Thoroughbred

History
 The Thoroughbred was originally developed as a racehorse in England in the 17th century. Oriental stallions, the most influential being Darley Arabians, Godolphin Barbs, and Byerly Turks, were bred with native English mares. One of the most important early Thoroughbred stallions was Eclipse, from the Darley Arabian line. As an undefeated early racehorse, he had a huge influence on the Thoroughbreds of today. In fact, about 90% of Thoroughbreds can trace their line back to Eclipse and the Darley Arabian.

By the 18th century, horse racing had become very popular, and was considered the "sport of kings" because it was watched mostly by royalty. Thoroughbreds were selectively bred both as flat racers and steeplechasers in the England. Originally, races were much longer than they are today---about four miles---but this later changed to the shorter, mile long races that are now seen. With this change came an increased need for faster, younger horses rather than those better suited for longer distances.

Thoroughbreds, particularly the ex-racers, are commonly used in eventing.
credit

 The first Thoroughbred arrived in America in 1730, and before long horse racing became popular in the United States as well. Today, Kentucky is the hub of Thoroughbred breeding, though California and New York breed a lot of them as well.

Breed Description and Uses
 Thoroughbreds are a tall breed, averaging around 16 hands high or taller, with long legs that give them ground-covering strides. They have sloping shoulders and prominent withers. Their neck is long and thin and their face has a straight profile. All in all, centuries of selective breeding has made the Thoroughbred into a runner. Chestnut, black, grey, and various shades of bay are the colors Thoroughbreds come in.

 Other than racing, Thoroughbreds are used for show jumping, dressage, and eventing, the latter of which is common in OTTBs.

Hackney

 History
In 18th century Norfolk, Thoroughbred stallions were crossed Norfolk Trotter mares. The resulting horse was excellent at hacking(hence the name) and could easily trot over long distances, going as fast as 18 miles an hour. In the mid-1800s, as roads improved, the Hackneys became carriage horses, moving much faster than they heavy carriage horses meant to pull wagons over uneven roads, a difficult task. Soon after, the Hackney pony came into existence by breeding Fell pony/Thoroughbred crosses with small Welsh Cobs, and then breeding those offspring with a 14 hands high Hackney named Sir George. Though it is disputed by many, Hackney ponies and horses are considered one breed, are registered under the same studbook, and judged the same way in the show ring.

Both Hackney ponies and horses look very similar
and have the same high-stepping gaits. credit

In 1883, the Hackney Studbook Society was founded. Since then, the horse became known as the ultimate carriage. People from both America and England loved the breed because it was quick transportation.

 In 1891, the American Hackney Society was founded, and up until the Great Depression in the '30s, hundreds and hundreds of both Hackney horses and ponies were shipped to America.

Breed Description and Uses
 Both the Hackney horse and pony are very similar in appearance. They have long hind hocks, a lot of knee action, a level croup, sloping shoulders, and a high-set neck. Their head is elegant and small. The horse type stands 14 to 16 hands high, while the pony is only 12 to 14 hands high. Both come in black, bay, chestnut, and sometimes pinto. Their tails are often docked.

 Hackneys are generally used for English disciplines, such as dressage, jumping, and saddle seat, though they can also be used in driving, something even the ponies do well at.

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Fell Pony

History
The Fell Pony is an ancient breed from the United Kingdom. For almost 2,000 years, the breed has developed and adapted to the harsh climate of northern England, becoming a tough pony able to thrive under such conditions.

 Before the 18th century, well-maintained paved roads were a rarity, so people needed sturdy, strong ponies as transportation. Many people decided upon the Fell Pony, who fit the criteria. As time passed, whoever, roads improved and people needed faster horses for long distance travel. At that point, the Fell transitioned to a farm horse for farms living in the hilly northern England.

 Then, in the 19th century, the use of Fell Ponies for pleasure, such as trotting races and other sports events, began. Fells were also used for shipping goods. During the late-19th century, Fells began pulling cartloads of coal out of mines and working with the machinery nearby the mines. In 1916, the Fell Pony Society was founded.

 Only about 700 Fell mares are registered worldwide.

Breed Description and Uses
 The Fell Pony, standing 12.2 to 13.3 hands high, is a muscular, draft-like pony. Their hooves are hardy, thighs strong, and haunches muscular. Because of their strength and sturdiness, they can carry heavy weights. Commonly, Fells are black, although brown, bay, and gray are occasionally seen.

Fell Ponies resemble miniature Friesians, though many breeders
doubt that any Friesian blood is present. credit

 Fells have calm, even temperaments and are willing to work hard. They are intelligent and love activities that engage their mind.

Today, the versatile Fells are most commonly used for combined driving, though they also excel at jumping, dressage, and endurance racing.

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Secretariat: Woodward Stakes

On September 29, just a few weeks after his incredible win in the Marlboro Cup, Secretariat returned to  Belmont Park to race in the Woodward Stakes. The race was 1 1/2 miles. "It shouldn't be hard after defeating the nation's top horses in the Marlboro Cup," his avid fans thought. However, despite someone's expectations on a horse"s performance, the racing world is full of surprises and unexpected twists. Nothing is ever certain.

  At the start of the race, Jorge Velasquez urged his mount to take an early lead, which is exactly what Onion had done before defeating Secretariat in the Whitney Stakes. Prove Out(Velasquez's mount) ran along the rail the while race. He remained unhurried, even after Secretariat had passed him. Suddenly, halfway through the homestretch, he shot ahead, passing Secretariat and winning by 4 1/2 lengths!

 Second place was just not good enough for many of Secretariat's fans. Even though the second place prize was $100,000 dollars, the loss hit them hard. Once again, the great Secretariat had lost to a horse with very bad odds of winning.

 Meanwhile, Allen Jerkens, the trainer of both Onion and Prove Out, had gained quite a reputation. Two different horses that he had trained had vanquished Secretariat on two different tracks! No wonder he had been given the nickname the "Giant Killer", which he still holds.

 Secretariat had been beaten twice in that past month, but he would return. Then he would win once more.

Secretariat: the Whitney Stakes

After his easy victory in the Arlington Invitational, Secretariat went to Saratoga Springs, New York. It had only been a year since he had last been there as a rookie two-year-old horse. At that time, which was August of 1973, he had returned as the champion that had shattered the records in all three of the Triple Crown races. So a large crowd of his fans flocked to see him win yet again. Yet it didn't turn out the way they had expected.

  The Saratoga racecourse, nicknamed the Graveyard of Champions, has a really interesting history. Throughout all the many years since it has first been used, many famous racehorses have met their match on that track. Even so, the outcome of the Whitney Stakes of '73 came as a surprise to many racing fans.

 One of the lesser known horses that had raced against Secretariat in the Whitney Stakes was Onion, who had set a new track record a few days previously. Onion posed a problem for Secretariat.

 The horse called Onion took a early lead in the Whitney. Secretariat sped forwards and both horses battled neck-to-neck for first place until they reached the last sixteenth of a mile. Then, against all expectations,  Secretariat slowed down and Onion crossed the finish line in first place.

 The audience was stunned. The great Secretariat, after winning the prestigious Triple Crown, had lost to little-known amateur. How could something like that happen to a record-breaking horse?

 Coincidentally, Secretariat was not the only champion racehorse that had lost to an amateur that week. Another Kentucky Derby winner from his stable, Riva Ridge, had recently lost to Wichita Oil, so the public wanted both amateur horses to be raced against each other. The public had to know which amateur was better.

Secretariat: His Two-year-old Season

This is a painting I made of young Secretariat.

When Secretariat first appeared on the racetrack in 1972, he became a champion almost instantly. He was everyones favorite, and had a unique style of racing never before seen.

 Unlike most of the other famous two-year-old race horses, such as Man o' War,  Secretariat did not take the lead right at the beginning of the race and hold it all the way until the end. Instead, he was normally in last place until he was about four furlongs(one furlong is 220 yards) from the finish. Only then would he have one final burst of energy and come in first place.

 Of the nine races he ran in that season, Secretariat only lost two-- his first race, which was at the Aqueduct Racetrack(he had had a slow start) and another race called Champagne. In between those two races, however he had won five races, including three important two-year-old ones: the Sanford Stakes, the Hopeful Stakes, and the Futurity Stakes.

Next he lost the Champagne Stakes. He was doing good until he bumped into a horse known as Stop the Music near the end of the race. Though this did not slow him down too much, and he had ended up beating the horse he had hit by two lengths, he was later disqualified for interfering with it. Afterwards, Stop the Music was given the position of first place.

 Despite these two loses, Secretariat was a favorite among fans, and even won the horse of the year award, one of three two-year-olds to do so.

Dales Pony

The Dales pony is a native British breed that has never been wild, being bred by man in captivity. It has descended from the Celtic pony, like many other British breeds. It also has other breeds mixed into it.

Long ago, the Fell pony and the Dales pony were pretty much the same breed. The Fell pony came from the west of the Pennine hills and the Dales from the east(the Pennine hills stretch through the northern half of England)Back then, both ponies were called Pennine ponies.

Dales ponies, known for being both good trotters and for their ability to pull heavy loads, were used by the army to carry ammunition to soldiers as well as to pull mine carts full of lead or coal. Also, it was ridden by farmers. Dales ponies can run a mile in three minutes and can carry up to 220 pounds.

Characteristics

The Dales pony is strongly built and has sturdy joints. Its hooves are hard and have bluish tint to them;feathers grow on the fetlock. Its face shows alertness, its ears are short, and its eyes are bright. The mane and tail are wavy. It can grow to be up to 14.2 hands tall. The pony can be either black, brown, bay, or grey.

Ancestry

The Celtic pony was crossed with a Friesian-Ariegeois cross bred horse that was brought to england by the Romans. In the 1800s, a Welsh Cob was added to the mix, and finally, Clydesdales were added for size.

Dales Pony's Uses Today

The Dales pony is mostly used as a trekking pony or a driving pony.