Anyone have experience with off the track standardbreds?

[coblets]

Asking for a friend who does endurance and has fallen in love with the breed. Their main questions are:

- Is a standie retired from racing as likely to have physical issues as a TB?
- Anyone know of any trainers who retrain them, or UK-based charities that help rehome them?
- If not, what's the best way to source ones direct off the track?
- And (my own curiosity) for standardbreds who are trained with hobbles to pace, is pacing in any way detrimental to their physical health?

 

[Caol Ila]

Pacing is fine. It's a natural gait for them. But standardbred racing isn't as big a thing here as it is in the US and NZ, so there aren't tons of horses. I looked into them because they can be tough, sturdy, levelheaded horses, but compared to the States, they are few and far between.