FAQs about Standardbred Adoption

Q. What is a Standardbred?

A. The Standardbred is bred to race in harness on the trot or the pace (a two-beat lateral gait), pulling a light vehicle called a sulky. The breed evolved around the same time as the Morgan, Saddlebred, and Tennessee Walking Horse, and these breeds all share some common roots. The breed’s name comes from the fact that a horse had to trot or pace a mile in a standard of time in order to be registered in the original 1871 stud book. Standardbreds range in height from 14.2 hands to 17; most are between 15 and 16 hands and most weigh 950 to 1100 pounds. Many are longer than they are tall, with the rump sometimes slightly higher than the withers.The majority of Standardbreds are bay or brown, but blacks, chestnuts, grays and roans are found as well. White markings on the face and legs are common and range from subtle to flashy. While fierce competitors on the track, they are intelligent, calm and willing to please, making them ideal for pursuits off the track. Depending on conformation, aptitude, and retraining, a Standardbred can excel at one or several disciplines, from dressage, combined driving, jumping, barrel racing, endurance, speed racking, and much more.

Q. Does the USTA adopt out Standardbreds?
A. No, the United States Trotting Association (USTA) does is not an adoption agency. It is the breed registry for Standardbreds. In addition to promoting harness racing, for which Standardbreds are bred, the USTA supports adoption and/or resale of Standardbreds for pleasure and show horse use through the USTA Standardbred Equine Program. The USTA Standardbred Equine Program also offers activities for pleasure horse owners, riders, and drivers.

Q. Where can I find Standardbreds for adoption?
A. Most Standardbred-specific adoption groups are based in or near areas where harness races are held, namely, the East Coast, Midwest, Florida, and California. There are also several non-Standardbred-specific groups in those areas and elsewhere that occasionally have a Standardbred available for adoption. For a list of adoption groups, check the USTA website (http://www.ustrotting.com/sep/sep.cfm), call (614) 224-2291 ext. 3260, or email sep@ustrotting.com.

Q. What is the types of horses are available?
A. Standardbreds available for adoption range from yearlings to horses in their 20s. However, most horses coming off the track and into an adoption group are between 2 and 10, and many are geldings, though mares and stallions are also adopted. Most have had extensive handling and training but no under-saddle training or training for pleasure or show driving.

Q. What does the adoption process involve?
A. Most groups, particularly, 501c3 adoption groups registered as charitable groups with the IRS, require you to fill out an application. Most prefer an applicant with horse experience. In the application, they check to make sure you can afford to provide good care, time, exercise, and stabling for the horse. Almost all adoption groups seek a permanent lifetime home for the horses, and they may require proof of the your ability to provide good care, etc., (i.e., your income, pictures/descriptions of the stabling you can provide, etc.). Most also require references from a vet, farrier, and/or other, unrelated person who can vouch for your care and knowledge of horses. Adoption groups also want to know what your specific aim/goal is for the horse: a companion or pet, trail horse, endurance mount, dressage horse, etc. In addition, they usually like to know your preferences on age, sex, temperament, and sometimes color. Conscientious adoption groups do their best to place a horse well matched to you and your preferences, since this is the best scenario for a successful long term adoption.

Q. Is there a cost to adopting a Standardbred?
A. Most of the adoption agencies require an application fee or donation in order to adopt a horse, ranging from $100 to $1,000. These fees help offset the costs of veterinary care, feed, stabling and other costs associated with keeping the horse until it is placed, as well as helping to pay for the care of horses that are not as easily placed, such as old broodmares or pain-free but chronically lame horses, which are not as attractive to adopters.

Q. How do I get my adopted horse home?
A. Once a horse has been adopted, the burden of having the horse transported to your barn or boarding facility is usually up to you to pay for. Most reputable adoption groups will help to arrange a ride for the horse, though they will not usually pay for the shipping.

Q. What’s the difference between adopting and buying?
A. Adoption may seem an attractive alternative to buying a horse, since the adoption fee/donation is usually less expensive than the purchase price for a horse. With adoption, however, the adoption group is usually expecting that you will make a lifetime commitment to the horse. In addition, adoption groups usually remain the owners of the horse for the horse’s lifetime, and adopters do not usually receive registration papers on adopted horses. In almost all adoptions, you cannot sell the horse if you lose interest in it. Most groups have emergency clauses where they will take a horse back—for example, if the horse turns out to be a bad match or if financial reasons prevent an adopter from affording to keep the horse. The upkeep on any horse will be same regardless whether you purchase or adopt it. Therefore, you should carefully go over your own financial situation and lifestyle to see if an adopted horse fits in your life.

Q. Which adoption group do I choose?
A. The best answer is for you to research each adoption group yourself and determine whether you would be comfortable adopting a horse from them, given their procedures, policies, and fee(s). Treat the process of adopting very seriously, ask questions of the group, and generally act as though you are making a lifetime commitment to a horse and the group through which you’re thinking of adopting.

Q. What sort of training do Standardbred have for pleasure horse use?
A. Most Standardbreds come off the track knowing how to wear equipment, including the bridle, harness, and protective boots. Most know how to stand for bathing, clipping, and getting their feet shod, plus they usually behave well for the vet and load into a trailer easily. Most Standardbreds are endowed with good dispositions, intelligence, and a willingness to please. However, few Standardbreds coming off the track are saddle-trained or know how to lunge. Teaching your Standardbred to be a good horse under saddle is a process, involving learning to respond to leg cues, seat, and the rider’s hands (which are somewhat different than a harness racing driver’s hands), plus the more detailed specifics of any given discipline, such as learning to do a rollback or leg yield. If you are thinking of adopting one of these horses, you should be willing to put the time and resources into transitioning the horse to saddle/driving work for pleasure or show. Otherwise, you have robbed yourself of one of the fundamental rewards of adopting a Standardbred and have short-changed a horse that has so much to give you. Much of the joy of having a Standardbred comes from working and learning with them.

Q. Is adoption for me?
A. Adoption is not for everyone, but for those who do adopt, the experience often changes their lives for the better. They have helped another horse that might not have had such a happy life otherwise. Knowing that you have worked with a Standardbred and have given the horse valuable skills and a safe home, transforming the horse from a racehorse to a pleasure or show horse, is a wonderful feeling!

Picture credits:
First picture– Standardbred pacer Easy Goer and driver Joe Pavia, Jr., win a heat of the Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio.
Second picture– After racing seven years and earning $277,808, Road Kar retired from the track. Lena O’Brien adopted him and now they show huntseat with great success.