# Critique for this boy?



## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

This is Buddy, he is about 14.2 hands and foundation Appaloosa bred, with a few other breeds up close. I have my barn blinders on so I am just looking for an honest critique of him. I just started him under saddle again and am very open to whatever discipline he might be suited for. Buddy is fourteen years old. Thanks in advance.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

I won't give a real critique, but he sure does look like a sturdy little guy! I like him a lot.


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## Tryst (Feb 8, 2012)

Cute little guy! I love how sturdy he looks. He is pretty long backed and shoulder looks quite upright with low point of shoulder (probably not the smoothest ride), but he still has a definite cuteness factor to him.


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Thanks! He is a nice guy, definitely true about the short stride. Here is another angle.


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Him after a work out.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

Man, he's a cutie! I don't think he has a long back, I think his neck is just short which makes it appear long. His head and neck are both large compared with the rest of him - does he had draft in there somewhere?


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## CrossCountry (May 18, 2013)

His tail is so fluffy.. I'm no good at conformation, but I really like him.


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

His head and neck makes me think there's Draft too. xD He's definitely pretty! What discipline are you wanting to get into?


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

maybe a tad cow hocked. from the rear shot, he needs more weight, his hind end is lite compared to his front end.. but.. He is darned cute !!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

In the image from behind, this horse is a bit thin. He is a stocky type and needs more weight. He has "Poverty lines" in the from behind photo. He also stands close behind so may interfere hoof to fetlock. He is very very slightly cow hocked. 

He looks like he has not been cut from the thickness of his neck. Is he a stud? He should not be. His neck is set high and thick based and stud cresty. It ties in high to his withers and correctly to his chest. His shoulder is barely adequate but allows his front legs to set forward which can only help his movement. 

The biggest issue with this horse is his length of barrel with a point of croup and sacroiliac set too far back. This coupled with a high tail set makes for a long loin (coupling) and a weak rear end. He is also quite straight through the hock and his hocks and knees are set a bit high. His bone is adequate and his pasterns are short and stiff looking. His hocks are only slightly higher than his knees (a good thing) and he may ride up hill between this and his neck set although he is built down hill. 

He is a nice enough horse. He would look a lot better trimmed up. For an Appaloosa he has a much too thick mane and tail (they are known for the whispy tail and mane as a breed characteristic). For a "foundation bred" horse he looks to have a good dose of Pony in him.. almost looks like Welsh Mountain Pony Cross. Cute enough horse and a very pretty color he looks as if he could pack you over trails and over land quite well.


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## TimWhit91 (Feb 3, 2012)

This is the curly stud that sired your filly right? He is cute, but elana has listed his issues nicely
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Buddy goes back to Chief of Fourmile, as far as Appaloosas go. He has distant Arabian relatives, Nevada Red, who is a product of Nafix, out of Bint Nabiya. Among that, like all Curlies, he was originally bred from the Mustang. So he has the influence of draft, among many other breeds and types in his bloodlines. Any of the breeds I've mentioned play a part in his type, even though I first only mentioned Appys, but like everyone has seen there is more going on there.

Thank you all so much for your critique of him. I very much appreciate it. Just by looking at him and watching him move, I could tell there was something in his shoulder that was different, but I really couldn't put my finger on it.

Buddy is a stallion, and for those of you that know he did sire my now yearling filly. I do have one mare in foal to him for April of next year. His foals certainly exceed him in quality, which is any breeders goal to get better quality animals through the generations. 

I do own him now, so my plan is to breed him this year, and once again next year, but after that I am looking to possibly geld him and find another stallion. (Partially due to the fact that I retained his filly, as well as own his marvelous half sister.) This fall I am sending him to a trainer, and I am going to hopefully show him next summer in open shows. 

He was also started on a quality grain a few weeks ago to help with his weight gain. He dropped a bit of weight when I had a gelding in the paddock next to his for a month. He would often pace the fence. Now he is next to an old mare and her donkey companion. He is great in fences, and hardly gives them any trouble. 

Also to mention, he is a very gentle, easy to handle stallion. I restarted him under saddle myself, and he has taken to it very well, though I am going to opt for a professional to finish him out. He has done marvelously. He also throws an amazing disposition and trainability onto his foals. I have bred him to mares that will compliment him. The mare he is bred to this year is a maiden, who is sturdy, wide, and tall. I do believe they will have a foal closer to Buddy's size, of moderate build. The mare's line tends to be very consistent in the width and muscle they throw, so fingers crossed.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

As I mentioned.. he is not stud material. If you could cut him off at mid barrel and put a different rear end on him.. he might be... but I would not ever breed a horse with this poor conformation behind. 

That said, he is your horse and you will do what you want. I see too many nice horses out there.. better than this one.. that are up for next to nothing.. or even at auction.. there just is no need to breed anything unless it is truly exceptional. Buddy is a nice enough horse but he is not exceptional. JMO. No one need agree.


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## Tryst (Feb 8, 2012)

Yes, knowing he is a stallion, and one that you are actively breeding, changes how I critique a horse significantly. No bashing intended, but to me only the best and most correctly conformed horses should be bred, and as cute as he is your boy is he has numerous moderate to serious faults that I would never want passed on to the next generation, even if he does improve on himself. There are so many nice horses out there to breed to, why breed mediocre?

To me he has the look of a 4H horse. Cute as a bug, rough ride, lots of faults, good for packing people around, but certainly not to breed.

Of course, as others said... Your horse, you will do what you like. Please ask yourself what he brings to the progeny he produces though in terms of structure?


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Tryst said:


> To me he has the look of a 4H horse. Cute as a bug, rough ride, lots of faults, good for packing people around, but certainly not to breed.


THAT nails it.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

The OP made an informed decision when they decided to breed and never asked whether he was breeding quality or not, so I'm not going to comment.

I will say he is very attractive in general, and I think putting a bit of weight on him and doing some hill work will help his hind quarter and make him look more balanced over all.


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## Tryst (Feb 8, 2012)

BlueSpark said:


> The OP....never asked whether he was breeding quality or not.


She asked for honest critiques in the OP. Knowing that he is a stallion that she is breeding an honest critique to me includes "should this horse be bred?". 

No one has been rude, we have simply given "honest critiques".


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

OP admitted to being Barn Blind and wanted honesty. I will add that most ppl who ARE "Barn Blind" really want you to say, "Oh how great!" and usually because they have already bred the horse(s)! Same goes for Kennel Blind with dogs. 

I looked at the horse and noted he looked like a stud and should not be in my first critique. I was correct... he *is* a stud. He should not be. 

He should have been gelded 13 years ago IMO and then used for packing hunting parties up into the mountains. He was probably kept studly for his color. As it was he was not only kept a stud, he was not broken, worked, used or shown.. so he is really _just an untrained horse and not stallion material at 14 years old!_

It is not rude to honestly critique a horse put up on a Conformation Critique _including breedability_. The critique should always be tougher for studs and mares that someone mentions they are going to breed.. and especially so for studs because of their ability to spread their genes around a lot. Even if a stud is never used for breeding, as long as he has gonads I will call them like I see them.. and be clear and honest but not "rude." 

I do not critique the horses on the Picture Forum (for instance).


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> No one has been rude


 I didn't say they had. I just said that the op didn't ask for a breeding critique, so I wasn't going to comment on that.

I find it gets pretty redundant. If its not sterilized, people get breeding advice, and it is almost always the exact same thing. We should almost have a "read this first" statement telling people, if it has any significant faults, no papers, less than world class bloodlines, any chance of hereditary issues, temperament problems or hasn't proven itself, it should not be bred. We could even include the cliche'd but accurate phrase "a good stallion makes a great gelding". Then we can stop repeating it on every thread.

I very much respect the critiques and information given by the other posters on this thread(and area of the forum), the breeding portion just seems very repetitive, that's all.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Yes. It is repetitive. The reason it is repeated is so many horses are bred that should not be.


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

I want to thank you all for your critique. I did ask for honesty, and that is exactly what I got. I am not offended in any way for people pointing out his flaws, that is exactly what I needed, no more no less.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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