Methods of breeding long distance race horses--how us bred horses have a heavy influence in this international sport

​Duman Bazarbayev
Racehorse breeding specialist
17 February 2025
 
METHODS OF BREEDING HORSES FOR LONG-DISTANCE RACING
    The discussion will focus on a distance much longer than classic horse races, with an average length of 25,000 meters. Such a distance is rarely encountered. However, it is very common in Central Asia, especially in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. These nations have a traditional sport—horse racing over distances ranging from 8,000 meters to 35,000 meters. Among the Kazakh people, this race is called Baige. This chapter will specifically discuss Baige, with a focus on the selective breeding of horses for this type of race. In this region, almost ninety percent of horse races are held over such long distances. While this type of race differs from the classic horse racing known worldwide, the horses competing on these tracks are mostly descendants of horses bred for traditional racing distances.
     If when selecting horses for breeding in classic racing, where the maximum distance reaches up to 4,000 meters, the main desired criterion is speed, then for long-distance races, endurance is also required—that is, the ability to gallop for 20-25 minutes without reducing the necessary pace. In the world of horse racing, there is a vast amount of material on breeding horses for short or classic distances, but almost none on racing 20,000-25,000 meters at a gallop. That is why we decided to shed some light on this topic, hoping it will be of interest to readers. So how do you find the right balance between speed and endurance? How do you correctly select breeding pairs?
     If tall and moderately large horses are better suited for sprint racing, then for baige, less massive horses should be chosen. Excess body mass during a fast gallop over 25-35 minutes does not bring any advantages. For long-distance racing, horses should be relatively small with a lean build. This is where we see the first differences between "classic" racehorses and "baige" horses. The back should not be concave at all. While this may not negatively impact performance over short distances, it becomes a significant disadvantage in long-distance races, leading to rapid fatigue. A good example is the backs of Arabian horses, specifically the Koheilan and Hadban types. Their shape and structure provide an ideal combination for racing, even over several hours.

Horses at a distance of 25,000 meters (Baige)
    

       It was previously believed that horses with long backs would tire more quickly in the lower back over long distances. However, observations over the past twenty years have shown that horses with long backs have won prestigious races. Therefore, it can be confidently stated that the theory of an elongated back as a disadvantage is incorrect.

Verni (Line Of david – Prior Lake Lady) Imported in good faith from the USA. 8-time winner of the 25,000 meter race.

 
    Throughout the history of thoroughbred breeding, the pedigree of stayers (long-distance runners) always includes good sprinters. This leads to an important rule: in order to maintain victory, the bloodline of an endurance horse must occasionally be infused with the blood of the best sprinters.
    If the pedigree, including the fifth generation (the first 62 ancestors), consists only of endurance horses and lacks good sprinters, you can be sure that this horse will not win serious races at any distance. To produce an outstanding baige horse, it is essential that among the first 62 ancestors, there are winners of classic races over 1800-2400 meters. Only from sprinters can a horse inherit the ability for bursts of energy. It is important to remember that endurance is speed maintained over a long period, but endurance never means speed over a short period of time.
    Therefore, on the prize-winning places in the Baige horse races, over distances of 20,000 to 35,000 meters, you can find horses brought from the United States and Europe. On Kazakh tracks, you can see the grandsons of Secretariat, A.P. Indy, Nashua, Nijinsky, and many others. In recent years, the import of racehorses from the United States has increased. We have also seen descendants of Galileo, Danzig, Seattle Slew, and California Chrome arrive and conquer the Baige racetrack.
     Imports of racehorses for Baige from the United States are growing every year.
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Theralith – stallion sire in Kazakhstan, grandson of the famous US Triple Crown winner Secretariat.

    This leads to an important rule in stallion sire for long-distance races: to ensure the necessary athletic abilities in stallions for producing offspring for long distances, it is essential to test them several times over distances of 1800-2400 meters. Unfortunately, horses born in Kazakhstan, most of which only participate in Baige, do not have the opportunity to test themselves over classic distances. Therefore, by the end of their racing careers, I recommend selecting stallions for breeding only after they have been tested using the aforementioned method.
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