English thoroughbred horse, how to properly keep and breed

04.04.2013

Breeds of horses and ponies

Height - from 155 to 170 cm to withers level

Color - red or bay, less often you can find a brown color; the rarest specimens are horses of a black black or gray color.

Exterior - the horse is distinguished by a low neck with a sort of oblique bearing. Here you can see a lean physique, a deep chest and a sinewy, powerful croup; the animal’s muscles are quite clearly visible. The racing breed has long and strong limbs, which are designed for active, constant movement. The horse, graceful in physique, combines in its grace a fairly muscular, powerful body, as for other riding types of horses, the animal has a certain compactness and relief. The head is distinguished by a straight profile and kind, intelligent eyes, and at the withers the neck proudly bends, ending in slanting shoulders.

Despite the fact that different horses took part in the process of breeding the English racehorse, after the painstaking work of breeders and horse breeders, a purebred English riding horse was produced. The breed's stud book dates back to 1793, so the breed of racehorses is considered relatively young.

general characteristics

In addition to their impeccable characteristics, these animals have stunning beauty.
They are tall, stately, a little brutal in appearance, which is supported by an explosive and unyielding disposition. Under favorable conditions, males live up to 25 years, females - up to 20. English thoroughbreds are strongly built, have developed muscles, and high legs. Due to the same height and body length, the animal’s exterior resembles a square. Due to the well-defined tendons, muscles, veins and joints, they may have a slightly rough appearance. Thanks to their well-developed, strong limbs and skeleton, horses have amazing endurance.

Main external characteristics:

• weight: 450–600 kg;
• height at withers: 170 cm - stallions, 155 cm - mares;
• body length: commensurate with height, 155–170 cm;
• color: single color, all primary colors (black, red, bay, brown, gray, roan);
• coat: short, straight, sparse, sparse mane and tail, small bangs;
• skin: elastic, delicate, veins and muscles are clearly visible through the cover;
• head: light, wide lower jaw, straight profile, long nape, expressive and large eyes, wide nostrils;
• neck: long, straight;
• back: in mares after numerous births, soft;
• belly: toned, lean, muscular (with constant training);
• chest: deep, medium width, convex;
• body: cone-shaped, high withers and slightly drooping, oval croup, strong muscle corset;
• limbs: erect, very muscular and strong, dry.

The whole appearance of the horse speaks of nobility, dignity and complex character. The English horse is a typical choleric horse with a stable nervous system and an excellent response to commands. Horses of this breed are brave, energetic, willful, violent and hot-tempered, sometimes even disobedient. Therefore, the owner of such an animal must be a match for him. Thanks to this combination of character and external qualities, purebreds demonstrate excellent performance, endurance, and productivity.

Advantages and disadvantages

The English breed is loved by its owners for the following advantages:

1. The speed of horses and the opportunity to win prizes in competitions.
2. Beautiful exterior.
3. Excellent maternal instinct in females.

However, the breed has significant disadvantages. Over the centuries, these animals were kept in the best conditions and given only the best food, as a result the breed became weak and pampered.

1. Difficulty of keeping (intolerance to low temperatures and dampness, need for special food).
2. Poor immunity, high susceptibility to diseases.
3. The fragility of the bones means that any injuries and bruises are very dangerous for the animal.
4. Low fertility.
5. Very high cost.
6. Difficult in nature, therefore the opportunity to maintain it is provided only to experienced riders.

Lifestyle in nature

In order to get to know all the intricacies of this breed of horse, it is enough to know what kind of care and conditions it requires and what character it has.

Maintenance and care

This breed of horse is demanding in terms of conditions and care. A mild climate is just the thing for the full growth and development of young animals. For stallions to perform at their best, they need comfortable, dry stables, frequent feeding, regular and intensive training with masters, and long-distance racing. Horses need a ventilated stall with drinking water, a place to walk, insulated areas for the winter season and dry air. High humidity is a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.

After walking and racing the horse, a contrast shower for the limbs will be useful; the mane and tail should be washed once or twice a week with shampoo and conditioner. You need to bathe the animal regularly, wiping the nostrils dry. It is here that, with residual moisture, infections and viruses can arise.

Feeding

In order for a horse to always be energetic and playful, demonstrating tremendous capabilities on the hippodrome and in everyday life, it needs plentiful feeding. Moreover, horses can eat everything that is intended for such animals: fresh vegetation, fodder, in winter, hay, vegetables and apples. In addition, the horse should always be rewarded for good results with sugar, which these animals love so much. It is also important to monitor the quality of the water that horses are given daily. When buying feed and concentrates, English riding horses need the most selected variety of the highest quality.

Character

The disposition and character of such a horse can be described endlessly, but its main qualities are its lively nature and endless courage. Possessing such qualities, the horse overcomes distances with ease and a certain passion, winning again and again. Today only a rich person can afford such a horse, so they are used exclusively in sports. The character of such an animal is characterized by an unshakable zeal to become the first, along with devotion to its owner. Often in sports, horses can become unbalanced, due to which they are less often used in show jumping. The animals contained a choleric, but at the same time lively temperament.

Use of purebred horse breed

The main area of ​​application for thoroughbreds is equestrian sports, competitions, and horse racing. The horse's playful, hardy disposition provides its owner with numerous victories, which are regularly won by representatives of the English breed.

There are popular equestrian sports in which thoroughbreds participate.

Flat race. A race with a rider on your back from special booths. There are no obstacles here; the run takes place at a distance of 1 to 3 km.

Smooth racing with English horses

Barrier racing. Race with a rider. Along the way there are expected barriers of moderate difficulty.

Hurdles racing with thoroughbred horses

Show jumping Horse racing tests for agility and speed with obstacles of increased difficulty.

Horse - a good horse for show jumping

Derby. Hippodrome trials of three-year-old horses. The distance is 2.4 km, but may be reduced or extended in some countries.

Derby is an option for using a thoroughbred horse

Steeplechase. Spectacular races of adult horses over a distance of 4 to 8 km. On the way, various complex obstacles are expected - wooden barriers, plowed soil, sand, water, viscous soil.

Fox hunting is a sports and entertainment pursuit of a fox on horseback. The essence of hunting is the speed, agility and reactions of the animal.

Horse polo is a team game on horseback. The essence of the game is to use a special stick to move the ball across the field to the opponent’s goal.

Sports thoroughbreds are also ideal for equestrian polo.

English horses are not suitable for working in agriculture, and due to their high price, they do not exist in mass use.

Features of character and behavior

Purebred English horse
The temperament of representatives of the English breed of horses depends on the conditions of keeping, pedigree, care and a number of other parameters. Representatives of this breed are classified as gaited horses. They have a hot temperament and energetic behavior.

Docile English riding horses are extremely rare. At the same time, a purebred individual has a stable nervous system and, with proper training, even in extreme conditions, can be perfectly controlled by an experienced rider.

Peculiarities of behavior of stallions

Males of this breed begin to show their first sexual reactions within 1-2 months. It is believed that the earlier they arise, the better leader and producer the stallion will become. In spring, mature males begin to emit a special smell. Stallions of this breed are characterized by attachment to one partner. They can be aggressive towards other mares.

Peculiarities of behavior of mares

During the period of sexual heat, the body of a mare of this breed produces special hormones that signal to the stallions that the female is ready to mate. Mares become irritable during this period. They aggressively drive away young and castrated males. Mares of this breed have extremely developed maternal instinct. After the foal is born, the female feels a desire to be alone with him. During this period, the mare may be aggressive towards other horses in the herd. The rest of the time, females are relatively docile.

The influence of thoroughbred horses on other breeds

Postage stamp of Ukraine

When crossed, it transfers its height, speed, energy, voluminous lungs, developed muscles, dense bones and dry build; therefore, it can equally serve to improve both riding and draft horses.

Purebred horses are used in horse breeding in almost all countries as improvers of other breeds of horses, not only riding horses, but also draft and working horses and local horses. For example, draft standardbred horses, bred for trotting and ambling racing, go back to the thoroughbred racing stallion Messenger, who never ran, but competed at the races. French trotters, which were also bred for racing, can be traced back to a stallion named Young Rattler, one of whose parents was a thoroughbred. Even the famous Oryol trotters were crossed with purebred horses even in our time. The main influence of racing blood on the Oryol breed came through Fortunato's siblings, born in 1973. and Bassoon born in 1980 (Peony - Fabula). Their mother, the mare Fabula, was a thoroughbred horse on her father's side. Today, the descendants of these stallions successfully compete with purebred Oryol trotters and show excellent agility at the trot.

In Argentina, the famous polo ponies are bred - medium-sized horses that are used for playing polo. As a rule, these small, agile, nimble horses, capable of rushing off at full speed and also stopping sharply and turning in any direction, are obtained by crossing the local Argentinean Criollo breed with purebred horses, as well as by various crossings of their descendants. Almost all riding breeds have been improved with the help of racehorses, and from time to time such crossbreeding takes place so as not to lose the height, proportions, and most importantly, the strength and agility that these horses give. Without racehorses, there would be no classic equestrian sports included in the Olympic Games - show jumping, dressage and eventing. Due to their hot temperament, racehorses themselves rarely participate in dressage and do not have the kind of jumping abilities that are needed in top-class show jumping; more often, racehorses are participants in equestrian eventing, where speed, endurance and courage are needed above all. But nevertheless, without the influx of racing blood, there would not be those large, stately and powerful sports horses (warmbloods and half-bloods) that are the main participants in these types of equestrian sports. From time to time, breeders working with these horses undertake an infusion of racing blood into the breed in order to maintain height, body proportions, agility and strength. Without this, all these horses will gradually begin to degrade. Moreover, if in draft and working breeds breeders try to infuse racing blood through mares, then in sports breeds purebred stallions are usually used. The most famous purebred sire in the sporting breeds was the stallion named Ladykiller, who founded an entire line in the Holstein breed, which is one of the largest today. A major role was also played in the Russian Budennovsky breed by the purebred stallion Raufbold (Oleander - Reichenbach 1940), purchased in England, who also founded an entire line in the breed. The nicknames of the direct descendants of this stallion in the Budennovsky breed begin with the letter “R”; among his descendants there are such show jumping horses as Rebus, who competed under the nickname Pass Op for the Brazilian national team. In horse pedigrees, all purebred ancestors present are always indicated by an XX symbol after the name. The phenomenon of purebred horses lies in the fact that many breeds cannot exist without them, and they themselves have been bred in purity for more than 300 years, completely without the influx of blood from the outside, and not only do not degrade, but also improve their performance in agility.

Stallion Nijinsky II, an outstanding horse, representative of the Nearco line

Why is the English riding horse the fastest in the world?

There is a story from the past that explains why today's thoroughbred horses have so much power and running speed. All credit goes to the ancestor stallion named Eclipse, who was born with a genetic anomaly. The newborn foal was found to have a heart that was 40% larger than normal, but despite this the horse lived a full life. The subsequent generation coming from Eclipse was born with the same anomaly of heart development. It is to this that horse breeders give credit that today the pinnacle of the evolution of riding horses belongs to the English thoroughbred breed. And it was because of this anomaly that such horses became the fastest in the world.

Thoroughbred horse breed

Thoroughbred is a breed developed in England. Initially, these horses were called English racing horses, but due to the fact that they began to be bred in most countries of the world, it was decided to change the name of the breed. Representatives of this breed are the fastest horses in the world.

At short and medium distances they reach speeds of more than 60 km/h, and at long distances (more than 3 km) – 55 km/h. Horses of other breeds do not take part in races together with thoroughbred horses - they do not have a single chance to take a worthy place, because... running speed is incommensurable.

The record holder for speed among thoroughbred horses is the stallion Beach Rakitu, who reached a speed of 69.69 km/h over a distance of 409.26 m.

Main characteristics of the breed

Origin: England

Suit: all one color. The most common are red, bay and brown. Black, gray and roan are also common.

Height at withers: variable. There are both very short (no more than 1 m 42 cm) and very tall (more than 1 m 72 cm) purebred riding horses.

Exterior: also varied. The best representatives of the breed have a magnificent stature, a dry head, an elegant neck and an intelligent look of large eyes. The shoulders are set obliquely, the body is short but powerful. The chest is deep, muscular croup, firm smooth legs. Minimum pastern girth (20 cm), powerful hocks, well-set tail.

Use: in equestrian sports, sport hunting, steeplechase racing, eventing.

Features: the fastest and most expensive horses in the world. They have a larger lung capacity and a more powerful heart compared to representatives of other breeds. But thoroughbreds are not the most durable horses. Stallions do not often live to be 23, and mares do not often live to be 20. They are very demanding regarding the conditions of care, feeding and maintenance.

External signs of the breed

Thoroughbred riding horses have thin bones with ridges that stand out sharply at the attachment points of muscles and tendons. Representatives of this breed have elastic, thin skin, textured and dense muscles.

The head of a thoroughbred horse is dry, the back of the head is long, the withers are high and long, the neck is straight, thin and long. The croup is oval, with well-developed muscles, the chest is deep and slightly narrowed, the loin is short, the legs are dry and long, without brushes. The hind legs have an open hock and a long shin, the front legs are congenital. The hooves are small but strong.

Thoroughbred horses. Legolas and the Elf

Under normal conditions, thoroughbred riding horses grow quickly. Being born 99-100 cm tall, foals grow to 134-136 cm by six months, and by 1.5 years - to 154-156 cm. At 4 years, representatives of this breed complete their growth. These indicators are averaged.

Features of character and disposition

Thoroughbred riding horses have an energetic, lively, choleric temperament. They are characterized by high reaction speed and maximum power output. Great for racing.

The most famous representatives of the thoroughbred riding breed of the twentieth century:

Shareef Dancer is the most expensive horse in the world; in 1983, it was sold for a truly astronomical sum of $40 million.

Colin - won all 15 of his starts in 1907-1908. He was considered a truly invincible horse.

Fighter - took part in 8 racing seasons, won 50 out of 100 competitions.

Equipois, nicknamed "Chocolate Soldier", won 29 of 51 starts in the 1930s. He received his nickname for his extraordinary beauty.

Count Fleet - won 25 races in the final race of his racing career. 3-time champion in 1943.

Photos from the stock photo depositphotos.com were used in the design of the article.

Feeding: everything is individual

For each individual, the diet is selected personally. Age, weight, health status and stress are taken into account. The food contains all the necessary elements. It is especially important to ensure the availability of calcium and phosphorus.

A horse of this breed is fed hay, special feed, and vegetation. You also need to encourage the animal with apples, carrots, beets and potatoes.

Feeding is done 3 times a day.

For an average weight individual, 12-14 kilograms of food are needed per day. Give at least 40 grams of salt per day.

Fish oil and vitamins are usually added to the water. In summer, the volume of water drunk per day is approximately 50 liters, in winter - 30.

Breed overview

The purebred horse breed deserves the highest praise. When talking about her, I always want to say the word “most.” The fact is that this is the fastest, most prestigious, most expensive, most common riding horse and many more characteristics with the word “most”. In English, the name of the breed sounds like Thoroughbred, which means “bred to perfection.” And this applies not only to exterior data, but also to a greater extent to its speed indicators.

An English racehorse can run a distance of one kilometer in just 1 minute. No other riding horse can compete with her at the races. The English Thoroughbred has a whole body adapted for such rapid running. They naturally have a much larger lung capacity than other horses and a much larger heart. If in an ordinary horse it weighs on average up to 4.5 kg, then in an English horse it weighs 6.5-7 kg.

Origin

The British love for horse racing and horse riding, and especially horse hunting, played a huge role in the development of this racing breed. That is why in England, since ancient times, a good, playful riding horse has been an integral attribute of strength and power. An important role in the development of the breed was played by Henry VIII, who founded the royal stud farm at Hampton Court in the 16th century. Later, Elizabeth I (his daughter) continued her father’s work and established a stud farm in Staffordshire. Here they crossed local English horses with the best horses from Italy and Spain.

However, the official formation of the breed began after horses of the eastern type were brought to England. In 1602, King James I brought the Arabian horse Markham's Arabian to England, but he left no offspring and did not show himself at the races, but only opened the way for eastern stallions to the British Isles. In the 1660s, Charles II brought many eastern stallions and mares to his stud farm, which became the ancestors of the Thoroughbred riding breed. In particular, all modern horses trace their lineage to three stallions: the Arabian stallion Beyerley Turk and Darley Arabian, as well as the Barbary Godolphin Barb. It was from them that the first founders of the breed were obtained, the first best English stallions Eclipse, Matcham and Herod.

One of the important factors in improving Thoroughbred horses is strict breeding registration. In 1791, the “Preface” to the General Stud Book was published, and the first volume of the “General Stud Book” appeared in 1808. That's more. For two hundred years, records have been kept about the origin, breeding use and testing of all Purebreds. Thanks to this, today it is possible to trace the pedigree line of any Thoroughbred horse. And since 1690, records have been kept of all horses participating in the races.

Appearance

A thoroughbred riding horse has excellent conformation. As you can see in the photo, they have a compact, short, square body. The body is muscular, but due to its athletic shape it looks graceful. The head is medium in size with large expressive eyes, the profile is extremely straight. The neck is high, merging into an oblique shoulder blade and well-defined withers. The chest is deep and wide, as it accommodates a large heart and voluminous lungs. The back is short, straight, the croup is high and powerful.

The limbs of English Thoroughbreds deserve special attention. Their legs are dry, high, with very strong tendons and joints. The color is predominantly dark, such as bay or brown, but red and other colors are also common. White markings on the legs and head are allowed.

Character

The character of Thoroughbreds cannot be called “ideal” for amateur riding, since these horses are explosive and restive. However, this is exactly what it should be for an ideal sport horse. Without such a lively, energetic temperament, sense of dignity, boundless courage and endurance, these horses could not become the best horses in the world. As experienced riders say, a Thoroughbred will allow itself to be controlled by a rider only suited to himself - a person who is confident in himself and his abilities, ardent and firm in his decisions. Also, these horses are real fighters, who, having entered the track of the hippodrome, are ready to give themselves entirely to the rapid run to victory, as in the video (author - Horse Racing - Jocey RU).

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Lc0m4EYtjXw

Possible diseases of horses

There are diseases such as thinning of the walls of blood vessels, so during exercise there are quite severe nosebleeds. Horses are very susceptible to injury, with hoof and leg injuries being especially common. Such horses must be kept in a separate enclosure, the size of which must be at least 50 square meters. m, preferably with a separate exit to the lawn. Enclosures must be insulated, as horses do not tolerate frost well.

The horse needs to be bathed, and massage is also extremely important for it. The harness used must be made only from high quality materials. These horses, even with good care, only live to be 20-25 years old. To protect horses from possible problems, you should take your pets to the veterinarian, even when nothing is bothering them, just for a routine examination. Another option is to invite a specialist directly to the stable to examine all the animals.

Detailed overview of the breed

The English thoroughbred riding horse is the embodiment of elegance and considerable strength. The iridescent color of the horse seems to deliberately play under the sun's rays. England's most controversial breed, the thoroughbred riding horse, is a distant relative of most of the modern racehorses that can win fair races.

The height of a mare weighing up to 600 kg is about 1 m 60 cm. The colors that can be found in elite paddocks look noble: red with a soft copper tint, bay or ash-gray. In rare cases, an English racehorse can be black, literally a deep charcoal color. The color of the animal depends on the pedigree and the method of selection (the method of breeding the desired breeds). The noble horse reaches speeds of up to 70 km/h, which is many times more than any other horse. A fast, agile English riding horse is a special breed of horse; it always stands out against the background of handsome thoroughbreds.

Thoroughbred English foal is the best choice

Why is an English breed foal the best horse for a rider? In England, this breed is called “victory with a mane,” and it is no coincidence that the animals received this strange nickname. Good physical data and genetics turn ordinary horses into leaders of any race

Whether it’s professional races or training competitions – it doesn’t matter, stallions always show the best results

An English thoroughbred riding horse is:

well-developed muscles (the stallion moves naturally, gracefully and at the same time reaches incredible speed in a matter of minutes); endurance (every obstacle for such a horse is a mere trifle, and long distances do not exhaust the horse); developed physique (it is difficult to imagine obstacles that an energetic animal could not overcome); quick reaction (every jockey knows how important it is to interact with a horse, act on an equal footing with him and react to any unforeseen situations during competitions); When treated correctly, the English thoroughbred rarely gets sick and achieves new victories for many years.

The thoroughbred English racehorse is considered not only an extraordinary animal, not only fast and beautiful, but also incredibly loyal. The fastest breed in the world, the most persistent and fighting - the racehorse has no equal. Thanks to the developed features, character, and endurance, the English fast horse soon spread to different countries and became the calling card of every self-respecting owner of elite stables. Riding such a horse is a pleasure, and its unpredictable behavior is more likely a manifestation of a fighting character, rather than stupid obstinacy. Horses of other breeds have no chance of winning next to an English mare.

A thoroughbred racing mare wins before the race even begins. At professional competitions, there is a tradition of assessing the participants’ chances in advance, and if among the contenders for victory there are horses originally from the English area (English Thoroughbred), everyone unconditionally predicts gold for them.

Conditions and care

The stable is being built spacious, warm and well-lit.

The best materials are brick, adobe or coniferous wood. System ventilation is equipped; temperature and moisture levels are important. In winter, the room is heated. Personnel will be required to thoroughly remove the manure. In the stalls, a daily routine is observed, including cleaning the stables, walking and feeding the horses according to a schedule.

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The horses are bathed daily; their delicate skin requires special animal shampoo, a soft bristle brush and warm water. After water procedures, moisture is removed with a hair scraper and a towel, and the hooves are cleaned with an individual brush.

What to feed a horse

Performance characteristics depend on the volume and quality of food; purebreds are especially demanding on their diet. The daily menu must contain at least 10 types of food.

In the summer, animals eat from pastures, receiving vitamin supplements and compound feed (2-5 kg) and water. In winter, the mainstay of the menu is hay.

The horses are fed twice a day, using green, succulent and roughage in the diet:

• grass and leaves (clover, bentgrass, alfalfa);
• 5-10 kg of vegetables and fruits per day (potatoes, carrots, beets, apples);
• cereal, legume or grass haylage;
• concentrated diet (corn, wheat, oats, bran, legumes, barley).

Attention! The serving size is selected individually depending on the weight, physical activity, and health of the animal.

Various healthy additives (fish oil, yeast, salt, sugar) are mixed daily.

Portion volume is selected individually

Breeding the English breed

Stud farms and private breeders breed thoroughbred riding horses in two profiles - for racing and breeding production.

Racing breeding

Horse racing or sports competitions are the main areas in which English horses participate. Their maintenance is quite expensive, so not every racing enthusiast can financially support their own horse production. To purchase a horse for hippodrome racing, it is purchased from large horse breeders through an auction or directly.

Racing representatives are offered for sale according to age categories:

The English Horse is used primarily for racing, which makes it expensive to breed.

Breeding

The selection of the best animals for reproduction occurs according to a set of requirements and criteria, strict and stringent. More loyal requirements are imposed on the selection of a mare - the breeding uterus can be a female who has never taken part in equestrian sports. A stud stallion must be the winner of at least one significant prize.

The most valuable males are stallions that have already sired offspring or won several races. A horse that regularly impregnates females is often not sold at all. Leading breeders take care of such a stallion, he is priceless.

Horses for breeding undergo strict selection

Still there are disadvantages

This breed has always been kept in conditions close to ideal. They were never deprived of attention and care. This could not but affect their vulnerability.

• The mild climate in which they were grown had a very big influence. Because of this, they are very susceptible to temperature influences. English purebreds cannot tolerate cold or too hot weather.
• Low immunity is also a big disadvantage of this breed.
• Pickiness in food is also characteristic of these horses.
• Low fertility of mares causes big problems for many horse breeders. Often there are individuals who are completely unable to reproduce offspring.

Arabian horse breed: Arabian horses

One of the oldest horse breeds, bred in the central regions of the Arabian Peninsula in the 4th-6th centuries. AD Scientists believe that it was based on horses of North African and Central Asian origin. Arabian horses were raised in difficult conditions of deserts and semi-deserts, and strict requirements for working qualities were imposed on them.

In the formation of the breed, a major role was played by the constant wars of the Bedouin Arabs, who used these horses as military horses. As a result of such specific selection, with excellent care and feeding, a medium-sized, tightly knit horse appeared, very hardy and playful at a gallop, with excellent movements at all gaits. For a long time, Arabian horses were the most valuable wealth of local nomads.

In Europe and other continents, the first “Arabs” appeared at the beginning of our millennium. The wars waged by the crusaders showed the advantage of the agile and tireless Arabian horse over the heavy and clumsy horses of the English and French knights. These horses were not only playful, but also beautiful. Since that time, in European horse breeding, the blood of Arabian horses has been considered beneficial for many breeds.

Thanks to the Arabian breed, such famous breeds as the Oryol Trotter, Russian Saddlebred, English Saddlebred, Barbary, Andalusian, Lusitano, Lipizzan, Chagia, Percheron and Boulogne draft were developed.

Currently, Arabian horses are widespread in the world. To coordinate breeding work with this breed, the World Organization of Arabian Horse Breeding, uniting 60 countries, was created.

Modern representatives of this breed have a height at the withers of 140 to 156 cm. A small graceful head with a wide forehead and a wedge-shaped tapering towards the muzzle, with a concave (pike) profile, with expressive bulging eyes and large nostrils capable of greatly expanding.

High-set neck with a slight swan curve. Clearly defined withers. The back is of medium length, wide and level. The chest is wide and round, with well-developed false ribs. Slender, like chiseled legs, very strong, with strong hooves. A special difference between representatives of the Arabian breed and other horses - in addition to the pike head and large eyes - is the so-called “cock” tail, which they raise high (sometimes almost vertically) at fast gaits.

Horse colors are mostly gray of all shades (with age, such horses often acquire “buckwheat”), bay and red, less often black.

Among purebred Arabian horses, four types of exterior can be distinguished:

1. Siglavi - elegant horses with a clearly defined breed, with an average body constitution, short stature, they are lighter and less frisky in racing;

2. Koheilan - more massive horses with a strong constitution, with powerful and wide bones and developed muscles, broad-chested, hardy, excellent horses;

3. Hadban - they are distinguished by the least pronounced eastern breed, but they are the largest horses in the breed, frisky, hardy racers and sports horses;

4. Koheilan-siglawi is a mixed type, combining the elegant, dry forms of the siglavi and the massiveness of the koheilan; this type is also distinguished by its taller stature and high performance.

Arabian horses are primarily used for racing and trail riding, as well as recreational riding horses.

Exterior requirements

Representatives of the English riding breed are distinguished by their angularity, short body and tall stature. The body of the animal is dry with high, well-defined withers and a slightly lowered croup. The horse's belly is taut. The limbs, chest and shoulders are distinguished by well-developed muscles.

The neck is relatively short. There is no fat layer on it. Legs are straight. The hooves are of standard sizes. The back is well developed. In stallions it is more powerful due to increased muscle elasticity. In mares it is soft.

Representatives of this horse breed have a small head with strictly defined, dry features. The skull is slightly elongated at the back of the head. The muzzle is slightly elongated. The nostrils are wide, and the animal’s eyes are large and protruding. Thoroughbred English horses have small ears set high on their heads.

These horses have straight, short hair. The animal's tail is short. Representatives of this breed have sparse short bangs. Horses have thin and delicate skin. Vessels are visible through it.

History of the breed

The emergence of a new unique breed of horses in colonial England was facilitated by numerous wars that required hardy, fast animals, as well as the popularization of equestrian sports, hunting, and fighting among the highest nobility. English horse breeders crossed the best representatives of the local breed with selected eastern and European mares - Arabian, Turkish, Barbary, Spanish.

The selection of the best stallions took place during races or races. Mares were chosen in the same way - “royal uteruses”. By crossing the strongest animals, the most powerful horse was bred - the English racing horse.

At the end of the 18th century, English racing horses began to be exported to neighboring countries for breeding, which influenced the world fame of the horse. Subsequently, the name of the breed changed to purebred riding due to its wide distribution outside England.

Finished riding horses were bred by crossing the best breeds of horses.

Usage

English thoroughbreds are used for riding and racing. The latter can be either for a racetrack track or for barriers. Horse racing can also be conducted over rough terrain (stillchase).

English racing horses are also popular for cross-country. Horses that do not perform well in racing may be used to breed or improve other breeds.