<Matthew Mackay-Smith used to say the TB was capable of being a good endurance horse, as he had both types of muscle fiber, but "the Thoroughbred's cross to bear is his feet." Meaning, he tended to have poor hoof quality. I heard him say this, probably in a convention speech, at least 20 years ago. I've always remembered that _expression_ "cross to bear">
That seems to be the general consensus BUT my friend, Paula (the one with the quote likening the horse's hoof to the foundation of a house) has a TB with over 1,000 miles. The first time I met her to ride his shoes that were less than a week old were duck taped on. Now his feet are great and he has even done a few rides barefoot. She has a good feed program and a great farrier so management does make a significant difference.
