Anyone here with Standardbreds?

LittleBlackMule

LittleBlackMule

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My boy is half Standardbred, half Thoroughbred, but looks full Standie. I would love to hear from anyone with experience of the breed, but with riding not driving them.

I would particularly appreciate any suggestions on getting him to trot properly!
Having been bred to trot or pace flat out in harness, I'm finding that when I attempt to slow him down and at least pretend to collect, he develops a wooden leg and starts inventing new gaits! (Saddle, teeth, back etc are all good)

I get the impression this can be a problem with the breed...
 
me, me, me.............. i have a full Standardbred and i absolutely love her.

Took me ages to get the trot, and i am now working at the canter, i have had her 3 years.

Brilliant horses, with a lovely temperament.

How long have you had yours?

When i first got her the trot was so fast and out of control, she would often pop into a real flat trot gait, she didn't pace though thank goodness as i believe that it's harder to re-train a pacer.

I spent ages & ages slowing the trot down, half halts, slowing my rise, turning her in a circle when she got too fast, lots & lots of praise when she slowed.
 
I have a standardbred, her trot was fairly fast but now we've steadied it down it's lovely, she's been getting 8's for her trotwork, we find with her the canter is an issue, the transitions in and out and the actual canter itself although she is a very gangly 5yo so that doesn't help!
She is lovely, to hack she is a dream and is brilliant with things like loading, travelling etc, wouldn't change her for the world even though she has LOADS of attitude and can be very mareish.

Here's a pic to show you her steadied trot!
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(photo by trendybraincell ;) )
For more pics: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=4825112&id=779737986&ref=fbx_album
 
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Oooh I'm so glad I'm not on my own!

Monkeybum I'm green with envy - if I could get Merlin looking like that I'd be over the moon (and my back wouldn't be so bad:rolleyes:) I do a bit of endurance with Merlin, which has raised a problem; the vets at the start get a bit twitchy when we do our trot up, because he's so irregular.

The speed is starting to get under control, but he seems to trot at the front and canter at the back!

I've had him since he was two, and he's always had this irregular trot - he's seven now. He was broken only last year, so he's had too long to get into bad habits!
 
It's still very much a working progress but I know how you feel, to start with trying to steady her infront but engage the back end without speed was impossible but it's slowly coming with lots and lots of flatwork sessions.
Have you tried moving the trot on and then bringing it back?
By moving the trot you might start to stop the cantering behind?

I very much love the breed, L has a fantastic jump and her gallop is amazing, she would leave a tb for dust in a race!
 
My Standardbred is without doubt the best horse I have ever owned...

A temperment to die for, she is amazing at everything we do, and we ALWAYS get placed out competing!

I wouldn't swap her for the world....!

She's on her summer break now, about to come back into work ready for the indoor comps this winter!

Tia works so hard for me, I let her have the summer off and work on my hunter ready for the start of the season whilst she is having a lazy ole time of it! :D
 
Standies really do seem to be exceptionally versatile, combining an easy, kind temprement with athletism.
In the States they seem to be the next most popular family horse after the quarter horse.
 
LittleBlackMule said:
Sadly I don't know Merlin's breeding, but I also have a full-bred yearling who's a granddaughter of Rorschach, so I can honestly say she's pretty well bred![/ i assume your yearling is a skewbald, as was Rorschach, an australian horse?he wonHorse of the Year in the late 90s, by Preux Chevalier out of Mix N Match- but you possibly know all this!!do you know Merlins full name?
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This is the Standie filly - not a very flattering picture as she was sound asleep! It was soon after we got her, and she wasn't in very good condition either, but you can see her colour:)


I didn't know much about her mum, just that she is an ex racer, but her sire is Lexies Rocky, so I know her pedigree from his side.

Merlin was rescued from gypsies, who tried to break him to drive, found he was too much of a handful, so resorted to beating him up and starving him instead. Getting much breeding info would have been tricky!
 
what interesting colouring-love it!! her dad is standing at stud in Bishops Auckland. these bloody gypsies are sods and give trotting a bad name. we have a 3 day festival next weekend here, second biggest in the country-i gather there are over 300 horses due to race, many from ireland. our girl is by Stoneriggs JR,out of Mountain Dancer and has gone to Sable Matters, so we hope for something nice.How long have you had Merlin and from where, did you name him- i ask as i havealot of interest in the breedings and plenty of time to research!!
 
All I know about Merlin is that he was bred by someone based at Biggin Hill, in 2003. The stallion was a thoroughbred, mare a full standardbred. He didn't have a name:(

It was suggested he might have been by Jamie Gray's (Amersham) thoroughbred, but I wouldn't know for sure.

I would love to know more about him but that's all I have I'm afraid..

Stoneriggs JR - fastest horse in the country - I'm impressed:)
 
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I have a little 4yo part bred at the mo. We've mastered a nice working trot now and can canter nicely in straight lines and large circles. Smaller circles are a work in progress.

When we get excited, however, we detach the back end and bicycle at 200mph with ears up my nose. These little episodes are becoming less frequent, I'm happy to say!

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LittleBlackMule said:
All I know about Merlin is that he was bred by someone based at Biggin Hill, in 2003. The stallion was a thoroughbred, mare a full standardbred. He didn't have a name:(

It was suggested he might have been by Jamie Gray's (Amersham) thoroughbred, but I wouldn't know for sure.

I would love to know more about him but that's all I have I'm afraid..

Stoneriggs JR - fastest horse in the country - I'm impressed:)
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Stoneriggs is getting on now and i think hes passed on some"naughty genes" to our mare- she was fast at Tir Prince but would be a handful on the track.she is a delight but a mare with attitude! i'll see what i can dig up on your boy-
 
I have a standardbred! I cant always catch her. That is when she paces at the best!! We can trot quite nicely when being ridden i havent tried to canter her yet (she was my friends and i am "borrowing her") my friend has informed me that she canters in a circle and not a straight line!!

My plan is to do endurance next year with her as she doesnt ever loose her energy! We will see how it goes though. This year is our year of us getting to know each other i had a baby in december so have been struggling to fit in riding so next year she may be in for a shock!!
 
Rosie are you after a 2nd Doonbeg with the Sable Matters foal?

OP - as others have said they will happily trot and canter it's a case of slowing them down and being patient. Mags in my siggy below is still in training but will happily trot round the roads and spent yesterday playing on the gallops alongside one of our TB's happily keeping up while pacing then changing to a gallop once we started jumping ditches and puddles :D
We're currently arguing over what to do with her when she finishes racing - Dad definitely wants to breed from her, but I want to try and do some ridden work with her as she has gorgeous paces :)
 
My mare is a standardbread/T.B. She has a wonderfull temperament and a BIG jump, she would gallop all day if i let her. I have just put her in foal to a good show jumper with a bit more bone as she is quite fine, always wanted to breed from her as she would make a super mum. She is also a bit tricky to catch at times as she loves being out. I would buy the same breed without a second thought as they are so honest with a big heart.
 
Funny that a few of you say you have trouble catchign your standies - Lacey must be a freak, she'll whinny when she see's you, come trotting over then puts her nose in the headcollar for you. Although she much prefers to be out in the field than in the stable.
 
LittleBlackMule said:
This is the Standie filly - not a very flattering picture as she was sound asleep! It was soon after we got her, and she wasn't in very good condition either, but you can see her colour:)


I didn't know much about her mum, just that she is an ex racer, but her sire is Lexies Rocky, so I know her pedigree from his side.

Merlin was rescued from gypsies, who tried to break him to drive, found he was too much of a handful, so resorted to beating him up and starving him instead. Getting much breeding info would have been tricky!
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did you get this filly off dragon driving she was from north ? Can remember pix of her unusual colouring was thin i can remember if i was nearer would have bought her myself if same one what a huge difference
 
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There are a few saddle bred fans on EW, with such amazing horses, you should really check them out.
 
thinlizzy said:
did you get this filly off dragon driving she was from north ? Can remember pix of her unusual colouring was thin i can remember if i was nearer would have bought her myself if same one what a huge difference
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Hmmm funny you should say that...:rolleyes:

600 mile round trip over a weekend - I just couldn't leave her there:mad:
 
We honestly thought she wouldn't make the journey, but she's grown a hand and about 200lbs in the last 3 months, and she's got herself a 16.3hh Warmblood sugardaddy!

I'll try and take some photos today, that one was from three months ago.
 
LittleBlackMule said:
We honestly thought she wouldn't make the journey, but she's grown a hand and about 200lbs in the last 3 months, and she's got herself a 16.3hh Warmblood sugardaddy!

I'll try and take some photos today, that one was from three months ago.
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Bless her, she deserves a good life, can't believe someone could treat her so bad, its happening to much lately, she was quite popular elsewhere, they will be happy to know shes got a good home.
 
I had a lovely SB chap from belgium papered name was Viking but I called him Lux he was a diamond only sold him due to money issues and the woman who brought him must have thrown his papers away cause within 4wks he was advertised as a warmblood!!
HE loved to jump and was very cuddly, to assist him with his trot & canter work my vet advised using hill work, it worked wonders and his trot & canter came on much better and after a couple of months he very rarely fell back to his racing gait.
 
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