Cross Breeds

Why is there rarely any white Thoroughbred horses?

I rarely see white thoroughbreds racing, why is that?

Public Comments

1. Because thoroughbreds tend to be Arabians, which aren't white.
2. The genes which cause white horses are very rare in the breed.
3. There are very few true white horses of any breed. There are no albino horses and most white horses are gray horses that were born another color and turned white. Cremellos appear white, but aren't actually. There are gray thoroughbreds. A true white horse comes from a paint trait that causes the white horse to die shortly after birth. Once in a while, one will survive.
4. Because true white coloring tends to be a genetic anomaly. It's rare in any breed to have a true white horse. Albinism is a fatal flaw in horses, and thus never truly seen. Most horses that appear white are actually older grays, as gray horses change colour throughout life until they are almost completely white in appearance. There have been a small handfull of true whites in the thoroughbred breed.
5. Because a "white" horse is extremely rare in any breed. Gray horses will fade out and appear to be white, though they are still classified as grays, and when grays are younger they are much darker looking blackish or sometimes even brownish. As well, think about it, the horses that are used for racing are all under the age of about 6 so they all still have their dark baby coats and have not faded out yet, so therefore you won't have a grey horse that looks white. Hence why you don't see them.
6. There are very few truly white horses. Most of the 'white' horses that you see are actually grays. They are born dark and turn white as they age. Since almost all racing TB's are under the age of 5, they have not turned white yet although they may turn white later if they have the graying gene.
7. There is no such thing as a white horse. A true Albino would have pink eyes - albinism is the total lack of any pigment, including the skin and eyes. Look at an albino rabbit or mouse to see a true albino animal. Horses called Albino are usually Cremello - which is a pale cream color with blue eyes, or Maximum Whites - again, with blue, not red or pink eyes. LETHAL WHITE: There is a particular genetic disorder, always fatal within a few days of birth, that occurs in certain pure white foals. It is called OVERO LETHAL WHITE SYNDROME (OLWS). It results from being homozygous for the recessive gene that - in heterozygous form - is associated with the lovely Frame Overo pinto color pattern. Overo Lethal White foals are born alive, but die soon - generally within 72 hours - after birth, due to an incompletely developed digestive tract. Any white horse older than just a few days is NOT a lethal white. Sabino and Tovero can occur in maximal form, called Maximum Sabino and Maximum Tovero. These horses appear as pure white horses from birth. They may have one or a few tiny dark spots somewhere on their body, or they may not. Horses that appear white may be cremello, gray, perlino, ivory champagne, or an extreme form of one of the appaloosa or pinto patterns, in which the colored areas are so small as to be virtually undetectable. There also is a true "Dominant White" gene. It is caused by a dominant allele that is probably an embryonic lethal in homozygous form - although breeders of Whites dispute this! Scientists haven't located the gene on the DNA of horses yet, but it most likely does exist--some farms are breeding for it now. Please note that, despite common usage of the term, true "Albino" horses do not exist, or have never been documented to exist.
8. there are no true white horses because white horses are actually grey if they have a grey colored skin, but the albino have a very light sensative skin, but i know that you dont mean PERFECTLY white just not grey so ill find you a good picture of a white thoroughbred...nevermind just type www.google.com,click images and type in white thouroughbred, beautiful horses there=)