Standardbreds as a first horse for a beginner.

Standardbreds, some of them rack on their own, and some compete in speed racking. And where I am there is many standies that are in jumping and dressage shows, there are even shows where I live made for standies. Even some have more cow sence than any quarter horse I've met. There is a famous standie that won three gold metals for jumping in a row, mind you I can't remember it's name.

Standardbreds exspecial right off the track without any training tend to be easy to handle of the ground, but a handful in the saddle. But once they learn the difference between the saddle and the harness they are great. Not really good beginner horses though, without training.

I own and retrained a 16hh bay roan mare Mooney (everyone swears she is a quarter horse), and looking at a 17hh pure black gelding.

Can you show me an example of a racking Standardbred?

I'm sure the could but I never saw one. My first horse was a STB mare named Abby. I have previously taken lessons and when we got her sent her to the trainers to be saddled but not trained to do anything (like jump or anything) She is really sweet but can be a bit of a handful from the ground (tries to run off on me) Not too bad in the saddle but still needs lots of training.

I'm from N.S too!

Here's one...

Welcome to Hartland Farm Racking Horses in Virginia

It says it's a Standardbred. Looks like a Saddlebred to me though.

Some STB's have a big trot...but I wouldn't call it racking. But I did learn something new today.... Still interesting, and I am still on the fence about it.

It however still doesn't make me change my mind about a STB right off the track being a good horse for a green owner/rider. There are much better horses out there for cheap that would be more suitable.

A pace can (sometimes) be converted to a rack. Wasn't there someone on here a while ago with a gaited standardbred? Name stared with Z I think...

In short, no. STBs do not make good horses for beginners to learn on. Even one that can trot, the movement is still different. And the rider will never know how to ride a “true” trot from the beginning of their riding career, and it is the same with the STB canter. Then there’s the problem that if it paces, and re-educating it to trot. If the horse is a natural pacer you’ll always fighting it. And even if you get a trotter, if the rider is unbalanced the horse will pace anyway.

Thank you ponyboy.

I am uneducated in the gaited world...but to me it just looks like that mare is pacing still, but has to much trot action in her knees. Which might be why she failed at the track if she was race trained.

Very interesting though....

Not all Standardbreds pace either. Many are bred, born and raised as trotters. If you look in a field of Standie foals, you'll see some pacing and some trotting.

Yes but even a bred trotter will still pace sometimes when the rider is unbalenced. And beginners are not balenced riders.