What is a Standardbred?
The origins of the Standardbred trace back to Messenger, an English Thoroughbred foaled in 1780, and later exported to the United States. Messenger was the great-grandsire of Hambletonian 10, to whom every Standardbred can trace its heritage. Standardbreds are a relatively new breed, dating back just over 200 years, but it is a true American breed.
The name "Standardbred" originated because the early trotters (pacers would not come into the picture until much later) were required to reach a certain standard for the mile distance in order to be registered as part of the new breed. The mile is still the standard distance covered in nearly every harness race.
While Thoroughbred racing has long been known as the sport of kings, the dependable, athletic Standardbred brought racing to the common man, first between neighbors on community roads, and later at state-of-the-art racetracks.
Standardbred racing has long been known as the sport of the people, and both the sport and the breed are as much a part of our American landscape as cowboys and apple pie. As it evolved it gave the United States some of its first "sports heroes," including the great Dan Patch, the legendary Adios and the great gray ghost, Greyhound.

Breed Characteristics
In many respects, the Standardbred resembles the Thoroughbred. However, it is often more muscled and longer in body, and does not stand as tall, averaging between 15 and 16 hands. The head is bigger and may even sport a Roman nose.
This breed appears in varying colors, although bay, brown and black are predominant. It weighs between 800 and 1,000 pounds. Standardbreds are known for their docile personalities and willing temperaments.

Gaits
Standardbred racing is contested on two gaits, the trot and the pace. Trotters move with a diagonal gait; the left front and right rear legs move in unison, as do the right front and left rear. It requires much skill by the trainer to get a trotter to move perfectly at high speeds, even though the trotting gait is a natural one in the animal world.
Pacers, on the other hand, move the legs on one side of their body in tandem: left front and rear, and right front and rear. This action shows why pacers are often called "side-wheelers." Pacers, which account for about 80 percent of the performers in harness racing and are the faster of the two gaits, are aided in maintaining their gait by plastic loops called hobbles, which keep their legs moving in synchronization.
Pacers - Move in a lateral gait, which means they move both legs on the same side forward in unison (for example, its left front and left rear legs), and then follows suit with both legs on the other side (right front and rear legs).
Trotters - Move in a diagonal gait. For example, their left front and right rear legs move forward simultaneously, and then the right front and left rear legs follow together.

The Racing
Most Standardbreds start racing as 2- or 3-year-olds. Trotters race only trotters and pacers race only pacers. Racing takes place at numerous tracks and fairs across North America, although harness racing is most popular in the Midwest and the East.
Some of North America�s top trotting races are Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-olds, and the World Trotting Derby, Yonkers Trot, Hambletonian, and Kentucky Futurity for 3-year-olds. The latter three races make up trotting Triple Crown.
For pacers, top races include the Woodrow Wilson and Metro Stake for 2-year-olds, and the Little Brown Jug, Meadowlands Pace, North American Cup and the Adios for 3-year-olds. The Pacing Triple Crown is made up on the Little Brown Jug, the Messenger Stake and the Cane Pace.
While the majority of Standardbred racing takes place with a driver holding the reins from his seat in the sulky, racing under saddle, a type of Standardbred racing popular early in the breed�s development, has become popular once again in the U.S.

Equipment
Another difference between Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds is the amount of equipment pacers and trotters wear on the racetrack. All Standardbreds wear the basic equipment of a harness and a bridle, along with a Buxton martingale, which keeps the harness from slipping. Standardbreds race in sulkies, also known as racebikes. These are light-weight, two-wheeled carts that are attached an either side of the harness, and the driver sits close behind the horse. Standardbreds train in jog carts, a heavier, longer version of the sulky. The jog carts also attaches to either side of the harness, but its tires and wooden shafts are thicker. The driver sits further away from the horse.