The Standardbred is another type of racehorse that differs greatly from both the thoroughbred and the Quarter Horse. While the Standardbred does slightly resemble the thoroughbred, it has a few differences in breeding and appearance that separate the two breeds. The Standardbred also competes differently than do the Quarter Horses and thoroughbreds.

The Standardbred Horse

The Standardbred horse averages about 15.2 hands at the withers. One defining characteristic of this particular breed is the horse’s long body, which greatly aids the horse in races. The horse also has a refined head and is typically muscular, although the appearance of the Standardbred is sleek. Unlike the other two typical racing breeds, the Standardbred typically competes in harness racing. This means that the horse races at the trot and pace, a special gate that is bred within the Standardbred horse.

The trot is a natural gait of horses in general. The trot is a diagonal gait in which the opposite legs of the horse move together in pairs. For example, the left front leg and the right rear leg move together and vice versa. Standardbreds will trot in some races in which they need to trot out very quickly while maintaining their natural gait. If the horses break gait and do not return immediately, they are disqualified from the race. This is to be done while pulling a cart with a rider, which is known as harness racing – the sport in which Standardbreds are bred to excel.

The horse will also pace in some races. The pace is completely different from the trot. In this gait the horse’s left front leg will move in unison to the horse’s left rear leg, for example. If the horses break the pace when harness racing, they can also be disqualified. Certainly watching harness racing is completely different than watching thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses sprint down a line. Yet the sport still fascinates many people who continue to return to the tracks to see the impressive horses pulling their participants. Harness racing is certainly an interesting facet of horse racing that is not well publicized.