American trotting (standardbred) horse breed

The American Standardbred breed is widely used in breeding work around the world. The trotters of this breed line are considered the most frisky and bypass most other varieties of horses. That is why horse breeders from those countries in which trotting races are still popular now acquire such animals to improve their breeds.

american standardbred

History of the breed

The American trotting horse stands out in a separate category far from being due to its exterior features. Appearance of animals can be quite diverse. The main criterion for breed affiliation is precisely the agility of horses. From the very beginning of the appearance of such trotters, only those of them who were able to run one mile in a time not exceeding 2 minutes 30 seconds were entered in the stud book.

The breed originates in 2th century America. During this period, horses were widely used on the farm, and all animals, depending on the intended purpose, were divided into XNUMX categories:

  1. Heavy-duty. They were used to transport large loads, travel long distances.
  2. Light harness. Such animals were harnessed only to light convertibles.

The last group was especially appreciated for the developed speed, while strength and endurance faded into the background.

Gradually, light draft horses began to be put up for carriage races, which gained particular popularity at the end of the XNUMXth century. Such competitions were constantly accompanied by large stakes. This resulted in every breeder putting all his energy into developing their trotters for profit. As a result, by the beginning of the XNUMXth century, trotting horses were separated into a separate category and were used exclusively in sports.

In the course of further selection, the qualities of animals were constantly polished. Arabian horses, Norfolk horses, Canadian pacers and a number of other breeds were used in the work. The result of the breeding was the American trotting horse, the ancestor of which is considered to have already become legendary, the famous trotter Gumbletonian X.

The pedigree book of the breed line was created in 1871. The official name of the breed Standardbred was fixed only in 1879. It was chosen on the basis of the fact that only animals that met the standard of playfulness were classified as purebred. Starting in 1931, representatives of the breed began to be entered into the studbook based on their origin.

Appearance

Since the American Standardbred was developed with an emphasis solely on speed, breeders treated its appearance a little dismissively. As a result, such horses do not have clear exterior features.

Appearance of the American trotter

Appearance of the American trotter

In general, the American trotter is a rather large animal. Its height at the withers is 145-166 cm. The characteristic features of the appearance of the horse include:

  • elongated volume body;
  • wide deep chest;
  • moderate withers;
  • straight with minimal back bend;
  • wide croup;
  • Long neck;
  • small head with a straight profile;
  • strong dry legs with developed muscles and ligaments;
  • long mane and tail.

Reference. Also to the features of the breed is the characteristic set of legs. In different animals, it is either straight or with a slight clubfoot. Such a moment is not considered a disadvantage.

The color of the American trotting horse also allows for many variations. Most often, the color of its representatives is bay. It may involve several shades or their combinations. Animals with a red or black color are much less common. In some cases, gray-colored horses come across, but it is considered undesirable and usually such animals are not allowed for further breeding.

Character

In the selection process, a large number of different breed lines of horses were used, each of which assumed an individual character, and it was not always positive. So, the English horses used in the work were distinguished by self-will and the complexity of training.

But despite this, the breeders still managed to eliminate the shortcomings of some of the original breeds. As a result, the temperament of the standardbred breed turned out to be calm, docile, balanced. Such living creatures unquestioningly listen to the owner and quickly learn, in addition, the animal behaves friendly and without aggression with other horses.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

The American trotter is widely distributed throughout the world. Until now, the main number of horses is concentrated in the USA, but they are also successfully bred in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Denmark. Of course, horses owe such high popularity to a wide list of advantages, the main ones being the following:

  • playfulness;
  • endurance;
  • resistance to many diseases characteristic of horses;
  • calm, balanced disposition;
  • high reproductive rates;
  • longevity of horses.

The American Trotter is calm and hardy.

The American Trotter is calm and hardy.

Also, the precocity of animals allows you to expand the above list. Almost all world records held by American Standardbreds are set by stallions aged 3 to 4 years. Already at the age of 3, the horse is fully formed and ready to participate in sports competitions.

Another important point is that most of these trotters can use 4 types of gait. For most horses, only 3 of them are available:

  1. Regular step.
  2. Gallop.
  3. Lynx.

But since Canadian pacers also participated in the breeding of this variety of horses, their heirs can also move with an amble. To take advantage of this opportunity, pet owners have developed special harnesses that restrict trotting. Ambling competition among American standardbreds is rarely held due to the high risk of injury.

Disadvantages

From the shortcomings of the breed, their ordinary and rough appearance initially stood out. Many breeders have focused their attention on this problem. But over time, the exceptional agility of animals nevertheless replaced the exterior nuance and it was deleted from the list of shortcomings.

Also, although the animal is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, certain conditions are needed to obtain maximum results from such horses and for their well-being. They need to provide a proper place of detention, as well as special trainings that allow you to maintain the stallion’s tone.

The standardbred horse breed is rightfully called the best trotter in the world. These animals hold most of the world speed records in light team racing. They are still used in this sport today. In addition, American Trotters are also often used to improve other breed lines, further increasing their value. It is possible to achieve significant results from an animal only if it is provided with proper conditions for keeping and training.

Anna Evans

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