Trotter?

[lilly.thompson12]

I share a horse and his owners say he is a trotter. What does that even mean? His owners had him from a 2y/o and backed him and didn't break him as a trotting horse or whatever they just broke him as normal... So what do they mean when they say he is a trotter, is that a breed or what?! I just think he looks like a cob?!


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[Meowy Catkin]

On photobucket, copy the IMG code of the photo you want to post and then paste it in the forum reply box. Or you could upload photos from your computer into an album on your forum profile.

 

[SpringArising]

Yes, it's a breed. They're called Pacers or Trotters sometimes but they're officially known as Standardbreds.

They're bred to race in harness but make great allrounders, too!

 

[Barnacle]

I can't see your photos but if the horse looks like a cob, it's not a Standardbred Standardbreds look a bit like ugly TBs (but I love them and I think they are gorgeous). If the horse looks like a cob, it probably is... Welsh Ds, for instance, are often bred for trotting in harness. So are many other breeds. There are coldblood trotters too.. It's also possible the horse is a gaited horse like a Foxtrotter - but, again, not cob-like.

 

[sasquatch]

my cob has a 'trotter' canter - although his breeding and history are unknown

it's often said about traveller horses, or road-racers, or any horse who is part bred from a road-racer.

if he's a true 'trotter' then he'll have a very, very fast bouncy trot and may possibly have an odd canter pace.

a 'trotter' isn't a breed, it's more like a type of horse and not all 'trotters' are true gaited horses - mine can canter normally in the field when he chooses too, but under saddle he's got his odd shuffle.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

The term trotter can be used to describe three different breeds/types.

1] The American Standardbred is a trotter used for harness racing, there is harness racing in the UK too. They are often smaller than warmbloods or TBs

2] French trotters are like TBs in size, they are often trained to race as pacers

3] Gypsy cobs such as those used for illegal road races, not a bred with a breed society, but obviously travellers will try to breed from proven racing types. At one time travellers used cobs to pull their carts and caravans http://gypsywaggons.co.uk/

Some of the Standardbreds and most of the French Trotters "pace" so the legs on one side are doing the same thing, it looks strange but I believe it is faster than trotting.

 

[flirtygerty]

My trotter x has a very fast gait, half halt him and slow your rise down and he produces a normal trot, but even my ex racer can't keep up with him

 

[JosieB]

I have a french trotter, she trots very big and goes very wide behind when she gets speed up, she canters normally.. she can outpace the other horses easily in trot though .. she does not pace and the others i know do not pace either. Had a couple of gypsy trotter x tb youngsters a few years ago, got them at six months old, both paced in the field