# Arabian Conformation Critique



## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

I've been debating whether or not to ask for a critique for a really long time, haha. I can tell you about every tiny nuance of this horse's personality, temperament, and mentality, but I decided that I'd like to know more about him technically/ see him through a bit more of a technical viewpoint. If he has conformation that would make him not very good at one thing or another, if he has any major problems that I need to watch, etc. I really would like someone else's opinion on him. I think he's pretty darn decent, although a bit courser looks-wise than most arabians I've dealt with, but I don't really see any horrible faults. Of course, I'm extremely biased, I love this horse to the moon and back, haha.
Anyway, this is Envi. He's a 6 year old arabian who I've owned for around 4 years now. His training has been really slow so far, but he's been fantastic about everything. He's so, so smart, and so sweet, I'm so happy to have him. I was 14 when I bought him and the fact that he's put up with my fumbling attempts to learn about training for 4 years says so much about him, haha.
One thing I'd really like to hear opinions about is his front end/ legs... His front legs look like they turn out, and his pasterns from the front are slanted where they meet the hoof. I'm not really sure what it is, really, but something is off about it and I'm just wondering what it is and if it will be a problem.
And please excuse the mess in the background, we were in the middle of cleaning out the shed. The inside of it looks fantastic now, unfortunately that's just because most of the clutter was dumped outside... :lol:


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

Anybody?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I like him too. I much prefer the heavier type of Arab, as you said "coarse", then the delicate , overly dished ones. This guy is one I'd keep. Yes , he does seem to toe out on his front, both of them but his front left more.

His hind end is the better of the two ends. The hock is quite large and clean (no swelling or puffiness), nice angle and short canon. His back looks strong to me, though his shoulder is not as big or strong as would balance the hind end the best . the neck is kind of short and maybe a little bit thick at the throatlatch.

Ok, now, that's all subjective, and I am no expert. let's see what the others say. Ask Elana, she knows conformation.


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

Thank you tinyliny! Will his toeing out be an issue, do you think? Would trimming help? It doesn't seem to affect him at all, but I still wonder about it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

If it's the way he is formed, I think that trying to force that to change by shoeing would be a terrible mistake. I bet it is not an issue, but other folks will know more about that. Like I said, he has that sturdy, "I can do anything " look about him.

tell us about his personality? 

Oh, btw, my friend has a dapple gray arab gelding, and she really only started to ride him at 6. Kept him barefoot until 8. He is the sturdiest guy, the least spooky, most sensible, sure footed and personable horse at the barn. But only at about 7 or 8 did he really start to come into his own. I think he's almost 9 now.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Good bone, short, strong back. 
Thick in the throatlatch, as tinyliny said. I'd like a bit more hindend. Steep shoulder, not very comfy to sit a trot and not much extension, I bet. 
Narrow in the chest in relation to his strength of bone.
Although it's hard to tell due to the shadows, but it looks like his feet need balancing, which will take care if the toeing out to some extent.
I really like his expression. Nice fella.
Does he have a swirl about halfway down the neck, below the crest? Looks like it, but his various shades of gray make it hard to say for sure


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

Haha, I'd love to.... I'll try to keep this short and not ramble too much...

He's a very, very intelligent horse (sometimes, I think his brain actually works too much and he over-thinks things... it's fun to watch the wheels turning when I work with him though, haha), and exceptionally honest and transparent. He tries very hard to learn and picks things up _very_ fast, good _or_ bad, unfortunately... he's exceptional when it comes to understanding things, but convincing him that something is worth _learning_ is a bit different. And I honestly believe he could give any mule a run for it's money, he's that stubborn... he doesn't throw tantrums like my other paint gelding, he doesn't make a big deal out of it, there's no outburst or anything, he just calmly refuses to do whatever it is. This is definitely not a bad thing, though, as he's usually doing it because I'm being unfair or some such. He's definitely not unreasonable and is very cooperative, but you have to let him use his brain and think for himself, or he gets surly and confused.
He's a problem solver, and always surprises me with his solutions to things- they're not always what I want, though, lol... it makes teaching him fun, because I never quite know what to expect from him.
He won't turn down a scratch or a treat, but he's much more polite with other people, while he's much friendlier with me- he's tense with others, although he's always polite and gentle... definitely people-oriented, but not overly friendly like a dog... Some horses are just really big golden retrievers who love everyone equally, not him, lol.
He loves to push buttons and see how far he can go with something, but in a playful manner, he's not domineering or aggressive- he won't take advantage of someone and is probably the most forgiving horse I've ever met. He has the brains, but needs that little bit of reassurance from someone else to really settle down into something. Probably the most sensitive horse I've ever been around. Once we get working and tuned in, all I have to do is think something and he'll do it. He takes a bit to warm up, but once he has his brain and feet going, he's fantastic. He's one of the horses that needs a quiet and contained person, he's never liked people with a lot of energy... I always kind of attributed that to his extreme sensitivity.
He has fantastic feet, I don't see anything but barefoot in his future so far, but we'll see. That's so good to hear, I used to worry about his late start a lot... I'm kind of glad about it now, though, that he's matured physically and mentally. It's actually making things a lot easier.
And I can't even tell you how he's changed lately, lol, he just kind of sprouted when he turned 6- he filled out and grew into himself, and mentally he's so much better. I can't wait to see how he changes in the years to come.


-edit- and no, he doesn't have a swirl on his neck. Thank you, deserthorsewoman! We just got a new farrier, so I'll ask him about his balance next time he's out.


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## muumi (Oct 17, 2011)

I'm not going to critique, but I do want to say that the moment I saw his pictures, I thought to myself, I really like this horse, as a whole, despite the flaws.


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## Tracer (Sep 16, 2012)

Wow. I'm not an Arabian fan, but I would take this guy in a heartbeat. So chunky and handsome! My favourite part is the fact that whilst he has the typical refined head, it isn't overdone like many Arabs these days. I also really like that butt.


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## brookeabee123 (Feb 17, 2013)

Tracer said:


> Wow. I'm not an Arabian fan, but I would take this guy in a heartbeat. So chunky and handsome! My favourite part is the fact that whilst he has the typical refined head, it isn't overdone like many Arabs these days. I also really like that butt.


I second Tracer's comment! That is a stunning little horse. He has some minor issues, but I think if he got a little more muscle on his shoulder he would balance out better! My QH gelding toes out a bit on his left front, but it's no big deal! But yeah! I really like this guy!!!


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

soenjer55 said:


> Haha, I'd love to.... I'll try to keep this short and not ramble too much...
> 
> He's a very, very intelligent horse (sometimes, I think his brain actually works too much and he over-thinks things... it's fun to watch the wheels turning when I work with him though, haha), and exceptionally honest and transparent. He tries very hard to learn and picks things up _very_ fast, good _or_ bad, unfortunately... he's exceptional when it comes to understanding things, but convincing him that something is worth _learning_ is a bit different. And I honestly believe he could give any mule a run for it's money, he's that stubborn... he doesn't throw tantrums like my other paint gelding, he doesn't make a big deal out of it, there's no outburst or anything, he just calmly refuses to do whatever it is. This is definitely not a bad thing, though, as he's usually doing it because I'm being unfair or some such. He's definitely not unreasonable and is very cooperative, but you have to let him use his brain and think for himself, or he gets surly and confused.
> He's a problem solver, and always surprises me with his solutions to things- they're not always what I want, though, lol... it makes teaching him fun, because I never quite know what to expect from him.
> ...


How come I get the feeling he will not be your only Arabian.........you have all it takes to get into them 

He's got another year to complete his growing, I know my first one needed that time to widen all the way. You asked what he's built for. If you were doing dressage with lots of extended trot, he couldn't do too much due to the shoulder angle, and his trot would kill your back over time. When talking western or endurance....no problem, since you're barely sitting a trot. So, it all depends.....;-). He looks like he could do just about anything.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

The thing that stands out to me the most is his feet. I love them, a nice big foot goes a long way in keeping a horse sound. I would have him in a second.
I love a sturdy horse, you can grow old with that horse!


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

deserthorsewoman said:


> How come I get the feeling he will not be your only Arabian.........you have all it takes to get into them
> 
> He's got another year to complete his growing, I know my first one needed that time to widen all the way. You asked what he's built for. If you were doing dressage with lots of extended trot, he couldn't do too much due to the shoulder angle, and his trot would kill your back over time. When talking western or endurance....no problem, since you're barely sitting a trot. So, it all depends.....;-). He looks like he could do just about anything.


Lol, it all began with a half arabian... I don't think he'll be my last, either.

I'm definitely okay with a jack of all trades, lol... even if he's a master of none. My trainer is a dressage trainer, so I plan on starting him with that then moving on to whatever he wants to do afterwards, although I don't expect much from him as a dressage pony- it's more for me than him, lol. I'm hoping he might take to jumping, because I want to dabble in that a bit- I have a trainer who's pretty close by for that, so we'll see. Whatever advancement I'd like to do with my own riding can be done on any horse, I was just looking for a horse that I could bond with and who would be around for a long time, and I think I found the right one.  I'm glad to hear that he can still widen a bit, though- I've always been around stock horses, so I'm not familiar with arabian growth... It seems to be a lot slower!

Thank you everyone for your comments! I'm so happy to hear your feedback- I'm glad I decided to ask for a critique, lol!


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

And here's what he thinks of all the nice comments...


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Don't blame him a bit;-)


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I like this horse very much, good solid fellow with no glaring faults. He has that Arab magnetism that makes me hold my breath for a second. He looks very well cared for as well.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

Not sure how I missed your comment, waresbear, but thank you!


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