# Standardbred Trot and Canter



## Horsegirl17 (Aug 9, 2011)

When I ride my Standardbred, his trot is really bouncy. And I've tried some things to get him to smooth it out. But it's just not working. 
Does anyone have any other suggestions for me? 

Also I cannot get him to canter. I don't know if it's because he's just really lazy or what. 
Can anyone tell me anything on how to get him to canter?


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

I don't know how to get him to canter but for the trotting thing, well if he is not in his gate, which if you're bouncing a lot, he may not be, then it's going to stay bouncy and there's nothing you can do to smooth him out that's just how standardbreds are. I used to have one and I wondered the same thing and finally someone told me that's just how they are.


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## sabowin (May 8, 2010)

Was he raced as a trotter or a pacer? If he was a pacer, he's probably pacing, not trotting, which is part of why it's uncomfortable for you. 

I don't want to insult you if you DO know the difference, but if not, watch while he's trotting on the lunge, or have someone watch while you're riding. Trotting, the two legs toward you will look like \/ then /\ then \/ again, because the front left and rear right leg move forward together, then the front right and rear left move forward together. Pacing, they'll look like / / then \ \ then / / again, because the two legs on the left move forward together, then the two legs on the right.

As for cantering, if he raced at all (either pacing or trotting), he was probably trained not to canter, and it's not so much that he CAN'T, but he was trained not to for so long he is unwilling to, plus it's probably very awkward for him. I bought an OTSB way back when, and he could barely canter a couple of strides, and it was very awkward and lurching.

There are probably resources both online and in books to help you with training him to canter. I didn't really get to that point with my boy before "selling" him to my sister-in-law when I got pregnant and moved out of state.


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## Angelina1 (Apr 11, 2011)

I have a Standardbred gelding who was trained as a pacer - I have also retrained quite a few others to Trot and Canter - my boy had no idea how to trot (but I also enjoy riding the pace as it is quite comfortable) but to retrain the Standardbred I do the following with success: 
TROT POLES using trot poles in your flat work either by lunging or riding will break the desire to pace and will make them pick up thier feet in a trot to avoid hitting the poles. Have 4 or 5 poles on one side then a break and another 4 or 5 poles and keep your horse moving through the poles he will soon learn to pick his feet up in a trot. After he has begun to trot regularly even a little doses move the poles together to keep him in the trot for longer..
Remember to reward him in his tries no matter how small they are as you have to get your horse to believe that it is ok to trot and canter. 
Also if you can ride him in sand (beach or other) this will also see them trot as they have to lift thier legs from the depth. 
For Cantering use hills, no Standardbred can pace up a hill, give him his head, trust him and allow him run at speed up the hill - he will canter. Once you have given him the ok to canter he will also continue on the flat - you might need to canter up a few hills first before he feels balanced enough to canter on the flat. 
Don't give up or feel disappointed if he is not picking up quickly - some Standies it takes only a few lessons others it can take months.
I hope this helps and keep us informed as to how he goes..


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## Angelina1 (Apr 11, 2011)

Oh I forgot to mention - your bouncey trot is a cross between a pace and trot, it is very uncomfortable to ride too, this is because your horse has no idea what is being asked of him (not your fault just lack of training), using the trot poles will help him in his confusion and his balance..


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_A Standardbred that has been raced, or brought up to racing fitness, does not have the same muscles built up that a riding horse does. Because of this, your horse will be more inflexible to round his/her back up, which helps smooth out the trot._

_Contrary to popular belief, pacers DO know how to trot, and often shuffle back and forth between them while being jogged, if they are without hobbles. Just like they DO know how to canter, they just have been taught to not when working._

_If you have gotten a pacer, rather then a trotter, it will most likely take more time and energy to train him that you would prefer that he would trot then pace...since when he was in training, he was told he was to pace, not trot. This will take some skill on your part, as you will have to correct it within a few steps, and be able to tell the difference from a trot and a pace under saddle._

_Your horse will not have a very good canter, until he is more balanced under saddle. You will need to do a lot of trot work, a lot of bending. When you get there, you might have a hard time encouraging him to stay in the canter, so make sure that you are the one who decides to start and stop cantering, not him._

_Your horse isn't lazy, it is just that he was taught differently._

_Not sure where you are from, but the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society normally has some literature on retraining._


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## Horsegirl17 (Aug 9, 2011)

Thank you for answering my questions! 
When he was raced he was a trotter. But he hasn't raced in quite awhile. He was rode before I started riding him, and that person got him to canter only a couple times and his trot really didn't bother her but I don't know if she had the same problem as I did. And I'm pretty sure he's not pacing. At all.


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

Don't standardbreds have upright shoulders? That would account for the bounciness.


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## gothicangel69 (Aug 2, 2011)

My standardbred has a very bouncy trot as well and he was a pacer. Maybe its just the breed in general? Have you tried extending his trot? If he was raced as a trotter then he may want to do a faster trot. Even though mine was a pacer I find his trot is much less bouncy and awkward when he is going a little faster. I have no help to offer on the cantering though as mine just picked it up naturally.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sea To Sky (Nov 29, 2009)

sabowin said:


> Was he raced as a trotter or a pacer? If he was a pacer, he's probably pacing, not trotting, which is part of why it's uncomfortable for you.
> 
> I don't want to insult you if you DO know the difference, but if not, watch while he's trotting on the lunge, or have someone watch while you're riding. Trotting, the two legs toward you will look like \/ then /\ then \/ again, because the front left and rear right leg move forward together, then the front right and rear left move forward together. Pacing, they'll look like / / then \ \ then / / again, because the two legs on the left move forward together, then the two legs on the right.
> 
> ...


Uh pacing is a lot smoother than trotting...


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Sea To Sky said:


> Uh pacing is a lot smoother than trotting...


I would think that depends on the horse. I don't own a Standarbred, but I do own a Fox Trotter, and her pace is MUCH worse than a hard trot. It just about throws me out of the saddle. I end up standing in the stirrups sometimes. They can both be rough, but in different ways. :lol:

Now there is also a broken or stepping pace that is smooth, but I don't think that is what we are talking about with racing Standardbreds?


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## Courtney (May 20, 2011)

Teach him to collect himself. I've ridden some very bouncy Standardbreds - bouncy to the point that my lower back was jarred and I nearly bit my tongue off - and they became absolute dreams to ride once collected. Don't get me wrong, their trot wasn't perfect, but it became much more comfortable once the horse learned how to collect up.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_Just like any other breed, how rough the gait is, can depend somewhat on the horse him or herself._


_Trailhorserider-- Race trained Standardbreds normally only have a pace or trot. Pacers however will do a little shuffle to go back and forth from pace to trot to pace, but it is only a few steps...just enough to get them to the other gait. If they are shuffling back and forth, I know I need to pick up the speed just a tiny bit, and then they will normally stay at one or the other *most* of the time. _

_Really, unless they are in hobbles, they will shuffle back and forth as they please. It is actually good for pacers to trot, as it helps develop muscles differently then at the pace. Some horses won't pace without hobbles, and some can race "free-legged"._


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

So many factors come into play here as have been mentioned above. However, I must state a few things (having owned and trained several OT standardbreds):
All standardbreds are NOT rough and bouncy either at a trot or a pace. Depends totally on the horse (conformation, training, muscles)
All standardbreds CAN canter and gallop and buck and rear and do all those horsey things 
All standardbreds can trot. Not all can pace.

To encourage a canter you need to push, push, push for speed. A rough pasture for play area is very helpful for the horse to learn his balance. If you don't have a rough pasture, see if you can find some rough-ish trails to ride on at different speeds. Pacing is impossible over rough terrain. Cantering is much easier than trotting. Hills up and down encourage trotting and cantering. 

I have never had opportunity to use poles, but it makes sense and if you have an area to do that, definitely give it a try.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

NorthernMama said:


> To encourage a canter you need to push, push, push for speed.


Just to add to this...before they get to the canter, they will do an insanely fast trot/pace. Don't slow down! You have to push them to "breaking" speed. Once they understand that you actually WANT them to canter, it will become easier to get them into it. 

Think of it this way...if you were "slapped" everytime you touched a cookie, you would avoid them. They've been pulled up every time they canter and told NO. You have to erase that.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CurlyIsASpecialStandie (Jul 19, 2011)

NorthernMama and VelvetsAB from training my mare i know that it is possible i was lucky and she caught on in the first lesson or two :O but just before she would canter it was a crazy fast trot so just hang on  im sure your standie will get the hang of it.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_Northern and I never said it wasn't possible. We were both just saying that it will take time and effort to get them to the point of cantering, let alone to have a balanced canter._


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## MsBHavin (Nov 29, 2010)

sabowin said:


> Was he raced as a trotter or a pacer? If he was a pacer, he's probably pacing, not trotting, which is part of why it's uncomfortable for you.


That's what I was thinking


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## Courtney (May 20, 2011)

I've ridden both pacers and trotters and I have to say, I preferred the pacers. Once you adjust to the gait, it's very comfortable. I'm one of those people that gets extraordinarily tired when trying to sit a trot, but I can sit a pace for days.


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