[Miss Neigh]

What does everyone think of the Standardbred breed?
I have been considering the breed when buying my next all rounder, i have heard they are known for their excellent temperaments.
I suppose they would be alike the thoroughbred in a lot of ways, but their movement. If i were to get a trained pacer off the track could i used him/her for jumping? what if you were show jumping and the horse broke into a pace instead of cantering can you get them out of the habit?
photos of your standardbred's and what you do with him/her would be great!

[crazychickmia]

Well, you could always get a standardbred that was trained to trot, rather than pace

They can be retrained, just like a TB can be retrained not to gallop.

I know quite a few extremely inexpierenced riders that have got standardbreds and done quite well with them at low levels, without having had any professional help. Might not have been in the blue ribbons at a show, but I think that just means that with someone a little more expienced or who had expierenced horsey support, that you'd do even better

I believe that yes, a trained pacer could be retrained as well.

You could always go through a standardbred re-homing, uh, facility I guess is the word...I've seen a couple, they get unwanted standardbreds, put enough work into them to find them homes and sell them (for a bit of profit to be sure, but their main aim is to rehome the horses).

Why don't you research through your states Standardbred Pleasure and Performance Horse Association...just google

Here are a couple of sites I have favourited (don't own but I do like standardbreds):

Aylesbury Lodge | Equine Specialists

Kalimbah Standardbreds - Home

ftp://spphav.org/articles.html

^^^^ Further down the page should be links to each states SPPHA

[Eventer98]

My first horse was a standeredbred, and honestly I think that they make the BEST all rounders. Princess raced as a pacer, but would trot, pace and canter undersaddle. She was really quiet, never lame (barefoot) and could do anything. I taught her how to jump, and she loves it so much that she now free jumps in her field!

[roanypony]

Hehe. We have one Standarbred at our barn that I ride a lot. He doesn't have the greatest trot, it's okay. [But he can do an AMAZING extended trot if you ask him right.] I think their pace is funny, but it is comfy and really fun when they really get going, it's like flying.

The one we have does canter, but you have to REALLY push him and not many people can get him to do it, and he also tries to buck, haha. And once you're in it, it's also hard to keep him going and you can't try to slow him down or anything or he'll just break.

But that's just him. I don't think he was ever really re-trained.

[Bella]

I'm biased - I love Standardbreds, but I grew up at the race track handling them. Even the racers, however, were so gentle and loving - not what most people think of when they hear "race horse". None of the horses I ever groomed and drove were hot horses. And I even rode one around the track: I used to hop on him when he went to the race paddock.

Yes, pacers can be trained out of the pacing habit. It takes work, but it can be done. In fact, if you get a young OTSB, he/she may very well have been sold because they could not keep him at the pace. Some horses just don't like it.

They are very versatile horses, and I think they'd make a great jumper.

-Bella