# Halter bred 2 yo QH Gelding



## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

Here are more photos of him in his element and not so beefy for the halter ring. Also these show his pasterns and hooves in a much, much better light than the show pics - where he looks much more upright.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

He has an upright shoulder, making his ride as smooth as a jackhammer. His legs are pencil thin and he is WAY straight through his hocks.

He is cute but he is NOT a working horse. He would not be able to withstand the work and may have a difficult time doing low level dressage.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

The straightness of his back legs would worry me. Post legs don't lend well to longevity and soundness, nor to impulsion and working from behind for dressage. Just my opinion though.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

I'm going to have to disagree with some of this. The horse has faults, but I don't think they are deal breakers. Obviously, Starlite likes the look of a halter horse. For low level dressage and trail riding, temperament is going to trump conformation. Good luck if you go for this youngster.


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## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

whisperbaby22 said:


> I'm going to have to disagree with some of this. The horse has faults, but I don't think they are deal breakers. Obviously, Starlite likes the look of a halter horse. For low level dressage and trail riding, temperament is going to trump conformation. Good luck if you go for this youngster.


exactly my thoughts. I am literally going to be "doing dressage" in the realm of what HE is capable of - mainly teaching him to connect and round in his back, push from behind..etc. again - at a level that he is physically capable of. More for his health - i consider properly executed dressage a form of yoga for horses in that they are more aware and connected to their bodies and able to use it more efficiently. Trail riding and putzing along are the main priorities though. 

Obviously his frame and build are totally foreign to me - since i am used to warmbloods. I am concerned about some of it, but cant pinpoint why exactly which is why i need you guys to help me


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Hey I'm not a fan of halter at all, but I do think that he has pretty good bone and feet. Get a bit of that muscle off him and work him in a nice frame and post him again in a few years when he's grown up and see what response you get.


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## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

whisperbaby22 said:


> Hey I'm not a fan of halter at all, but I do think that he has pretty good bone and feet. Get a bit of that muscle off him and work him in a nice frame and post him again in a few years when he's grown up and see what response you get.


Deal! Thank you :clap:


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I should have added to my first post, that the angles behind may lead to unsoundness issues, but they don't guarantee them. Just something to watch and be aware of. My eventing gelding had nearly that straight of a hind end and he was jumping until he was 18, though he got annual hock injections of HA after he turned 16. 
Because a horse has conformation flaws does not exclude them from an activity, but the flaws should be known and that way, worked with, strengthened in other ways, and watched.

From the pic of him trotting out, he looks to have a decent stride and nice movement. And his face is adorbs.


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## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

karliejaye said:


> I should have added to my first post, that the angles behind may lead to unsoundness issues, but they don't guarantee them. Just something to watch and be aware of. My eventing gelding had nearly that straight of a hind end and he was jumping until he was 18, though he got annual hock injections of HA after he turned 16.
> Because a horse has conformation flaws does not exclude them from an activity, but the flaws should be known and that way, worked with, strengthened in other ways, and watched.


Ok, that is really good advice. Thank you!



karliejaye said:


> From the pic of him trotting out, he looks to have a decent stride and nice movement. And his face is adorbs.


I know right? gaaaahhhhhhh :happydance::clap:


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

He is very straight behind and will have a difficult time as a dressage horse. He is also upright through the pasterns. He is very much a Halter Horse. Not a horse I would buy. Very pretty turnout but.. well.. I think I would not get this horse. JMO

When he walks briskly, do his hind hoof prints over reach his front hoof prints by at least 6 inches? I am betting he stepts right in the same track as his front foot. 

In the trotting video his reach with his front foot is as far as it goes.. which is not sufficient for a good extension at the trot.


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## silverxslinky (Jul 23, 2013)

Like other posters, I'm not a fan of his hind end. In addition to being very post legged behind he has a steep croup. He's also fairly downhill. For me this combination would be a dealbreaker.

That said, he is an attractive guy, I like him a lot better than most halter horses I've seen. He has a very pretty head and I really like his intelligent alert expression (though I'm not entirely sure it screams trail horse). Also his forelimbs, while a little light look fairly correct.

I'm sure you're aware that this is going to be a very different ride from a warmblood. However, for what you're looking to do I think you should get plenty of enjoyment out of him 

Best of luck!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I would not buy this horse for riding, even light riding. Not only will his conformation predispose him to soundness issues (tiny feet, tiny bones, very upright all the way around so every ounce of his considerable weight is being jarred onto every joint, which are already small and light), but the way he is built, I'd bet he rides about as smooth as a jackhammer.

By all means, if you have your heart set on him, go for it, but it's not a purchase I would make.


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## jazzy475 (Sep 18, 2014)

smrobs said:


> I would not buy this horse for riding, even light riding. Not only will his conformation predispose him to soundness issues (tiny feet, tiny bones, very upright all the way around so every ounce of his considerable weight is being jarred onto every joint, which are already small and light), but the way he is built, I'd bet he rides about as smooth as a jackhammer.
> 
> By all means, if you have your heart set on him, go for it, but it's not a purchase I would make.


^^^ this, i perfer a big boned horse with good sized feet on them,after all that is their foundation. Without a good foundation you pretty much have nothing. 

Nice looking horse,personally id pass on him.:wink:


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

When looking at riding prospects, halter bred isn't where I would look for one unless they turned out to stray from what they were bred for. This gelding is true to his halter breeding, only meant to tip toe around an area at a walk and jog. Breeding for halter in these current times means that they were bred for a fashionable look and not for function or use under saddle. Performance halter actually focuses conformation and build for actually being able to carry a load and work. He is too upright all over the place and downhill doesn't help him either. His conformation and build make him very prone to arthritis at a young age as well as other soundness problems. Dressage can be like yoga but it doesn't help the feet or lower leg joints where the biggest worries are. 

Personally, for an all around horse for trails and doing dressage work to teach them to use their bodies better, I would suggest looking at ranch bred horses


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

What's his breeding? He's very cute but I have some of the same concerns as other posters about him. However, I have a very halter bred horse that I ride and while he could definitely use some help in the smoothness department, he's got a heart as big as all out doors, tries like nobody's business, can be ridden anywhere, at anytime, by anybody and around mares, geldings, other stallions, doesn't matter. He's never going to be a Gran Prix dressage horse, but at my age, I'm never going to be a Grand Prix dressage rider, so I think we're even.


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## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

I passed on him. I sent his pics to a friend out in Oregon who raises QH's, and she literally begged me not to buy him. That coupled with you guys' opinions just made me second guess it. Thanks for the feedback everyone.


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## hyperkalemic4 (Dec 8, 2014)

'What s the bump on his hock, too low for a throughpin?? Post legged as a lot of halter horses are.


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## Carrie94 (Dec 2, 2014)

He's definitely beautiful, but I know I wouldn't buy him.

With halter horses, looks are deceiving. I too, was tempted to buy a halter horse for riding. I decided against it for several reasons, but largely because I had this nagging feeling that I should steer away from them. They're bred for halter, not performance, and I needed a performance horse. Bones and feet like that don't do well when worked hard.

There can always be an exception, of course, but as a general rule I like to pick horses that are bred to do what I want to do. Safer that way.


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