# Hi can you critique my appendix?



## PaintsTheWorld (Apr 24, 2009)

Hi this is Freddy he is 13 and is 17.1 hh. he was really skinny in may when we got him but now we are trying to put muscle and weight back on. Tell me what ya think. Please critique him. 




















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## back in the crosby again (Feb 4, 2009)

First I would like to say what a beautiful horse you have. He looks great, could maybe use a little more muscle and weight. I would like to see some conformation type pictures. I love appendix horses, as you can get the looks and gaits of the thoroughbred and the mind of the quarter horse.

In pictures 3, 5, and 6 he is behind the vertical or also know as behind the bit. You want him to relax at the poll, not pull his chin to his chest. You may be overdoing it with the running martingale. 

It looks like you are training for western pleasure. Is that right?


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## PaintsTheWorld (Apr 24, 2009)

back in the crosby again said:


> First I would like to say what a beautiful horse you have. He looks great, could maybe use a little more muscle and weight. I would like to see some conformation type pictures. I love appendix horses, as you can get the looks and gaits of the thoroughbred and the mind of the quarter horse.
> 
> In pictures 3, 5, and 6 he is behind the vertical or also know as behind the bit. You want him to relax at the poll, not pull his chin to his chest. You may be overdoing it with the running martingale.
> 
> It looks like you are training for western pleasure. Is that right?


yeah i know he is behind the vertical. I am just trying to get him where he wants to keep it down and lvl. He has the best temperament ever! haha i love how he has the tb body but the qh temperament, i LOVE his head too =) 
thank you so much for critiquing him for me =)


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## back in the crosby again (Feb 4, 2009)

Riding him so he is behind the vertical will not get him to where he will want to keep his head down. It restricts his movement and does not allow him to strengthen the correct muscles. It would be better for him to work with his head down and in front of the vertical then behind.


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## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

^Agreed. And learning to keep his head down doesn't do anything for the way he moves. Even in western you want the horse to be moving and carrying himself properly. 
I say ditch the running martingale. Ride him back to front, not front to back.

He is quite lovely!
:]


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## PaintsTheWorld (Apr 24, 2009)

back in the crosby again said:


> Riding him so he is behind the vertical will not get him to where he will want to keep his head down. It restricts his movement and does not allow him to strengthen the correct muscles. It would be better for him to work with his head down and in front of the vertical then behind.


Ok, thank you


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## shesinthebarn (Aug 1, 2009)

Looks like he'd be great for english equitation on the QH circuit! I agree with the PP's about ditching the martingale - he looks like he wants to find his frame anyways, so it might be overkill.
He's lovely, I'd love to have one like him!


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

Agreed. He is very lovely, but I ride APHA and the quickest way to get a horse on the forehand is to pull him down there and force his head somewhere it's not ready to be.

When he can handle the weight and is pushing off his hind end, then the head will come down when the back rounds. If you pull it down, then you'll loose the back and he'll pull from the forehand--which he's already doing, as he's losing muscle in his rump and forming incorrect muscles.

Good luck with him!


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## PaintsTheWorld (Apr 24, 2009)

*=)*

Ok thanks everyone. 

shesinthebarn, you think he would do well in the QH circuit?
He moves very nice


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## shesinthebarn (Aug 1, 2009)

I do! He has the size and look for the equitation and english pleasure classes. If he moves like you say, he would most likely do. If you are going that route, work on that headset, though. Go on youtube and look at some of the congress videos, that will give you a good idea of what frame to try and achieve. Were you thinking about the english QH classes?


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## PaintsTheWorld (Apr 24, 2009)

mayfieldk said:


> Agreed. He is very lovely, but I ride APHA and the quickest way to get a horse on the forehand is to pull him down there and force his head somewhere it's not ready to be.
> 
> When he can handle the weight and is pushing off his hind end, then the head will come down when the back rounds. If you pull it down, then you'll loose the back and he'll pull from the forehand--which he's already doing, as he's losing muscle in his rump and forming incorrect muscles.
> 
> Good luck with him!



I also ride APHA. He was just idk haha. One trainer told me to do it like that but im not used to doing it how he looks. The way that you are doing it is the way that i do it. 
here is my APHA.


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## PaintsTheWorld (Apr 24, 2009)

shesinthebarn said:


> I do! He has the size and look for the equitation and english pleasure classes. If he moves like you say, he would most likely do. If you are going that route, work on that headset, though. Go on youtube and look at some of the congress videos, that will give you a good idea of what frame to try and achieve. Were you thinking about the english QH classes?



Um yeah it has run across my mind to do them. I am really focusing on getting him back in shape and up to par. I think i will start showing him this fall. =) btw i replied to the picture comment on my paint =)


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I hate to hear that anyone is training a horse for QH western pleasure. In order to win a horse has to move in gates that are not natural or healthy for it. At our county fair every year there are a few people that show up to show in the adult pleasure classes and if the judges would honestly evaluate the way the horse was moving they would place dead last every time. The horses move so slowly in the lope that thier feet drag and it's more like a shamble than a lope but they are going the slowest so the judge places them first. I want to take my ranch horses in there and show them what a healthy horse that is really a pleasure to ride looks like. Okay sorry about the attempted hijack of this thread I'm done ranting.


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## back in the crosby again (Feb 4, 2009)

I think it is fine to train a horse for western pleasure if the training is well rounded. Train for western pleasure, but also break up the training with some other fun stuff for the horse, such as trails or just another discipline. This is true if you are training a horse for any particular discipline. For example, I am primarily doing dressage with a mare I am riding, but I also jump and ride trails with her. These are not her strongest skills, but she has fun and it breaks up the dressage training and makes her a more well rounded horse. (I am sure you are doing this, but just thought I should put in my two cents.)


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## SoMuchManureSoLittleTime (Jul 6, 2009)

I think you have a very nice horse there. A few more groceries and some training and he'll be a nice one.

As the others said, ditch the martin gale and just practice the basics. It will take some time but your horse will find his balance and headset. Right now he is exaggerated and behind the bit, but his back looks hollow. Work on rounding his frame and he'll learn to bend at the poll and find the balance.


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## 7Ponies (May 21, 2009)

Both are lovely, but I think your Paint is STUNNING!


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## PaintsTheWorld (Apr 24, 2009)

Thank you everyone for your advise. do you think he would ever do good in worlds again? like how would you place him?


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