 The Standardbred horse is the fastest harness horse in the world. The breed originated in the mid 1800's from a horse named Hambletonian 10 ... ninety percent of all modern Standardbreds are his descendants. The breed gets its name from the fact that a horse must meet a certain "standard" of either timed speed to run the mile, or breeding, in order to be registered. Individual Standardbreds tend to either trot or pace; the Standardbred breed is continually setting new records in running the mile in harness. The horse resembles its ancestor, the Thoroughbred, but is shorter, with a longer body. Its quarters are muscular and sleek. The horse can vary in colour, but bay, brown, and black are most common. |