# pacing and trotting

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacing-and-trotting/539965>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 19, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacing-and-trotting/539965 "2010-05-19T03:47:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ringarooma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@ringarooma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ringarooma)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacing-and-trotting/539965/1 "2010-05-19T03:47:32Z")

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I don’t see why dog trotters are faster than dog pacers and therefore quite the opposite from horses. Think that’s wrong , Cecil.

‘Today, many Standardbreds race much faster … with several pacing the mile within 1 minute, 50 seconds, and trotters only a few seconds slower than pacers.’ (wikipedia)

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**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacing-and-trotting/539965/2 "2010-05-19T13:09:48Z")

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> [@ringarooma](#):
>
> I don’t see why dog trotters are faster than dog pacers and therefore quite the opposite from horses. Think that’s wrong , Cecil.
> 
> ‘Today, many Standardbreds race much faster … with several pacing the mile within 1 minute, 50 seconds, and trotters only a few seconds slower than pacers.’ (wikipedia)

This would presumably be [Why do some dogs walk by moving both legs on one side of the body at the same time, while others use diagonal pairs?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/986/why-do-some-dogs-walk-by-moving-both-legs-on-one-side-of-the-body-at-the-same-time-while-others-use-diagonal-pairs)

As to the question: because dogs are not horses?