Standardbred reverts to pace. :(

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RobbieandRhys

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Oct 11, 2008
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darn unda
I have another lesson on monday which will be nice but I have a bigger problem. My SB who has been quite the gentleman since coming to us in Oct, has decided that he will only pace under saddle now! And this coming from a hoss who did not race as he wouldn't pace consistently enough. :(

I feel really really down about it. I have vid of us trotting consistently about a month ago and I know he can do it as I have about 30 minutes of tape of it!! Now he suddenly won't go there.

His saddle fits, teeth are good, feet trimmed last week. He's rewarded every time he does manage a trot and trots on the longe every time. Just as soon as I'm up there, he loses it. If he starts with head up high, he paces. Over trot poles, he'd rather canter. On a bend, on a straight, he paces. Leg aids are strong, he paces.

I could cry. I've broken my hoss :(

Any ideas? My lesson will be awful if I can't break him out of this.
 
Have you had his back checked?

If he isn't doing this on the lunge then this may be showing that it is due to rider error and I don't mean any offence for saying this. If it was a physical problem or even pshycological then he would revert to this at all times so another option is rider error.

I would have a strong chat with your RI and see what you can come up with.

I have retrained many SB's off the race track, all are different and some pick things up faster than others, just like with any horse.

I would definately have a think and assess if you are doing anything to unintentionally cause this
 
Pace is hard-wired, as is trot. ie it is strongly inheritable. It is related to the anatomy of the horse at its most basic level - the neurological system. There are also believed to be some (minor) physical differences between strong pacers and strong trotters but how much of this is actually genetic, and how much is developed because of the gait, is debated.

The fact that your horse has problems with both gaits would make it interesting if you could find out more about his ancestors and his siblings, and their solidity in gaits or otherwise.

I know that doesn't offer any actual help, but perhaps it will give you something to think about. It might well be that he will always need great care from the rider to maintain his trot, through no actual fault of yours or his.
 
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Thanks for your suggestions. Yes, I've always put it down to rider error... I'm asking for something I don't know I am. But having had another lesson where he made a liar of me and trotted perfectly again, I can only put it down to my riding.
Another factor I think is the change in paddock. Small space, trot. Large area, Pace.
When I'm on my own, I think I hold him tighter. He doesn;t like that. When I'm in a lesson, I relax in the thought that I have help and give him his space to do his own thing and he trots...
All else checks out ok. I always put it down to me. I am trying to release him. At the end of the lesson, I let him into a big field and tell him to 'go for a run' on a loose rein and off he trots nicely.
I think that's the answer. Me. and my attitude :eek:

He's from Cadillac USA and Classic Bonnie.
 
i have a SB and my cousin has a SBx he has learned to trot after he was taught to work in an outline as i please a pacer can only pace when he can put his neck out for balance and when they are working through there backs and on the bit they cant pace,

its very easy for them to revert back to pacing i was warned by the women i bought rebel off not to put her back in harness or long rein her as she will go straight back to pacing,

off topic do you know any websites to trace SB breeding?
 
I only know the aussie one. None in the UK sorry.

Update; It's me all along (as I thought). Now he never paces :)
I've sorted my balance out (or at least I've sorted my balance out to suit him- he prefers a slight banking to help him round the bends) and he wants his mouth. As soon as I have just a tiny bit too much on the rein, he throws his head and paces. So between the two of us, I've learnt to let go and look where I want to go and he's learnt to tell me when to let him do his thing. It's like if I hold his hand crossing the road and he shakes me off, saying no, he can manage. Let go. :p
He has a wonderful lateral mouth, very responsive to leg and a huge trot. Bring on the next lesson !!
Thanks for the advice
 
my old mare Summer used to pace.It took me months to get her to trot nicely and if she was excited or got stressed at all she would always go back into a pace. I think you may find that this is the case with your horse in that as soon as you give him a loose rein and are more relaxed he will trot whereas if you hold him too tight he gets worried and paces. I found with my mare that using my voice,lots of half halts and keeping calm and relaxed is what worked.Everytime she paced I would bring her back down to a walk until she was totally relaxed again and then ask for trot again and then reward her with a pat and a 'good girl'.It seemed to work for me.
 
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