At six in the morning on the training track: steam running down your back, hoofbeats in rhythm, a keeper watching your every breath. The English Thoroughbred lives according to a strict routine in the racing stable. Many of these horses later switch to a second life as sport or leisure horses.
| type | Thoroughbred, racing and riding horse |
|---|---|
| Origin | England |
| Breeding Association | Horse racing in Germany under the umbrella of Deutscher Galopp e.V.; The General German Stud Book was first published in 1847 |
| Size according to the breeding goal | N/A, bred for racing performance, not for a conformation breeding goal |
| Colors | N/A |
| use | horse racing; after a racing career, jumping, dressage, eventing and leisure |
Origin and history
The breed originated in England from crossing domestic mares with oriental stallions (Berbers, Arabians, Turks), with the aim of producing fast and enduring horses. The first stud book, the General Stud Book from 1793, is considered to be the official birth date. Three progenitors, Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian, came to England towards the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. According to Deutscher Gallop, 95 percent of all thoroughbreds can now be traced back to the Darley Arabian in the direct paternal line. In Germany, the first races took place in Bad Doberan in 1822. Artificial insemination is forbidden in thoroughbred breeding worldwide; every mare must be a stallion.
Exterior
There is no conformation breeding goal like in warmblood associations. The selection is made on the racetrack: only those who are healthy and fast enough in the race should go into breeding. What they have in common is precociousness. Many run their first races at the age of two; according to Deutscher Galopp, around a third start at this age. Only those who can demonstrate pure blood for at least eight generations and for at least 100 years will be included in a thoroughbred stud book.
Character (interior)
German gallop describes thoroughbreds as sensitive animals that react immediately to irregularities and bad moods. This corresponds to the everyday life of many riders: A Thoroughbred notices hectic pace more quickly than you would like and rewards calm, clear work. Ex-racehorses have gotten to know a lot of things in the racing stable: transport, noise, strange stables. However, they are often not familiar with a dressage lesson or a walk ride. Accompanied retraining is therefore often offered and makes sense.
Keeping and feeding
In racing stables, thoroughbreds are often kept in boxes, but in more and more stables they go out to paddocks in small groups in the afternoon. In the leisure stable they need what every horse needs: lots of exercise, social contact and plenty of roughage. The ration depends on work and shape; ex-racehorses in particular sometimes have to gain weight first.
Health
Stomach ulcers are very common in racehorses in training. In a New Zealand study of 171 racehorses, 133 of which were thoroughbreds, 151 animals (88.3 percent) had changes in the gastric mucosa, including horses that had been grazed. A second racetrack issue is exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), which was studied in Australia in 744 Thoroughbreds after racing. In addition, a small proportion of thoroughbreds carry the allele for Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS): in a large study there were 17 of 716 animals tested. For breeding and purchasing this means: genetic testing for WFFS before mating, gastroscopic examination if stomach ulcers are suspected and a thorough purchase examination.
Who is the English Thoroughbred suitable for?
For experienced riders who want to finely train a fast, sensitive horse, in cross-country, eventing or dressage. Anyone who enjoys building a second life for an ex-racehorse will find this a rewarding task.
Who is it not for?
For beginners without a companion and for people who are looking for an insensitive horse that can easily handle stress. Even those who don't have space for a lot of pasture and roughage time will have a hard time with this breed.
Further information: You calculate what a horse actually costs per monthHorse Cost Calculatorthrough. This helps before you buyHorse buying checklist. You can find ideas for the stable name in oursHorse names, and your own horse is available asHorse portrait from your own photo. All breeds at a glance:Horse breeds from A to Z.
Frequently asked questions
When do thoroughbreds run their first race?Thoroughbreds are precocious, many running as young as two years old. According to German Gallop, around a good third start at least once at this age.
Why do all thoroughbreds have their birthday on January 1st?In thoroughbred breeding in our latitudes, all horses turn one year older on January 1st. That's why the breeding season starts on February 15th so that foals don't arrive too early in the year.
Can you ride a former racehorse?Yes. Many ex-racehorses make careers in jumping, dressage, eventing or as recreational horses. Accompanied retraining makes the change easier.
Where does the English Thoroughbred come from?From England. The first stud book was published in 1793; all thoroughbreds go back to three oriental progenitors and English founding mares.
Read more
Quellen, abgerufen am 05.11.2026: Deutscher Galopp: Das Vollblut; Deutscher Galopp: Geschichte des Vollbluts; Deutscher Galopp: Stationen eines Vollblüters; Bell RJ et al.: The prevalence of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand, N Z Vet J 2007 (PubMed 17339911); Hinchcliff KW et al.: Risk factors for exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in Thoroughbred racehorses, Equine Vet J Suppl 2010 (PubMed 21059011); Reiter S et al.: Distribution of the Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome Type 1 Mutation (PLOD1 c.2032G>A) in Different Horse Breeds from Europe and the United States, Genes 2020 (PubMed 33353040).
