What happens to ex harness racers?

[FinnishLapphund]

Having seen some horrible videos of harness racing pile ups from the USA I really like the idea of monte (under saddle racing) of SBs. So much less risk of disasterous crashes but still seeing them do their competitive thing. I can see how they would be competitive in endurance. I kind of see what people mean about them not being the most conventially beautiful as they tend to not have the most refined heads but I met a lot growing up in the States and the ones I met seemed to have great temperaments and be really tough, straight forward horses. Handsome is as handsome does I guess. Weirdly I've also known some who could really jump - not sure why as you'd think the 'gait' thing would be an impediment.

I have seen a few harness racing pile ups from the USA on YouTube (after looking at some trotting videos, YouTube suggested other videos, and my curiosity made me look...), but few of the Swedish accidents I've seen through the years have looked quite that bad. Though bad looking accidents doesn't always have to involve multiple horses. I've seen on TV where a trotter, similar to when Hickstead the show jumper died in Verona, just took a few wobbly steps, the driver pulled in towards the inner field, and the horse fell down dead.
But most accidents though they might look bad, doesn't end that badly. In general I think most trotting accidents in Sweden is single accidents, where the horse simply trips, tries to kick or something happens that unseats the driver.

By the way, I've heard a really good story related to the risk of getting kicked out of the sulky. One of Sweden's most successful trainer, and driver ever is Stig H Johansson, 6 wins in Elitloppet in Sweden, 1 win in the Prix d'Amerique in France, etc.
I presume that jockeys probably does this too, when trotting drivers are going to a racecourse to drive a horse in a race, they usually make themselves available to drive other people's horses in the other races that day. When Stig H had became a bit more well-known, he felt he didn't need to take the risk anymore of driving horses that was known to kick, and therefore equipped with kicking straps, so he decided to add a requirement, that he was available, but wouldn't drive a horse with a kicking strap.

One day when Stig H was at a racecourse, between driving his own horses, someone he didn't know, let's call him Mr Svensson, had hired him to drive their horse. While driving the new horse out on the racecourse he heard from fence line

"Hey Mr Svensson, isn't your horse always driven with a kicking strap?"
"Yeah, but Stig H said he doesn't drive horses with it, so I had to take it off."

It ended well, but Stig H became even more careful after that.


And talking about jumping, don't forget that Jappeloup, who won the Olympic show jumping individual gold in Seoul 1988 with Pierre Durand, was by the French Trotter Tirol II, out of a Thoroughbred mare.

 

[WBGG]

I too absolutely love standardbreds and would 100% recommend them. They seem to be so level headed and sensible compared to (some) TBs for example. Sadly my beautiful STAGBI registered mare (in my avatar) is retired due to various physical issues, but I would buy another (if I could afford it!) particularly for hacking. In fact, when GG was having her ridden lameness assessment at the vets, a huge military helicopter flew over REALLY low and she didn't even glance at it. The vet said to me " I can see why you like her as a hacker"

 

[Glitter's fun]

Sounds like someone needs to buy standardbred youngsters & produce them specifically for safe, polite hacking & a bit of riding club. There'd be a huge market for that wouldn't there?
Well, when I say 'huge' I mean I'd buy one!

 

[lynz88]

How big is harness racing in the UK? I have seen videos of it in the USA, but have only seen travellers having trotting races in Appleby over here.

I was wondering similar....it's a big thing in Canada as well. The TBs in the spring/summer and SBs in the fall/winter

 

[Glitter's fun]

don’t tempt me I’m looking for a happy hacker

Here you go...
NF X Riding Mare for sale in Andover | Dragon Driving

 

[Peglo]

Here you go...
NF X Riding Mare for sale in Andover | Dragon Driving

I like her! You folks are so much better at finding horses than me. I was speaking to OH yesterday and we were discussing a trip to go view horses.

 

[SEL]

This is a great thread - thanks FL, I've just been making myself late looking at your videos.

The yard I worked at in Aus 20 years ago took ex trotters for the trekking centre. They were fabulous and although technically unbacked we just scrambled up and got on with it. I'd never ridden a pacer until then but a few came in and we used to have a blast on the beach with them. Great for clients too because most were level headed and could take novices.

Trying to teach them to canter was a laugh. Most didn't get it but I was totally in love with one who turned up. He watched the others cantering on a ride, then with legs on all directions tried to follow. He was so pleased with himself when he worked it out.

I had no idea much went on in the UK.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I have seen a few harness racing pile ups from the USA on YouTube ... But most accidents though they might look bad, doesn't end that badly. In general I think most trotting accidents in Sweden is single accidents, where the horse simply trips, tries to kick or something happens that unseats the driver.
...

Isn't it typical, days after I posted basically saying I haven't seen many mass-crashes in Swedish trotting, one happened. One horse ran into the horse/sulky in front of it, other horses either crashed into them or each other whilst trying to avoid the first crash, resulting in 7 horses being involved, and 5 drivers unseated.

All 7 horses was either uninjured or only suffered some scrapes.
3 out of 5 drivers was taken by ambulance to hospital, no serious injuries, but 1 of the three was unconscious for several minutes, and is said to have suffered a concussion.

Unseated is a very underestimating word, harness racing accidents can make a sulky behave sort of like a catapult, and judging by the pictures I've seen, at least one sulky did behave that way.





It does look very dramatic, but was actually a school example of a typical trotting accident, it might look bad, but the trotters often gets away with maybe some scrapes, and the drivers are more at risk of serious injuries than the horses. But I actually can't recall hearing of a Swedish trotter driver who has e.g. gotten paralysed after a trotting accident.