Thoroughbred

Horse racing was a popular pastime among European royalty from at least the Middle Ages, but in no country did the sport of kings influence the culture as it did in England. It was there that the Thoroughbred emerged in the 1700s. The mothers of this breed were slow but sturdy mares in the royal stables, but the fathers were light, spirited horses from the Middle East. Probably about 160 different stallions, representing the Barb, Arabian, and Turkoman breeds, founded the Thoroughbred. Three were particularly influential:

The Byerley Turk.
The Darley Arabian.
The Godolphin Arabian.

The result was a racehorse with the heart and stamina to carry a rider to the finish line.

No sooner had the Thoroughbred come into existence than it found its way to America. The first import was Bulle Rock, brought to Virginia in 1730. Only 15 years later, Governor Samuel Ogle of Maryland established organized horse racing in America. Racing had once been a casual affair, owners matching their Quarter Horses in short sprints down the street. Now it was the sport of the wealthy.

Although the Thoroughbred was first and foremost a racehorse, in America it found additional purposes. It was often an essential ingredient in any other breed that needed to be created, contributing speed and courage to the mix. Also, American cavalry officers prized their Thoroughbred mounts. Officers on both sides of the Civil War rode Thoroughbreds. For example, General Ulysses S. Grant’s Cincinnati was a descendant of the record-breaking racehorse Lexington, while General Robert E. Lee’s Traveller was probably about 3/4 Thoroughbred. Even after the Civil War, many sires in the United States Army Remount Service were Thoroughbreds.

Throughout the 1900s, the Thoroughbred only increased in popularity worldwide. Racing became an industry, with most of the profits coming from the incredible fees charged for the services of top stallions. The demand (and therefore the prices) for good breeding Thoroughbreds reached an all-time high in the mid-1980s thanks to interest from Europe and the Middle East. This was followed by another boom in the early 2000s, with the record price for a Thoroughbred at auction being set in 2006—$16 million for a colt yet unnamed and unraced at the time of the sale.

Horse investments took a major hit when the economy soured in 2008. While some breeders breathed a sigh of relief because prices were coming down to earth, the recession created a major shakeup. Thousands of excess Thoroughbreds went to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.

With horror stories about horse slaughter and racetrack injuries hitting the media on a regular basis, it’s little wonder that horse racing is a controversial sport. Nevertheless, the Thoroughbred has a strong presence around the world, with 1.3 million representatives in America alone.

Uses

There are two types of Thoroughbred today. The slim, muscular type is a recent development and is typically the type on the racetrack today. Unfortunately, this type has many soundness problems that preclude it from starting in more than a handful of races in its lifetime. Retirees will probably benefit from light riding only to avoid further injury. Recreation and possibly trail riding are the best roles for these horses.

The sturdier old-fashioned type, although increasingly hard to find, is still the epitome of an athlete. It is an excellent choice for polo, dressage, jumping, eventing, and hunting. It can even excel at the Western sport of barrel racing. This type of Thoroughbred is also suitable for mounted police work.

Thoroughbred crosses are preferred for many horse sports due to their stamina and will to win.

Temperament

The Thoroughbred has a large heart and amazing spirit, but it is a rather delicately balanced creature. It bonds strongly with one person and will give itself fully to that person alone. Its determination to please carries it through tense and painful situations, sometimes at the cost of its life. However, it is also rather flighty and tends to overreact to the unknown.

Retired racehorses need special care. They have been trained to meet the requirements of the racing world, and many concepts of recreational riding are completely new to them (for example, a tug on the reins may be mistaken for the cue to gallop faster). Furthermore, they have undergone enormous stress during their careers. It takes time to retrain them, and until then they can be extremely dangerous. Their confidence must be rebuilt through consistency and by presenting them with a clear path to earn the approval they crave.

Health

Unfortunately, the Thoroughbred has been subjected to many questionable breeding practices:

Inbreeding.
Short-sighted breeding goals.
The use of horses with soundness problems as breeding stock.

Bone defects, metabolic problems, abnormally small hearts, and reproductive loss syndrome are the result.

Retired racehorses have additional problems caused by their living conditions and trauma on the track:

Living in a dusty stable may have caused inflammatory airway disease.
An unnatural diet may have resulted in stomach ulcers.
Performance-enhancing drugs may affect the horse’s mood for a considerable time after retirement.
Overexercise may have induced pulmonary hemorrhages.
Strain and accidents may have injured countless nerves, tendons, and bones.

Some racehorses can be rehabilitated, but it is best to have a vet assess the horse before adoption.