Horseback racing requires equines that are speedy and enduring. Some horse breeds are perfect for such a competition. While other horses are not a good fit. Race horses have their distinctive features and characteristics. Check this list of the best racing horse breeds to find your ideal companion.
1. Thoroughbred Horse
The Thoroughbred breed is a favorite among equestrians. It is known for its great mixture of gracefulness and fast speed. That’s why it is usually used for horse racing, jumping, and eventing. Being developed in England, this breed is greatly popular all over the world, particularly in the USA.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: It has a well-chiseled head, a long elegant neck. The body is short and slim with a deep broad chest, the coat is smooth. The limbs are long, lean but strong.
- Height: 64 inches (16 hands).
- Weight: 1000 pounds (450 kg).
- Life expectancy: 25-28 years.
- Speed: 35 mph.
- Colors: The most common colors are bay, chestnut, gray, and black.
- The breed is well-known for its courage, speed, and athleticism.
- It is typically used for showing, dressage, and racing.
- Average price: $10,000.
Pros
- A people-oriented breed
- Energetic nature
- Perfect for racing
Cons
- Not for beginners
- Not easy to handle
2. American Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is one of the oldest horse breeds in the USA. The horse is a result of crossbreeding between Spanish horses and English breeds. In fact, the Quarter Horse has Thoroughbred blood. Hence, they have similar characteristics, but still, these are two different horse breeds.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: The horse features a small and short head. The profile is straight. The body is strong and well-muscled. The chest is broad, the hindquarters are rounded.
- Height: 56-64 inches (14-16 hands).
- Weight: 1100 pounds (500 kg).
- Life expectancy: 25-35 years.
- Speed: 55 mph.
- Colors: The most common Quarter Horse colors are chestnut, bay, black, brown, gray, palomino, and roan.
- It’s not a gaited breed.
- The Quarter Horse is good for rodeos, barrel racing, eventing, driving, dressage, hunting, etc.
- Average price: $5,000.
Pros
- Speedy
- Athletic horse
- Long liver
Cons
- Pricey
- Can be tenacious
3. Arabian Horse
The Arabian Horse or Arab is one of the oldest breeds that is spread all over the world nowadays. It is well-known for its great stamina, intelligence, beauty, and loyalty. That’s why these light horses were used to improve features like durability, endurance, and speed of other breeds. Due to its fascinating features, it is claimed as a great versatile breed for amateur and expert riding sessions, equestrian competitions, and selection.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: It has a small head with wide nostrils, big expressive eyes, and little ears. The neck is long and arched. The back is short but strong and massive. The limbs are long and strong with solid hooves.
- Height: 60 inches (15 hands).
- Weight: 800-1000 pounds (350-450 kg).
- Life expectancy: 25-30 years.
- Speed: 35 mph.
- Colors: The most common colors are grey, chestnut, bay, and black. The breed is highly desired for its smooth and elegant gaits, each move is neat and coherent.
- The breed is highly desired for its smooth and elegant gaits, each move is neat and coherent.
- The Arabian Horse is typically used for showing, riding, and racing.
- Average price: $10,000.
Pros
- Extremely durable and fast
- A versatile breed
- Intelligent and easy to learn
Cons
- Not good for beginners
- Very sensitive
4. Appaloosa Horse
The Appaloosa is a popular horse breed that originated from the United States. It’s famous for its spotted coat pattern. It’s referred to as the leopard complex mutation. Appaloosa Horses have various spotted patterns over the solid base color of the coat. They are known for their gentle and friendly temperament.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: The horse has a leopard-spotted pattern on a solid-base color coat. Another essential feature is striped hooves. An Appaloosa horse may not have the dotted coat pattern but the mottled skin is a must.
- Height: 56-64 inches (14-16 hands).
- Weight: 950-1250 pounds (430-570 kg).
- Life expectancy: 30 years.
- Speed: 40 mph.
- Colors: A leopard-spotted pattern on a solid-base color coat.
- The gaited Appaloosa performs a lateral gait.
- You can spot the horse in barrel racing, roping, reining, eventing, and horse racing.
- Average price: $5,000.
Pros
- Unique color
- Friendly temperament
- Great for beginners
Cons
- Genetic defects
- Get bored easily
5. Morgan Horse
The Morgan Horse is another popular breed derived from the USA. It’s valuable for the friendly temper that makes it easy to handle even for kids. Another feature is high longevity comparing with other common breeds. Morgan’s stamina and strength are perfect for equestrian sports, riding, jumping, and others.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: It has a compact body with a short head and small alert ears. The neck is slightly curved, the shoulders are long and sloping. The back is short and muscled. The limbs are strong and straight.
- Height: 56-60 inches (14-15 hands).
- Weight: 900-1000 pounds (400-450 kg).
- Life expectancy: 30 years.
- Speed: 45 mph.
- Colors: The common coat colors are chestnut, bay, and black.
- The Morgan is known as a non-gaited breed.
- The breed is an all-purpose, it’s good for pulling, harness, dressage, showing, and others.
- Average price: $3,000.
Pros
- Kids friendly
- Very cooperative, easy to train
- A versatile breed
Cons
- Nutrition should be strict
- Late maturity
6. American Paint Horse
The American Paint Horse originated from the United States. That’s a horse breed that features its white spottings on dark coat color. The American Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred took part in developing the Paint Horse. People love American Paint Horses for their friendly temperament.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: The Paint breed has a strong muscular body, alert ears, and a long neck. The hindquarters are massive. The coat has huge patches all over the body. The low gravity centers make them good at balancing.
- Height: 56-64 inches (14-16 hands).
- Weight: 950-1250 pounds (430-570 kg).
- Life expectancy: 30 years.
- Speed: 55 mph.
- Colors: The coat color is a combination of pinto spotting and dark patches. The common markings include tobiano, overo, and tovero.
- It’s a four-gaited horse breed. Some Painted Horses have five gaits.
- American Paint Horses are commonly used in reining, pleasure riding, and show jumping.
- Average price: $5,000.
Pros
- Unique color
- Calm temperament
- Athletic built
Cons
- Genetic defects
- Needs lots of expenses
7. Standardbred
The American Standardbred Horse is commonly used in harness racing. The breed features its muscled body and placid temperament. The Standardbred Horse is the world’s fastest trotting horse. The equine is used to develop other race horses.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: Their build is heavy. The head is straight and refined. The forehead is wide. The nostrils are large and the mouth is shallow. The body is long with well-defined withers. The shoulders and hindquarters are powerful.
- Height: 56-68 inches (14-17 hands).
- Weight: 800-1000 pounds (360-450 kg).
- Life expectancy: 25-30 years.
- Speed: 45 mph.
- Colors: Standardbred horses are usually brown, bay, and black.
- Standardbred Horses can be trotters or pacers.
- The Standardbred Horse is used in harness racing, pleasure riding, and horse shows.
- Average price: $3,000.
Pros
- Great for beginners
- Jumping ability
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- Hard to retrain
- Gait may be uncomfortable
8. Hackney
The Hackney Horse originated from England and is recognizable by its high-stepping action. This horse is easy to train and is mostly used by carriage drivers. But this breed is quite rare and is claimed as endangered.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: It has a refined head with big eyes. The neck is muscular and long. The shoulders are massive and sloping. The back is short but strong. The limbs are long and strong. The mane and tail are thick.
- Height: 60-64 inches (15-16 hands)
- Weight: 1000-1200 pounds (450-540 kg)
- Life expectancy: 30 years.
- Speed: 20 mph.
- Colors: It’s usually bay, chestnut, brown, and black.
- Their gaits paces are great for showing.
- The Hackney is commonly used for harness, dressage, and showing.
- Average price: $5,000.
Pros
- High longevity
- Spirited temperament
- Perfect for driving
Cons
- Not for beginners
- Could be high-strung
9. Orlov Trotter
The Orlov Trotter is one of the most popular Russian breeds. First, it was used for harness and horse racing but nowadays it’s spread within different equestrian activities. The breed is easy to train so it could be a great option for beginners as well as avid horsemen.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: It has a big head and a long strong neck. The shoulders are sloping. The back is long and durable. The limbs are long and sturdy, the joints are big. The mane and tail are long and thick.
- Height: 60-68 inches (15-17 hands).
- Weight: 1000 pounds (450 kg).
- Life expectancy: 30 years.
- Speed: 30 mph.
- Colors: The most popular colors are grey, chestnut, bay, and black.
- The Orlov is known for fast and graceful trotting gaits.
- The breed is typically used for harness racing, riding, and driving.
- Average price: $5,000.
Pros
- Great mixture of elegance and stamina
- A very fertile breed
- Quite and willing
Cons
- Grooming might be challenging
- Late maturity
10. Shetland Pony
The Shetland Pony is not a breed of horse. It’s one of the popular pony breeds designed in Scotland. That will be a great option for your kids to take up equestrian sports. Looking cute is not the only feature, they are also very kind, intelligent, and quite sturdy.
Horse Breed Overview
- Conformation: It has a compact body, a wide head with kind eyes. The neck is short but muscular. The back is short and wide. The limbs are quite short and sturdy with feathering above the hooves. The mane and tail are thick.
- Height: 28-46 inches (7-11.5 hands).
- Weight: 400-450 pounds (180-200 kg).
- Life expectancy: 30 years.
- Speed: 25 mph.
- Colors: The colors can be different including chestnut, brown, bay, palomino, buckskin, and others.
- The breed is known for its gaits, the smooth walk, the quite speed trot, three-beat canter, and fast gallop.
- They are commonly used for pulling, showing, and harness driving.
- Average price: $1,000.
Pros
- Very kind and intelligent
- Kids-friendly
- A quite sturdy breed
Cons
- May be stubborn
- Laminitis is a common health issue
Best Race Horses Revealed
Racing horses are loved for their speed and stamina. The average speed of such horses is 35-40 mph. The top speed can be reached at 50+ mph, which is impressive. Race horses are energetic and versatile in use. Such horse breeds can be performed in harness racing, driving, jumping, and more. They are regularly groomed and clipped to look neat. Retired horses can be used in pleasure riding. Check this list of the top-notch racing horses to get your prize-winning equine.