SUCCESSFUL SECOND ACTS
Though they are bred for harness racing, American Standardbreds can make great riding horses. In this issue and the next, I am pleased to let readers who own off-track Standardbreds (STBs) tell much of the story in their own words and pictures.
Last fall, we posted notices asking to hear from folks who own an off-track STB, and more than 100 people responded with reports and photos that show them doing something that I think is becoming increasingly rare: having FUN with horses!
Many of the reports we received from readers are insightful and heartwarming. Their overwhelmingly positive experiences stand as a great advertisement for these worthy horses who, after their racing careers are over, are often destined for slaughter if no one comes along who can see their potential.
PREADAPTED FOR RIDING
STBs tend to be a little bigger and heavier than Thoroughbreds, usually with a stouter frame and more bone. They average 15:2 hands and 1,100 pounds but range from 14:2 to more than 17 hands. Jennifer Mlocek writes, “I couldn’t be happier with [both my mares] but am fascinated by how different they are in looks, how they feel under saddle and temperament too. Belle reminds me of the handsome warm-bloods…with their structure and substance. You can see the blood vessels in her face, and even her ears have lovely, refined tips. Onwynn is so stinking cute, convinced she needs to be part of anything and everything that’s going on and always up for an adventure…”
STBs are also usually better balanced for riding than Thoroughbreds because, unlike flat-racing, harness speed does not depend on the overall body balance being tilted downhill. Readers sent us some great conformation photos and in next month’s issue we’ll take a close look at the shapes of STB that people are bringing home.
Durability is another necessity in a riding horse. It has unfortunately almost been forgotten at the flat track but it’s a quality that our great-grandfathers considered to be of paramount importance. Standardbreds from the time of Ethan Allen and Rysdyk’s Hambletonian---the mid-19th century---were often used not only to get harness racers but to help produce a nationwide population of sound, hardy horses suitable for mixed farm or ranch work; transport ---including wagon-hauling, delivery and personal travel---light plowing; and Sunday-go-to-meeting road-driving. American farmers and ranchers in that era would not spend money on a horse that wouldn’t last.
Number of career starts is a good measure of durability; it remains far higher even today in STBs than in either Thoroughbreds or Quarter Horses. In our sample, 52 male horses in all earnings categories present an average of 60 career starts, ranging as high as 287. By contrast, according to Jockey Club statistics, today’s average Thoroughbred starts fewer than 10 times. Of course, many of the fastest STBs (and Thoroughbreds) have fewer life time starts because they are retired to stud before they are 4 years old, but the average among STBs is upheld by the progeny of these stars, who may be past 12years old and the veterans of many campaigns before they are retired. These are real “warhorses,” and I am frankly pleased to find that such horses are still around for us to admire and enjoy.
Another facet that a prospective buyer must consider is the quality of movement the horse displays at the trot or pace. Ordinarily the buyer would also want to evaluate the canter, but many STBs do not learn to canter at the track or, because it would be disqualifying during a race, have been punished for it. We’ll have more to say about the canter in STBs later.
Quality movement is evident in almost all the STB photos sent to us, rivaling that of any Thoroughbred or Warmblood. I am especially impressed with the correctness of the STB trot (or pace), which is rhythmic, with the footfalls timed as they should be, with contralateral (or lateral) pairs of feet landing simultaneously, and with the hind limbs consistently bearing slightly more of the weight. The movement is impulsive too---if it does nothing else, racing teaches horses to go freely forward. This is a huge advantage in every area of a riding horse’s life because, in fact, nothing works right---either in harness or under saddle---unless the horse’s hindquarter is doing its proper job. All the old European
