The History of Thoroughbred Horses, the Price Formation for Race Horse Breeds

Equine racing is a sport that dates back to the ancient civilizations of Greece and Babylon. The sport itself claims a rich history of social status, culture and supremacy. It was often lauded as the “sport for the kings” as anyone that was able to compete in the games was usually the people of the higher class in society. Very little of horse racing has changed coming up to the 21st century. But as any sport goes, different countries that have adapted the sport of equine racing have instilled their own traditions and norms around it. However the basic premise that of the game remains the same – to single out the fastest horse from the group. Thus, the horse itself is the chief factor of the whole sport, more particularly the breed of the race horse.

When race horse breeds are spoken of, contrary to popular belief, there are a very limited number of horse breeds that are actually allowed to race. The most commonly recognized breeds are Arabian Equines, Quarter Equines, Thoroughbreds and Friesians. And Thoroughbreds are the most famous amongst the lot. Through this article we aim to give you a very basic overview of the Thoroughbred horse breed and its impact on the world horse racing community as a whole.

Thoroughbred Horse Attributes

Thoroughbreds date back to the 17th and 18th century Britain. They were the offspring of a cross breeding of stallions that were imported from the Middle East. The Thoroughbreds are recognized as the best when it comes to racing. They are known for the agility of their bodies, the speed and the paramount spirit they showcase while on the track. A properly bred thoroughbred horse has a well chiseled head, deeply mounted chest, short back and long neck. The horse needs to be of proper age to distinctively show off these features. Their lean body’s and long muscular legs makes them ideal racing breeds. However the size of the horse matters. Larger horses tend to be very slow in maturing and have stress on their feet. Thoroughbreds which are rather small in size and have shorter legs are more comfortable with long strides. Thoroughbreds that were bred for sprinting are usually heavy on the muscles whilst long distance runners have smaller and slimmer bodies. In general thoroughbreds have genetics for a very athletic and powerful body types, this is why many people tend to look towards these breeds when it comes to racing. On average, an adult male horse would grow up to 62 – 68 inches in height and a thoroughbred’s weight can come up to a thousand pound (450Kg) when matured. These horses usually are bound to have a fine sleek hair coat, usually of chestnut black or gray in color. There have also been white thoroughbreds due to genetic disorders, and they are very hard to come by. Other special characteristics that can be seen are different white markings on its coats. Stars, stockings and white socks are common to all thoroughbreds.

Contrary to popular belief, thoroughbreds are actually very social creatures. They seem to be a more people oriented breed given the fact that they were bred and brought up by people over the years. They showcase high spirit and are known to be very hot blooded and bold in nature.

Thoroughbred Horse Price

The price of a thoroughbred horse largely depends on its age, conformation, ancestry and a few other market factors. The most common place you’d see a TB horse for sale is the auctions. The starting prices at any auction depends on the time period, place its happening and the crowd attending as well. The purse value the horse wins over the course of his racing career greatly influences its selling price. Ideally, a racing horse with a high purse value will be sold at equally high prices. This is because their offspring would potentially be excellent racing horses in the future. Another factor that influences the price is the horse’s track record. This is mainly for a horse that is being sold for breeding. A horse with an excellent track record is bound to make a fortune to its owner. On average a horse would be sold between $80,000 and $100,000 at a normal auction. Again, the prices may vary according to the time period the auction is held. The highest price paid for a thoroughbred at auction is for a 2 year old horse (colt) named The Green Monkey. The horse was sold at a staggering $16,000,000.