# Quarterhorse critique?



## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

So, I'm selling my 4 year old, unregistered Quarterhorse gelding Jaxxon.

Can I get some general critique's on him? I know he's changed a lot from last time I posted him up. 

He's four years old
Quarterhorse
Tapes at 15 hands even
Only been gelded since August 3rd
Rides like a gaited horse (he's a super smooth ride)


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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

Very upright shoulder
Sufficient depth through the chest
Nothing terribly wrong with his front legs, apart from his pasterns being a tad long with too much angle
Short back, but not necessarily a bad thing
Typical QH bum- sharp slope to the croup but plenty of room to develope
He appears to be cowhocked, quite so in the hind left foot
Slightly sickle-hocked as well


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

Britt said:


> So, I'm selling my 4 year old, unregistered Quarterhorse gelding Jaxxon.
> 
> Can I get some general critique's on him? I know he's changed a lot from last time I posted him up.
> 
> ...


Is he standing on absolutely flat land in all the pics? If so, I love that he is not downhilll, and is leaning more to being uphill in his topline. He's got a great set of withers and placed further into his back, which I like, but he does have a very open angle to his shoulder (meaning steep). I love the shorter back and set to his hock, really nice. What I don't like is his neck...the length, shape and how he ties in really high in his chest. Hiis legs, he had adequate bone for his size. His pasterns aren't overly long, although if I want to be picky...I'd like to see them a 1/2" shorter...LOL. He could use some major muscling in his hip through correct work because he's front heavy right now...with not much in the way of muscle development in the hind end. If you get that "angular" look to his hip...developed with smooth muscle...that hip will be a knock out, and match better with his front end.


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## TheLastUnicorn (Jun 11, 2010)

I see a rather steep shoulder slope, it appears he may be back at the knee a bit, his pasterns do look long to me. I can't decide if he is lacking pelvic length or if it is just the construction of his hindquarter and the camera angle giving the impression of a weak hind end. 

He does appear to have a good length of back, and a short loin, adequate shoulder angle, he also has a nice amount of bone for his body.


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## hrh (Oct 29, 2012)

He seems to be a bit narrow all over for a quarter horse. He has good sized feet for his body though. He needs to fill out some, but that could come naturally with age.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

He is standing on level ground, GotADunQH... or mostly level, there may be a very slight slope, as it is right before a hill, but he is level throughout the back regardless.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

He hasn't been worked consistently at all this year, too, which is the reasoning for the lack of muscle.


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

If i lived closer and had the space i would totally take him he is handsome! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AceIsHigh (Oct 29, 2012)

Steep shoulder, long pasterns, neck ties in funny and is shaped odd, does anyone else think his head is short - as in he needs a little bit longer nose? He's got the so Fugly its cute look


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

Not to hijack the thread or anything but I'm a bit confused - I've always understood that the neck tying in high is preferable to a neck that ties in low as it allows for greater freedom of the shoulder and a lighter look and feel. But some of the posts in this thread seem to suggest it's not a good thing. I'm very unfamiliar with the Western and QH spheres - is this considered a fault more in them than in English riding and that's why it's mentioned in relation to this horse? Could someone please clear this up for me and explain what effect it has on the horse? Thank you! 

Btw Britt, he's a total cutie!


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

BarrelracingArabian said:


> If i lived closer and had the space i would totally take him he is handsome!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Lol, thanks! I think I've got several people interested in him right now, and one is scheduled to come see hi on Friday and just asked if he could bring a trailer in case he decides he wants him, lol...



AceIsHigh said:


> Steep shoulder, long pasterns, neck ties in funny and is shaped odd, does anyone else think his head is short - as in he needs a little bit longer nose? He's got the so Fugly its cute look


He's got that typical QH head. It's not short, it's cute, lol. I don't think he's fugly at all. Lol.



EvilHorseOfDoom said:


> Not to hijack the thread or anything but I'm a bit confused - I've always understood that the neck tying in high is preferable to a neck that ties in low as it allows for greater freedom of the shoulder and a lighter look and feel. But some of the posts in this thread seem to suggest it's not a good thing. I'm very unfamiliar with the Western and QH spheres - is this considered a fault more in them than in English riding and that's why it's mentioned in relation to this horse? Could someone please clear this up for me and explain what effect it has on the horse? Thank you!
> 
> Btw Britt, he's a total cutie!


I'm actually a little confused, too. I've always heard (from this forum) that a neck that ties in low is bad, so isn't it a good thing his neck ties in higher?


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## TheLastUnicorn (Jun 11, 2010)

Yes it is, this guy is really borderline, for me. Remember, every aspect of conformation acts WITH the other traits the horse has... Nothing works on it's own... So it is possible to have a neck tie in a bit low, but not actually impede how the animal goes if the rest of his conformation is strong... Just as it is possible for a horse with a great neck to still struggle with balance if the rest of them is weak.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

The chest/neck tie-in.....I do not like a high tie in. I'm a WP person and many times a high tie-in comes with a straight shoulder which is not conducive for the horse to go level with a nice break at the withers. A lower tie-in, allows the horse to get level and hang that head right out there.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Okay. Well, he's just a trail horse, so... for that, I guess it really doesn't much matter?


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## TheLastUnicorn (Jun 11, 2010)

Not really, no... He isn't the lowest I've seen either... He's sort of right on the cusp. I wouldn't want it any lower... The lower it is the heavier on the forehand the horse tends to be, Even if the horse is mostly level in balance through the rest of the body.

Too high a neckset has it's own issues too, it makes it harder for the horse to reach down and out... Thus creating more of a carriagey movement up front. This becomes exaggerated if the horse also has a steep slope to the shoulder. 

A horse with correct neckset should be able to lower and raise the forehand as needed, rather than being predisposed to doing either. Generally, I think of "correct" conformation as conformation which will not inhibit the horse from any activity... Ultimately they could excell at anything with the proper training and mental willingness to do it.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

TheLastUnicorn said:


> Not really, no... He isn't the lowest I've seen either... He's sort of right on the cusp. I wouldn't want it any lower... *The lower it is the heavier on the forehand the horse tends to be, Even if the horse is mostly level in balance through the rest of the body.*
> 
> Too high a neckset has it's own issues too, it makes it harder for the horse to reach down and out... Thus creating more of a carriagey movement up front. This becomes exaggerated if the horse also has a steep slope to the shoulder.
> 
> A horse with correct neckset should be able to lower and raise the forehand as needed, rather than being predisposed to doing either. Generally, I think of "correct" conformation as conformation which will not inhibit the horse from any activity... Ultimately they could excell at anything with the proper training and mental willingness to do it.


 
But with correct training and riding....this won't happen. ANY horse will travel on the forehand IF it's not trained correctly and ridden correctly.


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## SaddleOnline (Oct 20, 2011)

I think he is cute! He looks like a sturdy guy that would be fun on the trails. His shoulder is a bit upright, and he seems to toe out to varying degrees on at least three legs, but nothing super scary. He isn't very balanced in the sense that he looks to have very little behind and more up front, but that can be improved with proper work! Since you said his job is to be a trail horse and kind of all around stuff, I think he looks great for that! Not super fancy but very cute and looks able to do his job well! 

p.s. being a dressage rider, I prefer a higher neck set, but I can see where you are coming from with the WP angle  

Best of luck selling him!


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Thanks!

He has never really been in consistent riding work, he's just an 'extra' around here that we ride if we choose to... which is part of the reason I'm selling him also, as he's young and a great horse, and I just don't have the time/funds for him. He lacks a LOT of muscling in his bum, but with trot-work, it should build up.


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## TheLastUnicorn (Jun 11, 2010)

GotaDunQH said:


> But with correct training and riding....this won't happen. ANY horse will travel on the forehand IF it's not trained correctly and ridden correctly.


I was referring to the degree in which they do so, in their natural state... Good conformation is good conformation because it makes having a correct way of going easier for the horse. Horses with as close to ideal conformation as possible will almost always have amazing self carriage, without any training at all. It is often what makes them truly standout, as that self carriage translates to amazing movement and overall look of balance, agility and athletic ability.


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

Not a fan of the hairstyle, but otherwise he looks nice.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

The braids? Or the shortness? When I first got him, he had a 'baby mane'... super soft and tangly... so I roached it off to let it grow back, and it's finally grown back. As for the braids, those are pasture braids. I took them out a few days later and then never remembered to redo them! Lol


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