What makes a horse a Thoroughbred? It is all about the breeding. Every single horse of this breed is a descendant of 3 original sires (male parents) and a selection of dams (female parents). The stallions (fertile male horses) were the Godolphin Arabian/ Barb, the Darley Arabian, and the Byerly Turk. The Godolphin was named for a Lord of the same name and was from Yemen. The Darley was named for Thomas Darley and was purchased in Syria. The Byerly got his name from Captain Robert Byerly, both horse and rider were from Ireland but the horse may have originated from Turkmenistan. These horses were brought to England between 1689 and 1730.
Early efforts to pedigree and keep books were not sophisticated. By 1791 the first General Stud book was created for Thoroughbreds in England. The first breeding of the Thoroughbred in America took place in both Maryland and Virginia. American horse racing dates back to 1665 but Thoroughbred racing started in the U.S. in 1745. It wasn’t until 1873 that The American Stud book was developed. This was created by Kentucky native Colonel Sanders D. Bruce, not to be confused with another Colonel Sanders of the same state, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. In 1986 The Jockey Club replaced The American Stud book. Blood typing began in 1977. Currently, the United States is the leader in having the most Thoroughbred races.
There are fairly standard characteristics of the breed. These are the fastest of all horses. They are known for their strength. Horses are measured in hands. A Thoroughbred stands at 15 to 17 hands. Each hand is a unit of 4 inches. They have a face in the style of Arabian horses that may or may not be marked with a star, snip or a blaze. The neck is long and the body is muscular. The fur may be colored bay, brown, chestnut, black, gray, roan, palomino or white. The legs are long and lean with possible stockings or socks. Thoroughbreds are certainly beautiful!
Who’s your daddy? It is one of the most important questions to ask about a Thoroughbred. Knowing the sire and dam is the basis for all breeding, sales and racing but it is real easy to find the answer. Just check the pedigree and be certain it started with just three daddies.
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