Thoroughbred

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Thoroughbred (disambiguation).

Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred race horse

uishing Tall, slim, athletic horse, used for racing and many equestrian sports
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Breed standards

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Breed standards (http://www.jockeyclub.com/registry.asp?section=3)

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Breed standards (http://www.studbook.org.au/DisplayPDF.aspx?ty=RULES)

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Equus ferus caballus

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is
sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed.
Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses, known for their agility, speed and spirit.
The Thoroughbred as it is known today was developed in 17th- and 18th-century England, when native mares
were crossbred with imported Oriental stallions of Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman breeding. All modern
Thoroughbreds can trace their pedigrees to three stallions originally imported into England in the 17th century
and 18th century, and to a larger number of foundation mares of mostly English breeding. During the 18th and

19th centuries, the Thoroughbred breed spread throughout the world; they were imported into North America
starting in 1730 and into Australia, Europe, Japan and South America during the 19th century. Millions of
Thoroughbreds exist today, and more than 118,000 foals are registered each year worldwide.
Thoroughbreds are used mainly for racing, but are also bred for other riding disciplines such as show jumping,
combined training, dressage, polo, and fox hunting. They are also commonly crossbred to create new breeds or
to improve existing ones, and have been influential in the creation of the Quarter Horse, Standardbred, AngloArabian, and various warmblood breeds.
Thoroughbred racehorses perform with maximum exertion, which has resulted in high accident rates and health
problems such as bleeding from the lungs. Other health concerns include low fertility, abnormally small hearts
and a small hoof-to-body-mass ratio. There are several theories for the reasons behind the prevalence of
accidents and health problems in the Thoroughbred breed, and research is ongoing.

Contents
1 Breed characteristics
2 Terminology
3 History
3.1 Beginnings in England
3.1.1 Early racing
3.1.2 Foundation stallions
3.1.3 Foundation mares
3.2 Later development in Britain
3.3 In America
3.4 In Europe
3.5 In Australia and New Zealand
3.6 In other areas
4 Registration, breeding, and population
5 Value
6 Uses
6.1 Horse racing
6.2 Other disciplines

6.3 Crossbreeding
7 Health issues
7.1 Selective breeding
7.2 Excess stress
7.3 Medical challenges
8 See also
9 Notes
10 Footnotes
11 References
12 External links

Breed characteristics
The typical Thoroughbred ranges from 15.2 to 17.0 hands (62 to 68 inches, 157
to 173 cm) high, averaging 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm). They are most often
bay, dark bay or brown, chestnut, black, or gray.[1] Less common colors
recognized in the United States include roan and palomino. White is very rare,
but is a recognized color separate from gray.[2] The face and lower legs may be
marked with white,[3] but white will generally not appear on the body. Coat
patterns that have more than one color on the body, such as Pinto or Appaloosa,
Thoroughbreds have a wellchiseled head.

are not recognized by mainstream breed registries.[2][4] Good-quality

Thoroughbreds have a well-chiseled head on a long neck, high withers, a deep
chest, a short back, good depth of hindquarters, a lean body, and long legs.[3][5]
Thoroughbreds are classified among the "hot-blooded" breeds, which are

animals bred for agility and speed and are generally considered spirited and bold.[6]
Thoroughbreds born in the Northern Hemisphere are officially considered a year older on the first of January
each year;[7] those born in the Southern Hemisphere officially are one year older on the first of August.[8] These
artificial dates have been set to enable the standardization of races and other competitions for horses in certain
age groups.[9]

Terminology

The Thoroughbred is a distinct breed of horse, although people sometimes refer to a purebred horse of any
breed as a thoroughbred. The term for any horse or other animal derived from a single breed line is
purebred.[10][11] While the term probably came into general use because the English Thoroughbred's General
Stud Book was one of the first breed registries created, in modern usage horse breeders consider it incorrect to
refer to any animal as a thoroughbred except for horses belonging to the Thoroughbred breed.[10] Nonetheless,
breeders of other species of purebred animals may use the two terms interchangeably,[11] though thoroughbred
is less often used for describing purebred animals of other species.[10][11] The term is a proper noun referring to
this specific breed,[12] though often not capitalized, especially in non-specialist publications, and outside the
US. For example, the Australian Stud Book,[13] The New York Times,[14] and the BBC do not capitalize the
word.[15]

History
Beginnings in England
Early racing
Flat racing existed in England by at least 1174, when four-mile races
took place at Smithfield, in London. Racing continued at fairs and
markets throughout the Middle Ages and into the reign of King James I
of England. It was then that handicapping, a system of adding weight to
attempt to equalize a horse's chances of winning as well as improved
The Darley Arabian, one of the three
training procedures, began to be used. During the reigns of Charles II,
traditional foundation sires of the
William III, Anne, and George I, the foundation of the Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
was laid. Under James' grandson, Charles II, a keen racegoer and owner,
and James' great-granddaughter Queen Anne, royal support was given to
racing and the breeding of race horses. With royal support, horse racing became popular with the public, and by
1727, a newspaper devoted to racing, the Racing Calendar, was founded. Devoted exclusively to the sport, it
recorded race results and advertised upcoming meets.[16]
Foundation stallions
All modern Thoroughbreds trace back to three stallions imported into England from the Middle East in the late
17th and early 18th centuries: the Byerley Turk (1680s), the Darley Arabian (1704), and the Godolphin Arabian
(1729).[17][18] Other stallions of oriental breeding were less influential, but still made noteworthy contributions
to the breed. These included the Alcock's Arabian,[19] D'Arcy's White Turk, Leedes Arabian, and Curwen's Bay
Barb.[20][21][notes 1] Another was the Brownlow Turk, who, among other attributes, is thought to be largely
responsible for the gray coat color in Thoroughbreds.[19] In all, about 160 stallions of Oriental breeding have
been traced in the historical record as contributing to the creation of the Thoroughbred. The addition of horses
of Eastern bloodlines, whether Arabian, Barb, or Turk, to the native English mares[22] ultimately led to the

creation of the General Stud Book (GSB) in 1791 and the practice of official registration of horses.[12]
According to Peter Willett, about 50% of the foundation stallions appear to have been of Arabian bloodlines,
with the remainder being evenly divided between Turkoman and Barb breeding.[22][notes 2]
Each of the three major foundation sires was, coincidentally, the
ancestor of a grandson or great-great-grandson who was the only male
descendant to perpetuate each respective horse's male line: Matchem
was the only descendant of his grandsire, the Godolphin Arabian, to
maintain a male line to the present;[24] the Byerley Turk's male line was
preserved by Herod (or King Herod), a great-great-grandson;[25] and the
male line of the Darley Arabian owes its existence to great-greatgrandson Eclipse, who was the dominant racehorse of his day and never
defeated.[20][26] One genetic study indicates that 95% of all male
Thoroughbreds trace their direct male line (via the Y chromosome) to

Matchem, a grandson of the

Godolphin Arabian, from a painting
by George Stubbs

the Darley Arabian.[27] However, in modern Thoroughbred pedigrees,

most horses have more crosses to the Godolphin Arabian (13.8%) than
to the Darley Arabian (6.5%) when all lines of descent (maternal and
paternal) are considered. Further, as a percentage of contributions to current Thoroughbred bloodlines, Curwen's
Bay Barb (4.2%) appears more often than the Byerley Turk (3.3%). The majority of modern Thoroughbreds
alive today trace to a total of only 27 or 28 stallions from the 18th and 19th centuries.[27][28]
Foundation mares
The mares used as foundation breeding stock came from a variety of breeds, some of which, such as the Irish
Hobby, had developed in northern Europe prior to the 13th century.[29] Other mares were of oriental breeding,
including Barb, Turk and other bloodlines,[30] although most researchers conclude that the number of Eastern
mares imported into England during the 100 years after 1660 was small.[22] The 19th century researcher Bruce
Lowe identified 50 mare "families" in the Thoroughbred breed, later augmented by other researchers to 74.[31]
However, it is probable that fewer genetically unique mare lines existed than Lowe identified.[31] Recent studies
of the mtDNA of Thoroughbred mares indicate that some of the mare lines thought to be genetically distinct
may actually have had a common ancestor; in 19 mare lines studied, the haplotypes revealed that they traced to
only 15 unique foundation mares, suggesting either a common ancestor for foundation mares thought to be
unrelated or recording errors in the GSB.[31]

Later development in Britain

By the end of the 18th century, the English Classic races had been established. These are the St. Leger Stakes,
founded in 1776, the Epsom Oaks, founded in 1779, and the Epsom Derby in 1780. Later, the 2,000 Guineas
Stakes and the 1,000 Guineas Stakes were founded in 1809 and 1814. The 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks are
restricted to fillies, but the others are open to racehorses of either sex aged three years. The distances of these
races, ranging from 1 mile (1.6 km) to 1.75 miles (2.82 km), led to a change in breeding practices, as breeders
concentrated on producing horses that could race at a younger age than in the past and that had more speed. In

the early 18th century, the emphasis had been on longer races, up to 4 miles (6.4 km), that were run in multiple
heats. The older style of race favored older horses, but with the change in distances, younger horses became
preferred.[32]
Selective breeding for speed and racing ability led to improvements in the size of horses and winning times by
the middle of the 19th century. Bay Middleton, a winner of the Epsom Derby, stood over 16 hands high, a full
hand higher than the Darley Arabian. Winning times had improved to such a degree that many felt further
improvement by adding additional Arabian bloodlines was impossible. This was borne out in 1885, when a race
was held between a Thoroughbred, Iambic, considered a mid-grade runner, and the best Arabian of the time,
Asil. The race was over 3 miles (4,800 m), and although Iambic was handicapped by carrying 4.5 stone (29 kg;
63 lb) more than Asil, he still managed to beat Asil by 20 lengths.[33] An aspect of the modern British breeding
establishment is that they breed not only for flat racing, but also for steeplechasing.[34] Up until the end of the
19th century, Thoroughbreds were bred not only for racing but also as saddle horses.[35]
Soon after the start of the 20th century, fears that the English races would be overrun with American-bred
Thoroughbreds because of the closing of US racetracks in the early 1910s, led to the Jersey Act of 1913.[36] It
prohibited the registration of any horse in the General Stud Book (GSB) if they could not show that every
ancestor traced to the GSB. This excluded most American-bred horses, because the 100-year gap between the
founding of the GSB and the American Stud Book meant that most American-bred horses possessed at least one
or two crosses to horses not registered in the GSB. The act was not repealed until 1949, after which a horse was
only required to show that all its ancestors to the ninth generation were registered in a recognized Stud
Book.[37] Many felt that the Jersey Act hampered the development of the British Thoroughbred by preventing
breeders in the United Kingdom from using new bloodlines developed outside the British Isles.[38]

In America
The first Thoroughbred horse in the American Colonies was Bulle Rock, imported in 1730 by Samuel Gist of
Hanover County, Virginia.[39][40] Maryland and Virginia were the centers of Colonial Thoroughbred breeding,
along with South Carolina and New York. During the American Revolution importations of horses from
England practically stopped but were restarted after the signing of a peace treaty. Two important stallions were
imported around the time of the Revolution; Messenger in 1788 and Diomed before that. Messenger left little
impact on the American Thoroughbred, but is considered a foundation sire of the Standardbred breed. Diomed,
who won the Derby Stakes in 1780, had a significant impact on American Thoroughbred breeding, mainly
through his son Sir Archy.[41][42] John F. Wall, a racing historian, said that Sir Archy was the "first outstanding
stallion we can claim as native American."[43] He was retired from the racetrack because of lack of
opponents.[43]
After the American Revolution, the center of Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the United States moved
west. Kentucky and Tennessee became notable centers. Andrew Jackson, later President of the United States,
was a breeder and racer of Thoroughbreds in Tennessee.[44] Famous match races held in the early 19th century
helped popularize horse racing in the United States. One took place in 1823, in Long Island, New York, between
Sir Henry and American Eclipse. Another was a match race between Boston and Fashion in 1838 that featured
bets of $20,000 from each side.[45] The last major match races before the American Civil War were both
between Lexington and Lecompte. The first was held in 1854 in New Orleans and was won by Lecompte.

Lexington's owner then challenged Lecompte's owner to a rematch, held in 1855 in New Orleans and won by
Lexington. Both of these horses were sons of Boston, a descendant of Sir Archy.[46] Lexington went on to a
career as a breeding stallion, and led the sires list of number of winners for sixteen years, fourteen of them in a
row.[47]
After the American Civil War, the emphasis in American racing changed from the older style of four-mile
(6 km) races in which the horses ran in at least two heats. The new style of racing involved shorter races not run
in heats, over distances from five furlongs up to 1.5 miles (2.4 km). This development meant a change in
breeding practices, as well as the age that horses were raced, with younger horses and sprinters coming to the
fore. It was also after the Civil War that the American Thoroughbred returned to England to race. Iroquois
became the first American-bred winner of the Epsom Derby in 1881. The success of American-bred
Thoroughbreds in England led to the Jersey Act in 1913, which limited the importation of American
Thoroughbreds into England.[48] After World War I, the breeders in America continued to emphasize speed and
early racing age but also imported horses from England, and this trend continued past World War II.[49] After
World War II, Thoroughbred breeding remained centered in Kentucky, but California, New York, and Florida
also emerged as important racing and breeding centers.[50]
Thoroughbreds in the United States have historically been used not only for racing but also to improve other
breeds. The early import Messenger was the foundation of the Standardbred,[51] and Thoroughbred blood was
also instrumental in the development of the American Quarter Horse.[52] The foundation stallion of the Morgan
breed is held by some to have been sired by a Thoroughbred.[53] Between World War I and World War II, the
U.S. Army used Thoroughbred stallions as part of their Remount Service, which was designed to improve the
stock of cavalry mounts.[54][55]

In Europe
Thoroughbreds began to be imported to France in 1817 and 1818 with the importation of a number of stallions
from England, but initially the sport of horse racing did not prosper in France. The first Jockey Club in France
was not formed until 1833, and in 1834 the racing and regulation functions were split off to a new society, the
Societe d'Encouragement pour l'Amelioration des Races de Chevaux en France, better known as the JockeyClub de Paris.[56] The French Stud Book was founded at the same time by the government.[57] By 1876, Frenchbred Thoroughbreds were regularly winning races in England, and in that year a French breeder-owner earned
the most money in England on the track.[58] World War I almost destroyed French breeding because of war
damage and lack of races.[59] After the war, the premier French race, the Grand Prix, resumed and continues to
this day. During World War II, French Thoroughbred breeding did not suffer as it had during the first World
War, and thus was able to compete on an equal footing with other countries after the war.[60]
Organized racing in Italy started in 1837, when race meets were established in Florence and Naples and a meet
in Milan was founded in 1842. Modern flat racing came to Rome in 1868. Later importations, including the
Derby Stakes winners Ellington (1856) and Melton (1885), came to Italy before the end of the
19th century.[42][61] Modern Thoroughbred breeding in Italy is mostly associated with the breeding program of
Federico Tesio, who started his breeding program in 1898. Tesio was the breeder of Nearco, one of the
dominant sires of Thoroughbreds in the later part of the 20th century.[62]

Other countries in Europe have Thoroughbred breeding programs, including Germany,[63] Russia, Poland, and
Hungary.[64]

In Australia and New Zealand

Horses arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788 along with the earliest colonists.[65] Although horses of
part-Thoroughbred blood were imported into Australia during the late 18th century, it is thought that the first
pureblood Thoroughbred was a stallion named Northumberland who was imported from England in 1802 as a
coach horse sire.[66] By 1810, the first formal race meets were organized in Sydney, and by 1825 the first mare
of proven Thoroughbred bloodlines arrived to join the Thoroughbred stallions already there.[65] In 1825, the
Sydney Turf Club, the first true racing club in Australia, was formed. Throughout the 1830s, the Australian
colonies began to import Thoroughbreds, almost exclusively for racing purposes, and to improve the local
stock. Each colony formed its own racing clubs and held its own races.[66] Gradually, the individual clubs were
integrated into one overarching organization, now known as the Australian Racing Board.[67] Thoroughbreds
from Australia were imported into New Zealand in the 1840s and 1850s, with the first direct importation from
England occurring in 1862.[68]

In other areas
Thoroughbreds have been exported to many other areas of the world since the breed was created. Oriental
horses were imported into South Africa from the late 17th century in order to improve the local stock through
crossbreeding. Horse racing was established there in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and Thoroughbreds
were imported in increasing numbers.[69] The first Thoroughbred stallions arrived in Argentina in 1853, but the
first mares did not arrive until 1865. The Argentine Stud Book was first published in 1893.[70] Thoroughbreds
were imported into Japan from 1895, although it was not until after World War II that Japan began a serious
breeding and racing business involving Thoroughbreds.[71]

Registration, breeding, and population

Main article: Thoroughbred breeding theories
See also: Horse breeding
About 37,000 Thoroughbred foals are registered each year in North America,[72] with the largest numbers being
registered in the states of Kentucky, Florida and California.[73][notes 3] Australia is the second largest producer
of Thoroughbreds in the world with almost 30,000 broodmares producing about 18,250 foals annually.[75]
Britain produces about 5,000 foals a year,[76] and worldwide, there are more than 195,000 active broodmares, or
females being used for breeding, and 118,000 newly registered foals in 2006 alone.[77] The Thoroughbred
industry is a large agribusiness, generating around $34 billion in revenue annually in the United States and
providing about 470,000 jobs through a network of farms, training centers and race tracks.[78]

Unlike a significant number of registered breeds today, a horse cannot be

registered as a Thoroughbred (with The Jockey Club registry) unless
conceived by live cover, the witnessed natural mating of a mare and a
stallion. Artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (ET), though
commonly used and allowable in many other horse breed registries,
cannot be used with Thoroughbreds.[79] One reason is that a greater
possibility of error exists in assigning parentage with AI, and although
DNA and blood testing eliminate many of those concerns, AI still
requires more detailed record keeping.[80] The main reason, however,
may be economic; a stallion has a limited number of mares who can be
serviced by live cover. Thus the practice prevents an oversupply of
Thoroughbreds, although modern management still allows a stallion to
live cover more mares in a season than was once thought possible. As an
example, in 2008, the Australian stallion Encosta De Lago covered 227

Twilight, the Thoroughbred mare who

serves as the subject of the Equine
Genome Project

mares.[81] By allowing a stallion to cover only a couple of hundred mares a year rather than the couple of
thousand possible with AI, it also preserves the high prices paid for horses of the finest or most popular
lineages.[82]
Concern exists that the closed stud book and tightly regulated population of the Thoroughbred is at risk of loss
of genetic diversity because of the level of inadvertent inbreeding inevitable in such a small population.
According to one study, 78% of alleles in the current population can be traced to 30 foundation animals, 27 of
which are male. Ten foundation mares account for 72% of maternal (tail-female) lineages, and, as noted above,
one stallion appears in 95% of tail male lineages.[28] Thoroughbred pedigrees are generally traced through the
maternal line, called the distaff line. The line that a horse comes from will often determine the price paid
regardless of the actual talent or potential of the horse.[83]

Value
Main article: Thoroughbred valuation
Prices of Thoroughbreds vary greatly, depending on age, pedigree, conformation, and other market factors.[84]
In 2007, Keeneland Sales, a United States-based sales company, sold 9,124 horses at auction, with a total value
of $814,401,000, which gives an average price of $89,259.[85] As a whole for the United States in 2007, The
Jockey Club auction statistics indicated that the average weanling sold for $44,407, the average yearling sold
for $55,300, average sale price for two-year-olds was $61,843, broodmares averaged $70,150, and horses over
two and broodmare prospects sold for an average of $53,243.[86] For Europe, the July 2007 Tattersall's Sale sold
593 horses at auction, with a total for the sale of 10,951,300 guineas,[87] for an average of 18,468 guineas.[88]
Also in 2007, Doncaster Bloodstock Sales, another British sales firm, sold 2,248 horses for a total value of
43,033,881 guineas, making an average of 15,110 guineas per horse.[89] Australian prices at auction during the
2007-2008 racing and breeding season were as follows: 1,223 Australian weanlings sold for a total of
$31,352,000, an average of $25,635 each. 4,903 yearlings sold for a total value of A$372,003,961, an average
of A$75,853. Five hundred two-year-olds sold for A$13,030,150, an average of A$26,060, and 2,118
broodmares totalled A$107,720,775, an average of A$50,860.[90]

Averages, however, can be deceiving. For example, at the 2007 Fall Yearling sale at Keeneland, 3,799 young
horses sold for a total of $385,018,600, for an average of $101,347 per horse.[85] However, that average sales
price reflected a variation that included at least 19 horses that sold for only $1,000 each and 34 that sold for over
$1,000,000 apiece.[91]
The highest price paid at auction for a Thoroughbred was set in 2006 at $16,000,000 for a two-year-old colt
named The Green Monkey.[92] Record prices at auction often grab headlines, though they do not necessarily
reflect the animal's future success; in the case of The Green Monkey, injuries limited him to only three career
starts before being retired to stud in 2008, and he never won a race.[92] Conversely, even a highly successful
Thoroughbred may be sold by the pound for a few hundred dollars to become horsemeat. The best-known
example of this was the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand, exported to Japan to stand at stud, but was
ultimately slaughtered in 2002, presumably for pet food.[93]
However, the value of a Thoroughbred may also be influenced by the purse money it wins. In 2007,
Thoroughbred racehorses earned a total of $1,217,854,602 in all placings, an average earnings per starter of
$16,924.[94] In addition, the track record of a race horse may influence its future value as a breeding animal.
Stud fees for stallions that enter breeding can range from $2,500 to $500,000 per mare in the United
States,[95][96] and from 2000 pounds[97] to 75,000 pounds or more in Britain.[98] The record stud fee to date
was set in the 1980s, when the stud fee of the late Northern Dancer reached $1 million.[99] During the 2008
Australian breeding season seven stallions stood at a stud fee of A$110,000 or more, with the highest fee in the
nation at A$302,500.[81]

Uses
Although the Thoroughbred is primarily bred for racing, the breed is
also used for show jumping and combined training because of its
athleticism, and many retired and retrained 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.

Horse racing
Main article: Thoroughbred horse race
Race horses competing on turf (grass
racetrack) in Germany. Most races in
Europe are run on turf, while most
races in North America are run on
dirt.

Thoroughbred horses are primarily bred for racing under saddle at the
gallop. Thoroughbreds are often known for being either distance runners
or sprinters, and their conformation usually reflects what they have been
bred to do. Sprinters are usually well muscled, while stayers, or distance

runners, tend to be smaller and slimmer.[100] The size of the horse is one
consideration for buyers and trainers when choosing a potential
racehorse. Although there have been champion racehorses of every height, from Zenyatta who stood 17.2
hands,[101] to Man o' War and Secretariat who both stood at 16.2 hands,[102][103] down to Hyperion, who was

only 15.1,[104] the best racehorses are generally of average size.[105] Larger horses mature more slowly and
have more stress on their legs and feet, predisposing them to lameness.[106] Smaller horses are considered by
some to be at a disadvantage due to their shorter stride and a tendency of other horses to bump them, especially
in the starting gate.[105] Historically, Thoroughbreds have steadily increased in size: the average height of a
Thoroughbred in 1700 was about 13.3 hands high. By 1876 this had increased to 15.3.[107]
In 2007, there were 71,959 horses who started in races in the United States, and the average Thoroughbred
racehorse in the United States and Canada ran 6.33 times in that year.[94] In Australia, there were 31,416 horses
in training during 2007, and those horses started 194,066 times for A$375,512,579 of prize money. During
2007, in Japan, there were 23,859 horses in training and those horses started 182,614 times for A$857,446,268
of prize money.[75] In Britain, the British Racing Authority states there were 8,556 horses in training for flat
racing for 2007, and those horses started 60,081 times in 5,659 races.[108]
Statistically, fewer than 50% of all race horses ever win a race, and less than 1% ever win a stakes race such as
the Kentucky Derby or the Epsom Derby.[109] Any horse who has yet to win a race is known as a maiden.
Horses finished with a racing career that are not suitable for breeding purposes often become riding horses or
other equine companions. A number of agencies exist to help make the transition from the racetrack to another
career, or to help find retirement homes for ex-racehorses.[110]

Other disciplines
In addition to racing, Thoroughbreds compete in eventing, show
jumping and dressage at the highest levels of international competition,
including the Olympics. They are also used as show hunters,
steeplechasers, and in western riding speed events such as barrel racing.
Mounted police divisions employ them in non-competitive work, and
recreational riders also use them.[111] Thoroughbreds are one of the most
common breeds for use in polo in the United States.[112] They are often
seen in the fox hunting field as well.[113]

Crossbreeding

A Thoroughbred competing in
eventing

Thoroughbreds are often crossed with horses of other breeds to create new breeds or to enhance or introduce
specific qualities into existing ones. They have been influential on many modern breeds, including the American
Quarter Horse,[114] the Standardbred,[115] and possibly the Morgan, a breed that went on to influence many of
the gaited breeds in North America.[116] Other common crosses with the Thoroughbred include crossbreeding
with Arabian bloodlines to produce the Anglo-Arabian[117] as well as with the Irish Draught to produce the Irish
Sport Horse.[118] Thoroughbreds are often crossed with various Warmblood breeds due to their refinement and
performance capabilities.[119]

Health issues

Although Thoroughbreds are seen in the hunter-jumper world and in other disciplines, modern Thoroughbreds
are primarily bred for speed, and racehorses have a very high rate of accidents as well as other health problems.
One tenth of all Thoroughbreds suffer orthopedic problems, including fractures.[27] Current estimates indicate
that there are 1.5 career-ending breakdowns for every 1,000 horses starting a race in the United States, an
average of two horses per day. The State of California reported a particularly high rate of injury, 3.5 per 1000
starts.[120] Other countries report lower rates of injury, with the United Kingdom having 0.9 injuries/1,000 starts
(19901999) and the courses in Victoria, Australia, producing a rate of 0.44 injuries/1,000 starts (1989
2004).[121] Thoroughbreds also have other health concerns, including a majority of animals who are prone to
bleeding from the lungs (exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage), 10% with low fertility, and 5% with
abnormally small hearts.[27] Thoroughbreds also tend to have smaller hooves relative to their body mass than
other breeds, with thin soles and walls and a lack of cartilage mass,[122] which contributes to foot soreness, the
most common source of lameness in racehorses.[123]

Selective breeding
One argument for the health issues involving Thoroughbreds suggests that inbreeding is the culprit.[27] It has
also been suggested that capability for speed is enhanced in an already swift animal by raising muscle mass, a
form of selective breeding that has created animals designed to win horse races.[124] Thus, according to one
postulation, the modern Thoroughbred travels faster than its skeletal structure can support.[125] Veterinarian
Robert Miller states that "We have selectively bred for speeds that the anatomy of the horse cannot always cope
with."[126]
Poor breeding may be encouraged by the fact that many horses are sent to the breeding shed following an injury.
If the injury is linked to a conformational fault, the fault is likely to be passed to the next generation.
Additionally, some breeders will have a veterinarian perform straightening procedures on a horse with crooked
legs. This can help increase the horse's price at a sale and perhaps help the horse have a sounder racing career,
but the genes for poor legs will still be passed on.[121]

Excess stress
A high accident rate may also occur because Thoroughbreds, particularly in the United States, are first raced as
2-year-olds, well before they are completely mature. Though they may appear full-grown and are in superb
muscular condition, their bones are not fully formed.[126] However, catastrophic injury rates are higher in 4- and
5-year-olds than in 2- and 3-year-olds.[127] Some believe that correct, slow training of a young horse (including
foals) may actually be beneficial to the overall soundness of the animal. This is because, during the training
process, microfractures occur in the leg followed by bone remodeling. If the remodeling is given sufficient time
to heal, the bone becomes stronger. If proper remodeling occurs before hard training and racing begins, the
horse will have a stronger musculoskeletal system and will have a decreased chance of injury.[121]
Studies have shown that track surfaces,[128] horseshoes with toe grabs,[122] use of certain legal medications,[129]
and high-intensity racing schedules may also contribute to a high injury rate.[130] One promising trend is the
development of synthetic surfaces for racetracks, and one of the first tracks to install such a surface, Turfway

Park in Florence, Kentucky, saw its rate of fatal breakdowns drop from 24 in 200405 to three in the year
following Polytrack installation. The material is not perfected, and some areas report problems related to winter
weather, but studies are continuing.[120]

Medical challenges
The level of treatment given to injured Thoroughbreds is often more intensive than for horses of lesser financial
value[131] but also controversial, due in part to the significant challenges in treating broken bones and other
major leg injuries.[132] Leg injuries that are not immediately fatal still may be 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 temporarily, there is the risk that other legs will break down during
the recovery period because they are carrying an abnormal weight load. While horses periodically lie down for
brief periods of time, a horse cannot remain lying in the equivalent of a human's "bed rest" because of the risk
of developing sores, internal damage, and congestion.[132]
Whenever a racing accident severely injures a well-known horse, such as the major leg fractures that led to the
euthanization of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, or 2008 Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles,
animal rights groups have denounced the Thoroughbred racing industry.[133] On the other hand, advocates of
racing argue that without horse racing, far less funding and incentives would be available for medical and
biomechanical research on horses.[134] Although horse racing is hazardous, veterinary science has advanced.
Previously hopeless cases can now be treated,[132] and earlier detection through advanced imaging techniques
like scintigraphy can keep at-risk horses off the track.[135]

See also
Thoroughbred breeding theories
Glossary of North American horse racing

Notes
1. Articles on the mentioned horses are located at Peters, Anne. "Foundation Sires of the Thoroughbred: D'Arcy's White
Turk". Foundation Sires of the Thoroughbred. Thoroughbred Heritage. Retrieved 2008-02-17., "Foundation Sires of the
Thoroughbred: L". Foundation Sires of the Thoroughbred. Thoroughbred Heritage. Retrieved 2008-02-17., Peters, Anne.
"Foundation Sires of the Thoroughbred: Curwen's Bay Barb". Foundation Sires of the Thoroughbred. Thoroughbred
Heritage. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
2. The identification of exact breeding for most of the foundation stallions is complicated by the practice in the 17th and
18th century of calling a horse an Arab or a Barb based on where the horse was acquired, rather than from its actual
breeding.[23]
3. Note that some promotional materials from The Jockey Club state that there are slightly under 1.3 million
Thoroughbreds in the United States today registered with The Jockey Club,[74] but combining this information with
figures on foal registrations gives an average lifespan for registered Thoroughbreds of almost 35 years, which is well
beyond normal for horses.

Footnotes

1. Patten Light Horse Breeds pp. 191195

2. The Jockey Club. "Coat Colors Of Thoroughbreds". Interactive RegistrationTM Help Desk: How to Identify a
Thoroughbred. The Jockey Club. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
3. Bongianni Simon & Schuster's Guide to Horses and Ponies section 12
4. "Approved Veterinarian Identification of the Thoroughbred in Australia". Australian Stud Book. May 2008. Retrieved
2009-02-25.
5. Montgomery The Thoroughbred pp. 338354
6. Henry All About Horses, pp. 60, 66.
7. The Jockey Club. "Eligibility for Foal Registration". The American Stud Book Principal Rules and Requirements. The
Jockey Club. pp. Section V, part C. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
8. Australian Jockey Club (2007). "Rules of the Australian Stud Book" (PDF). Australian Jockey Club. p. 7. Retrieved
2008-02-17.
9. Phifer Track Talk p. 38
10. Merriam-Webster (1994). Thoroughbred entry. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage (Merriam Webster).
p. 195. ISBN 978-0-87779-132-4. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
11. Merriam-Webster The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage p. 905
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16. Wall Famous Running Horses pp. 78
17. Milner The Godolphin Arabian pp. 36
18. Wall Famous Running Horses p. 8
19. Willett The Thoroughbred p. 25
20. Phifer Track Talk p. 45
21. Morris Thoroughbred Stallions pp. 12
22. Willett The Thoroughbred pp. 22-23
23. Willett The Thoroughbred p. 19
24. Milner The Godolphin Arabian p. 140
25. Willett The Thoroughbred pp. 3839
26. Willett The Thoroughbred p. 37
27. Pickrell "95% of thoroughbreds linked to one superstud" (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7941) New
Scientist
28. Cunningham "Microsatellite diversity" (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11736806?dopt=Abstract) Animal
Genetics
29. Erigero "Who's Your Momma III" (http://www.tbheritage.com/GeneticMarkers/mtdnaintbdamlines3.html) Animal
Genetics
30. Erigero "Who's Your Momma II" (http://www.tbheritage.com/GeneticMarkers/mtdnaintbdamlines3.html) Animal
Genetics
31. Erigero "New Research Sheds Light on Old Pedigrees"
(http://www.tbheritage.com/GeneticMarkers/mtdnaintbdamlines.html) Animal Genetics
32. Willett The Classic Racehorse pp. 3436
33. Willett The Classic Racehorse pp. 3941
34. Willett The Classic Racehorse p. 57
35. Derry Horses in Society p. 41
36. Willett The Classic Racehorse pp. 111113
37. Willett The Classic Racehorse pp. 7174
38. Willett The Classic Racehorse p. 56
39. Robertson History of Thoroughbred Racing in America p. 16
40. Bruce The American Stud Book Volume 1 p. 10
41. Montgomery The Thoroughbred pp. 131136

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External links
Jockey Club (UK) (http://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/)
The Jockey Club (USA) (http://www.jockeyclub.com/)
Thoroughbred Bloodlines (http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/)
Australian Stud Book (http://www.studbook.org.au/)

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