Friday, 22 February 2013

Thoroughbred Horses

We Photo: Five Furlongs
We love everything about horses and one of the most fascinating aspects of horse care and any interest in Horses and professional riding, is horse breeding. 

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 pure-bred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. 

Thoroughbreds are known for their agility, speed and spirit and, the breed, as it is known today, originally developed in 17th- and 18th-century England, when native mares were crossbred with imported Oriental stallions of Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman descent. 

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Thoroughbred 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.

Thoroughbred racehorses perform with maximum exertion, which can resulted in high accident rates and health problems. There are several theories for the reasons behind the prevalence of accidents and health problems in the Thoroughbred breed, and research continues. However, Thoroughbred horses are still highly sought after for both their aesthetic qualities and athletic brilliance. 

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