Bits and Boots: Standardbred Terms
Harness Racing Equipment Fosters Additional Horse Racing Language
While Thoroughbreds, ridden by jockeys, and Standardbreds, who pull sulkies and have drivers, share common descriptive language, some terms differ.
Standardbred and Thoroughbred racers share ancient breeding backgrounds and the language of their sport. But, unlike the free-wheeling Thoroughbred, pacers and trotters are tied to directional equipment and a cart.
Bits of Mouth
A Standardbred is driven. He pulls a cart, called a sulky, behind him which is occupied by his seated driver, or handler. There are two types of bit used to guide and direct a Standardbred racer. The bit connects to the driver's reins and is the directional equipment that bonds the horse and the driver in feats of competitive racing.
A snaffle bit is the standard driving bit. It consists of a hinge, or joint in its center. It may be covered by rubber, or leather and holds two rings, one on each side of the horse's mouth. The driver's reins attach to each ring.
An overcheck bit contains a line which lies between the horse's ears and down the front of his face and attaches to each side of the driving bit. It helps to keep the horse's head at a desired height for better control.
As horse's have sensitive mouths, the choice of a bit for the personality is important. Drivers must learn to handle their reins accordingly, so that their touch through the leather is transmitted to the horse as a signal, not as a jerk, or a hard-handed motion that can cause the horse to become sore-mouthed.
Sulkies and Such
The sulky a Standardbred pulls has evolved from different contraptions over the several hundred years in which cart races have been conceived. There have been truss axle and truss bar sulkies, the Caffrey high-wheel sulky, the Payne long shaft and frame sulky, bike sulkies, pneumatic tire sulkies, and the German Weber sulky. The most commonly used sulky today is a version of the Weber that weighs 38 to 40 pounds.
No Shadows, Please
A shadow roll, used to prevent a horse from seeing shadows or objects directly in front of him that may cause him to start, or break his gait, is made of sheepskin and is placed above the nose and below the eyes. It is generally standard equipment for pacers.
Hobbling Along
Pacers also wear hobbles, or leg "pants" that help them stay in the lateral movement pacing requires. A shadow roll keeps the pacer from viewing this leg gear. What he can't readily see won't cause him to lose his focus on pacing.
Trotters may also use hobbles. They are attached to the legs diagonally to match the trotter's gait.
Boots For His Bumps
Boots may be worn by both pacers and trotters at various locations on their legs to prevent clipping. They may be sheepskin lined. Clipping occurs when a horse's front hoof strikes a rear hoof, or vice versa, within their normal gait.
Keeping His Head
Head poles are often used on pacers. Aluminum telescopic adjustable head poles help in keeping the horse's head straight. Bearing in, or out on turns usually is cured by this equipment, as the pole attaches on the left side if a horse is inclined to bear right, and attaches to the right side if the pacer habitually bears left.
The basic equipment of the harness racer has been improved over time by new techniques, but his ability to maintain high speed within his gait is the major stuff of the Standardbred heat.
