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The English horse breed is the fastest, it is officially recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. At this time, it has the official name - Thoroughbred horses, since now these horses are bred not only in England. The breed quickly spread throughout the world, so the old name became irrelevant and was replaced with a new one.
However, this breed received recognition not so long ago, only after setting a record. The fastest horse in the world is a thoroughbred horse named Beach Rackit. The stallion proved at the races in Mexico City that he is able to develop a maximum speed of 69.69 km / h, which is an absolute record even among his breed relatives. But experts note that almost all representatives of this breed show amazing speed in races.
Races over relatively short distances showed what speed a horse develops when running - about one kilometer per minute, that is, about 60 km / h. However, at longer distances, their speed drops to 50 km / h.
Historical reference
The origin of the breed dates back to the 17th - 18th centuries. The breed appeared in England, where it was bred through a severe selection among the horses of the East according to the criteria of running speed.
Of the mares, only 50 were honored to be the founders of a new fast breed. The history of the ancestors of the stallions is more interesting, since there were only three of them, and each had its own history of appearance in England.
- The first progenitor of purebred horsemen named Turk Bjerlei was brought to Britain by the military. He got to the British by capture during the war with the Turks. Captured by Captain Robert Byerly during the Battle of Buda in 1686. At first, he was just a war horse of the gallant captain.
- The second stallion - Darley Arabian - was specially bought in Aleppo (Syria) in 1704. In 1722 he was considered the main stallion in England and Ireland.
- The third ancestor is Godolphin Barb. Presumably came from Yemen, but has come a long way. First, the stallion ended up in the stables of the Prince of Monaco. Then it was presented to the King of France. Passed by will to Roger Williams, from whom it was bought by Briton Francis Godolphin.
What English horsebacks look like
The most common three subspecies of these horses are:
- Bay - red color with a red tint; the mane, tail and lower legs are black;
- Karakova - color dark brown or black with golden tan marks in the groin and muzzle; the mane and tail are black;
- Black is a completely black horse.
These horses are graceful and lean. Quite tall - they often reach a height at the withers of up to 1.7 meters, although there are also small individuals - about 1.4 meters. Weight is about half a ton or more. Deep chest, dry head and firm legs. The suits are usually one - most often red and bay, although there are black and roan. Their distinctive feature is their beautiful large intelligent eyes. Correctly set tail. Animals have well-developed muscles and elastic skin.
Foals are born about a meter high, but grow rapidly - after six months their height at the withers is about 135 cm. By the age of four, their growth completely stops. Horses live 20 - 23 years.
Character
Animals of this breed have an unbridled irascible disposition. They are difficult to control, as they resist training and attempts to curb them. Young animals are timid and nervous. Over time, as they grow older and exercise, they become more malleable. However, this is achieved only at the expense of the persistence of the trainer, who must find an approach to each horse using the "carrot and stick" method. At the same time, in no case should you go too far, horsemen do not tolerate punishment well. How many rewards should be during training the trainer decides for himself, based on the nature and flexibility of a particular animal.
By the type of temperament, they are choleric, but it was this energy that helped them become champions in races.
Horse speed
HDespite the fact that horses are the fastest in the world, they cannot boast of special endurance. So, the average speed of a horse with a rider at short distances can be about 60 km / h, but they are not suitable for longer sections of the path, since their speed drops to 50 km / h.
The horse's speed at a gallop also depends on the length of the course. On the day, they can overcome about 50 km at a frisky trot or gallop, but at the same time they need to take a break or move to a step every 3 hours.
Disadvantages and advantages
The breed is most often used in equestrian sports races and for horseback riding. They are also used for cross-country. In the role of draft or for work in carts, they are not suitable because of their lower endurance in comparison with other breeds.
Horse Advantages:
- lend themselves well to proper training;
- speed;
- gracefulness;
- excellent external data;
- quick achievement of the desired results during training;
- well-developed muscles;
- fidelity.
Disadvantages:
- unbridled disposition and excessive nervousness;
- susceptible to weather conditions, poorly tolerated, both cold and hot temperatures;
- you need to carefully select the correct diet;
- the content requires a vast territory.
Record-breaking horses
Despite the fact that thoroughbred horses have generally proven themselves to be the fastest, there are still champions among them, whose records are impressive. The most famous among them remains the stallion Beach Rakit, who set a world record in 1945, which no one has been able to beat so far. He covered a distance of 400 meters at a speed of 69.69 km / h.
No less famous is the stallion Siglevi Slave, who managed to develop a speed of 69.3 km / h while covering a distance of 800 meters without a rider.
Another stallion, John Henry, set a record with a jockey, breaking a segment of 2.4 km at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour.
In addition, horsemen have other impressive records in their arsenal. For example, Cheryl Denser became the most expensive horse, who cost his new owner $ 40 million. The unbeatable horse is the stallion Colin, who took part in 15 races during 1907 - 1908, all of which he won. Another conditionally invincible is the Fighter, who won 50 of his 100 races. The greatest pacer in the history of the United States is Man o'Var, who has won 20 of his 21 competitions.
Despite the amazing speed indicators that these breeds demonstrate, breeders are constantly working on creating more and more new types of horses. In order to improve the breed, experts select the fastest for breeding more hardy species, which will be able to further amaze with their abilities to accelerate in the shortest possible time and run as long as possible.