Harness racing#Races
As Trotter is called several horse breeds that are used in harness racing. Modern trotters are the result of a targeted breeding horses for generations. Originally bred one particularly powerful carriage horses, and the first trotting races were nothing more than special breeding performance tests. Today Traber be drawn exclusively for the racetrack. In addition to the three basic gaits walk, trot and canter have many trotting through the influence of American Standardbreds also a genetic system for gait and pass. In the U.S., the horses are not only used for harness racing, but also to pass the race. The horses running against a so-called Sulky, where the driver sits.
- 4.1 Commands and idiosyncrasies
- 4.2 Life after the racetrack
Background information on the evaluation and breeding horses can be found at: exterior, interior and horse breeding.
Exterior
In Build Traber are so inconsistent as in size, as care is taken in breeding only on speed. There are many different types, including the well- closed Cobtyp, light whole blood types and warmblood types. To achieve the required speeds at the trot, they have a very well muscled hindquarters, which can be often built over, and usually short, steep shackles. The legs are dry with mostly hard hooves. In action, engage in racing trot, often very wide, the outside of the front legs over. Since it is not bred to a particular type or riding ability, one can building deficiencies in trotters find something more frequent than in riding horse breeds.
Interior
Traber are calm, balanced, easily trainable, people -oriented and hard-working horses. Since the racing makes high demands on the nerves, nerves find little robust animals not included in the breeding.
At least the trotter breeds in the American lines are more precocious than comparatively warm-blooded animals.
Performance
Traber can reach speeds of 45-50 trot km / h. The currently fastest German stallions in the stallion register of MDF ( Main Association for Standardbred breeding eV ) have one kilometers record of one minute and 10.2 seconds ( in the jargon spoken only 10.2 ).
They are persistent and hard physique. When riding horses trotters are very versatile. Your stamina makes them ideal for Endurance, her large-scale opportunities and their good character for the terrain and trail riding. Many trotters have a more or less pronounced predisposition to one or more four-stroke gaits or to pass. This can amble, walk, racing pace and or fox trot be faster Tölter will be found in almost any other breed. Also participating in tournaments gaited horses is possible, it has now become a small tournament scene formed.
Breeding history
- The American Standardbred or the American Standardbred is the fastest trotter. Therefore, he is breeding base ( due to imports and displacement intersection ) of most trotter breeds in the world, including the German breeding.
- The Trotteur Français, or French Trotter forms its own population with only a small influence of Standardbreds. He is not as fast as the Standardbred usually. As in France, great emphasis is placed on the preservation of the race, the racing rules is designed so that foreign influence remains low. The French Trotter is big and bombastic generally safe and is also grown in terms of riding ability, because in France many trotting races are held with riders. In the German breeding he has a share of less than 10%.
- The Russian Trotter or Metis Trotter is developed on the basis of the Orlov Trotter by introgression of Standardbreds. These two races have only a very small influence on the German breeding.
Horses with this breed background compete on the big trotting tracks worldwide. In some countries, there are other major harness racing events that are held with horses regional origin. For example, the Scandinavian cold-blooded trotter.
Characteristics of training and use as a racehorse
Commands and idiosyncrasies
As the acting person is not sitting on the horse, but behind it, fall Einwirkhilfen as by legs and weight off. The driver has the horse on other ways the command signal.
The propelling is primarily over the lines ( reins ), the whip and the voice of the driver. To signal to the horse that it will run faster, will the right (and sometimes the left or even both) line ( s) assumed something and relaxed. You mean in the inlet or if already wants to work no other help more, the " reins opened " are by the driver his arms with the lines in the hands spreads so the horse can see the side of your face. The whip has Trotting for the horse always a propulsive effect. In the run-up is often beaten on Anzen of the car, creating a clattering noise on metal carts. For more different instructions, the driver uses his voice. A Schnalzlaut with the tongue, for example, acts on the horse forward rubbing.
In the race trotter horse will usually be checked in and is therefore accustomed to carry their heads high at work.
It is desirable that the horse in the race the teeth " will ," which means a sometimes slight, but often quite violent turn off the horse. The driver has thus an indication of how the horse is ready to run (yet).
Traber can gallop of course, like any other horse also. You only do it therefore difficult under a rider because they do not know the issue of orders and the correct execution. They should in this respect be treated like a young horse and teach it to them. Traber know the gallop namely mostly the fact that they choose this gait at high speed when they can no longer keep up the trot. One calls this unwanted gear changes in the jargon " the horse goes up " or " step in ". Trotter also often associate the gallop with penalties or parry heavy because yes gallop is not desirable. In addition, the fast movement at the trot is usually so advanced that the horse in lower speeds sees no reason to insert the next higher pace.
Life after the racetrack
Not or no longer suitable for the racetrack trotters are often sold as riding horses or pleasure horses. These horses are available in all sorts of ages and usually at a reasonable price in comparison.
If the horses were not used in racing, they should be treated like any other young horse too. If the horses are sold to a racing career, they are suitable for their many years of race training and deployment for the more experienced riders, the ( physically, psychologically, issuing of orders and handling) to bring the understanding of previous use manner and together with the possibly for the recreational sport unfamiliar modes of reaction the Trabers can handle.
The identified in the section "Commands and idiosyncrasies " inculcated rules of conduct Trabers are often the reason for misunderstandings while riding of former racehorse in his second career, often earn him the reputation of " crazy Trabers ".
For example, a ( indistinct or even incorrectly performed ) Parade, in particular the half halt - see above " take the reins and loosen up" - are perceived by the former trotting horse as forward driving. Often riders are also not aware that sometimes " pluck " in inattention or restless hands the horse 's mouth with the reins them, which means the issuing of orders for Loss startup for the trotters.
Many trotting up the pace when you sit down as a rider deep in the saddle, which is a prime preparation when riding horse. Some Traber generally react to shifts in weight sensitive and - because only known as only previous requirement - start right 's go.
Because of scrapie was mostly excited in the sulky, where the two Anzen his body surrounded closely, he could when changing direction or turning his body does not turn but must make a sideways movement. This may be lack of understanding in dressage, where the right to bending of the horse is very important.
The tongue clicking commonly used when riding seems a little forward floating in a riding horse, but but when Traber it has a much higher order effect.
A frequent habit of coming from the racecourse Traber is no longer to stand quietly - and often can not be in the ascent. This is because of scrapie it throughout the race action (except a maximum at a short ceremony, and even then not really) does not have to. Once the horse at the racetrack, it is always in motion. Even changes or corrections to the Schirrung of the horse or the on - and abchecken are then made in step of the horse.
Since the major racetracks are always run in only one direction (usually counterclockwise on the right) and have added a gradient to the inside, the muscles of a body half of a trotter in long years of service is often develops better or worse. Most trotters have a better right side, which can be adjusted, for example by increased left lead.
Traber are, due to their flat, unaufwändigen gait and the long-term training than endurance horses or trail riding. But even in the simple dressage and jumping to Traber can profile again and again. Famous example for trotters blood in jumping is the legendary mare Halla.
Through their acquired on the web great endurance and their most advanced age, one is inclined slightly while riding to demand more than a fresh eingerittenen horse. This can lead to back problems easily, because the horse was mainly driven normally and the back muscles is therefore not optimized to initially for riding.
The predisposition to pass and amble often leads to confusion because the gaits is not recognized as such, and the deviation from the trot is perceived as a problem. A worthwhile application for the töltveranlagten Traber is participating in Gaited Horses tournaments as they are now aligned, for example, by the International Association of gaited horses.