Our Breed of the Month(September) is the THOROUGHBRED!
Picked by you guys with the Horse Poll, which is now updated. Sorry, I sort-of missed it for a while there! I'll updatet this more often!:)
The Thoroughbred is the fastest, most valuable of the world's horses. They support huge, and multinational breeding, and racing businesses. The Thoroughbred is also used in producing, and improving other breeds of horses.
-HISTORY
The breed began in England, in about the 17th or 18th century, when the "native running horses" where crossed by oriental stallions. The breeds who were responsible for starting the Thoroughbred breed were the Byerley Turk(1689), the Darley Arabian(1704), and the Godolphin Arabian(1728). They foaled the four first Throughbred lines: Herod, Eclipse, Matchem, and Highflyer(Herod's son).
Picture of Man-O-War as a colt
-CHARACTERISTICS
A horse of quality, the Thoroughbred has a great athletic ability, and phisical, and mental stamina. Thoroughbreds are couragous, but they are known for being highly strung, and difficult temperaments.
-APPEARENCES & CONFORMATION
Thoroughbreds usuallycome in any solid color. Black, chestnut, bay(dark or light), gray, white, dappled grey... etc. Their hind quarters are very powerful, and their hindlegs are long for speed. They have long, sloped shoulders, with a graceful neck, which makes a low galloping action. They stand from about 16-16.2hh and maybe higher. No higher than 17hh.
-WELL KNOWN THOROUGHBREDS
You may have heard of many well-known race-horses. Such as Seattle Slew, pictured above. Or Man-O-War pictured as a foal a couple pictures up.
Some other famous horses you may have heard of are maybe Secretariat, Citation, Cigar, Alydar, Affirmed, Bold Ruler, Native Dancer, Northern Dancer, Ruffian, and millions more.(Below-Alydar and Affirmed, two rivals. Dual took place at 1978 Belmont stakes, Affirmed won by a head.)
But in my opinion, I love Thoroughbreds, with their speed, grace, and sweetness. I think they are cute, and they are the best breed there is to possibly have!
