Most Standardbred horses are adopted from either the race tracks as pacers or trotters, the farm animal auctions or the rescues that take in former racing horses such as Thoroughbred, Quarter horses and pacers (Standardbreds).

The Standardbred Horse Temperament

Standardbred horses are well known for their solid and reliable temperaments which helps considerably in training. Horses that have been raced will need retraining no matter whether a Quarter horse, Thoroughbred horse or Standardbred horse.

Standie talents are many however like all former race horses there is rehabilitation and retraining required in preparation for a new career. A vet inspection to determine if there are any physical injuries that might prevent some of the more challenging equine sports is always recommended first when you adopt a pacer.

The biggest difference between these three breeds that are bred for racing is that both the Quarter horse and the Thoroughbred have had a rider on their back: The horses know what a saddle is and how to be saddled. The trotters and pacers (Standardbreds) have not been ridden or saddled as part of their racing career training - these horses are trained as harness racers that pull a sulky with a sitting rider. All three breeds know how be bridled.

Pacers pull a sulky with a rider

Training Differences

All three racing breeds, the Quarter horse, Standardbred horse and the Thoroughbred, are superb athletes. The breeds are bred primarily for that purpose in the 21st century. One would think that the Quarter horses and the Thoroughbreds would be the easiest to train since they already know how to be ridden and saddled. Surprisingly however the Standardbred has a stellar personality with a tolerance rating that is one of the highest of all breeds - not much fazes a Standardbred horse which is therefore considered a very safe horse to handle and to ride with retraining. For this reason many prefer to retrain the Standardbred horse.

Training A Standardbred - understanding the pace gait

Standardbred horses are taught to pace with the use of hobbles and equipment which keep their legs in the pace. If they 'break' the pace into a canter they will be disqualified in a race. This is why Standardbreds try not to canter some are punished for the canter. Yet, Standardbred horses are first and foremost horses and horses are born knowing how to walk, trot, and canter (as well as gallop!).

Training A Standardbred - what does not work

People often think that they can force a pacer to trot or canter. Not only is this cruel because the horse doesn't have the years of trot and canter balance and running practice at the trot and canter gait, using force also scares the horses so that they try to pace even more erratically and faster. The angrier you become the more the horse will pace believing that is what you want. Do not use force or punishment ever in your training. The horse will be confused, will panic, will pace and pace faster, and will be very frightened - the horse will not trot or canter - exactly the opposite.

I spent the $25.95 to download the Standardbred Fan Club's retraining video. I saved a bunch of money buying the horse and did the retraining myself like most people do from the video. The more difficult stuff like jumping needs an instructor but the pacers are so mellow you can trust that they wont be 'up in the air' which for horses being so big is reassuring.

Rodney

more retraining video reviews

Standardbred Horse Training - what works

The Standardbred retraining method was developed fifteen years ago by the Standardbred Fan Club's founder, an accomplished trainer. The retraining method is the most effective and was ground-breaking in teaching pacers to regain the ability to naturally trot and canter with a combination of ground work, lunging work, introduction to the saddle, first ride and the progression to the trot and the canter with a rider. In those training sessions the horses are able to develop the necessary muscles to balance with a rider and to be ridden. Because the Standardbred horses are generally laid back and don't run off at the merest unexpected sound or the unknown, they are considered to be one of the easiest horses to work with.