The Over Looked Gaited Horse - The Standardbred
By Gaye DeRusso
The Standardbred is an excellent riding horse, but many times is over looked by gaited shoppers. The Standardbred which is best known for harness racing is calmer and more sturdy compared to the flat track racing Thoroughbreds. They race at a trot or a pace and although they are only raced in one or the other, many of these horses can both trot and pace. And many with some training can also gait.
The gait they usually do is a 4-beat smooth gait called a single foot (also called a rack). And it is a very surefooted smooth fun gait. There are some that may do a fox trot due to their ability to also trot, but more will tend to do a single foot.
These horses are very versatile, and some can walk, trot, pace, gait and canter. So many are used in jumping and dressage, but when your shopping for a gaited horse you should not overlook them. Especially if you want a horse that can do other gaits so you can do other disciplines besides just gait.
Maybe you still want to post the trot at times, or you still want to compete in jumping or you want more gaits to do for endurance rides. I mean the more options you have the less tired the horse will get with endurance. Uh oh, now all the endurance riders will go buy all of them up, lol.
The great thing about Standardbreds, is that due to the harness track, they have lots of exposure. They have seen large crowds, have heard many different loud noises, seen flags, traffic, large groups of horses, they have pulled a cart, and they are use to tons of equipment. They have traveled frequently and therefore most trailer and adjust to new places quite easily.
Many of the Amish use them after they are retired from the harness track, so they get even more exposure pulling a cart and going down the road. But the Amish can work them pretty hard, so you do want to be aware of any health issues, if they have done both the harness track and then worked for the Amish.
They don't need papers as the ones that have raced have a permanent brand on their neck and it quite easy to look up their information to confirm age and where they are from originally and how many races they were in.
They are hardy, calm, people-oriented breed and there is a large supply. That’s right just like the thoroughbreds worth millions of dollars, when they are done racing, they are not worth so much to the race track and usually are sold quite cheap.
They are pretty easy to saddle break as they are use to so much equipment with the harness racing, that when you put a saddle up there and do the first ride, most respond very willingly and within weeks, many look like they have been a saddle horse most their life.
Now they don’t usually come in fancy colors, many are black or bay, but you will see some greys and chestnuts as well. If they are a cross with another breed, then they may come in many different colors, but these horses will not have raced so may not be as calm since not the same exposure.
Many speed rackers will cross these horses with other breeds or just retrain a Standardbred to speed rack. So many of the speed racking horses you see in videos are Standardbreds or tandardbred crosses.
Sure, it takes some time to train them under saddle, but they already know many basics, such as how to follow pressure, have someone steer them, slow down and stop. Just some lateral work and gait training and you got yourself a nice, gaited horse.
They usually are not spooky due to their exposure. Some will have some old injuries due to their previous job but so many are very hardy horses, that it usually does not affect their ability to be a great trail horse.
So, if you have been trying to get a gaited horse but you don't have a lot of money. Start looking at the Standardbreds. There are many Standardbred rescues out there. You just might be surprised on how such a nicely temperamented horse is so over looked.
By Gaye DeRusso
The Standardbred is an excellent riding horse, but many times is over looked by gaited shoppers. The Standardbred which is best known for harness racing is calmer and more sturdy compared to the flat track racing Thoroughbreds. They race at a trot or a pace and although they are only raced in one or the other, many of these horses can both trot and pace. And many with some training can also gait.
The gait they usually do is a 4-beat smooth gait called a single foot (also called a rack). And it is a very surefooted smooth fun gait. There are some that may do a fox trot due to their ability to also trot, but more will tend to do a single foot.
These horses are very versatile, and some can walk, trot, pace, gait and canter. So many are used in jumping and dressage, but when your shopping for a gaited horse you should not overlook them. Especially if you want a horse that can do other gaits so you can do other disciplines besides just gait.
Maybe you still want to post the trot at times, or you still want to compete in jumping or you want more gaits to do for endurance rides. I mean the more options you have the less tired the horse will get with endurance. Uh oh, now all the endurance riders will go buy all of them up, lol.
The great thing about Standardbreds, is that due to the harness track, they have lots of exposure. They have seen large crowds, have heard many different loud noises, seen flags, traffic, large groups of horses, they have pulled a cart, and they are use to tons of equipment. They have traveled frequently and therefore most trailer and adjust to new places quite easily.
Many of the Amish use them after they are retired from the harness track, so they get even more exposure pulling a cart and going down the road. But the Amish can work them pretty hard, so you do want to be aware of any health issues, if they have done both the harness track and then worked for the Amish.
They don't need papers as the ones that have raced have a permanent brand on their neck and it quite easy to look up their information to confirm age and where they are from originally and how many races they were in.
They are hardy, calm, people-oriented breed and there is a large supply. That’s right just like the thoroughbreds worth millions of dollars, when they are done racing, they are not worth so much to the race track and usually are sold quite cheap.
They are pretty easy to saddle break as they are use to so much equipment with the harness racing, that when you put a saddle up there and do the first ride, most respond very willingly and within weeks, many look like they have been a saddle horse most their life.
Now they don’t usually come in fancy colors, many are black or bay, but you will see some greys and chestnuts as well. If they are a cross with another breed, then they may come in many different colors, but these horses will not have raced so may not be as calm since not the same exposure.
Many speed rackers will cross these horses with other breeds or just retrain a Standardbred to speed rack. So many of the speed racking horses you see in videos are Standardbreds or tandardbred crosses.
Sure, it takes some time to train them under saddle, but they already know many basics, such as how to follow pressure, have someone steer them, slow down and stop. Just some lateral work and gait training and you got yourself a nice, gaited horse.
They usually are not spooky due to their exposure. Some will have some old injuries due to their previous job but so many are very hardy horses, that it usually does not affect their ability to be a great trail horse.
So, if you have been trying to get a gaited horse but you don't have a lot of money. Start looking at the Standardbreds. There are many Standardbred rescues out there. You just might be surprised on how such a nicely temperamented horse is so over looked.