Standardbreds
The Horse World's Best Kept Secret
by Sylvia Becelaere
The distant sound of hoof beats comes to a thundering
crescendo as the magnificent pacers round the bend of the racetrack. The eight
thousand-odd pounds of raw horse power shakes the ground like the aftershock of
a massive earth quake, vibrations resonating through anything in contact with
the ground. A flash of horseflesh, wheels and a blur of colour
and they are gone—pacing flat out down the homestretch. What an incredible
feeling to see these splendid athletes in full glory racing by just a few feet
away! And even more incredible is the speed that they achieve and maintain (over
35 miles an hour) all the while maintaining their gait. It is a sight that
every horse enthusiast needs to see to believe - and one they will never
forget.
Who are these impressive equine athletes? They are a breed
of horse known as the Standardbred, the world’s
fastest horse under harness. Originally bred in the
Interestingly, this breed’s origins can be traced directly
to the famous Thoroughbred foundation sire, Messenger, through a colt foaled in
1849 who was named Hambletonian. Hambletonian
inherited Messenger’s blood through both his sire and dam, and his then
remarkable pre-potency as a stud resulted in the ability to trot or pace at
great speed being passed on to more than 1,300 foals over a 24-year period. Hambletonian has received illustrious recognition as the
undisputed foundation sire of the Standardbred breed.
Over 90 percent of all registered Standardbreds trace
back to Hambletonian.
The Standardbred’s breeding has
also been influenced by the bloodlines of the Morgan, Hackney, Norfolk Trotter,
Narangansett Pacer and Canadian Pacer. As well, the Standardbred has contributed to the development of other
gaited breeds including the American Saddlebred and
the Tennessee Walker. When we look back upon this
breed’s elite bloodlines, we can envisage great horses built for speed,
endurance, athleticism and versatility, with gentle, calm and willing
dispositions. And this is exactly what the Standardbred
is.
Then why has this noble breed been virtually ignored by
equestrians? It is strongly believed by many misinformed horse people that
because the Standardbred excels at pulling a sulky it
is incapable of doing anything else. Others erroneously believe that Standardbreds that race as pacers (a lateral gait where
both legs on the same side move together) cannot trot or canter. The much
maligned Standardbred has been forced to endure
severe discrimination and lack of respect from the horse community. As a result
of this discrimination, the market for ex-racing Standardbreds
is limited. And, for many Standardbreds, an ended
racing career often means the end of their lives. The heart-rending, raw truth
is that the majority of non-competitive Standardbreds,
regardless of age, gender or earnings, end up at the slaughterhouse.
Tragically, these magnificent horses have spent their lives giving their best
to entertain racing fans and win purses for their owners, only to be rewarded
with a death sentence.
Fortunately, in the early 1980’s, through an auspicious
twist of fate for the Standardbred, a few wise and
compassionate people became determined to let the horse world in on a secret of
which very few were aware—that the Standardbred was
indeed capable of being more than just a harness horse. Societies and
organizations throughout the
The Standardbred Adoption and
Rehabilitation Society (STARS) of
Fashioned after the many successful adoption societies
already in existence in the US and Canada (one of which has placed more than
750 Standardbreds into loving, non-racing homes)
STARS’ mission is to “foster the welfare of the Standardbred
horse by preserving and promoting the retired racing Standardbred
for pleasure horse purposes and by re-educating the horse community as to the Standardbred’s value as a pleasure horse.” STARS also “endeavors to honour the Standardbred by bestowing upon them a second chance at life
beyond the track”.
And that we are doing. Potential adoptive owners make
application to the Society by way of our adoption process which is fairly
strict and adhered to at all times, based on the adoption practices of
established societies. These societies found out in very heartbreaking ways the
importance a legal agreement has to the future welfare of adopted horses. Such
an agreement allows the society to monitor the long term care of the horses
they have adopted out. We at STARS are very committed to the enforcement of the
terms in our “Placement Agreement” (being virtually identical to that used by
the most successful adoption society in the
Heidi Schalla is one example of a
success story for STARS. She and her wonderful adopted mare, Ella (Lampost Lady), a warmblood look-alike,
are aiming for the dressage ring. Says Schalla,
“I was horse-less at the time and was invited by Sylvia to come out as a
volunteer for the Society. I began to work with one of the mares there
and fell madly in love with her. I simply had to have her.” Now the adoptive
owner of Ella, Schalla has seen what many equestrians
are just beginning to realize—these horses have talent. “Ella is a dream to
handle and ride, and she never ceases to amaze me with her willingness to
please and to learn new things,” adds Schalla. Heidi
has provided Ella with a superb home, for which we couldn’t be happier.
STARS is just one small society,
but we are growing. Our goal is to be as successful as the Standardbred
Retirement Foundation in the
Like STARS, other organizations in
Although adoption groups may operate slightly differently
from one another, the motivation is the same—to save as many Standardbreds as is possible from slaughter. As well, there
are many individual horse people who quietly go about retrieving Standardbreds from their local tracks. Myra Hencher of Nova Scotia is one such horsewoman. As she
states in a recent email, “I promote the heck out of retraining Standardbreds for saddle horses—trust me...everyone around
here has heard my song”. As well, Hencher will look
for a Standardbred for anyone who contacts her.
Standardbreds can excel at many
different disciplines. For many years now, Team Standardbred
has been present at the Spruce Meadows Masters, competing against
Thoroughbreds, Appaloosas, Warmbloods and Quarter
Horses. Horses
Consider these Standardbred
success stories for instance: Bionic Woman, a Standardbred
pacer who was traded for a farrier bill, and then
became Pacific Coast Champion Prix de Nations at Spruce Meadows three years in
a row, winner of the Gucci Challenge twice, and Pacific Coast Reserve Champion;
High Hopes, a Standardbred trotter, who became
Pacific Coast Jumper Champion four years in a row; Primrose Express, a Standardbred show jumping champion, jumping 6’9” on two
occasions; Halla, out of a Standardbred
sire and crossbred mare, a successful racer, eventer,
then jumper and ridden by Hans Winkler (twice Olympic team and individual medal
earner) to many titles. And then there is Non-Stop, four times World’s Grand
Champion Open Roadster (he was sold off the track for $350 to a saddleseat trainer and won many honours
for saddleseat competition). Non-Stop’s owner has had
offers as high as $200,000 for him! Many Standardbreds
have been successful endurance riding champions as well.
While Standardbreds can excel in
the show ring, they are unmatched as pleasure riding horses. They possess all
the qualities desired in a pleasure horse and their disciplined track life
means they have been exposed to more sights and sounds than many other horses
have or ever will experience. They are all—without exception—intelligent, kind,
gentle, calm, levelheaded, sturdy, willing and affectionate. Due to their varied
bloodlines they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from 14 hh to 17 hh. In fact, there is a Standardbred to suit any horse enthusiast’s type
preference, whether that be a stocky Quarter Horse
type all the way to a refined Arab-y type, with the added bonus of their
incredible temperament. Standarbreds are often
mistaken for Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Quarter
Horses, Morgans and Arabs or crosses of such. So many
people have the unfortunate misconception that Standardbreds
are ugly or “jugheads” that a common comment when a
horse enthusiast meets a Standardbred for the first
time is “I can’t believe this is a Standardbred!”
Making the transition from track life
What are the elements that help the Standardbred
make a successful transition from track to saddle? Off-time for emotional and
physical rehabilitation is one of the most important factors. Track life can be
very emotionally stressful for many horses and sore hocks, stifles, backs and
polls are very common ailments in newly retired horses. If you try to start a
sore horse under saddle you will be asking for disaster! (horses
in our program are given anywhere from two to four months off).
As well, taking the time to retrain slowly is critical—in
some cases it may take up to a year to “work out the kinks”. An adoptive owner
is not required to invest a lot of money into their Standardbred.
Adoption means an investment of time. ALL Standardbreds
can walk, trot, canter and gallop just like any other breed of horse. Those
that have raced as pacers may need a bit more time to realize that it is OK to
canter, whereas before, as a racehorse, they were punished for doing so. These
memories may be more deeply ingrained in some pacers than in others, but with
time they will all canter freely and easily.
Also important in retraining is instilling calmness under
saddle. Green horses in our program are often ridden at no more than the walk
for up to two months depending on the horse. Short sessions at the trot are
introduced slowly. I also prefer to do most of the early work on the trail or
in a field as I have found that some Standardbreds
are initially frightened in a riding arena and also have trouble with circling
until they have developed their muscles somewhat.
The canter is always the last gait to work on. It is
important to remember that the canter is the “flight from fear” gait and a
green ex-racehorse needs to understand that riding is different from racing and
calmness is what is desired in them at all times. The importance of retraining
slowly cannot be over-emphasized! When you take the time it takes to re-train a
Standardbred properly, the results will more than
exceed your expectations.
The misconceptions the horse community has surrounding this
breed stem from the results of their track training (including the kind of
equipment they wear) and handling background and has nothing to do with a lack
of talent or ability on their part. Understanding how the Standardbred
has been handled and trained as a harness horse is critical to effective
retraining as a riding horse (remember they need to be “re-trained” not
“trained”). In a lot of cases, it takes a little more “horse savvy” to retrain
a Standardbred that has raced (especially a pacer)
than your average green horse that comes with a clean slate.
We have found that in the early stages of re-training, a lot
of traditional training methods do not work as well on an ex-racing Standardbred and it is necessary to be imaginative,
intuitive, perceptive and sensitive to their attempts to do the right thing at
all times. They have to learn to use their bodies in a way completely foreign
to them and to do all the things they have previously been trained NOT to
do—this takes time, and they must be allowed the time while being treated with
patience and kindness until they understand.
I have never had a Standardbred be
disobedient. They simply need you to make it very clear to them, in a
respectful manner, what it is you are asking. They are very intelligent and
very fast learners and are easily encouraged to put their track training behind
them when treated with kindness, gentleness, respect and love at all times.
Punishment is NEVER necessary when re-training a Standardbred—if
they are not doing as the trainer would like it is not because they are being
bad or “stupid”. A properly retrained Standardred
will give its owner a lifetime of heart and desire for whatever purpose chosen.
Treat your Standardbred with patience and respect and
he will reward you every day for your kindness.
You can join the growing number of Standardbred
owners who proclaim unanimously that “my Standardbred
is the best horse I’ve ever had!” If you are willing to go through the
application process, interview, placement and follow up process, and can be
committed to your new charge at all costs knowing you have offered a retired Standardbred an option to slaughter, then adoption is for
you.
The societies, organizations and individuals out there
helping the Standardbred all know that the emotional
satisfaction of giving these horses a second chance at life beyond the track is
a reward unto itself. And as a result of the dauntless efforts of some very
compassionate people, adoptive owners of Standardbreds
all across the country are discovering “the horse world’s best kept secret”!
Standardbreds are bred to either
trot or pace under harness. The trot is a two-beat diagonal gait with the left
foreleg and the right hindleg moving in unison and
the right fore and left hind moving in unison. The pace is a two-beat lateral
gait with both left legs and then both right legs moving together, a gait
distinct and unique to the Standardbred.
Virtually all Standardbreds racing
in BC are pacers, with trotters more often found in
Training as a racehorse for the Standardbred
begins in the fall of their yearling year, with actual racing taking place as
two-year-olds. Yearling training includes line driving and getting accustomed
to the harness, followed by being hitched to a jog cart where they are taught
to “gait up” i.e. learn to pace or trot. When they have learned to pace or trot
in the hopples with a free, long and easy stride without breaking gait,
conditioning and track training begin. The conditioning and track work never
stops. Even when they begin racing, the conditioning continues.
A Standardbred’s training schedule
is strict and is adhered to faithfully, with the horse usually working six days
a week with one day for rest. The Standardbred has
incredible endurance and they will be vigorously jogged three to six miles a
day, depending on the horse’s requirements, with speed laps interspersed.
Horses will be worked as hard or harder before an actual race as they have been
on training days!
Track life for the Standardbred
includes daily grooming and handling; daily bathing; constant leg handling and
wrapping; constant feet trimming and shoeing; wearing of various kinds of
equipment including a bridle and snaffle bit, cinch, hopples and straps of all
sorts; regular trailering; working closely with other
horses; and exposure to a wide range of sights and sounds.
There are two pieces of harness equipment that have a major
impact on the retraining of the Standardbred as a
riding horse. These are the overcheck and the headpole. The overcheck is a
noseband or bit attached to the bridle and with a line that runs up between the
ears and back to withers where it attaches to the harness. This literally holds
the horse’s head up by the mouth. It is believed that the horse will maintain
his gait and balance better with his head up. This means that the horse has
been taught (made) to run with his head up in the air and neck extended. The
driver actually leans back on the mouth, so horses become used to the constant
pressure and learn to rely on it.
The headpole is one or two wooden
or aluminum poles that are attached to the bridle near the bit and to the
harness at the side, near the withers. This prevents the horse from turning his
head and keeps him moving in a straight line. A horse that moves his head from
side to side will wear a headpole on either side of
his body.
Harness racing theory says that the head and neck must be
elevated and lengthened to some degree and that the horse must be moving
straight to produce a sure, even pace. So, we have a horse that has only ever
worked at the trot or pace at great speed, in extreme extension, with its neck
stretched out and flattened, and its nose raised by the overcheck.
This is part of the racing protocol that probably will never change and which
creates the greatest obstacles we must overcome when re-training the Standardbred as a riding horse. A horse will not easily
forget what might have been many years of such training.
The overcheck and headpole make for a horse that is fairly inflexible, with
many not even able to bend their heads beyond the level of the poll at first.
When first under saddle some have difficulties moving straight and most have
trouble with small circles (lunging is tricky for them to learn and should be
asked of them only for very short periods of time until they develop the proper
muscles and balance).
The overcheck and headpole have forced these horses’ muscles to work in an
unnatural way. They must be allowed the time and be given the training to
develop the muscles necessary to accomplish the new tasks we are now asking of
them. Their muscles now need to be taught to work in a different fashion - the
natural way they were meant to. And like all green horses they must learn to
balance the weight of the rider on their back, which also requires different
muscles than they are accustomed to using.
Being driven with constant pulling on the
mouth and bit means that most of them are uncertain how to behave when ridden
without this pressure. They initially tend to stretch their necks and
try to “push” themselves onto the bit for support that they have been trained
into thinking they need. It is critical in our re-training to teach and allow
them to walk out calmly on a loose rein. Contact on the bit is left until the
very end of the training (for example, I ride most of our horses with a rope
halter or sidepull and only re-introduce the bridle
at the end of their training).
Finally, because they have been trained so hard and so
extensively when on the track, almost always at a fast pace, they can find it
difficult to relax and remain calm during early training sessions. They have
been taught that when humans come along hard and fast work will follow. Every
effort must be made to keep the early sessions emotionally and physically
undemanding. They must learn that riding is NOT racing,
otherwise we end up with a horse that may be too excitable under saddle.
“She’s green, young, a dominant mare and you have no horse
savvy, experience or knowledge”...all these things but I wanted her anyway..,
“She’s smart, sassy, slick, spirited and has a softness of character that draws
me to her. I know we could become friends.”
One year has gone by since I wrote those words in my journal
and Lass is everything I wanted, and has exceeded my expectations.
She has an adventuresome spirit - a real trailblazer,
wanting to explore every new path. We love the woods and she has the qualities
of an endurance horse, our next endeavour.
Lass has taught me a lot about myself and I will always be learning how to teach her. The Parelli Natural Horsemanship Program, which teaches people how to
teach horses, has enabled me to
progress in this equine partnership.
I feel very privileged to have adopted this Standardbred and to give her a new perspective on life
beyond the track. She is truly deserving of this and we will continue to have
fun, possibly riding from sunrise to sunset, going the distance. She’s a
winner!
- Doreen Atkins
Standardbred Adoption and
Rehabilitation Society (STARS)
Sylvia Becelaere,
Founder/President
Phone/Fax: (250) 881-7758
Email: stars123@zipmail.com
Website: www.horsebs.com/stars
(special thank you to Frank
Callaghan and
Kelly McLaughlin
Phone: (905) 812-7408 Fax: (905) 812-7597
Email: osas@bconnex.net
Website: www.bconnex.net/~osas/
Performance Standardbred Placement
Program
Kathy Sunberg, Co-chair
Phone: (403) 242-8666
Gail Dreger
Email: roses@sk.sympatico.ca
Industry Organizations
Standardbred
Phone: (905) 858-3060 Fax: (905) 858-2442
Email: resourcec@standardbredcanada.ca
Website: www.standardbredcanada.ca
US Trotting Association
Anne Loiselle, Administrator Standardbred Equestrian Program
Phone: (614) 224-2291 Fax: (614) 224-4575
Email: sep@ustrotting.com
Website: www.ustrotting.com
1. One month of ground work learning to lead politely; to be
touched everywhere; flexion exercises from the ground; teaching “soft feel”
with the rope halter or sidepull from the ground;
some ground driving from beside the horse while reinforcing voice aids;
introduction of saddle pad and saddle; ground tying; post tying; and minimal
lunging - a few minutes at a time just at the walk. Training sessions will also
include hand walking on the trail or pony-ing from a
quiet horse at the walk.
2. After the ground work, one month of riding starting with
backing and short walks on the trail, building up to longer sessions as the
horse’s muscles develop. Riding at the walk may continue for up to a month,
while honing rein and leg aid skills. These horses are very obedient and will
NEVER need the use of a crop or spur (and NO kicking). They will easily move
off at the slightest touch of the heel and/or the softest cluck of the tongue.
Trotting is then introduced when the horse can walk out quietly and politely
and understands the aids clearly.
3. Month three will include learning to lunge at all gaits.
By this time the horse will easily and readily canter on the line as they have
learned there is nothing to fear and they are now fit enough to attempt
circling and should not find any discomfort with it. Ring work to teach the
trot and canter under saddle will follow when the horse can canter freely on
the lunge and has become accustomed to being in an arena.
4. Month four will continue with trail riding at the walk
and trot, with cantering only for short periods of time and never on the way
home. We recommend keeping canter work to a minimum in the first year of the
horse’s new life as a riding horse, depending on the individual horse. We have
found this to be the best way to eliminate “race-y” behaviour
under saddle at the faster gaits and will make for a horse that will be a joy
and pleasure to ride for many years to come. “Short term
sacrifice for long term satisfaction”.
A final word about the pacer. A
pacer will trot and canter beautifully if trained slowly and properly. If they
revert to the pace it will be for one of the following reasons: they are
confused, frightened, uncomfortable, off-balance by the rider, sore and hurting
somewhere, or are being pushed too hard, too soon. These issues must be
investigated by a trainer having trouble with the trot or canter. And please,
don’t necessarily rule out the pace completely. A nice controlled pace is
extremely comfortable to ride!