Most people are familiar with the thoroughbred horse due to horse racing. But thoroughbreds are multipurpose horses, and many former racehorses find second careers as riding or driving horses.Thoroughbreds are classified as “hot-blooded”horses, or horses that tend to be spirited, bold, intelligent, and athletic.It’s a demeanor, not every equestrian can handle,but it does make for a magnificent horse.

Thoroughbreds can trace their origin back to the late 17th century in Great Britain. Horse racing had already existed there for centuries, and people were selectively breeding horses for their racing qualities. 

Three stallions were imported to England in the late 1600s and early 1700s: the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Arabian (named for their owners, a previously common practice). They became the foundational stallions of the thoroughbred, even though ironically none of them had ever raced. The foundational mares came from multiple breeds, both native and imported.

This selective breeding resulted in a horse with strength, speed, and stamina. The first thoroughbred arrived in the American colonies in 1730, though importation all but stopped during the Revolutionary War. Horse racing gained popularity in the U.S. during the 1800s, and Kentucky and Tennessee became centers for thoroughbred breeding and racing. The thoroughbred also influenced several other horse breeds, including the American quarter horse, standardbred, and Morgan.