# Please Critique 3 yr old Paint Gelding



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I'm doing a fairly quick overview, please let me know if you want details - I've probably missed a few things 
Great shoulder, nice neck attachment to the wither, a little low to the chest. Wither is sitting nicely in proportion to the back. Needs a bit more topline to make his back less steep. Pointy hip, steep croup. Fairly low tail set. In the first picture his near side knee looks very swollen. Long pasterns.Clean throatlatch and a nice dainty head. Is built downhill. The bit looks a little high in the cantering picture.
All in all, I really like him - he's fairly well balanced and there's nothing (except the knee) that puts me off about him.

ETA: I only looked at the pictures, didn't look at or critique the videos


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## sunners (May 24, 2008)

Truly, he's built so far down hill. maybe he's bum high and will start to grow up in his front end? I know its your discipline to ride "long and low". But he's not working off his hind end in the show photo. Its just not correct. But I watched a bit of the video and it seems that all riders in your eq classes have their horses moving that way.

The last photo of the bareback is lovely though, he's elevated through the front end.


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## HUS_WP_lovr (Feb 25, 2008)

sunners said:


> Truly, he's built so far down hill. maybe he's bum high and will start to grow up in his front end? I know its your discipline to ride "long and low". But he's not working off his hind end in the show photo. Its just not correct. But I watched a bit of the video and it seems that all riders in your eq classes have their horses moving that way.
> 
> The last photo of the bareback is lovely though, he's elevated through the front end.


Hes built down hill at the moment because he is going through another growth spurt  He is young and a big boy, he is already 16hh and has gone through these out of kilter spurts numerous times now and leveled out.

Yes, long and low is the discipline and he wins it lol.im not sure how one photo can tell you that he is definately not working off his hind end.

If you go throught all of the pasture photos of him cantering and the abrebcak ones he is naturally a very uphill, lifted mover.


Justdressageit-Thanks, I beleive the knee is caused by shadows because in the other photos I took that day he is fine , he wasnt lame, and it isnt swollen now. maybe he did bump it. IDK lol.


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## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

he looks good!!
A little down hill, but if he is going through a growth spurt again he should even up nicely. 

Sunners,
you'd need to see a video to tell if he is working off his hind legs or not...with two pictures you can't tell...he looks good...his back is rounded and he's on the bit nicely


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## sunners (May 24, 2008)

The headset should come from the hind end entirely. Looking from the picture of him stood up to the pictures of him in the show ring, his hind end hasn't really changed in angle. It should be under him more.

But again, I think that's just the entire discipline - long and low and on the forehand.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

sunners said:


> The headset should come from the hind end entirely. Looking from the picture of him stood up to the pictures of him in the show ring, his hind end hasn't really changed in angle. It should be under him more.
> 
> But again, I think that's just the entire discipline - long and low and on the forehand.


Agreed. And you can most definitely tell from a picture whether or not a horse is working off the hind or front end.


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## irisheyes12 (May 19, 2008)

Bloodline wise he's ok. He's off of racing lines on daddy's side but nothing on momma's side jumps out at me. Pretty boy and nice color on him.


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## sandsarita (Jan 20, 2008)

I mainly looked at the videos, and here's what I see. A baby with a lot of potential, but still needs some work. 

First - he needs to relax his neck and stretch it out quite a bit. It's in a good location, but it is tense over the top, and he is on the verge of going behind the vertical. He needs to look like he's reaching for your hands a bit - not nosing out or taking the bit away, but reaching to find that contact. 

Second - he has pretty good drive from the hind end at the canter, but at both the trot and canter, his strides are rushed. He needs to relax into a comfortable rhythm, and stretch his stride length out some. 

To help with the strides I do a lot of two-tracking. When you do that, remember to really be driving them up and into the bit. If you do that, it will help them learn how to use their entire body, elevate their shoulders some, and move them out. Also, to help slow the cadence at the trot slow your post down some. Even though it's not right for eq, try to post behind the movement just a bit, and sit up a little straighter than you would for eq. That generally slows them down some and lets them reach out more also.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

wow is he a cute 3 yr old! 

i see the downhill-ness too but my 4 yr old just grew another spirt and she looked funny for a while but then evened out some ... so i wouldn't worry but yeah if you want to sell him let me know


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## HUS_WP_lovr (Feb 25, 2008)

Thanks guys. Like I said the vidoes are 5-6 months old so he has improved alot in his transitions and his self carriage. He has slowed down a bunch too.

Here is a vdeo taken of him as a late yearling almost a 2 yr old. You can critique his movement without me in the way lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzwUjPYeLKU


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

First off I love the tail. Did you use an extension? very nice! Over all he's a cute guy tho he seems to really be build down hill tho it might just be the angle of the camera as well as the uneven ground. Do you have pictures of him on solid ground?


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## HUS_WP_lovr (Feb 25, 2008)

The tail in the show picture is a fake one but the others it real.
This is back in December when he was a little more evened out.


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## ladybugsgirl (Aug 12, 2009)

I think he is really pretty and seems to be doing great for a three year old.


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## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

Where's his white spot?  so cute! I like him!


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

BaliDoll said:


> Where's his white spot?  so cute! I like him!


I agree about the white spot. I thought you needed more white to show Paint, unless he is breeding stock?

And he is adorable, especially for a bay. Trust me, that's a compliment, because I don't like bays, and your boy is stunning. =]

I agree about being downhill and heavy on the forehand. You can tell from the pictures that he is, but it's common in the discipline you ride in. Just remember, you can be long and low and still be working off the haunches.


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## Thatgirlsacowboy (Aug 17, 2009)

Oh gosh... I am SO jealous! I have got to own one of the ugliest appendix horses with the worst conformation ever. Yours is absolutey GORGEOUS! Am I the only one with an appendix that ISN'T over fifteen hands? My lord... I feel like the minority! haha


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## Mira (Aug 4, 2008)

...
This thread is from 2008.


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