The Sprinter & Stayer - typical traits

A racehorses preferred racing distance is likely to be primary determined by its muscle type. The greater ratio of fast twitch fibers a horse has, the shorter the distance it will be able to sustain its form and speed over. Fast twitch fibers are largely as a result of inherited genes, and cant be trained into a horse to any great degree. However, as far as conformation goes, there are subtle variations in the average sprinter and stayer which can also be of advantage to a horse racing over certain distances, and thus , can also be used as an indication of a horses preferred distance.

Sprinters generally have a bone structure with levers geared towards a shorter, compact and stronger stride. Where as the stayer may be geared towards a longer, looser and faster stride. The key variation is that the sprinter has shorter levers , giving its stride a bias toward strength, and the stayer has longer levers, giving it stride a bias towards speed. 

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