Channel 5-trotters a strange question..

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WoopsiiD

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...as asked by my non horsey OH.
"Why do trotters trot so quickly and not run? would it upset the cart if they pegged it?"

I made up some bullockpoop but now wondering why they trot so fast?
Is it a specific breed thing? I'm going to sound like a right numpty but I always just assumed they were TB's taught to trot and not break into canter as I've never really considered the whole pacing/trotting thing before.
 
Thank you.
I have never had any dealings with 'trotting' so was clueless. Its not something I've ever seen or even read about.
OH thinks it quite amusing that its something horsey that I have absolutley no idea about!
 
I was told trotters & pacers are both Standardbreds but with different gaits, a trotter as it implies trots but a pacer moves both legs on the same side at the same time...if that makes sense? We have a friend who breeds standardbreds & we have just bought a mare from him, lovely horses & very underrated IMO!!
Oh & no idea why they trot so fast lol!
 
That is quite a sensible question really. I suppose that carriages have been pulled by trotting ponies, once the roads were OK to use horse drawn vehicles. Quicker than a walk, obviously, but they could keep going for a long time at a trot, whereas it could be dangerous to go faster if pulling a carriage or cart, in case the wheels hit a rut or stone.
They couldn't keep up a canter for a long time like they could a trot. Carriage driving is always at a trot.

(ALthough I have also seen somewhere that a horse in the wild will walk and canter but not trot - but that is another story).

I suppose that once you have horses and men you get a race, so they wanted to see how fast their horses could trot.
 
navaho said:
I was told trotters & pacers are both Standardbreds but with different gaits, a trotter as it implies trots but a pacer moves both legs on the same side at the same time...if that makes sense? We have a friend who breeds standardbreds & we have just bought a mare from him, lovely horses & very underrated IMO!!
Oh & no idea why they trot so fast lol!
Click to expand...

Could not agree more!

Lacey is a standardbred and is fantastic! :D:D
 
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