# Critique - Latte



## SallyRC123 (Aug 22, 2008)

Very cute, could do with a little more muscle and a little less belly I believe  Especially by the looks of the side on paddock pic.


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## x Branded Heart x (Jun 17, 2010)

This little mare is such a cutie! And she actually has pretty good conformation too. She is a little overweight though and is lacking muscle definition but that is fixable. 
In terms of the way she is built though, shes good to go! 
She is well proportioned and carries herself nicely (as most arabs do!) . She has a good neck and well proportioned head. And a very pretty face might I add. Big, round eyes and nice, chiseled features. Her shoulder is long and sloping, which will increase the free movement of her forearms and increase the shock absorbsion. < Ignore my bad spelling> She has a nice deep heart girth, a straightback and a flat croup (characteristic to arabians/ good endurance breeds). Her legs are clean, with better muscle definition on the front, a nice long forearm and shorter canons. Her nicely angled pasterns will add for a bit of a spring in her step and good shock absorbsion. Her hind legs look to be a little "camped out" in some of the pictures but it could just be how she is standing. 
She looks to be well taken care of. She is clean, with a nice full mane but a bit of a scrawny tail. Lovely horse though!


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I'm not gonna critique as I don't know the breed well and I honestly think she's a very cute horse, but why is she somewhat on small side? I always had a feeling that arabs are around 15 hh.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Should have added more details, my bad! The paddock pictures were when I went to see her before I got her - Been running with her dam since she was born, and veryyyyy fat! She is in the process of being started hence the lack of muscle and still fat belly, lol. It's winter now so once it starts warming up she will do more work and shed the weight!

Kitten, she just didn't grow! She was bred for racing, her dad is 15.3h and mum is 14.3h - She is just a midget, don't know why! I like it though, I like them smaller. Though where I live there are lots of arabs around 14.1-14.3 - Wildey, my other Arab, is 14.1h.

Thanks guys! Keep 'em coming!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Oh and yes, she rubs her tail out itching - Worst tail I have ever had!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

The only 2 things that stick out to me is that she seems to stand just a bit camped out, though that could be just the angle of the pix. Also, her neck is pretty short. Other than that, I have nothing bad to say about the little darling. I can't wait for pix from next summer when you literally work her butt off. 

On a good note, she is a very solid little horse and looks much bigger than 13.3 under saddle. Her legs and feet are nice and big and straight. Her pasterns are a good length and have a nice slope. Her shoulder and croup have a nice slope as well. Pair her with the right stally and you will have yourself one heck of a nice foal.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I'm hoping to pair her with one of a few ASH sons of a horse call Palmers Fort Abdul - Either Bryjen Fort Talon, Win D Fortitude, or Waylon J Justice - All are really nice, solid horses who are pretty enough to show but can also work cattle, and have also proven to cross really well on Arab mares. This is Win D Fortitude - he is being campaigned in Campdrafting by a guy I know - And the other two look very much the same:



















M Jay Australian Stockhorse Stud | Stallions

Of course, this won't be until fiurther down the track when she is working well and I have gotten some performance on her.

What is camped out again?


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## x Branded Heart x (Jun 17, 2010)

_Camped out is when the cannon bone is not perpendicular to the ground, but are angled behind the hock. And that stud is a stunner! 
_


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

When her back legs don't angle like they should, they are a bit out behind her when her cannon bone is verticle.

Ideal conformation:









Camped out:









But, like I said, it could be the angle of the pic playing tricks on me. 

Can I just say that I absolutely adore the ASH breed? Every one that I have ever seen is gorgeous and has nice solid using conformation that I wish the AQHA would encourage.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Ah, right - thanks! I always get the terms mixed up!

Thanks! I do too  They are just such versatile, good using horses with lovely temperaments. Because we are a relatively new breed (At least compared to the QH) they haven't started breeding for extremes yet - I hope they never do. Of course, there are a lot of ASH out there who have noodle necks and blocky heads, but the majority of them are just really nice horses. It is so hard narrowing down studs - But I have always had a soft spot for Abduls progeny - They are all stamped so strongly you couldn't mistake one and some of the sons progeny is just stunning. I actually think all is sons I know of (About 5 I think) Are ALL black - What a record - And all have the lovely neck and head.

* And a bit of trivia - The first ASH stallion to be exported to Canada, and who is now doing really well in working cow horse events (Also one of my favourites) is another Palmers Fort Abdul son - And lo and behold, he is beautiful and black as well! 

This is him, Cadabra:



















Wow, I really just took over my own thread, lol!

So, back to Latte... lol...


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Actually, the big Arab thing is fairly new - 40 years ago, a 15.2hh Arab was a monster! :lol: Now they've got them pushing 16hh and over!

The old bloodlines all stood in the mid 14hh range, right around pony height, especially the Egyptian Arabs. The European bloodlines tend to run much bigger, although *Raffles was from Crabbet Stud in England and he was only 13.3hh!

/ end Arab history lesson, LOL

I think she's absolutely adorable. It's hard to judge her exact conformation, but quite frankly, the Arab stamp is so strong it's rare to find blinding conformation faults in them. I think she'd cross beautifully with the studs you posted!


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

She has a beautiful head. I love a good clean cut Arab face. For some reason, to me it looks as though her front legs are too wideset. Could be the way she's standing. Do you have any of her straight on? I'm not terrible familiar with Arab conformation as a whole, as I have mostly Paints and Quarters, but those front legs just kept nagging at the back of my mind...


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

She does have quite a big chest for a little pony - I'll see if I can find any front on shots for you.

Thanks guys!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Coming from someone who does a lot of ranch work and a stout horse is a must-have, I much prefer a horse with a nice broad chest and legs set a little wide. That is so much better for their balance and versatility than a horse with both legs coming out the same pants leg LOL.

I hate horses who stand like this sorrel.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Ok, these are the closest I have to a front on shot:

She is on the right in this one:


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

That is bizarre, Smrobs! What a poor, awkard looking animal.

I've always had horses with quite large chests (Bundy's is Huuuuuuge) so I guess I don't even notice now lol.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have a picture taken with my family that made me really notice it. My nephew's horse (the sorrel) has legs that come out of his chest really close together and my first thought was "Ew, no wonder he's clumsy" LOL. All the rest of ours have nice wide chests.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Wow, what a contrast! I don't think i've ever seen such a small chest, how bizarre!


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## x Branded Heart x (Jun 17, 2010)

Just to add to the wide chests and deep heart girth, 
it's actually better for their breathing believe it or not. A lot roomier for the lungs! 
And I absolutely love that buckskin in the picture you posted!


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

It was the pic where she is looking over her shoulder that got me. But looking again, I think she may have had her leg twisted out in a funny way.


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## payette (Jun 3, 2010)

What a doll. She is a gorgeous little thing, and will cross nicely with the stallions you are looking at.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

wild_spot said:


> Kitten, *she just didn't grow! She was bred for racing, her dad is 15.3h and mum is 14.3h - She is just a midget, don't know why! *I like it though, I like them smaller. Though where I live there are lots of arabs around 14.1-14.3 - Wildey, my other Arab, is 14.1h.


Wow! Mother Nature definitely has its own ways to deal with creatures. My neighbor's qh is like that too - he's I believe 14 hh even though should be 14'3 - 15. She calls him qh pony (although he's just real qh with papers, just didn't grow :wink: ). 

Just curious, did you try the string measurements on her and what do they say? I remember I was keep measuring and re-measuring my qh, because she was TINY when I got her (lack of proper feed, care, and turnout), so I was afraid she'll be pony size (and I'm tall, taller then you). But despite all bad gossip from the former BO the measurements kept giving me 14'3 (and that's what she is now with proper care  ).


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Nope, haven't done the proper measurements, just sticked her one day at PC. Her owner keeps hoping she'll grow, lol. I don't think she'll grow much more, but I like her height so it's all good :]


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