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Saturday, 1 October 2011

A Look at the World of Racehorse Breeding in the UK

UK breeders began producing superior quality foals several hundred years ago. Currently the UK breeds many Thoroughbreds each year, and a lot of them have excellent racing careers. Quality breeding professionals work hard to match parents appropriately in order to facilitate proper placement of foals with the best racehorse trainer possible, and to ensure that the horses have successful racing careers.

The Thoroughbred breed's origins can be traced as far back as the 1600s, when Arabian stallions and indigenous British mares were bred together. As a matter of fact, all Thoroughbred pedigrees can be traced back to Byerly Turks, Darley Arabian, or Godolphin Arabian horses. These efforts have resulted in a taller breed with long legs that can travel quickly over both short and long distances and have led to the outstanding racehorses we see today. Thoroughbreds have passed these traits on to more breeds, such as the Standardbred and the American Quarter-Horse.

Serious thoroughbred breeders concentrate on growing foals with dense bones that can handle the track's impact, big hooves that can hold their weight, personalities that cause them to be competitive but submissive to training, and powerful muscles that make them speedy. The genetic advantage that these foals possess gives them a competitive edge. Their natural talent makes them easy to train and likely to succeed on the track.

There are other advantages that accompany the breeding of horses for racing for UK breeders. Breeders' prizes funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board reward those who use high quality breeding stock to produce outstanding foals. In much the same way, the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association aims to assist its membership in numerous ways, and works to facilitate sound breeding practices in order to produce the very best foals.

Yet even the most carefully bred foal cannot thrive without an appropriate racehorse trainer. A good trainer can make the most of an animal's innate talent and drive to compete in order to achieve success. He or she is responsible for getting the horse in racing condition and maintaining its strength throughout the racing season, and this can make the difference between a win and a loss on the track regardless of the horse's breeding.

Thoroughbred breeders in the UK are well recognized throughout the world for breeding top quality racehorses. The nice weather and veterinary care available are important for foal development. Parents that are carefully chosen often give birth to offspring that is naturally talented, and with these foals, choosing a good racehorse trainer will enhance this talent to create excellent track horses.