# Mare Conformation Critique



## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

Hi, It's been a long time since I've been on. I've put this up for when she was two for everyone to do a Conformation Critique. She's a 4 year old mare. American Quarter Horse. I just want to know what everyone else sees is a fault of hers. Also any input on her color would be nice.

I know three things. Her necks tied a little high and she'll need special shoes to bring up her front hooves. She's also a little toed in. This is from the horse trainer I sent her to to get trained. Ronnie Sims. 

She's not as longed back as she looks in the photos. I was in a rush when taking them and she is not sloped either just the way the ground is tilted. she's also standing with her back feet under her which she really doesn't. I was trying to direct her with no halter on and it didn't work. Sorry of the slopy pics.


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## silverslinky (Mar 9, 2013)

First impression is that she's a very cute horse in a lovely color. Looks more like an apendix type than anything.
Cute head, a touch thick in the throatlatch. Her neck actually looks like it ties in a bit low to me, as opposed to tying in high. She doesn't seem to have much neck/chest definition. Her shoulder very upright and disproportionately small, though I like her topline, and she looks like she is at least level. She has a nice hind end too, though it's not huge like a lot of stock horses. Her back legs unfortunately, are notably sickle hocked. Her front legs look fine, aside from her pasterns which are far far far too sloped. This is the most concerning conformational feature this mare has to me.

I'm assuming when your trainer said the mare will need special shoeing he's referring to those front feet, particularly the heels. Her heels to me do not look to low, they look underrun. meaning that the hoof at the back of the foot is growing forward at too steep an angle. Generally this is corrected by shortening the toe, which looks far to long in these pictures anyway. If you move the breakover point farther back the heel should start growing down instead of forward and you may get the wonky pastern angles sorted.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

He probably did say her neck is low. I can't exactly remember. I'm planning to use her for barrels. I know a lot of people are against her doing barrels. Trainer said she maybe good to do them but as he's a cutting horse trainer and competer he wasn't a 100% sure. She'll be off to the barrel trainer once 5 years old. Tanya Rhems (I'm not sure if I'm spelling her last name right) Told me to bring her up there and she will look her over. I asked to send pictures but she said that doesn't do the horses justice and she'll need to ride her first before say no or yes about her being a barrel horse.

Oh, she's full blooded AQH.


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## silverslinky (Mar 9, 2013)

HopalongCassidy said:


> He probably did say her neck is low. I can't exactly remember. I'm planning to use her for barrels. I know a lot of people are against her doing barrels. Trainer said she maybe good to do them but as he's a cutting horse trainer and competer he wasn't a 100% sure. She'll be off to the barrel trainer once 5 years old. Tanya Rhems (I'm not sure if I'm spelling her last name right) Told me to bring her up there and she will look her over. I asked to send pictures but she said that doesn't do the horses justice and she'll need to ride her first before say no or yes about her being a barrel horse.
> 
> Oh, she's full blooded AQH.


I know absolutely nothing about barrel racing, but to me this horse looks fast, like she has the ability to accelerate quickly (steeper shoulder can indicate that), and like she'll be able to get down around the barrels (she's just the tiniest bit steep/short in the hind which can indicate that).

Just get the pasterns sorted and I would guess that she would be very competitive.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Her color is brown roan (also known as purple roan I believe).
You can't "sort out" the pasterns, I find them very concerning and don't know if she would hold up for barrels. Downhill, steep shoulder. It looks like she is trying not to fall on her face almost. I'd like to see her a little heftier but she is young still and may fill out.
She is super adorable and I would love to see her in my backyard. She looks like a sweetheart!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

so.. this mare.. one of the issues is how she is posed. In none of the photos is she posed with her front leg plumb. This makes her somewhat inadequate and steep shoulder seem more steep. She may not be able to stand with her front leg plumb.. she looks to be naturally camped under. 

She is sickle hocked. In the one photo where she has her hind leg posed where it should be, she shows a nice low, roomy hock that is sickled. It would be a little better if her hoof did not have a stone under the toe which dropped her heel.. accentuating the sickle. In all the other photos she naturally stands with her rear leg camped under like most sickle hocked horses do. 

She is built more level than she appears. Her peak of croup is a bit far back and her croup is a little steep. She is long in the coupling. 

Her neck is set low. The "x" shows where her neck should come out on the bottom (this is a common issue with Quarter horses) and the top of her neck comes out low from the withers. She is slightly ewe necked. Slightly.. but it is there. 

Her withers carry nicely into her back. Her hocks and knees are nice and low. Her feet need better trimming (the toe needs to come off those fronts! she is bit under run in her heels front and back). 

From the front she is nice and straight. There is no rear shot but it looks like her hind leg is normal and she has the normal toe out behind indicating a correct spiral. 

I wish she had more bone. 

Pretty color.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

This may help if I explain the pictures. Non are on level ground. 

The first one she is slightly down hill. Other then that it's the best picture. 
The second one I'm at an angle taking the picture. Her legs aren't right in the back either. 
The third one. (Just horrible) But she's doesn't naturally stand with her legs under her. I was backing her up plus she bent a little in the neck. 
The fourth one well not the best pick ever.
And the fifth one is just of her front in. 

She's is very speedy, Silverslinky. I'll try getting more pics of her. I'm not sure if it will help any. I've already been told she will need bars to lift the back of her heels up by the trainer.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

Here's a long ago thread on her

http://www.horseforum.com/barrel-racing/my-new-barrel-horse-what-do-105807/

Also her hooves haven't been trimmed yet.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

While the photos here are not well set up, she is still sickle hocked. I looked at the old thread and she is sickled hocked there too and I agree with most of what is said on that thread. It is what it is. 

Interesting that on the old thread the _same thing_ was said about her feet being long toed and low heeled. While she may be due for a trim in these photos on this thread, she still has the same long toes and low heels issue. Whoever is trimming her feet needs to changed or needs to learn to not trim her so slipper footed. As light as her bone is, the slipper footedness puts strain on her tendons. It really would be best for the horse's longevity in competition to address this. 

She is what she is.. as I have said before and will say again, "Tops may come but bottoms never." She has matured but her legs are the same legs.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

Thank you ever one for you information! I'll update once she goes and sees the Barrel trainer. At the moment she's just a riding mare. Also she can carrier plenty of weight and is fine. Surprisingly she is a really smooth ride. She's not at all bump. She'll go to the barrel trainer around May or June of next year. I planned to get her trained but since she may not work out that away I'm going to wait and see what the Barrel trainer says. Thanks again.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

It would be nice to see better pictures, maybe when she's a little older and has a little more weight (bulk).


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

I'll see what I can do for her. I'm fading her well and she's still growing. She ahs access to hay all day and we planted winter wheat. Some riding her would be nice but the ground is to wet.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

It's expose to say feeding.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Her weight it's fine, it's more her build I am talking about. She might bulk up and have the more typical QH build since she is young still, or she might stay this way, which isn't a bad thing but isn't really what you want for a QH. Sorry for the confusion 
Just wanted to mention she looks a lot like a little Arab/Paint cross I know, minus the roan. Same face, especially when she was younger (she's darkened a lot!). I really do like her lol.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

I need help identifying her straight shoulder I know it maybe obvious to someone who know how to look for it. I see the sickled hock and the neck tied low and Camped slightly.

And I see her legs need more built to them. Maybe I'll start walking her up the mountain.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

I know first thought that came into my head was Arabian for that face of hers! Her mother had the same lank body. not built like a QHA horse at all. If I add up all the time she's ever been rode It would amount to 1 month and a half maybe two. the trainer only rode her 20 minutes a day she was pretty weak when we took her up there but he put some muscle and weigh on her for a month then started her training the next month. I need to start riding to build her up but it's just been way to wet.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

Elana said:


> so.. this mare.. one of the issues is how she is posed. In none of the photos is she posed with her front leg plumb. This makes her somewhat inadequate and steep shoulder seem more steep. She may not be able to stand with her front leg plumb.. she looks to be naturally camped under.
> 
> She is sickle hocked. In the one photo where she has her hind leg posed where it should be, she shows a nice low, roomy hock that is sickled. It would be a little better if her hoof did not have a stone under the toe which dropped her heel.. accentuating the sickle. In all the other photos she naturally stands with her rear leg camped under like most sickle hocked horses do.
> 
> ...


Could you tell me what you mean by more bone?


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Bone is the substance of the legs. 

Here are two images. The Bay/seal brown horse has light bone, small hocks and is tied in at the knee and hocks and knees are too high making for long cannons AND light bone. 

The black has nearly perfect conformation IMO. Strong everywhere, correct and nice low knees and hocks. Good Bone. (he is the Australian Racing champion Lonhro so he is not only built well but fast). 

BTW the poses are good hear. The bay/seal brown horse could stand to have his near front leg further ahead so it is plumb.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Here is another Light Bone horse. The breed is actually not large and is light and fast.. the Akhal Teke. An interesting breed of horse.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Interesting, the first two are both TBs? So different. They are both very nice but it's interesting picking apart confo on a nice horse. How tall is Lonhro? (Tangent..who names a horse "Mental"?)

Akhal Teke's are supposed to be light and elegant. Like hearing "fine boned Arabs", while some are the normal is "fine" compared to some. It is different in some breeds I believe, and you also want breed type. You want a QH to have nice bone.

I was going to ask something but don't remember...

Sorry for hijacking just interested


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I just provided light bone so it could be seen. 
I won't get into the rest. Thread hijacker I am not. 

Save the photos into your hard drive and past the photos into another thread and we can kick them around.


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## horseluver250 (Oct 28, 2009)

She sure is adorable! The huge thing that's stands out about her to me are those front feet. Her heel needs to be brought up so her tendons aren't so strained. Her whole front leg looks a lot like my mare's.


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## HopalongCassidy (Dec 19, 2010)

Yes horseluver we are getting her shoes that will have lifts on the back. It's hard to find a really good farrier and I don't want just anyone doing her hooves.


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