Kentucky  - Our Place in the World    
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The Horse

The horse has been around for thousands of years, yet historians are unsure of where the first horses were domesticated. Fossil records do indicate that horses once lived on every continent except Australia during the Pleistocene Epoch and that they were used by humans for transportation approximately 6,000 years ago. Arguably, the most important animal to humans for a period of time before the locomotive and tractor, horses provided a reliable and faster means of transportation; and as work animals, made possible the cultivation of much larger areas for food production. Naturally herd animals, horses display highly developed social behaviors. They have good memories and can be trained to obey commands through repetition. They have a good sense of smell, hearing and sight; strong muscular legs and are vegetarians in their diet. Today, there are over 150 breeds, or types, of horses and ponies in the world. They vary greatly in size, strength and speed. The miniature horse, or Falabella, grows to a height of 30 inches (76 centimeters). The miniature horse was developed in Argentina and are kept as pets. As a general rule, the largest type of horse is the shire, a heavy work horse from England. The shire can reach 68 inches (173 centimeters) tall and weigh more than 2,000 pounds (910 kilograms). Horse breeds are commonly divided into three main groups: (1) ponies; (2) draft or heavy horses; and (3) light horses. The ponies, such as the Shetland and Welsh, make good companions for children and normally live longer than horses. Draft, or heavy horses, are most often the types used as work horses. Breeds of heavy horses, in addition to the shire, include the American Cream, (the only draft horse breed developed in the U.S.), Belgian, Clydesdale, Percheron, and Suffolk. Light horses, or saddle horses are the most popular breed types in the U.S. Saddle horses include the American Saddlebred, (developed in Kentucky), the Tennessee Walking Horse, the Quarter Horse, the Morgan, and the Thoroughbred, among others. The American Saddlebred is the most popular show horse in America. This type of horse can pace in five gaits: canter, rack, slow gait, (the high prancing, showy movement), trot and walk. A six-time world champion, Wing Commander was one of the most famous American Saddlebreds in American history. The Tennessee Walking Horse, or Tennessee Walker, as its name implies, was developed in Tennessee. The Tennessee Walker is known for its smooth running walk and is favored by pleasure and show riders. The Quarter Horse is the favorite horse of cowboys and girls. Favored for its quick turning movements and ability to maneuver in varied terrains, the Quarter Horse was developed from Spanish horses and the English thoroughbreds.

Triple Crown Photo courtesy of Greater Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau The Triple Crown, of horse racing consists of three races for thoroughbreds: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont. The Kentucky Derby is the most esteemed event in horse racing. Held yearly on the first Saturday of May, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, the race itself is the culmination of a two-week celebration that includes lavish parties and community events across the Commonwealth, heralding the arrival of spring "Southern Style". The second race, held two weeks after the Derby, is the Preakness Stakes, run at Pimlico Race Course near Baltimore, Maryland. Three weeks after the Preakness, the Belmont Stakes, the third and final race of the Triple Crown, is run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Eleven horses have won the Triple Crown: Sir Barton, 1919; Gallant Fox, 1930; Omaha, 1935; War Admiral, 1937; Whirlaway, 1941; Count Fleet, 1943; Assault, 1946; Citation, 1948; Secretariat, 1973; Seattle Slew, 1977; and Affirmed, 1978. For more information on horses that have run in triple crown races, visit the "Thoroughbred Classics Project", or the Kentucky Derby Museum.

The Morgan is a small compact saddle horse that played a role in the development of the American Saddlebred. The Thoroughbred, the horse most associated with Kentucky on the international scene, was developed in England. Arabian stallions were bred with English mares to produce a racehorse. The first known Thoroughbred in the U.S. was Bulle Rock, imported in 1730 into Virginia. The state horse of Kentucky and Maryland, today there are 35,000 plus registered Thoroughbreds in the U.S. and over a quarter of them were foaled in Kentucky. The purchase price of a Thoroughbred bought for racing or breeding racehorses can range from several thousand dollars to several million. The 2000 Kentucky Derby winner, Fusaichi Pegasus, sold for around $60 million. Opinions vary in the horse industry as to which racehorse was the greatest ever, but a good number of folks agree that Man 'O War could carry that label. Man O' War set several records and lost only one of the 21 races in which he started. Blood-Horse magazine's ranking of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred Champions of the 20th Century list Man O' War as number one. A statue of him stands at the entrance to the Kentucky Horse Park. On the other hand, Hall of Fame jockey, Eddie Arcaro, called Citation "The Best Horse Ever". Winner of 19 races in 20 starts, as a three-year-old in 1948, Citation became the first racehorse in history to earn $1 million. One of only 11 Triple Crown, (see at left), winners, to date, Citation holds his own in the discussions on "best horse ever". The Kentucky Horse Park and the International Museum of the Horse, maintains various sections of excellent interactive content on their web site if you want to explore more detailed information

about horses -- Horse Breeds of the World contains a database of information where the user can learn more about specific breeds of horses; Horse in Sport & Recreation provides in depth information on sporting activities from rodeo to racing; Legacy of the Horse is " A Chronological History of Humans and their Relationship with the Horse".