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Horse racing is still as popular today as it was decades ago, and choosing a racehorse, either to own or to bet on, requires a good amount of knowledge. What should be expected from a good racehorse? How do you know if the horse in question will make a good breeder for future racehorses? One way to assure a good race horse is to begin by choosing from a group of thoroughbreds.
In general, thoroughbreds are the most common breed of horse seen in racing. In fact, the thoroughbred horse was actually bred specifically for this purpose, and all descend directly from two Arabian stallions and one Turkish stallion that were imported into England from the Middle East in the late 17th and early 18th century, which were bred with around 35 English mares. The resulting product is a horse of brown, chestnut, gray/roan, black, or bay coloring that stands approximately 16 hands high.The crossbreeding that originated the thoroughbred was to create a distance racer, with traits that include willingness to obey commands and follow a lead, as well as speed. Most thoroughbred horses are known as distance racers or sprinters. They are agile and athletic and mainly good for riding at a gallop under a saddle. While many purchasers of race horses look for large thoroughbreds, a number of the winners of important, prestigious races such as the Kentucky Derby have been generally small. While the potential of these horses in the way of racing can be judged by examining athleticism, overall body structure, and conformation of the legs, a horse should be examined by a veterinarian to determine that the horse is healthy. A doctor will judge the race horse’s health based on breathing ability, heart functionality, and bone structure. You’ll mainly find breeders of thoroughbreds, as well as other race horses, in Kentucky, California, and Florida. |
