This is exactly the stigma I am working against. I like to correct it by stating that this breed needs a small daily workout. And I'm not referring to just running them or lungeing them for hours, cause these horses are physically like Energizer Bunnies. They need more than just physical.

A thoroughbred needs a thinking project. Believe it or not, they need to be mentally worked out. One example is doing a simple stop and back up exercise at a walk; it actually does more for the breed than just making them run. In fact, I have witnessed that when they are thinking about what they are doing, it can actually exhaust a horse and tire them out! And then it seems like a content calmness falls over them. See, running is so natural to them, it doesn't even phase them. But by getting in tune with their minds, and making them think, is the key to making them just as calm as your ole bombproof quarter horse. They have so much pent up mental energy and they need to expend it, or it's like they get restless and irritable. Physical exercise is often mistaken as the only way to deal with Thoroughbreds, and that is not enough. One does not tap into their minds with that alone.

Clinton Anderson, actually, has done wonders for the misconception of Thoroughbreds. His techniques absolutely can make an OTTB into a calm, all around family horse, yet with all the athleticism and heart to still excel in any discipline you want!

So anyway, I must note that my heart has been captured by Thoroughbreds. I have had various other breeds, from Welsh ponies to National Show Horses. But the heart of a Thoroughbred is something I find spectacular.