# Quarter Horse Judging



## Allegro (Nov 16, 2012)

So I am needing to get some practice on horse judging and I would love to hear what you think about these guys....

They are quarter horse geldings.








Horse 1







Horse 2







Horse 3







Horse 4

I would place them 4132. Please let me know how you would place them. Also, I am horrible at trying to figure out where to place the horses. I don't know if that makes sense, but I am usually pretty good at figuring out whats wrong with them, I just never seem to be able to place them in the right order. If you guys have any tips/pointers, please let me know!


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

First horse is not my pick for a riding animal. He looks to be heavily halter bred, which can be explained by the posty hind legs and the scary pastern angles. He's my least favorite by far. 

The first buckskin is my second pick. He appears to have adequate hindquarter strength, a well-angled shoulder, and clean front legs. His back legs are faulty, however. 

The third horse is decent. Has a nice heartgirth depth, nice shoulder, and strong back. I can't see his legs well enough to critique them. If I had to guess, he's probably your least favorite because of the short, obvious bull neck. He may also have a goose rump. 

Fourth is my favorite. Downhill, yes, but it looks like he has some growing to do yet. It may level out. He has clean legs, a great heartgirth, strong back and hindquarters, short coupling, and his neck has a good shape.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## zynaal (Oct 21, 2012)

2431 for me. 

2 only problem area is rear legs, maybe an under-muscled neck. Good carriage and neck set, short back and nice forehand with a decent rear end for an engine. Not as slicked up as the others, but nicer horse overall.

4 is pretty, but has a long back, long pasterns, is hip high and maybe a touch weak on the forehand. (Over at teh knees?) Overall good looks, like a young hunter-under saddle prospect,

3 is well built , good back, shoulder and hips, good forelegs, rear legs look to be (uhm.. getting old is a pain, slightly cow-hocked. and upright in the pastern, front is a little base wide, probably from the low neck tie in. Also is heavy in throatlatch, and goose-rumped. Probably comfortable to ride tho. 

1 is the result of overbreeding. Straight pasterns, long back and thick stance will make this horse a nightmare to ride. Pretty as he is, he's weak in the throatlatch, and too straight behind. 

If I was buying these horses.. the order would change slightly to 4231, as I like the bottom buckskin myself )


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

I say the fourth is the best, just looking them over quickly. His build is very much like my former lease horse, who was a favourite with QH judges at shows.. always won, even in a class of thirteen (his first big show).
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

4231.. but if I was buying a horse and had a job to do I probably would take #3 because he looks like substance. Number one is beautifully turned out. 

I never do this sort of thing (try to place horses). We had this in 4H and I just could not get "into it." Each of these horses has faults and so there it is. 

Now.. give me a group of 10 horses and ask me which one I like the best while I watch them and I am there. 

I will never forget.. my sister wanted to buy a second horse so we went out looking at horses that were advertised. I went to this one place and they showed us the 4 sale horses (weedy, thin beasts.. with little saddle time) and I looked at them all then turned and looked in another field of horses and casually said, "What about that Black on over there?" 

The woman was appalled.. I had just asked about buying their top show horse...

I was about 15 years old at the time. LOL


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## Allegro (Nov 16, 2012)

Elana said:


> I never do this sort of thing (try to place horses). We had this in 4H and I just could not get "into it." Each of these horses has faults and so there it is.


I have the same problem with placing...I'm in 4-H with hippology and they have a horse judging part that I have never been good at.

I guess it just shows how subjective it is since everyone has a slightly different placing on the horses lol


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Looking at this again there is another issue. You have two horses standing on loose sand. That can throw a horse all off. You have one horse standing on short grass and one horse you cannot even see his feet. The angle of the camera is different for all of them Number one a pro took the photo and maybe the photo for #4 tho I kind of doubt it.. as a pro I would have moved him off that sand and not had so many lines in the back ground and I think the camera is too low. 

Number 2 and 3 are snap shots. In #2 the camera is opposite the hores's middle (not opposite the hip as in one and four) and the horse is not showing off well and in #3 the camera is way to the rear and high! 

I remember this junk when I was in 4H (about a million years ago) and remember thinking that they needed to be a lot more consistant with the placement of the horse and the camera.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Elana said:


> 4231.. but if I was buying a horse and had a job to do I probably would take #3 because he looks like substance. Number one is beautifully turned out.
> 
> I never do this sort of thing (try to place horses). We had this in 4H and I just could not get "into it." Each of these horses has faults and so there it is.
> 
> ...


 

I am glad you said #3 had appeal. I actually like him the best. I think he is not squared up perfectly; having his hind legs out behind him a bit more than square. He looks very durable, and to me, durable wins over pretty every time.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

This is how I would place them:

#2 first....while I would like to see this horse with a tad more weight and muscle conditioning, but this one is built uphill...LOVE that. The other thing I love is the hock set on this horse, they line up so nicely with the knees. Nice neck and length of neck that matches the rest of the horse, like where it ties in at the chest, lovely closed shoulder angle, great pastern length and angle, great hip.

#3 and #4 are a toss up for me because they both have issues. #3 has a very weak hip, fairly level across the back, short neck, definitely heavier up front than the back, does have nice bone in all 4 legs, but a very open shoulder angle. Also lacks overall conditioning weight and muscle-wise. Now #4 is in super nice condition but also has issues; over at the knee, high hocked and sickled hocked, runs a little downhill, weak in the loin.

#1 is a halter horse and in super nice condition as well. But because it's a halter horse, upright and steep angles everywhere, long backed and weak loined and downhill. And it's not from overbreeding...it's from bloodlines that carry this characteristic..because you don't ride halter horses, you only show the in hand


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## TaraBearaIsBack (Oct 12, 2012)

Now... Coming from a judging perspective I would assume we are looking at horses in a halter class we'd pretend. In that case my oder would be 1432.

#1 Is absolutely beautiful and looks like a picture perfect halter horse with a balanced body, gorgeous head/neck, nice hindquarters, and is well conditioned.

#4 is next because he is downill and doesn't have quite as pretty of a head as the first gelding. 

#3 is next for me because he has a very nice body, well muscled and shaped; he looks very balanced and very powerful. Only thing I really don't like about him is his big ole head.

#2 is last for me only because he doesn't look like a halter horse at all in the picture; He doesn't have all of the muscle tone or build for a halter horse and he doesn't have the best neck. I think he would be nicer after some conditioning and maybe just a better picture.


These are from a halter perspective remember-Usually one does not ride a halter horse. I'm not judging to which one I just like best and would buy ( Though #1 would be hard for #4 to beat unless he grew into his downhill-ness, then it might be a toss up)


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