Common Breeds of Racehorses

There are over 150 breed registries in existence for horses. The term “breed” is used here to describe “a group of animals with certain distinguishable characteristics involving conformation, size, action, function and in some cases color” (Siegal 1996).  Differing characteristics have been created through breeding over a number of generations and have been passed on to successive generations.

Phylogenic modification in the horse is prominent in the limbs.  This includes anatomical variations in bones, tendons, muscles and ligaments.  These factors have been caused mainly by breeding, environment, crossing, and functional gymnastics as humans look to create the most efficient animals (Galisteo et al. 1999). Table 1 shows that racehorse breeds (hot-blooded horses) have a lower percent body fat than do non-racehorse breeds such as the Percheron. Below are a few of these common racehorse breeds examined by their defining traits.

Breed Body weight (kg) % average fat
Hot-Blood 436.5 12.8
Percheron 865.8 24.5

Table 1. Body mass and percent fat. Hot-blooded horses include Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Arabian and American Saddlebred. Adapted from (Kearns et al. 2002)

 

Arabian


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The Arabian is use for endurance racing.  The Arabian stands between 14.1 and 15.1 hands (4-inch units of length) in height.  The average weight of an Arabian is between 800 and 1,000 lbs.  The back is short, some having fewer thoracic and/or lumbar vertebrae.  The Arabian breed is characterized by a long, flat croup and high-set tail.  This conformation allows for long, low strides that move easily across desert terrain, where the breed originated and is still often found today.

Thoroughbred


Permission from Milfer Farms

The Thoroughbred is perhaps the most commonly known racehorse and is known for its speed.  The Thoroughbred stands at 15 to 17 hands in height and its’ average weight falls between 1,000 and 1,200 lbs.  Thoroughbred breeds have slightly sloping croups with lower-set tails and powerful muscling is seen in the hip, thigh and buttocks.  This allows for quick starts from the gate during a race.  The shoulder is deep and knees are flat.  The cannon area (below the knee) is short and flat with a tendon that is set out distinctly. 

Quarter Horse


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The Quarter Horse average weight is between 900 and 1200 lbs and the animal stands 14.1 to 16 hands in height.  It is characterized by a sturdy, powerful body due to muscle composition. The Quarter Horse is generally a quarter-mile sprinter and is known for its’ sharp turning ability.  Much of this is due to the long and sloping croup, with a low set tail.  The cannons are short and well-defined.

Standardbred


Permission from http://www.willeyfarm.com

The Standardbred stands at an average of 14.2 to 16 hands and weighs 900 to 1,200 lbs.  The Standardbred neck is long, leading to a deep chest and girth.  This deep chest allows for a high respiratory capacity and stamina.  The Standarbred is typically used for trot and pace races.  They are often found in harness racing where the rider sits in a Sulky (two-wheeled racing cart trailing the horse.)   The fluid stride associated with the Standardbred is dependent upon long, clean-boned legs (Siegal 1996). 

 
 
This website was created as a part of a class project in the Animal Physiology Class at Davidson College.