Pacers?

I'm not sure if that is spelt correct but I'm curious about pacers. I'm going to guess it isn't a natural pace for them its something taught to them correct me if I'm wrong. How do they teach it?? Also when they stop racing and are ridden how would you get them to stop it exactly wouldn't it be second nature for them by then so they wouldn't really trot anymore. How do you kind of get them to stop pacing and start trotting properly???
Just curious and wondering if anyone could clarify it for me. Thanks

Retraining a pacer has always been something that interests me. I do plenty of normal 3 gaited horses but i've never dealt with a pacer so this'll interest me

If you are talking about Standardbreds then the pace is natural, though not all will pace. For example my mare is a Trotter, so she was raced with other Trotters. They didn't try to make her Pace. My sister is getting a mare who is a Pacer, so she raced in the Pacer classes. Her mare isn't home yet, and I really don't know how we are going to teach her that we want her to trot, and not pace all the time. So this thread will help us out.

Oh, and Pacers do know how to trot, but most that I have seen will choose to pace, especially if they have been on the track.

Well I never knew that. Anyone else got ideas or knowledge they would like to share.

I've worked with two horses that paced but never with a Standardbred ex-racer. The first horse was a Peruvian Paso that liked to pace instead of trot or gait. The second horse was a Paint with a lot of TB blood that was taught to pace by his beginner rider. The rider balanced on the reins while sitting back and spurring. So whenever the horse got bumpy, the rider held on tighter, but the spurs kept the horse moving forward so he taught himself how to pace.

With the Paso I brought him back to a walk whenever he started pacing and kept starting over until he got the idea that I did not want him to pace.
The Paint was a little harder to convince but it also worked to keep bringing him to a walk when he tried to pace, then make him try again until he got the gait I wanted.

I have seen at the track that many Standardbreds wear hobbles when they race to remind them not to break into a trot. So I would assume that even ones trained to pace all the time could be encouraged and praised whenever they broke into the trot until the training was reversed.

I thought the hobble contraptions were to keep them from cantering and galloping.

I have never personally retrained a pacer, but have ridden a few.

The one I rode walk and trotted but didn't know how to canter, if you were wanting to retrain one canter is the main problem I think.
This one hadn't been raced but was trained for racing and only paced when he was confused, or didn't know what we were asking (canter)

My friend re trained her STB as she always paced by slowing down to walk like others have said.

Thanks for the replys. I was just curious. I was thinking about how my cousin got one as her first horse once for free and she was good and quite for a beginner. The only problem was when you asked her to trot she would constantly flick between trotting and pacing which made her trip quite a bit. So I thought I would ask.

SP, I'm pretty sure the hobbles are to keep them pacing since they go around the legs on each side of the body - right and left. Also, I have not seen them on the trotters, only the pacers. I would think they would have them on both if it was to keep them from cantering.

That to :) it helps them not to break stride. And not to change gate. If they change there gate in a race there automaticly disqualified.

I did a co-op in highschool at a Standardbred barn. It was awsome!! They even let me drive one of the mares!!

Its natural for pacers to pace and trotters to trot. They wont ever race together as a pace naturally covers more ground faster then a trot.

As for teaching them to trot afterwords... I wouldnt have a clue. I know an ex pacer. He's now currently used in a Theraputic Riding Program (www.hatsniagara.org) I volunteer with. His name is Norman :) and try as we might, we can't get him to trot. Once that I know of someone got a normal trot out of him. But as far as I know no body has been able to do it since, at least not under the saddle.tho he can canter and gallope just fine when he wants to. And strangly enough we have seen him trot in the paddock/feild sometimes.....

He's a strange fella