Standardbred Fan Club
Felicia Allen, the founder of the Retraining method for pacers and the Standardbred Fan Club takes us on the journey as to how the Standardbred Horse Training - Retraining The Pacer video came to be.
The more people told me that pacers can't canter the more I applied my listening skills to the horse. Oliver was a willing partner and when he realized that I praised him for free galloping and cantering on the morning turn-out into his big paddock he was quite surprised!
Felicia, the founder of the Standardbred Fan Club, was classically trained in a prestigious European riding academy as a child. She loved horses from early childhood and it was soon recognized that the little girl also lived for them by her parents.
By early adulthoood Felicia was well on her way to becoming a recognized horse trainer having had further formal equine riding education under trainers par excellence such as Rick Maynard and Kindry Dunbar. Felicia became the first trainer in residence at the North Shore Equestrian Center when it was completely renovated with an indoor arena and her family had also started Epona Stable and Farms in North Vancouver, BC Canada in 1975 on an acreage that they had purchased and built a stable on. Epona Stable had a rescue with many different animals including rabbits, pot-bellied pig, horses, turtles ... to name a few!
On several occasions people contacted Felicia about training their off track pacers to becoming riding horses. "I have to admit," says Felicia, "The horses had the most endearing personalities and I fell in love with them however retraining the pacer was another matter that my classical training education simply hadn't prepared me for at that time."
Felicia developed a special fondness for the Standardbred breed. "I couldn't see why the pacers with their superb confirmation and personalities couldn't somehow trot and canter just like other horses. Then in 2004 a beautiful, tall Standardbred horse came into my life and changed the course of my work with Standardbred pacing horses. That was Oliver, a striking looking injured pacer that I bought from the owners at the track to spare him the slaughter kill-buyer who had his eye on him because of his unusually large size."
Then in 2004 a beautiful, tall Standardbred horse came into my life and changed the course of my work with horses. That was Oliver, a striking looking injured pacer that I bought from the owners at the track to spare him the slaughter kill-buyer who had his eye on him because of his unusually large size.
As soon as Felicia began work with the big horse she noticed the prejudices of the equine community as regards the pacing gait and she was told repeatedly that "your horse will never canter." This observation was echoed everywhere she rode. "The more people told me that pacers can't canter the more I applied my listening skills to the horse. Oliver was a willing partner and when he realized that I praised him for free galloping and cantering on the morning turn-out into his big paddock he was quite surprised!"
Standardbreds were also the breed that was most likely to end up in the slaughter houses after their racing days as the statistics showed. "I knew that somehow the profile of these magnificent horses in the community had to change so I came up with the idea in 2004 to start a fan club which back then was unheard of." People who loved the breed as much as Felicia soon came out of the wood work, "there were so many people who really cared about these horses it was wonderful."
As Oliver progressed in his retraining which went far beyond the basics
people began to ask Felicia how she had taught him to trot and canter without the pacing, "Oliver was
so big and tall that he couldn't go anywhere without people looking at him. He loved to show off in the competition ring
he always intuitively knew when we had to be in top form. The greatest compliment was actually when
people would mistake him for a Dutch Warmblood because his dressage was up to par. Only Standie people knew better
when they saw that freeze brand on his neck," Felicia laughs.
Oliver is warming up in a dressage arena.
By that
time Felicia was also taking Oliver into jumping competitions. In 2005, Felicia had saved a beautiful former
pacer, Lacey, from slaughter at the track and began retraining her as well. Word got around that Felicia was having a lot of success
with retraining pacers and finally in 2009 because of all the requests and the pressure to share her retraining method,
some Standardbred Fan Club members suggested putting together a video which would show how Felicia's retraining
of pacers is effectively and humanely done. By that time Felicia had rescued another former pacer who was in the early
stages of the retraining. Felicia remembers that, "Basically, Oliver, Lacey and Kootenay were selected for the video because of their various levels of retraining
and their willingness to participate."
"It was quite funny," reflects Felicia, "because Oliver lived for the cameras - he also loved the attention at shows. Whereas Kootenay could take it or leave it and Lacey just wasn't at all interested in attention she was the home body and matriach of the group."
The three horses had been selected for the video to demonstrate the retraining method at different stages - Oliver was fully retrained, Lacey was midway in her training and Kootenay was at the beginner level. Felicia wrote the script for the video, "I felt that it was important that people also understand what the pacing gait is, how it is taught, and how the retraining for pacers is different as a result. It had to be the kind of video that someone with little horse experience, or with an instructor, could begin to practise with. Yet, experienced riders and trainers could also learn from the video."
Then one day Felicia was talking to Roy Caussey a very talented video artist about the retraining video.
"Roy loved horses and agreed to volunteer his expertise in the filming of the video and that really made this video possible.
Roy is a skilled and creative genius. He is so amazing." At the time, one of Felicia's riding students and a volunteer,
Tricia Davis, offered to help with the creation of the video. "The three of us with the horses were
made for this project. The horses knew and were very fond of Roy and Tricia so they were completely at ease
and the making of the video was a real team effort." Roy went on to create a magnificent mixed media installation of horses which was exhibited
in Vancouver and Tricia was able to realize her dream of having a horse of her own as time passed.
"At the time," Felicia reflects, "I really didn't think that the video would be much in demand by others than the Club's members. To our surprise, people from all over the world provided great reviews and feedback. The funds raised made the Club's volunteers rescue of the pacers after their racing careers possible for many more horses. We were certainly on a roll."
Felicia cautions of the importance to have a vet inspection done before retraining is commenced. "You really
have to be sure with former race horses (Thoroughbred or Pacers) that they are not in pain with a past injury and that they can do the
task you need them to. For example, Lacey could not jump because of a past injury however her walk, trot and canter
when her retraining had been completed were phenomenal. She was a true pro."
Felicia was surprised at the interest in the video, "we soon were able to raise the funds to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome more pacers from the track. The video sales really helped to make our rescue efforts possible. At season end we could rehome around 20 to 25 horses with the amazing help of the Club's volunteers and the willingness of the trainers at the race track. Sometimes we had to compete with the kill buyers who wanted the horses for slaughter and we were in a position where we could outbid them at the auctions and the track."
Felicia was also aware of the importance to have a vet inspection done before retraining commenced. "You really have to be sure with former race horses (Thoroughbred or Pacers) that they are not in pain with a past injury and that they can do the task you need them to. For example, Lacey could not jump because of a past ligament injury even though the injury eventually fully healed however her walk, trot and canter when her retraining had been completed were phenomenal. She was a true pro."
The three horses lived with Felicia as permanent residents for ten to nearly twenty years afterwards as a family herd.
The BC SPCA however euthanized Kootenay in 2019 and Oliver in 2023 and Felicia was devastated.
"The horses were advanced in years but not ready for the end of life. It was very cruel and I
started legal action on them. The judge agreed with me and ordered their return. Sadly, Oliver and Kootenay never
saw that day."
Oliver, Lacey and Kootenay changed a lot of lives for pacers with their
participation in the retraining video and their warm personalities with the public. Felicia had
become interested in equine healing therapy in 2001 and the horses participated in the non-riding therapy that
Felicia founded and became known for therapy with youth at risk, children with autism and veterans with PTSD. The
non-riding therapy was named Equine Assisted Natural Therapy which is now recognized
under the broader Animal Therapy.
Felicia tears up when she recounts, "We had almost twenty amazing years together and Lacey is still alive
although I haven't been
able to locate her and am asking the public for their help. It was hard for her to loose Oliver
and Kootenay whom she lived with every day for all those years and I can imagine that she misses me as much
every day as I do her."
Felicia continues her animal activism for horses including the campaign to stop horse slaughter. "I am comforted that the twenty years of existence of the Standardbred Fan Club has helped others who love this breed. The next step is to stop the horse slaughter which Jann Arden, Canadian composer and singer, has made a huge impact on. Please support Jann to Ban Live Horse Export of horses destined for meat."
Last year Felicia also founded the
Society For British Columbia Public Guardians And Animals (BC SPGA)
incorporated as the Voice for animal and pet guardians, pet owners and caregivers in BC because as Felicia points out,
"pets in British Columbia have a terrible time of it. Thousands of dogs and cats are surrendered and euthanized every year
by the BC SPCA because people can't find pet-friendly tenancies. Animal guardians are the voice for their pets
and now we can unite to see positive change."
For twenty years the Standardbred Fan Club's membership continues to be free and Standie horse stories are published to show how amazing these horses really are. Felicia and volunteers continue their Standardbred horse rescue work, Felicia helps others who are new to the breed or with retraining, and the club with its membership, sponsors and volunteers continue to embrace the wonders and talents of the special Standardbred horse.
We celebrate the Standardbred horse every day and the two decades of our volunteers rescue work.
Article by
Trevor Lindner
Journalist and member
April, 2024
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