Horse racing is quite an old tradition and was most common for the people belonging to the upper class, especially to the royal families. Traces of organized horse racing have been found in the days as back as 1665 in the US. In the later 1820s came planned schedules of yearly racing, standardized weights and the initiation of betting on horse racing. Now the local clubs also holds horse racing to increase their profit by increasing the clientele through decreased entry fees.
How Are The Best Breeds Selected?
Like every year, this year also horse racing is going to take place as per schedule. To increase your knowledge of the horses this year you should continue reading this article. There are several breeds of the horses. But to participate in the racing several breeds only gets the chances. The horse must have a dam (mother) and a sire (father). They are studbook approved individuals of the racing breed. A stallion who has won several races might be put up to stud when he gets retired. In the recent times, embryo transfer and artificial insemination have helped make the breeding process easy. This year’s racing is going to see the following top breeds among others.
Arabian Horse
The people of Middle East, the Bedouins have developed this breed. They are known for their stamina in longer distances. So, naturally, they can leave behind their enemies in the race. They were introduced to the United Stated and bred only from the time of the world war. The type I muscle fibers they have to enable them to work for longer durations. For their strength and ability to run for long time they are used in endurance racing. They are also allowed to race in the traditional tracks in some countries.
Thoroughbred
The first generation of the thoroughbreds came from Godolphin Arabian, Byerly Turk and the Darley Arabian. These three founding sires were taken to England and mated with the imported and English bloodline mares. They thoroughbreds have a height of four inches approx. they are measured in hands and some of them are found to be of 15 hands while others are found to be more than 17 hands. They are capable of traveling medium distances in speed. They have a wide range of color from white, roan, gray, chestnut, black, brown and bay. In this breed cloning, embryo transfer and artificial insemination are not allowed.
Quarter Horse
They are found in America from the early part of the 17th century. They are a blend of the English horses with the Colonial Spanish horses. The offspring that came was muscular and compact. Primarily they were used for cattle work and plowing. They became an official breed only after 1940 with the formation of the American Quarter Horse Association. To be a success in the race the quarter horses requires propelling themselves at an extremely fast running speed. The hind limb muscles are larger in them so they are not a fit for endurance running.
To your knowledge of the horses this year you may also expect to see other breeds like American Paint Horse, Appaloosa, mules, AQPS, Korean Jeju and Selle Francais.
