The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed in 18th century England when English mares were bred with imported Arabian stallions to create a distance racer. Also, "thoroughbred" is an adjective often used by laymen to describe fully-blooded descendants of a particular breed, although it is an incorrect use of the term.
The typical Thoroughbred stands 16 hands (64 inches/1.63 m) high, and is bay, brown, chestnut, black or gray/roan in color. The face and lower legs may be marked with white, but white will generally not appear on the body (although certain color genes, usually found in chestnuts, result in white hairs and white patches in the coat—the study of color genetics in horses is an in-depth one). Although the Thoroughbred is primarily bred for racing, the breed is also used for show jumping and combined training due to its athleticism, and many retired race horses become fine family riding horses, endurance horses, dressage horses, and youth show horses. The larger horses are sought after for hunter/jumper and dressage competitions, whereas the smaller horses are in demand as polo ponies. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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