Horse Breeds
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photo WP&CS |
Before the second World
War the majority of horses racing in Wales were Welsh Cobs like
the one shown opposite. These horses were generally ridden in
the races. They were tough horses as they spent most of the week
either working on a farm or pulling a delivery cart while on a Saturday
their owners would ride them to the race meeting, race them in the races
and then ride them back home in the evening. click here for more information on Welsh Cobs |
| The American
Standardbred is a breed descending from a grey Thoroughbred stallion
called Messenger which was exported from Britain in the 1780s.
This breed was bred specifically for racing at the trot (the
usual diagonal gait for a horse) or the faster pace, (a lateral gait
where both left legs move forward together followed by the right legs).
Standardbreds were imported into Great Britain in the 1920s but
it was not until after the second World War that the breed became well
established here. By the 1960s the Standardbreds had replaced
the Welsh cobs. |
photo The Standardbreds
(Barbara J Berry)
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