Holiday cover for a Standardbred horse asks a sitter to look after a large, level-headed athlete whose habits were formed on the racetrack. Many Standardbreds in riding homes are retrained trotters or pacers, generous and traffic-proof but trained to a different set of cues, and often carrying the wear of a harness career in their legs. Instructions written for a generic riding horse miss both the temperament and the maintenance. Your sheet should explain what this horse's working life looks like now, who does what with him while you are away, and how his legs and appetite report his wellbeing day by day.
Define Exercise Exactly, Including What Not to Do
A Standardbred's exercise paragraph should separate permission from assumption. State whether the cover arrangement is care only or includes riding, and if riding is included, name the rider, the routes or arena work expected, and the gaits to use, noting if he still paces under saddle at times and how his regular rider handles that. Say what is excluded in plain terms, such as no jumping, no galloping work, or no roadwork beyond his usual route, because a willing Standardbred rarely refuses and will simply do what is asked. Cover his harness-era habits in hand too: how he stands for tacking, whether he is used to being handled from a particular side, and his routine at the wash area if he has one.
Give Quantities That Match a Big Horse Coming Off Work
A Standardbred's feeding amounts surprise sitters used to smaller riding horses, so write them out fully. Give hay by weight or bale fraction for morning, day and night, the exact hard feed measures tied to his current workload, and the instruction that feed drops or stays level if exercise stops during your holiday, following the rule you use yourself rather than the sitter's instinct. Note his water habits and the size of bucket or trough he empties, since a tall horse drinks quantities that leave small containers dry by midday. Add where feeds, hay and any supplements are stored, and the order buckets are made up, so a relief helper on one day produces the same feed as the regular sitter.
Make Leg Checks the Heart of the Daily Routine
A Standardbred's daily check centres on legs that have worked hard for years. Ask the sitter to run hands down all four legs morning and evening, feeling for heat, filling or sensitivity, and to compare one leg against the other rather than judging in the abstract. Describe this horse's known baseline in writing: an old tendon that stays cool and firm, a hock that fills slightly after standing in and walks off, whatever is normal for him, so the sitter can spot the change that matters. Add the hoof routine, picking out daily, noting shoe condition, and the rule that new heat, swelling or lameness stops exercise and triggers a call rather than a wait-and-see day.
Close With Stoicism, Contacts and Yard Logistics
A Standardbred's calm temperament can hide trouble, so the watch-out list needs to be explicit: a horse off his feed, standing dull at the back of the box, sweating without work, repeatedly rolling, or reluctant to move forward under saddle is telling the sitter something, and the response is a phone call, not patience. List the vet first, then the farrier, then your own number, plus the experienced friend who can hold him or travel him if he needs a clinic visit. Finish with the practical map, feed room, rug storage, arena booking rules and gate arrangements. Passing the brief through a KinsLe Care Pass means the sitter works from this Standardbred's workload limits, known leg baseline and vet number in one place until you return.