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The term ‘horsebox’ is used generically to describe a variety of motor vehicles, such as lorries, vans and trailers, used for transporting horses. Obviously, it a wide-ranging term, covering models of different sizes and levels of complexity and correspondingly, an assortment of prices.

The simplest, least expensive horsebox is the hitch-and-tow style, which, as the name suggests, is ‘hitched’ to the back of a vehicle with sufficient towing capacity, such as a four-wheel-drive vehicle, sports utility vehicle or pickup truck. Hitch-and-tow style horseboxes feature adjustable windows and vents, quality rubber matting on the floor and suspension, all of which help to create a light, airy and comfortable travelling environment for the horse. From the point of view of the owner, they also have the added advantage that no additional driving tests are required. Basic models of this type typically start at around £3,000 or £4,000.

Self-contained, motorised horseboxes are a more expensive option, and may be purpose-, or coach-built, on a brand new chassis or conversions, in which a vehicle that was originally used for a different purpose, such as a commercial delivery lorry or van, is stripped out and refitted. In addition to a higher purchase price, motorised horseboxes are also subject to the cost associated with any other motor vehicle, such as insurance, road tax, fuel, repairs and maintenance. It is also worth noting that, in Britain, most horseboxes of this type require a Category C1 or C1+E driving licence and hence additional driver training on the part of the owner or operator. Expect to pay at least £18,000, and probably more, for this type of horsebox.

The short answer is yes, they do. Thoroughbred racehorses are elite equine athletes so, akin to their human counterparts, their diet is designed specifically to keep them fit, healthy and performing to the best of their ability. In terms of digestible energy or, in other words, the amount of energy in the diet that is absorbed, a typical racehorse requires approximately 35 megacalories (Mcal) or 35,000 kilocalories (kcal).

During exercise, muscle glycogen, which is a stored form of glucose, is the primary fuel for a racehorse. Thus, racehorses need quick-release energy sources, in the form of low-fat, high-carbohydrate cereal grains, such as barley, corn and oats, to prevent fatigue. Fat, too, is a concentrated energy source that supplies calories for lower intensity training, as well as being beneficial to the coat, hooves, joints and skin.

Likewise, fibre is a source of energy and helps to maintain proper gut function, which is essential to the health and well-being of a racehorse. Thus, racehorses should eat up to 2.5% of their body weight in fibre-rich forage, such as grasses, hays or legumes; that’s up to 25lb per day in the case of a typical mature racehorse.

Other necessary diatary components include protein, ideally from cereal, oilseeds or pulses, which helps to build and maintain muscle mass, minerals and trace elements, such as salt, calcium and magnesium, which help reduce fatigue and joint pain, and vitamin E, which prevents damage to muscle cells. Of course, hydration is also paramount, with even an inactive racehorse requiring up to ten gallons of water a day to replace lost fluid.

All racehorses belong to the Throughbred breed and are descendants of one of the three foundation sires, the Darley Arabian, Byerley Turk, and Godolphin Arabian, which were imported to England and crossed with native European mares. In terms of confirmation, or physical attributes, Thoroughbred racehorses are characterised by lean bodies, broad chests, short, curved backs.and long legs. The weight of a Thoroughbred racehorse depends, to varying degrees, on its pedigree, age, gender, height and the discipline for which it is trained.

Traditionally, racehorses destined to compete in National Hunt racing were bred specifically for the purpose and, as such, were stronger, skeletally, and more robust, generally, than their Flat racing counterparts. Even with the modern emphasis on speed, this is still true, albeit to a less extent. In any case, the demands of National Hunt racing, in terms of stamina and jumping ability, dctate that most racehorses do not reach their peak until they are between seven and ten years old. Thus, while it is dangerous to generalise, hurdlers and steeplechasers do typically appear larger and sturdier than younger Flat horses.

Even on the Flat, some Thoroughbreds are naturally suited to running shorter, sprint distances, while others are better suited to running longer, staying distances. Sprinters typically have bulky muscles, a vertically deep girth and slightly shorter legs, conducive to a faster stride rate. Stayers, by contrast, have long, thin muscles, a shallow girth and a leggy appearance. Thus, while a mature Thoroughbred racehorse typically weighs between 900lb and 1,200lb, on average, there may always be lighter or heavier horses in training.

Horse racing is a truly ancient sport, which has been in existence, in one form or another, since horses were domesticated approximately 6,000 years ago. As such, its beginnings are lost in antiquity, although the Jockey Club cites Central Asia, c.4500 BCE, as a likely starting point.

Guinness World Records (GWR) makes reference to horsemanship in the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, or Asia Minor, from c.1400 BCE onwards and horse racing at the ancient Olympic Games in Greece from c.700BCE onwards, as does, in the latter case, Encyclopaedia Britannica. GWR also lists the earliest horse race recorded in Britain as a contest among Arabian horses imported by the Roman emperor by Lucius Septimius Severus at Netherby, in Cumbria, North West England in c.210CE.

Indeed, Arabian horses brought back from the Crusades, c.1096CE to c.1291CE, would prove fundamental to the establishment of organised horse racing in Britain and elsewhere in Europe. The earliest horse races were straightforward contests of speed and/or stamina between two horses, run to settle a wager between their owners.

The ‘Merry Monarch’, King Charles II, who was restored to the throne in 1660CE, also earned the epithet ‘Father of the English Turf’, by virtue of having founded what is now the Nemarket Town Plate, for which prize money was awarded, in 1665. A little over a century later, the first three British Classic races, the St. Leger (1776), the Oaks (1779) and the Derby (1780), were founded and so began the modern era of horse racing.