Which is Faster?

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Parkranger

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Was chatting to a friend about Arabs v TB's. I know it's a how long is a piece of string question as they're all different but I remember my old chestnut arab being bloody fast!

When I first galloped Ty last year I nearly fell out of the back door and I've found that TB's have 3 fast speeds, fast canter, gallop and 'oh my god, I'm going to die' (my favourite speed)!

Just wondered who has ridden both and what you're opinions are?

I think, from the ones I've had, that they're on a par but TB's cover more ground.....

PS, I think an Arab is next on my shopping list......yes another hotblood that I can't control!
 
My old arab pony (was 14.2hh and 20 years old) would have beaten any of my subsequent tb's hands down! However my TB's were eventers rather than racehorses, I think a TB racehorse would win a contest!
 
I would say thoroughbreds are slightly faster because cover more ground, because they are normally bigger, but arabs are faster than you think! Also, they can keep going for ages, so it depends how long the race is!
 
That's what I figured - my old mare and Ty are on a par speed wise (warp speed) but the boy definately covers more ground and tends to go into racing position (ie flat) whereas the arab would still have her head relatively high.

Dear me, I love a bit of speed though!
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Haven't ridden any pure TB's or Arabs, but Bungie (below) is 3/4 TB, 1/4 Arab and he can be quite scary when he goes up the gallops!!
 
see my arab cross was faster than my ex racer TB and she didn't stop racing because she was slow either. Mind you the arab cross was a bit of a freak anyway bless her. The TB was definitely better because she had breaks.
 
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PS, I think an Arab is next on my shopping list......yes another hotblood that I can't control!

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God help your local park keeper......
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Yep - my old mare had nil brakes! She used to tank all the time and my old instructor said 'just let her go and she'll soon stop'

I let her go and no, she didn't stop - too much bloody stamina!

Ty can go for about 3 mins flat out and then has had enough.....
 
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PS, I think an Arab is next on my shopping list......yes another hotblood that I can't control!

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God help your local park keeper......
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wink.gif
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mmmwwhhhhaaa - up your bum!
 
Slightly difficult question to answer as my old IDxTB was faster than some of the ex racer i have owned and ridden.

Equally, I would say a TB is faster but then you get slow lazy tbs. I would think a TB who was bred to race would be faster than your bog standard tb which was bred to do another job i.e event/hack/hunt.
 
My head says TBs are faster and the actual races are definately faster, but having ridden both, it feels much faster on an Arab race horse - maybe it's because they gallop with attitude! (he he he they do everything with attitude)

My boy used to race (Arab) and he gallops like a greyhound... belly almost touching the floor and he covers the ground like you wouldn't beleive.... first time I found this out (by accident) we'd just brought him as a 6yr old, came straight out of training - I rode him in a 15 acre field, was merrily trotting down a hill when he tripped tipping me forwards and that was it, he was off like a rocket - swear I have never been so fast in all my life!
 
I had an ex-steeplechaser who only had two paces: gallop and sheer panic - he could cover the ground faster than any horse I'd ever ridden. My two Arabs are pretty damn fast too but don't have the same length of stride.
 
Hmm I wonder, most of my horses have been 'bowlers' they just gallop along happily, I dont think Ive ever had a truly FAST horse, I use to excercise some PTP'ers and they were fast as though...
 
Having rode a friend's TB (I'm a member of his fan club) I can say he is slower than an arab, but it does all depend on which TB/Arab you've ridden doesn't it? He is only 15.2hh so not a big TB but it is his life mission to do what he's asked with the minimum of effort
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The fastest gallop I've ever had was Danny! I was sure it was only because of the lack of stirrups that it felt fast, but aparently he was 'motoring' so I will take people's word for it!
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Tbs are faster than arabs, hence they have to give them 21ib in arab open races.
Its not speculation, its fact.
When you have ridden a lot of racehorses, TB and arab you can only just appreciate how slow arabs actually are.
As a general guide, the slower a horse feels the faster they are. Even an extremely fast arab would not lay up with a 3m chaser(ive tried it out).
 
my 3/4 tb 1/4 id (I think) is quite fast - if I let him go for it. Although we have some pure tb's at the yard, I am 95% sure he could go just as fast as them, if not faster. When we are out with them, and he's at the back, I can feel it in him saying "come on mum, let me run, I am much faster and better than these other horses!!!"
 
i think it would depend also on if the said TB was bred for flat racing, hurdles or chasing. in theory the flat racer would be by far the fastest over a shorter distance than say the chaser who is bred for bravery, stamina and endurance.
 
you're all forgetting quarter horses, fastest horses over 2/3f!!
A friend of mine is Ass. Trainer in a fairly big yard out in USA, and they have a load of quarter horses (ponies) around the outside of the track to catch any wayward TBs, as over a very short distance there's nothing faster!!

Have also ridden a few 5f sprinters, which is pretty nice, even if they were usless (out of claimers) ones!!
 
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I soooo do not do the "OMG, i'm going to die" speed anymore, i'm too scared of them tripping!!!!!!!!
Jo

Edited to say, All depends whether the Arab has a suicide bomber strapped to it's back...

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nothing beats that power and speed though - don't do it as often now as we both have to get out of the habit.........
 
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I soooo do not do the "OMG, i'm going to die" speed anymore, i'm too scared of them tripping!!!!!!!!
Jo

Edited to say, All depends whether the Arab has a suicide bomber strapped to it's back...

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Great now I need a new keyboard and a new box of screen wipes, or is that bad that I laughed
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