Thoroughbred Horse Size report
Thoroughbreds are a great racehorse breed bred in Great Britain in the 17th century by artificial breeding to achieve the qualities required by humans: speed, character, and size. Today's Thoroughbreds we see on the racetrack are descended from the early Arabian horses that took root in the Middle East. Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian, and Byerly Turk are regarded as the three ancestors of the Thoroughbred horse.
The genealogy of blood relatives will be strictly recorded during the breeding process of Thoroughbred horses, so the meaning of Thoroughbred horses is close to that of horses with traceable pedigrees. The breed is registered in the Studbook of the Jockeys Club in England or the studbooks of similar clubs in other countries.
The appearance of a Thoroughbred is typical of a racehorse, extremely dry without being languid. Its nervous system is highly sensitive and flexible and responds extremely fast without mania. All Thoroughbred horses' tissues, organs, and systems seem to be specially designed for racing. Let's learn more interesting facts about Thoroughbreds' average size and characteristics.
Thoroughbred Horse Size And Appearance
After more than two hundred years of breeding, modern Thoroughbred horses have almost perfect body structure and characteristics as a racehorse. Its body height has increased from less than 15 hands at the beginning to more than 16 hands now. The body is dry and strong, with slender and muscled limbs; all parts have edges and clear lines, and joints and tendons are clearly outlined, so Thoroughbreds are also called "living works of art" in the world. The coat colors are mostly bay and chestnut, followed by black and brown, with white marks on the head and the lower parts of the limbs.
Thoroughbred horses dominate the world with short and medium-distance speeds, creating and maintaining world records for various distance speeds within 5,000 meters. No other horse breed has surpassed its speed in the past thousand years. More importantly, this breed has stable genetics and wide adaptability. It is recognized as the best riding horse breed in the world and is extremely effective in improving other breeds, especially in improving speed.
Average Size of Thoroughbred
The average body height of Thoroughbred horses is between 15-17 hands (1.5-1.7 meters), with an overall weight in the range of 400-465 kilograms. This breed has a typical lifespan of 25-35 years. The beauty of a thoroughbred is not only in its appearance but also in its dynamic movement. Thoroughbred horses are born with the physical condition to run fast. The foal can move freely with the mare a few hours after birth. An adult thoroughbred can reach a speed of 60 kilometers per hour and stride 4 or 5 meters in one step. The 1,000-meter world record for a Thoroughbred is 54 seconds.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Native | UK |
| Color | bay, chestnut, brown, black |
| Standing Height | 15-17 hands (1.5-1.7 m) |
| Average Weight | 400-465 kg |
| Lifespan | 25-35 years |
| Average Speed | 60 km/h |
Final Words
Most people are familiar with the Thoroughbred horse due to horse racing. Thoroughbreds are known for their short-distance speed and long, quick, and springy gait. Thoroughbred horses are still the creators of the world records in the high jump and long jump. But the breed has poor endurance and needs to improve at long-distance running. Thoroughbreds have strict pedigrees to ensure their excellence and purity. Every foal is registered with both parental bloodlines and ancestral lineage. If you open a Thoroughbred pedigree at random, you can clearly understand a horse's family tree and find records thirty generations ago. Today, the International Thoroughbred Registry registers more than 100,000 foals born each year.
