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I have wondered if the fact that  the Standardbred has to trot/pace at
speed, pulling a cart among other horses pulling carts along with the
starting process, race track noises etc, had the result that they were
"accidentally" selected for temperment.  

Nancy Sturm


> [Original Message]
> From: <sehredt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 2/13/2005 8:00:04 AM
> Subject: Re: [RC]   Saddle horse
>
>  Genetics is an amazing science.  I am constantly surprised by the
Standardbred's calm, willing intelligence.  Here is another horse bred for
nothing but speed (at the trot, yes, but speed nonetheless).  The breeding
for a "standard" speed or better has been supremely successful - this is
the WORLD'S premier trotter.  And yet I have never met or owned one who was
not calm, willing, gentle, and intelligent - almost the opposite of what
TB's have made us think of when we hear "race horse."  I know there was a
long thread here recently regarding StdBreds, so I won't belabor the point.
Just an observation that throws a weird kink into the whole "bred for one
purpose" arguement!  Breeding these horses for a fast trot has somehow made
them INCREDIBLE trail mounts.
> :o)
> Scott
> ---- heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: 
> > > > I missed Hiedi's post so I don't know what led
> > > > to Kat's slam of the thoroughbred horse.
> > > I can only say that she must have missed MY post too, since it
included
> > > the statement that I am of the opinion that the Thoroughbred is "The
> > > most athletic horse of the face of the planet."
> > I had meant to get back to kat's post disagreeing with me when I had
said
> > that no breed was being bred to be a saddle horse in modern times, at
> > least not in its mainstream breeding.  Her statement here helps to
> > underscore one of my points.  She is right that the TB is a very
athletic
> > horse.  However, he is bred to be a specialist, and that specialty does
> > not lend itself to being a saddle horse.  The dynamics of having to run
> > fast does dictate that the TB maintains some aspects of being a good
> > saddle horse, since a horse with poor balance and incorrect ratios
cannot
> > shave the necessary seconds off of his race time to be considered an
asset
> > in a TB breeding program.  TB people do not go out and compare angles
and
> > ratios--but they do look at times, and the horse cannot achieve the
times
> > without the proper angles and ratios.  And admittedly, this is the
aspect
> > of athleticism and conformation that has most consistently gone down the
> > drain in breeds that have been bred for show.
> >
> > However, to equate this with "being bred to be a saddle horse" is quite
a
> > stretch.  The TB has been specialized for speed to the extent that other
> > necessary traits to being a saddle horse have gone down the drain--among
> > them disposition, foot quality, and longevity for performance.  Like
other
> > breeds, you can look among the ranks of the TB and still find
individuals
> > who possess those necessary qualities and therefore make good saddle
> > horses.  But like other breeds, being a saddle horse is not the focus of
> > the mainstream breeding, and hence one still has to select individuals
> > that do possess the necessary traits from among the ranks of the many
who
> > don't.
> >
> > And, like other breeds, the more classic sorts of TBs also make the best
> > saddle horses.
> >
> > Heidi
> >
> >
> >
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