Thoroughbreds?

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horsegirl

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Am I correct in thinking that they were originally bred from arabs & native ponies? I'm sure I read that somewhere but of course now I can't find anything on the ancestry of TBs!
 
All TB's originate back to the foundation stallions; Darley Arabian, Godolphin and Byerley Turk and yes you are right, they were bred to natives.
 
The reason I wonder is that Arabs are very strong and native ponies are also very strong so why are TBs considered so weedy?

<font color="green">probably because they're being bred for speed, and lighter built horses can run faster (supposedly)</font>
 
Weedy?? Delicate is probably a better word to describe them
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My TB is a cracker, she's NH bred so is quite tough and stocky with excellent bone. Nothing weedy about her at all.
 
Don't get me wrong I love TBs - I have one now but people are always going on about the amount of weight they can carry and that horses with more bone can carry more etc the exception being arabs as they are delicate but strong and I was just wondering whether TBs are misjudged, perhaps they are a lot stronger than we give them credit for?
 
TB's are pretty strong take a look at the ones that point to point.
Some are only between 15 and 16 hands yet carry 12 stone + over 3 miles sometimes in bottomless ground .
Now you cant call that delicate or weedy.
 
It's funny, you'd think that with having had a closed stud book for so, SO many years, there would be a definite breed standard for the TB, but there is just so much variation in the breed! Out of the 20 I have in my barn atm waiting to foal, I have one that is a Group 1 placed mare who only just 15hh - more like 14.3hh tbth! And another VERY famous multiple Group 1 winner and she is a good 16.2hh. Then there is a MAHOUSIVE 17.2hh mare that is a 1/2 sister to a famous stallion who is only 15.2hh - so go figure!!

I have known TB's that I would have sworn had ID or such like in them, but also known IDxTB's that looked like ickle TB's.......
 
Any breed of horse can be a pain in the bum, just like people
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but they are all individuals.

I have only owned 2, 1 was a lazy, plodder and the other a very highly strung stressy spooky thing
 
all about the irish TB's - best of both worlds! Pretty hardy, fast and have a good bit of bone ...... and have character too....do love an arab though!
 
I think some people do tend to stereotype TBs as being weedy and needing wrapping up in cotton wool, however, it's not necessarily true.

There are some very fine built ones, but a lot of the National Hunt types tend to be bred more robustly.
I owned two by the late Strong Gale, and they were corkers. Lived out all year, and were never sick, sorry, or lame.

Wouldn't touch a spindly one though...
 
I think the variation in TB's is more noted more in NH horses where they dont have to be full TB, ie they are entered in the NTR. I had a filly that went back 4 recorded generations to 1940 &amp; because through the mare line there was a mare with unknown breeding (though still mentioned in Wetherby's animal search) she was an NTR. She would have been eligible to race as was her dam.
 
Gotta agree here Irish TB;s all the way, mine was great and not "delicate" at all, well until you put a bandage on him, then it must definately be broken.... bless him!!
 
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