Standardbred horses were bred to race while pulling sulkies (carts) and trotting at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. Back in colonial America, people preferred their race horses to pull carts and liked seeing horses race at the trot instead of a gallop. Because of this the Standardbred, a cross between Thoroughbreds and Canadian horses, was created.

Standardbred horses are similar to Thoroughbreds in confirmation but tend to be more muscular and have a longer body. They have very powerful thighs and their heads are usually bigger than their Thoroughbred cousins. They come in colors of bay, chestnut, gray, and black and stand between 15 and 16 hands tall.

Retired Standardbreds are often left with nowhere to go after their racing career is over. Many rescues and rehabilitation facilities take on retired Standardbreds and retrain them as riding horses so they can find new homes. You will see Standardbreds in Western classes, jumping, dressage, team penning, endurance, gymkhana and trail.

(photo from Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harness_racing )

~ Saddle Up