# ottb conformation critique



## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

Please critique this off the track thoroughbred. Let me know if he could do hunters. Thanks


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

Do you have a better shot with the horse standing square..he is really standing under himself with those hind legs so hard to see the conformation there.


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## Weezilla (Aug 3, 2012)

Well, he has a very kind eye and a nice big sloping shoulder. Of course he needs groceries. Neck looks a bit low set but ok for hunters. He already has a hunter's bump;-) (some say from exploding from starting gates) A touch over @ knee, and his feet need work, but I like his big hocks. The pic makes him look sickle-hocked and posty behind, but a better pic would be more definitive. With correct work to develop the topline, he might be a fine hunter prospect.


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## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

here you go, I hope these help.


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## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

Weezilla said:


> Well, he has a very kind eye and a nice big sloping shoulder. Of course he needs groceries. Neck looks a bit low set but ok for hunters. He already has a hunter's bump;-) (some say from exploding from starting gates) A touch over @ knee, and his feet need work, but I like his big hocks. The pic makes him look sickle-hocked and posty behind, but a better pic would be more definitive. With correct work to develop the topline, he might be a fine hunter prospect.


We are working on the weight, he just transitioned to 24/7 turnout. And he lost a little weight during the let down period. I always wanted to know how he got the hunter's bump.


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

Ah..that's better ; can see the horse has put on some weight but he still ahs a little to go and Weeezer has it correct I think; slightly sickle hocked. The horse is a typical TB with long toes and underrun heels..your farrier needs to address that. My farrier indicates this is a VERY common issue with TBs..mine had them as well. It is a trimming issue to correct but one that needs to be addressed.


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## Weezilla (Aug 3, 2012)

Those are some straight hind legs. They dont equate to a powerful engine. Are you talking show hunters or field hunters? If show hunters, they are judged on the quality of their jump - round, clear bascule. A posty hind doesn't have the kind of power to pop off the ground. But beauty is as beauty does.


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## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

Weezilla said:


> Those are some straight hind legs. They dont equate to a powerful engine. Are you talking show hunters or field hunters? If show hunters, they are judged on the quality of their jump - round, clear bascule. A posty hind doesn't have the kind of power to pop off the ground. But beauty is as beauty does.


Thanks. I am okay with that. We don't jump much or very high when I do. I am just getting back to riding. I love that saying pretty is as pretty does. That suits him perfectly. He is very calm and relaxed horse. I was planning to pay a trainer to retrain him for his new career, because I never thought that I could retrain an OTTB. However, he is so easy going I have been able to retrain him myself. I just wanted to make sure there was nothing in his conformation that would prevent him from jumping. The highest I jump is 2'6".


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## Weezilla (Aug 3, 2012)

I think you're doing a great job so far - he's gained weight and his expression is brighter. 24/7 TO is terrific. When you start working him, do as many hills as you can at walk and eventually trot. Ground poles, grids, all to develop topline. Ground work to include stretching down and leg yielding to pressure at heel position will be good too.


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## Weezilla (Aug 3, 2012)

Yeah, I'm a fan of that saying too, because its so true. I know a horse who is 14.3H at withers, 15.1 at croup, and is fully trained through 4th Level dressage, decent scores in the 60s, debuting at Prix St. George (tophat and tails time) this summer. Everyone thought he couldn't do it, except his trainer and Himself


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## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks. His hooves is the only problem I have having problems fixing. I had a really bad farrier, but because I have no knowledge and haven't owned a horse for 7 yrs, I didn't realize I had a bad farrier. When I moved him to a new barn I asked the barn trainer to look him over and ask for anything I need to work on and change. And his hooves was a big problem. So I just recently changed farriers and need to work on patience. But I think the new farrier knows what he is doing. I have seen some changes in his toe length getting shorter and his heel moving back and getting slightly longer.


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## Weezilla (Aug 3, 2012)

Progress He has a sweet eye! What are his bloodlines?


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## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

Weezilla said:


> Progress He has a sweet eye! What are his bloodlines?


Big Red Daddy Horse Pedigree

I have been told he has a good pedigree. I honestly don't know many of the names. But he is a super quiet horse, no spook and very easy going steady eddy type. Very ammy. friendly.


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

If you run his tattoo you can get a better reading on him. It should still be pretty clear given his age.


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## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

tlkng1 said:


> If you run his tattoo you can get a better reading on him. It should still be pretty clear given his age.


What do you mean get a better reading on him, his blood lines? And where do I run his tattoo number at? Thanks


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

Jockey Club can run the tattoo..you can actually pull up his racing history, past trainers, etc. 

https://www.registry.jockeyclub.com...=registry.cfm&CFID=162710077&CFTOKEN=89711769

You need to register for an account but it is free.


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## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

Oh okay. Thanks. I ran his tattoo. No surprise he only won one race. He has 8 starts total one 1st and one 3rd place. He mainly raced in Canada but was bred in Kentucky. I even found his sale picture as a yearling in Florida. 
I just wonder who he gets his mellow personality from his mom or dad. I would love to find out a get a mare from this blood line to keep and breed later on. 
He met cows today for the first time. He snorted at them twice and then walked on like nothing happened. He is also great to hack around the property on. Not spooky, not even at the wild life which I thought he would be. And a perfect gentleman for everything on the ground: clippers, crossties, teeth, farrier and loading on trailer.


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## secondchancehorses (Jan 31, 2013)

He's very cute, decently put together. I agree that he's posty in the hind end, his pasterns are somewhat long. He should be fine jumping at a 2'6 hunter level- are you planning on showing? If so recognized or schooling level? These days they tend to prefer horses with chrome in the hunter rings unless they are spectacular both on the flat & over fences (at least where I am...) socks, unusual facial markings etc. He needs topline- it will help reduce the appearance of the hunters bump. We do ALOT of lunging for all our hunters, done with side reins and the pessoa lunging system. Builds beautiful topline and neck muscles, changes the whole appearance of your horse.


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## NaeNae87 (Feb 26, 2013)

He has a slight roach to his back, which will be contributing to that tucked up look in his back end. I would get a body worker out to look at trying to relax the muscles over his sacro-illiac area. This may help with the straightness of his hind legs.  He looks like a sweetie


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## bluecharm7 (Mar 30, 2012)

secondchancehorses said:


> He's very cute, decently put together. I agree that he's posty in the hind end, his pasterns are somewhat long. He should be fine jumping at a 2'6 hunter level- are you planning on showing? If so recognized or schooling level? These days they tend to prefer horses with chrome in the hunter rings unless they are spectacular both on the flat & over fences (at least where I am...) socks, unusual facial markings etc. He needs topline- it will help reduce the appearance of the hunters bump. We do ALOT of lunging for all our hunters, done with side reins and the pessoa lunging system. Builds beautiful topline and neck muscles, changes the whole appearance of your horse.


At first just schooling level then the rated shows. If a judge is scoring horses based on their colors or markings and not on how they move during the round then I would not want to be in that class. If I wanted to resell him then I might not get as much traffic looking at him but based on his mellow personality I don' think that will be a problem.


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