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2. The Thoroughbred
THE THOROUGHBRED
A Thoroughbred is a specific breed of horse whose ancestry traces back more than 300 years to England. All horses racing at Keeneland are Thoroughbreds. Thoroughbreds can reach speeds up to 35–40 mph.
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In the 1600s, wealthy Englishmen liked to compete to see who had the fastest horses. Horses from around the world (particularly from the Middle East) were brought to England and bred in hopes of producing even faster horses. Three Arab stallions, all imported to England, became the forefathers of all of today’s racehorses: Byerley Turk, Godolphin Arabian and Darley Arabian. The Jockey Club in Lexington, Kentucky, keeps careful track of every Thoroughbred born in America and can track each horse back to one or more of the three original Arab stallions. Thoroughbreds were first imported to the American Colonies in the 1700s. Bulle Rock was the first Thoroughbred to arrive and was imported by Samuel Gist of Virginia in 1730. Originally many of these horses were bred in the coastal states of Maryland, Virginia, New York and South Carolina. After the Revolutionary War, Thoroughbred breeding operations started moving west, particularly to Tennessee and Kentucky. Since the early 20th century, Thoroughbred breeding has been centered in Kentucky. Thoroughbreds in the United States have historically been used not only for racing but also to improve other breeds. Standardbreds, American Quarter Horses, American Saddlebreds and Morgans all have foundation members with Thoroughbred blood.
Eclipse Thoroughbred (top) and Darley Arabian (above)
Courtesy of Godolphin.
Thoroughbred Racing in America Horse racing in the United States dates back to 1665 and first took place in what is now known as Long Island, New York. In the early days, racing was conducted in a similar fashion to English racing, with horses running clockwise on turf (grass). In 1778, a Stanford, Kentucky, man named William Whitley changed the face of American horse racing forever when he ordered his race track to be laid out in the opposite direction and insisted that the track be made of clay instead of the British-preferred turf. This move was made due to rising tensions with the British associated with the American Revolution and was seen as an act of defiance and a statement of freedom from their customs. To this day, American racing is considered unique due to its counterclockwise racing direction and prevalence of dirt tracks.
WHAT MAKES A THOROUGHBRED DIFFERENT?
Comparing a Pony with a Racehorse
Penelope is a pony at Locust Trace AgriScience Center in Lexington. Animal Kingdom is a breeding stallion at Godolphin, a Thoroughbred farm in Lexington, who won the Kentucky Derby and more than $8 million on the race track. While both of them are horses, they are very different and are products of years of breeding to develop characteristics that make them successful.
HEIGHT Penelope is small, standing only 12.2 hands high at the withers (a horse’s withers is the highest point of the horse’s shoulder; see height worksheet to learn how horses are measured). Animal Kingdom is 16.2 hands or about 16.5 inches taller than Penelope at the withers.
BODY Penelope is short and stocky and has sturdy legs that help her navigate all types of terrain. All of Animal Kingdom’s components— his legs, back and neck—are longer than Penelope’s. These attributes give him a longer stride, which allows him to cover more ground at each step.
LEGS Animal Kingdom has slender legs, which have a lot of muscle in the thighs (at the top of his legs). This means they are both light and powerful. The bones of his legs, especially beneath the knee (the cannon bone) and from the ankle to the hoof (the pastern), are much longer and thinner than Penelope’s legs. They are not as strong and resilient, but they are much quicker to move. Penelope has thick legs and a short stride. The bone from her ankle to hoof (the pastern) is short and almost vertical. Thoroughbreds have a long and sloping pastern bone, which acts like a springy sole on a pair of running shoes.
NOSE Horses can only breathe through their noses and Penelope’s nostrils are much smaller than Animal Kingdom’s. Racehorses have to breathe in huge amounts of air to oxygenate their blood, which keeps their muscles working.
TEMPERAMENT Thoroughbreds are athletes accustomed to running and can often be competitive and highstrung. This is useful on the track but doesn’t always make them the easiest to ride (though many become excellent riding horses once they retire). Penelope is calmer, which makes her much better for beginners in her lesson program.
PENELOPE
