Racing Speeds of Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds and Arabians

Horse racing is a breath-taking and exciting event. Horse racers attest that any horse breed can produce a horse which is extremely fast. The fastest racing common horse breeds generally are consistently quick and powerful. The difference between the fastest horses is that some horse breeds excel in short distances while others have long distance endurance. Among the different breeds of horses, the Thoroughbred horses are the fastest breed, while the Quarter horse breed comes second and, finally, the Arabian breed comes third.

All the above breeds are fast but the difference comes on how first they ran and their endurance. For instance, the Thoroughbred horses and Quarter horses share the same purpose but their speed is different. A Thoroughbred horse which has long striding legs traditionally makes it have a taller stature over the Quarter horse. The breeds can both reach 6.5 inches tall. It is important to note that taller legs don’t mean faster speed.

Characteristics of Thoroughbred Horses

The Thoroughbred horses are best known for their ability to race mid-length distance. The breed is a combination of three breeds: Barb, Turkoman, and Arabian bloodlines. It was developed in the 17th century and more than 100,000 foals in this breed are registered globally annually thus making it the most popular breed worldwide. The thoroughbred horses were developed for racing and jumping, and it is popularly known as the jumping racehorse. Due to the breed’s overall build, the Thoroughbred as a racehorse has the capability to move in a great speed. The horse is athletically built; it has slim, tall, delicate heads, broad chests, short backs, and powerful legs and hindquarters. At maturity, the average weight of a racehorse weighs 450 kg (1,000 pounds). Most of the breeds are usually grey, brown, bay, chestnut, or black.

The horse is best for racing because its temperate is extremely hot-blooded. Hot-bloodedness makes the horse be extremely competitive. Often the horse can perform at a maximum rate of exertion. This trait has made the horse to have higher accident rates while racing compared to other breeds. In addition, the breed has a higher racing-related issue which includes lungs bleeding.

Majority of horse racers have used the breed in longer races, ranging from a ¾ mile to 2 miles. Originally, the Thoroughbred horse was originally bred in Europe where horse races are quite popular with gamblers using the best gambling apps to make bets. The horses can move up to 40 miles per hour.

At least 10 percent of Thoroughbred horses suffer orthopedic problems, which includes fractures. Research reveals that currently there are 1.5 career-ending breakdowns for every a thousand horses stating a race in the US. The estimation suggests an average of two horses per day. Currently, the state of California is leading with an injury rate of 3.5 per 1000 starts. Other countries across the world have lower injury rates because they have few race events compared to America. For example, the UK has 0.9 injuries for every 1000 starts while Victoria, Australia has 0.44 injuries for every 1000 starts.

The Thoroughbred has 10 percent low fertility and 5 percent small heart abnormality. Compared to their relative mass body than other breeds, the horse tends to have smaller hooves. The hooves sole are thin and lack adequate cartilage mass a condition which at times contributes to foot soreness.

Characteristics of the Quarter horse

The American Quarter horse is the 2nd fastest after the Thoroughbred horses and the most popular breed in the US, and more popular with Quarter horse breeders UK. The breed has the largest Horse society worldwide with over 3.2 million Quarter horses registered. It is the second fastest horse breed in the racehorse breeds list and was bred for high speed in the early colonial days. Its top speed is about 55 miles per hour and can go faster than the Thoroughbred horse over a shorter distance. This breed is well known for its superb performance in rodeos, horse shows and as a working ranch horse and it is a common site in English horse racing events.

The horse has a compact body which suits it well to the intricate and speedy maneuver in field activities like calf roping, reining, barrel racing, and other western world field events.

The horse has small, short, strong well-muscled body refined head with a straight profile. In addition, its chest is broad and powerful and it is well-endowed with rounded hindquarters. Commonly, the Quarter horse breed start between 14-16 hands but some Halter-types and English hunter-types go up to 17 hands. The breed has two main body types, namely: the hunter or racing type and the stock type. The stock type breed is more compact, stocky, shorter, and well-muscled. The horse is well suited for working with livestock, particular cattle ranching. The horse is quick, have a small stature, and can do agile movements at ease.

The Hunter-type Quarter horse closely resembles the Thoroughbred horses and it is taller and has a smoother muscled body. For some time, there has been a controversy amongst owners, breeders, and veterinarians in regards to health concerns due to their extreme muscle mass. The horse typically is 15.3-16 hands and if you are wondering how much does a racehorse weigh, you will be surprised to know that this particular breed weighs about 540 kg. In addition, its skeletal system frame ratio is also a matter of concern because its enormous body is also linked with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis which is commonly found in descendants of the stallion impressive.

Unlike the horse breeds, the Quarter horse comes nearly with all colors but the most common colors are Sorrel and a brownish red.

The Arabian

The Arabian is the 3rd fastest horse. The horses participate in traditional racing events but they do well in endurance events. The breed has a good chance to win a race because it can race 50 miles or more. The breed’s stamina helps to excel in racing events. The most amazing thing is that the Arabian can maintain an even speed for a longer time. Compared to other breeds, the Arabian breed is quite friendly and even-tempered. The attribute is brought about by its extensive history with humanity. The breed 4,500 years ago may have been domesticated in the Middle East. The stamina is brought due to adaption to the desert environment. The horse is versatile and dominates the discipline of endurance riding. A smaller Arabian horse can carry a heavy rider at ease.

The Arabian has well refined, wedge-shaped head, large eyes, and nostrils. In addition, it has an arched neck with large, well-set windpipe and clean throatlatch when compared to Thoroughbred horses. Its shoulder is well laid back and the hip is well-angled.

Arabian horse breeds regardless of height they are classified as horses. The traditional cutoff height between a horse and phony is 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm). The horse standing is between 14.1-15.1 hands but some can have lower and higher hands.

On frequent bases, the Arabian breed has been used to improve other breeds. At some point, some of the modern horse breeds have an Arabian bloodline.

Final Thoughts

When deciding the horse breed you intend to have, first, pay attention to the purpose the horse will serve. All horse breeds are excellent but if you have a specific task that you intend to accomplish, pay attention to size, power, endurance, and health-related issues. For example, ranchers should seek to have a Quarter horse breed stock type because it can do agile movements at ease, compared to Thoroughbred horses. For ranchers, a lightweight horse is a hindrance because it won’t be able to perform tasks as expected. The other important thing a potential horse owner should look out for is the expenses involved to take care of a horse. Do you have other ideas? Share them below!

Thomas Glare (Author’s Bio)

Just a regular guy who loves horses and betting on horses. Father of two wonderful boys and journalist since 2010. Grand National enthusiast, covered the event live multiple times in the past few years.