Trotters

Trotters

Important data
Origin:	America, France, Germany, England
Main breeding area:	worldwide
Distribution:	worldwide
Stick measure :	145-175 cm
Colors :	mostly brown, some foxes and black horses, rarely mold
Main application area:	Race horse, gaited horse, recreational riding, endurance riding, trail riding

As Trotter refers several breeds that in trotting races are used. Modern trotters are the result of targeted horse breeding over generations. Originally, they bred particularly capable carriage horses and the first trotting races were nothing more than special breeding performance tests. Today, trotters are drawn exclusively for the trotting track. In addition to the three basic paces step , trot and canter have Traber also a genetic predisposition for tölt and pass , which made possible the high speeds at a trot. The mutation responsible for this in the DMRT3 gene is present in all Trotter breeds. In part, first brought into breeding through the influence of the American Standardbred, as with the French trotters. Other breeds are based almost entirely on the American standard breed. In the USA this disposition has been preserved in many ways and the horses are not only used for trotting races, but also for pass races. In trotter breeds that are not related to the standard breed, such as the Scandinavian draft horse, the mutation of the DMRT3 gene is also present in the population in high frequency.

The horses usually run in front of a so-called sulky , in which the driver takes a seat. But there are also ridden trotting races.

Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .

Exterior

In physique, trotters are as inconsistent as they are in size, as breeding is all about speed. There are many different types including the well-closed cob type, light whole blood types, and warm blood types. French trotters tend to be stocky and larger, while American trotters tend to be smaller and more delicate. Since they are not bred for a specific type or for riding suitability, classic building defects can be found a little more frequently in trotters than in riding horse breeding.

In order to achieve the required trot speeds, trotters generally have a very well-muscled hindquarters, which can often be built over. The legs are dry with mostly short, steep pasterns and hard hooves. When moving, the hindquarters in the racing trot, often very broad, grasp the outside of the front legs.

interior

Trotters are well-balanced, easily trainable, people-oriented and motivated horses. Since racing makes high demands on nerve strength, animals with little nervous stress are not included in breeding.

power

Trotters can reach speeds of 45–50 km / h in the racing trot. The currently fastest German stallions in the stallion register of the HVT (Hauptverband für Traberzucht e.V.) have a kilometer record of one minute and 10.2 seconds (only 10.2 spoken in jargon).

Trotters are very versatile as riding horses. You are persistent and have a tough constitution. Their stamina predestines them for endurance riding, their expansive gaits and their reliable character for off-road and trail riding. Many trotters have a more or less pronounced predisposition to one or more four-bar gaits or to the pass. Tölt, walk, racing pass and / or foxtrot can of course be given. Faster tölter will hardly be found in any other breed. Participation in gaited horse tournaments is also possible, a small tournament scene has now formed.

Breeding history

The German trotter is based on three breeds:

The American Standardbred or the American Trotter is the fastest trotter. Therefore it is the breeding basis (through imports and displacement crossbreeding) of most of the world's trotter breeds, including German breeding.
The Trotteur Français or the French Trotter form their own population with little influence from the Standardbred. It is usually not as fast as the standard bred. Since great importance is attached to the preservation of the breed in France, the racing regulations are designed in such a way that foreign influence remains minimal. The French trotter is usually large and reliable and is also bred with a view to riding, as many trotting races are held in France. In German breeding he has a share of less than 10%.
The Russian Trotter or Metis Trotter was created on the basis of the Orlov Trotter by crossing the Standardbred. These two breeds only have a very minor influence on German breeding.

Horses with this breeding background compete on the major harness racing tracks around the world. In some countries there are other major trotting events that are held with horses of regional origin. So z. B. the Scandinavian draft horse .

Special features of training and use as a racehorse

Commands and quirks

Since the person acting does not sit on the horse, but behind it, there is no need for aids such as thighs and weight. The driver has to signal the commands to the horse in a different way.

The driving is mainly done via the lines (reins), the whip and the driver's voice. In order to signal to the horse that it should run faster, the right (sometimes the left or even both) line (s) is taken slightly and loosened. Usually in the enema or when there is no longer any other help, the reins are opened, i.e. the driver spreads his arms with the leashes in his hands so that the horse can see them from the side. In harness racing, the whip always has a propelling effect on the horse. In the enema, the carts are often hit, which makes a clanking noise on metal carts. The driver uses his voice for various other instructions. A click of the tongue, for example, has the effect of propelling the horse forward.

In races, the trotter horse is usually checked out and is therefore used to carrying its head high when working.

It is desirable that the horse "takes" the bit while running, which means a sometimes light, but often quite violent counter-pull from the horse. The driver thus has an indication of how ready the horse is (still) to run.

Of course, trotters can gallop like any other horse. The only reason they do it with difficulty under one rider is because they do not even know the command and the correct procedure. You would have to treat them like a young horse in this regard and teach them how to do it. Trotters mostly know the gallop because they choose this gait at high speed when they can no longer keep up with the trot. This unwanted gear change is called in the jargon "the horse passes over" or "jump in". Trotters also often associate canter with punishment or violent parrying, because galloping is not desired. In addition, the rapid trot locomotion is usually so advanced that the horse does not see any reason to take the next higher gait at lower speeds.

Life after the racetrack

Trotters that are not or no longer suitable for the racetrack are often sold as riding or leisure horses. These horses are offered in all possible age groups and mostly at a comparatively low price.

If the horses have not yet been used in racing, they are to be treated like any other young horse. If the horses are sold after a racing career, because of their many years of racing training and use, they are more suitable for experienced riders who have an understanding of the previous use (physical, psychological, command and handling) and who may react differently to recreational sports of the trotter.

The acquired behavioral rules of the trotter mentioned under the point "commands and idiosyncrasies" are often the reason for misunderstandings when riding the former racehorse in his second career, which often earns him the reputation of the "crazy trotter".

For example, a (indistinct or even incorrectly executed) parade or, in particular, half a parade - see "Accepting the reins and loosening the reins" above - can be perceived as propelling by the former trotting horse. Often riders are also not aware that if they are inattentive or have restless hands, they sometimes "pull" the horse in the mouth with the reins, which means giving the trotter the command to start.

Many trotters increase the pace when the rider sits deep in the saddle, which is considered a parade preparation for the riding horse. Some trotters generally react sensitively to weight shifts and - because only known as the only previous requirement - start right away.

Since the trotter was mostly stretched into the sulky, where the two Anzen closely enclosed his body, he could not bend his body when changing direction or turning around, but had to make a sideways movement. This can lead to a lack of understanding in dressage, where correct bending of the horse is very important.

The tongue-clicking that is often used when riding has a somewhat propulsive effect on a riding horse, but on a trotter it has a much greater effect.

A common habit of the trotters coming from the racetrack is no longer standing still - often not even when getting on. This is because the trotter does not have to do it during the entire race (except for a maximum of briefly at an award ceremony, and even then not really). As soon as the horse is on the track, it always keeps moving. Even changes or corrections to the horse's harness or checking up and down are then made at the horse's crotch.

Since the large racetracks are only run in one direction (mostly counterclockwise, i.e. to the right) and have an inward gradient, the muscles of one half of the body of a trotter are often better or worse developed over many years of service. Most trotters have a better right side, which can be adjusted for example by increasing left canter.

Trotters are suitable as distance horses or for trail riding due to their flat, uncomplicated gait and many years of training. But trotters can also make a name for themselves again and again in simple dressage and jumping. A famous example of trotting blood in show jumping is the legendary mare Halla .

Due to her great endurance acquired on the track and her mostly advanced age, one is slightly inclined to demand more when riding than from a freshly ridden horse. This can easily lead to back problems, as the horse was usually mainly driven and the back muscles are not optimized for riding at the beginning.

The disposition to pass and tölt often leads to irritation, since the gait disposition is not recognized as such and the deviation from the trot is perceived as a problem. A worthwhile field of activity for the tölt-predisposed trotters is the participation in gaited horse tournaments, as they are now z. B. be organized by the International Gaited Horse Association .

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ K. Jäderkvist, LS Andersson, AM Johansson, T. Árnason, S. Mikko, S. Eriksson, L. Andersson, G. Lindgren: The DMRT3 'Gait keeper' mutation affects performance of Nordic and Standardbred trotters . In: Journal of Animal Science . tape 92 , no. 10 , October 2014, p. 4279-4286 , doi : 10.2527 / jas.2014-7803 ( nih.gov ).

[1] K. Jäderkvist, LS Andersson, AM Johansson, T. Árnason, S. Mikko, S. Eriksson, L. Andersson, G. Lindgren: The DMRT3 'Gait keeper' mutation affects performance of Nordic and Standardbred trotters . In: Journal of Animal Science . tape 92 , no. 10 , October 2014, p. 4279-4286 , doi : 10.2527 / jas.2014-7803 ( nih.gov ).