|
The
Standardbred has always been bred to a performance standard. This makes them tough, strong, fast, calm and
willing, but the appearance can vary quite a lot; while there is a
"Standardbred look", some have
been mistaken for Thoroughbreds and stockhorses. Standardbreds vary in
size from 14 to over 17 hh (most fall between 15 and 16 hh) and come in
all colours, though mainly brown, bay and chestnut.
Over
time, a few specific conformation points have appeared - the things that
make for speed in a harness horse. Compared with its ancestor, the
Thoroughbred, the Standardbred has stronger, shorter legs, a narrower chest, long sloping shoulders, long underline and a strong back.
And let's not forget the healthier feet!
For
showing purposes, however, a more detailed basic breed standard has grown into
being. It goes like this: |
Head
In
general, the head should be well proportioned to the rest of the body,
refined and clean-cut, with a chiselled appearance. A broad forehead is
desired. The face should be straight as compared to convex (Roman Nosed)
or concave (Dished). The eyes should be set wide apart, the mouth
shallow, and the nostrils large and sensitive. The upper and lower teeth
should meet when biting.
Neck
The
head should join the neck at about a 45 degree angle, with a distinct
space between the jawbone and the neck. This is the throat latch. It
should be clean cut. A horse that is heavy or thick in the throat latch
area will generally not get his wind and be prone to choking under heavy
restraint. The neck should be medium in length to fairly long, the head
carried either high or at a moderate level. It is difficult for a horse
to have a long stride and a short neck: however, the length of the
horse's neck should be in proportion to the rest of the body. The neck
should be slightly arched, lean and muscular, and blend smoothly with
the shoulder. A high arched or heavily crested neck is undesirable.
Shoulders
The
shoulder is long and set at an angle of about 45 degrees from the
withers to the point of the shoulders. Shoulders should be smooth, yet
well muscled. The withers should be well defined, extend well back
beyond the top of the shoulder and be as high as the hips. Low, flat
withers are not desirable.
Chest
& Forelegs
The
chest is deep and fairly thick, with this depth and thickness extending
back into the forerib and barrel. A deep heart girth and well sprung
foreribs give room for good respiratory and digestive capacity. The
muscle of the forearm is large and tapers into the knee when viewed from
the back or front. The knee joint should be clean, with its face flat
and tipped neither in or outward. The pastern should be medium in
length. The pastern and hoof are set at about a 50 degree angle to the
ground.
Back,
Loin & Croup
The
top line should include a short, strong back and loin, a long, nicely
turned and heavily muscled croup and a high, well set tail. The loin
(coupling) must be short and very strongly muscled, as it lifts the
forequarters when the horse is in motion.
Rear
Quarters
The
rear quarters should be thick, deep and well muscled when viewed from
the side or rear. This muscling shows in thickness through the thigh,
stifle and gaskin. The legs are muscled both inside and out, with the
gaskin tied in low in the hock joint. The hocks are wide, deep and
clean. |
Bone
& Legs
The
bones of the legs should be flat, clean and free from fleshiness and
puffiness. The bone should be of adequate strength and substance to
support the horse during strenuous performance. The hock should be
large, clean cut, wide from front to back and deep. Gaskin muscles
should tie in very strongly and low on the hock. The knee should be wide
when viewed from the front, deep and clean cut. When viewed from the
front or  rear,
the knees and hocks should be bisected by an imaginary vertical line
down the centre of the legs.
Tendons
below the knees and hocks appear sharply separated from the cannons,
giving the leg a flat appearance. All four legs are set squarely under
the body. From the front view the forelegs are parallel with the feet
pointing straight ahead. From the side view, a line drawn perpendicular
to the ground should bisect the foreleg all the way from the shoulder to
the rear of the hoof. From the rear view, the hocks should point
straight back or turn in very slightly. The hind legs should be well
under the horse and the feet point straight ahead. the hock should be
set a the correct angle. Too much angle at the hock with the feet set
too far under the body is called sick-hocked, too little angle is called
post-legged.
Feet
& Pasterns
The
hoof should be well shaped, roomy and balanced in size with the horse.
The heel should be deep, wide and open. The hoof should appear tough and
durable. The pasterns should be medium in length and set at approx. 50
degrees to the ground. The hoof should have the same angle at the
pastern. If the pastern is too straight it does not cushion the shock of
the foot striking the ground and can lead to an injury in the ankle or a
problem with suspensory ligaments. If the pastern is too long, greater
stress is placed on the flexor tendon.
Colours
The
Standardbred comes in a range of coat colours. The most common are Bay
or Brown followed by Black and Chestnut and Grey. Roan, Pinto and
Palomino are also known within the breed, but are not as common. |
