The running performance of Thoroughbred racehorses has been reported to peak when they are between 4 and 5 years old.
We find that a typical horse's peak racing age is 4.45 years. The rate of improvement from age 2 to 4 1/2 is greater than the rate of decline after age 4 1/2.
In general, horses reach their prime racing age around four or five years old, but some exceptional individuals may continue to compete successfully much longer.
Generally speaking, thoroughbreds that race on the Flat typically reach their peak between 4 and 5 years. Of course, many of them do not race beyond 3 years, so never actually fulfil their potential. By contrast, National Hunt horses typically reach their peak between 7 and 10 years.
Despite some peoples beliefs that TBs mature quicker than other breeds, this is false. Lighter breeds such as Arabians or ponies tend to reach mature weight earlier than TBs. Whereas, heavier breeds such as shires, reach their mature weight much later. The average height for a TB is between 160-162cm.
Thoroughbred Horses
Though, they are considered to be one of the best hunter-jumper horse breeds, but not good for beginners. Thoroughbreds were bred to be racehorses in the beginning. They are big, strong, fast, and have a lot of endurance. These are also hot-blooded horses, which can be high-strung and energetic.
Largely bred for racing, a thoroughbred might turn out to be more horse than most beginners can handle. For the most part, pass on a retired racehorse that is trained to bolt at the crack of a starter pistol.
Thoroughbred Horse Lifespan and Health Issues
The average life expectancy of a Thoroughbred horse is 25 to 35 years.
Horses are very smart animals. Their intelligence is not only evident in their ability to perform complex tasks like riding, but also in their ability to solve problems through observation and deduction. Horses are extremely social creatures and enjoy interacting with other animals.
The racehorse training begins at an early age of 18-24 months as horses can participate in formal racing at two. Young horses undergo gradual training, including swimming, walking on various surfaces, and jumping hurdles to enhance their speed, endurance, and balance.
No horse is skeletally mature until around six years of age at the earliest, with some not reaching full skeletal maturity until eight years of age.
We know some senior horses that really slow down in their late teens, while there are others that are going strong in their late 20s; it all depends on the horse!
The average in all aspects of a horse's conformation makes it the ideal racing specimen. Taller horses are not faster. Thicker or leaner horses do not run faster. Average size with average muscle proportion gives the fastest horses.
Natural Competitiveness
Although horses do not understand concepts like winning and dominance in the abstract manner that humans do, there are times when both wild and domesticated horses naturally display competitiveness and achieve advantages over other horses.
Due to their sensitive nature, Thoroughbreds are often flighty and easily excitable which is not ideal for a nervous rider. Also, the breed is notorious for not being an “easy keeper”, meaning they may require more care and feed than the average horse.
A study in 2010 concluded what equestrians already knew: yes, a horse does recognize “their” person and they can differentiate them from other humans. They do that based on olfactory as well as auditory and visual cues, which means by seeing and smelling us as well as by hearing our voice.
Thoroughbreds ability to run as fast, in addition to their talent for jumping and their experiences seeing the unusual at the track, make them great fox hunting partners. In addition, their breeding for stamina makes them a great mount for a day out in the field, whether walking or galloping over a variety of terrain.
Results: Quarter Horses averaged faster speeds than Thoroughbreds even when Thoroughbreds were raced at a distance (402 m) similar to Quarter Horse races. Both breeds were substantially faster than Arabians.
<br /> Thoroughbred   The oldest recorded thoroughbred racehorse was the 42-year-old chestnut gelding Tango Duke (foaled 1935), owned by Carmen J. Koper of Barongarook, Victoria, Australia. The horse died on 25 January 1978.
If your horse is happy, healthy, sound and willing, you can conceivably ride your “old” horse throughout his twenties. But if he begins showing any signs of discomfort or bodily deterioration, it's best to hang up his bridle and let him enjoy a life without riding.
In general, members of certain breeds have faster metabolisms and need more food to maintain body condition than members of other breeds. For example, Thoroughbreds usually eat more per pound of body weight than draft horses. There is also variety within a breed.
Many Thoroughbreds will struggle at some point in their lives to gain or even maintain a healthy weight, thanks to their fast metabolic rate. The important thing is to spot issues early on so that you can make some changes as soon as possible.