Duplicate
If you type into a google search “horse pacer” and click on on images perhaps you can find a picture of the bands, post the link & we can figure this out?
How about these for starters:
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;8484284]
Oh, and as for the trot being more natural, sometimes you will see trotting bred horses that had been tried or raced a bit as a trotter than now race as pacers (cause they are better at it/it’s easier for them). It’s quite rare to see the other direction, meaning a pacer that becomes a trotter.[/QUOTE]
The gelding I had was bred to trot. Dam, sire, and siblings all raced as trotters, but the breeder told me if she had sent him to train it would be as a pacer. He had a tendency to pace when we were trail riding and he got excited. Kind of a weird feeling to ride! He had a lovely gallop and a great jump. It took some work to get a decent collected canter. I love Standies.
[QUOTE=RPM;8484311]
One of the dumbest things I ever saw was a then-new edition of Born to Trot. The cover artist had painted Rosalind as a pacer. Can’t believe the publisher let that one get by.[/QUOTE]
I saw this. Absolutely ridiculous. That said, I love the original(?) trotting painting used on “Born to Trot” :yes:
[QUOTE=Where’sMyWhite;8484447]
I don’t think the “bands” are part of the hobbles as one horse last night had small (maybe 1- 1 1/2" bands, 2 of them) under each knee. All the pacers/trotters that have hobbles seem to end above the knee. [/QUOTE]
Look at the photo third from the top…is it some variation of this?
There is nothing a STB horse would wear as a “band” below its knees. There could be electrical tape covering tendon boots (as a way to make sure they stay secure: http://content001.bet365.com/News/bet365/Article-Large-496x286/Racing/harness-racing/120417-HarnessRacing_MrNickel-496x286.jpg)
After describing it that was I was also going to say it was probably “harness tape” holding the tendon boots on. I have a hard time going to Lowe’s and Home Dopot now because I actually ask for harness tape instead of electrical tape.
I suspect it is black tape as well…here, we call it black tape, regardless of colour. Nothing like hearing someone say put black tape over that and the recipient of the order ask what colour. Use of black tape is so common here, it isn’t given a second thought. We use it for everything from holding a braid in a foretop to holding down errant straps on stuff that has lost a loop.
I missed seeing that cover of Born to Trot and suspect the editor and publisher figures a harness horse is a harness horse; be happy it wasn’t a painting of a Clyde. I would have been writing letters if I had seen that…once owned a great grandson of Rosalind and also in his pedigree were greats like Titan Hanover, La Paloma, Calumet Chuck. For the record, he couldn’t trot a step and at speed he switched to the pace. There is also a story about a race down east in the fog where a trotter broke and when he got to the wire, he won - on the pace. Some horses, regardless of breeding cannot hold a trot at high speed for one reason or another.
I’ll bet that it what it is… black (or white) tape over tendon boots. Def under the knee and not wide - and if the horse is dark and the boot is dark (which I have seen), the boot is really hard to see but if the tape is a contrasting color, much easier to see 
Next time I see the bands on a horse on TV, I’ll pay more attention to see if I see a boot along with the “bands”. Also pay more attention if they are a trotter or pacer
And, what is the “rag” (again, hard to tell detail) I see right under the horse’s tail on some horses? Stop them from pooping or control direction or ?
Oh, and when I said pace wasn’t “natural”, yes I realize for the horses that pace, for them it is natural. Didn’t realize that many STDs were bred for pacing. Most horses (and dogs) do trot rather than pace.
Where is a good place to look to see if there is any type of harness racing in the Phoenix area (our TB/QH track I don’t believe does any harness racing)? Would love to go see one in person.
[QUOTE=RPM;8484162]
This is what I was going to say. I think Big_Tag is right.
I think that pacing is usually a faster gait than trotting. It is not less natural, AFAIK. Not any less natural than a running walk or rack is to some other gaited breeds. I presume that pacers were in the mix of foundation sires for some of the gaited breeds, e.g., American Saddlebred and Tennessee Walking Horse (I know that Standardbreds are in those pedigrees; maybe some of them were pacers). Although Hambletonian was a trotter, and I think Messenger was as well. [/QUOTE]
Yes the pace is normally faster, though there are some very slow pacers out there and some really fast trotters. 
You forgot the Narragansett Pacer and the Morgan! There was a lot of cross registering between Saddlebreds, Standardbreds and Morgans at one time if memory serves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narragansett_Pacer
ETA a question of my own for Where’sMyWhite: What is TVG? I want to see if I can get it. I love watching harness racing and the “big” sports channels don’t even show the Hambletonian, let alone the Little Brown Jug and other pacing races.
I miss that old NY cable channel that showed harness racing at night so many years ago!
I believe the Hambo or Jug was on TV this year (brain farts on which one). Some people got together and got advertisers and sponsorship to get it done. Of course it was only in the US so we didn’t get to see it. 
There is a channel in Canada which shows racing, but it’s cable/dish and I’m too broke feeding horses to have either.
[QUOTE=Where’sMyWhite;8485530]
I’ll bet that it what it is… black (or white) tape over tendon boots. Def under the knee and not wide - and if the horse is dark and the boot is dark (which I have seen), the boot is really hard to see but if the tape is a contrasting color, much easier to see Next time I see the bands on a horse on TV, I’ll pay more attention to see if I see a boot along with the “bands”. Also pay more attention if they are a trotter or pacer [/QUOTE]
Likely tape to keep boots in place. You’ll see it in lots of different colours, my daughter loves yellow or purple (our stable colours) though I just buy black at the dollar store.
And, what is the “rag” (again, hard to tell detail) I see right under the horse’s tail on some horses? Stop them from pooping or control direction or ?
I call it a mudflap, though that’s not the correct term. LOL Some horses get a little loose with nerves so the drivers really appreciate not having the blowback and the are often used on fillies or mares who windsuck instead of doing a caslick.
Oh, and when I said pace wasn’t “natural”, yes I realize for the horses that pace, for them it is natural. Didn’t realize that many STDs were bred for pacing. Most horses (and dogs) do trot rather than pace.
I’d say from studying the sales cateloges there are more pacers bred than trotters.
Where is a good place to look to see if there is any type of harness racing in the Phoenix area (our TB/QH track I don’t believe does any harness racing)? Would love to go see one in person.
Ok, I’ve not been around harness horses for a very long time. I"m not familiar with the high knee wraps (?) in those photos. Can someone please explain. Thanks.
http://www.worldclasstrotting.com/No...Annabell07.htm
“Look at the photo third from the top…is it some variation of this?”
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;8485895]
Ok, I’ve not been around harness horses for a very long time. I"m not familiar with the high knee wraps (?) in those photos. Can someone please explain. Thanks.
http://www.worldclasstrotting.com/No...Annabell07.htm
“Look at the photo third from the top…is it some variation of this?”[/QUOTE]
Your link doesn’t work for me, but I’m thinking you’re looking at knee boots that protects the inside of the knee. We had a lovely pacer that wore a pair like these http://www.bigdweb.com/Leather-Half-Knee-Boot/productinfo/3501/ with a pair of suspenders to help keep them in place. Jin had such a big heart that a couple times he would knock them loose and still keep on going though he was tearing hide off. This was usually after a farrier decided that his feet needed to be trimmed differently and tried to “fix” him. :mad:
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;8424241]
“Standardbred racing or I need a life :)”
No, no, - standardbred racing IS life! :yes:[/QUOTE]
I have been a Thoroughbred racing fan since my teens back in the 50’s but I have to say that live harness racing (particularly in person at the rail) is exciting. TV really doesn’t do it the justice it deserves. My wife’s family is from ME and racing at Scarborough Downs was great fun even when you had to compete for a good view with all the mosquitoes that populated the stands.
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;8485895]
Ok, I’ve not been around harness horses for a very long time. I"m not familiar with the high knee wraps (?) in those photos. Can someone please explain. Thanks.
http://www.worldclasstrotting.com/No...Annabell07.htm
“Look at the photo third from the top…is it some variation of this?”[/QUOTE]
It’s knee tape. I honestly don’t think we’ve had a horse that wore it but I believe it’s for horses that just touch their knees so lightly at speed that an actual knee boot would add too much bulk/thickness and compound the issue. It’s become quite popular as of late. Occasionally you will also see it only on one knee, if a horse only touches one knee.
STB racing is really a totally different breed from TB racing (no pun intended). Because of the gaits, there can be a lot more interference with the limbs, particularly at high speed, and shoeing is such a huge part of getting some horses to travel cleanly. It’s quite a science!
Thanks Big Tag!
Can you (or anyone) please tell me how you do a knee tape? Is it vet wrap or . . . ? Does it get cotton underneath?
Another question, do they still use toe weights on trotters or not much anymore? Thanks!
Shammy: “TV really doesn’t do it the justice it deserves”. So true! I think the smaller size track makes it very fun as you can see the horses/race so much better.
Maine is beautiful & has lots of fun things going on!
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;8486154]
Thanks Big Tag!
Can you (or anyone) please tell me how you do a knee tape? Is it vet wrap or . . . ? Does it get cotton underneath?
Another question, do they still use toe weights on trotters or not much anymore? Thanks! [/QUOTE]
I really haven’t seen it used in our barn but i think it’s similar to vetwrap and there’s nothing underneath it from what I can tell. I think the main thing is to keep it really thin and dang near flush with the horses’ legs.
You will see the occasional trotter with toe weights but really not near as much anymore. The horses nowadays are much more naturally gaited. Our 3yo in training (trotter), for example, had some trouble finding her gait last year at a 2yo and rather than toe weights, she wore 2 pairs of bell boots for a bit and that did the trick. Now this year she doesn’t need the extra weight. We didn’t even race her last year…just broke her and trained her down (our trainer is very conservative), but sometimes it is just a matter of getting them set so they CAN trot and the repetition and strength develops the gait.
Last night at Meadowlands Harness, saw a pacer with 2 white strip up front that appeared to be wearing split type boots up front (dark horse, dark boots if there were any, night race ) and also a white strip just above the hind fetlock and it looks like there was some type of fetlock boot as well.
I can see the interference potential. Also interesting to watch how some pacers, or at least seems like more pacers than trotters, travel very wide behind in the hind legs on the last part of the stride. Some pretty straight and some really float that hind leg out.
Still think they are fascinating to watch and durable. One mare racing last night was 7 and another was 10 with decent finishes and still not retired to broodmare status!
Sigh… there is a racetrack that it turns out I can see from my house that stopped harness racing years ago
Don’t see any other harness racing in the Phoenix area
I would think Cal-Expo is the closest to you…we are in the same boat since the closest track to me is 500 miles away
“Sigh… there is a racetrack that it turns out I can see from my house that stopped harness racing years ago.”
Which one was that, WMW? Yes, that makes me feel :no: also.
