It's commonly said that all Thoroughbreds can be traced back to just three stallions, but it's not true. You see, three stallions get you no progeny -- so it's three stallions and a lot of mares. Of course, it also wasn't three stallions. In fact, over 150 stallions of "oriental " origin make up the lineage of the Thoroughbred and hundreds of mares too.
The Thorougbred line is 400 years old now, and there's been a lot of infusion and drift. Saying that a modern horse can be traced back to one of the original sires, is a bit like me saying I am related to Prince Charles or the Aghan Khan; even if true, it does not tell us much. There is a reason we do not prohibit second cousins from marrying, and why moving much past a 5-generation pedigree is pretty pointless in terms of genetics.
The Thorougbred line is 400 years old now, and there's been a lot of infusion and drift. Saying that a modern horse can be traced back to one of the original sires, is a bit like me saying I am related to Prince Charles or the Aghan Khan; even if true, it does not tell us much. There is a reason we do not prohibit second cousins from marrying, and why moving much past a 5-generation pedigree is pretty pointless in terms of genetics.
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