Definition of Thoroughbred

What is the meaning of the term Thoroughbred when it comes to horse racing?

A Thoroughbred is a breed of horses characterized by athleticism, grace and strength. Thoroughbred horses have vasts amounts of energy and are the selected breed for use in horse racing as well as horse jumping.

The largest and most popular horse races in the world, such as the Kentucky Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, are open exclusively to the Thoroughbred horses.

Thoroughbred horses are purebred, which means that they are bred from two horses of the same breed. They are a specific breed, developed in England in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

A typical Thoroughbred horse has a muscular and lean body, long legs, a long neck and is between 1.5m and 1.7m high. This type of a horse is often hot-blooded in nature and very spirited.

As entries to horse races are regulated by using age as the base, Thoroughbreds have fixed birthdays. In the Northern hemisphere that date is January 1st, while in the South, the date is August 1st.

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See also: Horse Race Betting