the two, the Anglo-Arabian, has a special registry of its own within the Arabian horse registry.
