# Critique my Dutch Warmblood Gelding



## LexusK (Jan 18, 2013)

This is my coming 5 Dutch Warmblood gelding Lex. Critiques wanted please!


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

Awful angles for critique, make him look VERY awkward. Very uphill, camped out behind, neck ties in funny to his head. Maybe toes out in the front? Over at the knee, HUGE withers.

But, like I said, awful angles.


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## LexusK (Jan 18, 2013)

alexischristina said:


> Awful angles for critique, make him look VERY awkward. Very uphill, camped out behind, neck ties in funny to his head. Maybe toes out in the front? Over at the knee, HUGE withers.
> 
> But, like I said, awful angles.


Thank you, and yes he is very hard to photograph!


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## LexusK (Jan 18, 2013)

And I am the first to admit that he is a very awkward little ******


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

As mentioned, the photos aren't very good. I noticed he's not branded, what's his breeding?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## LexusK (Jan 18, 2013)

You are correct, he is not branded or registered. He is dutch warmblood x tb (sire is Diamond K of Ashland Farms in Ashton, ON) and his mother is a thoroughbred cross. I purchased him from Jody Fraser of Byden Farm last January


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## LexusK (Jan 18, 2013)

I apologize for the bad angles, hopefully one day my three year old will be able to help me take better pictures


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## teamfire (May 27, 2011)

Try standing closer to hindquarters next time, not his shoulder.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

In every photo this horse wants to stand with his hind legs out behind him which says to me that he has angle issue in his back legs. His hocks are high and his cannons are long... and I believe he would have sickle hocks if set up square. He also appears to have small, round, hocks. 

His shoulder looks OK and his point of shoulder is set adequately high. His neck ties in nice and high.. and if he had a better hind leg I would say, "Dressage Horse" and I would mean higher levels. 

His front legs are OK. Wish he had more bone. His topline is OK. I think he may be a bit long through the coupling. His withers are quite high.. how is he to fit a saddle to?

He looks to have inherited Thoroughbred bone and poor angles in his hind legs coupled with nice, large, warm blood feet. His body is more warm blood with Thoroughbred withers. His head is a nice mix of Thoroughbred and warm blood. 

Better photos, with the horse on the level and not stretched out (if you can get him to not stretch out.. I think his conformation makes him stand this way) would yield a more accurate (and perhaps less critical) critique.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with Elana about his shoulder. It is far too steep for a dressage horse, and even with better hind limb conformation, this would be very limiting in the dressage ring. If you look at modern dressage horses and old style baroque horses the neck is set high on a sloped shoulder so the line of the base of the neck from bottom to top is closer to horizontal then vertical.

I will agree about his hind end, but I don't think squaring him up will help the hocks. They are very small and round. I think the stance problems stem from the hocks, or even the stifles. I would say low level hunter and training level dressage on this guy. And depending on his feet, he could be a sturdy trail horse.

Good luck! He looks like a sweety 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Brenna Lee (Aug 10, 2012)

I'm no person to critique, but he is a looker!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I think this horse leaning forward like he is in these photos really impacts the look of his shoulder making it look steeper than it is. I did not mean to imply this horse, if he had a better propulsion unit, would be world class. I think he would be.. adequate (which is a bit shy of spectacular).


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## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

All I can give you, and I know this is "frowned upon", so I usually JUST READ and don't comment, (though I am REALLY trying to learn by coming to these threads) is that his coloring is absolutely gorgeous and he looks like a very kind boy...Ok, back to the experts! :0)


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