AMERICAN STANDARDBRED HORSE SEMEN

 AMERICAN STANDARDBRED HORSE HISTORY

The American standardbred was developed in New England in the 1800s from a melting pot of horses that trotted, paced, and raced both under saddle and in harness.

A thoroughbred named Messenger, who was brought to the United States in 1788, is regarded as the foundation of the breed. And all American standardbreds descend from Messenger’s great-grandson Hambletonian 10. Many other breeds were introduced to the line, each contributing their desirable racing characteristics. Among these breeds were thoroughbreds, Morgans, Canadian pacers, and some other now-extinct pacing and trotting horses.

American standardbreds range in height from around 14 hands (56 inches) to 17 hands (68 inches). They weigh from 800 to 1,200 pounds on average. Most stand at around 15 hands (60 inches) and weigh around 1,000 pounds—about the same as the average riding horse. There is no breed conformation standard when it comes to height and weight for the American standardbred.

The American standardbred was initially developed for its speed and stamina in harness racing. But it can hold its own in many other riding and driving disciplines. You’ll find standardbreds in sports, such as speed games, endurance riding, jumping, competitive carriage, and pleasure driving.

Because those trained for the track are so well handled from birth—first trained to drive and then exposed to many other situations—they usually can easily make the transition to pleasure driving horses. Much of their basic training is already done. However, they excel so much in harness racing that they are rarely bred solely as pleasure horses.