The two breeds are very similar in terms of temperament, build and genetic make up, as the job they were bred to do is almost identical and there has been considerable mingling of their family trees over the last century. Both are usually between 15 and 16hh, but they can be upto 17.2hh or as small as 14hh, usually with a light athletic build.
French Trotters only race at a trot, while Standardbreds are either bred to trot or pace. In the UK, the vast majority of Standardbreds are pacers and it is extremely rare to find a Standardbred trotter. Confusingly, when people refer to a trotter, this could equally mean a trotter or a pacer…
Some people say that there are more sharp or ‘hot’ French Trotters than there are sharp Standardbreds, but in general you can expect a super temperament from both breeds. Both breeds, typically, are sensible, highly intelligent, quick learners who will cheerfully have a go at almost anything (and keep trying until they can do it even if their first attempt was a disaster!). Both are similar to Thoroughbreds in many respects, being light, fast and athletic, but they tend to be better doers. You can expect better feet from the average Standardbred or Trotter, a thicker skin (literally and metaphorically…) and a higher level of physical robustness: they can usually winter out happily without a rug or concentrate feed as long as they have access to plenty of good quality forage and natural shelter. They are also, typically, much more laid back than the average TB, because nobody wants an explosive driving horse!
Where Standardbreds and French Trotters differ from one another, and from Thoroughbreds, is in their gait. See the Gait section for more on this topic.
Collingwood Standardbreds 