What sort of training do Standardbred have for pleasure horse use?
A. Most Standardbreds come off the track knowing how to wear equipment, including the bridle, harness, and protective boots. Most know how to stand for bathing, clipping, and getting their feet shod, plus they usually behave well for the vet and load into a trailer easily. Most Standardbreds are endowed with good dispositions, intelligence, and a willingness to please. However, few Standardbreds coming off the track are saddle-trained or know how to lunge. Teaching your Standardbred to be a good horse under saddle is a process, involving learning to respond to leg cues, seat, and the rider’s hands (which are somewhat different than a harness racing driver’s hands), plus the more detailed specifics of any given discipline, such as learning to do a rollback or leg yield. If you are thinking of adopting one of these horses, you should be willing to put the time and resources into transitioning the horse to saddle/driving work for pleasure or show. Otherwise, you have robbed yourself of on
