Horse
Breed Description:
The Canadian Pacer breed of horse is sometimes considered a type within the Canadian Horse breed. There is some discrepancy about whether this breed has been cross-bred into extinction; if not extinct, only a small number of Canadian Pacers remain today. The Canadian Pacer breed of horse is smallish, with a fine body, wide-set ears, and small eyes. It has been described as having a head that is too long for its lean and bony body. Colors vary widely, and include pinto, black, gray, bay, and chestnut. The Canadian Pacer breed of horse is known for its athleticism and stamina.
Temperament:
The Canadian Pacer breed of horse has an even but energetic temperament.
Height:
The Canadian Pacer breed of horse stands about 15 hands high.
Health Problems:
The Canadian Pacer breed of horse has no known breed-specific health issues.
Exercise:
The Canadian Pacer has great stamina.
Grooming:
The Canadian Pacer breed of horse requires regular grooming, which means cleaning its coat, combing out its mane and tail, picking out its hooves, and keeping its dock, eyes, muzzle, and nostrils clean. A hard-working, stabled Canadian Pacer may require a thorough grooming each day, while one kept in the pasture may require only a light going over with a dandy brush. Canadian Pacers should have their hooves trimmed every few months.
Origin:
The Canadian Pacer breed of horse is thought to descend from the French Norman line of the Canadian Horse and a strain of pacers (possibly Narragansett pacers) bred in the 1820s. The combination took advantage of the pacers' natural pacing ability and the Canadian Horse's stamina and resilience. Pacers were preferred for traveling over ice.
The Canadian Pacer breed of horse is not the sort of pacer that performs a gait where both legs on one side move in unison. Rather, the Canadian Pacer has an ambling gait in which each hoof hit the ground separately (a "four beat" gait). The resulting pace keeps most of the horse's backbone still, resulting in a smooth gait for the rider and enabling the horse to travel a long distance.
The Canadian Pacer breed of horse has influenced many other breeds, including the Tennessee Walker, the American Saddlebred, and the Standardbred. 