Breed Profile: Standardbred

  The Standardbred is a breed well known in the racing industry. Used in trotting and pacing races, they have competed on many tracks for many years.

  But how well do we know the Standardbred?

  When trotting and pacing races were becoming popular, there were high qualifications put in place so that only certain horses could compete. One qualification was that these trotters had to be able to trot a mile in 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Because the standards were so high, breeders would breed selectively to produce their best horses.

  A Thoroughbred named Messenger helped to create a new breed of horse that could meet the high standards of the trotting and pacing race industry. For that reason, they were named Standardbred.

  Early into the Standardbred's existence, a horse name Hambletonian proved how great this new breed really was. When he was a foal, he was bought by a poor man who decided to take a chance on him when no one else would. He later went on to win many races and made his owner wealthy. Some of Hambletonian's children also went on to do great things. One of which is Dexter. He's the horse you see on those antique weathervanes.

  Though they are known to be great trotters and pacers, the Standardbred can also do well in many other disciplines such as jumping, endurance, dressage and police work.

  Standardbreds are usually between 15 to 17 hands high. They come in many different colours, but bay, brown and black are the most common. They have a short back and a lean neck. They also have a wide forehead and a small muzzle.

  These horses are definitely multi-disciplined. It seems like they can do almost anything that you throw at them. Some even say they are "the equine world's best kept secret".

Photographed by:

Jackie McManus

Picture from:

  If you'd like to learn a little bit more about the Standardbred, I'll link the websites where I got my information below.

 Looking to adopt?

  Until next time, happy riding!