What Is a Warmblood?

QUESTION: What is a WARMBLOOD? More specifically, what is the difference between a warmblood, thoroughbred and a standardbred?

ANSWER: A Warmblood is a type (warmblood, coldblood, and pony are the three types of horses), and thoroughbred and standardbred are breeds.

From "THE MAGNA ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO HORSES OF THE WORLD, A warmblood is "a fine-boned type of horse, usually suitable for riding, as opposed to the more solid and more even-tempered coldblood. In some countries, a warmblood is any horse containing a strain of Arab blood"

A Thoroughbred is a racehorse, and This breed was originated in England in the 18th century. The foundation sires of the thoroughbreds are the Darley Arabian, the Goldophin Arabian, and the Byerley Turk. These three stallions were bred to the best English mares to produce the fast race horse. American racing of Thoroughbreds is a huge pastime and money maker, and every year, millions of people watch Thoroughbreds in the Kentucky Derby.

A Standardbred is also a racehorse, but races under harness with a driver in a buggy(known as a sulky). This breed also dates back to the 18th century, and the foundation stallion was a Thoroughbred named Messenger. Standardbreds can trot a mile in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, and "pace" (a gait where the right legs and left legs move in unison) a mile in 2 minutes 25 seconds.