# What discipline does her conformation suggest? 2 year old filly



## MyBrandy (Jan 19, 2011)

Hi,
so my 2 year old paint filly (will be 3 in the end of January) is quite spunky and likes to move. She's done light to moderate trail riding and arena work this year. She really likes to "go" - She trailers well, rides great in group or alone with me along a highway, had tons of desensitizing done since last winter, extensive ground work, is very smart and willing horse, she really likes to work and ride.. she is acting more mature then many horses way older than her that I know of.. Since she is going to be 3 years old soon I want to see what discipline I should take her starting next spring.. I would like to compete with her at some level, really for fun and make her an all around horse. She did work cattle once this summer a little bit and it seemed natural to her (she comes from cutting QH / APHA lines). However to go to the nearest "cow practice I do have to drive her about 1 1/2 hours :-(. I was thinking maybe she would like to barrel race??, because she likes to run.. but really would like to see if you folks think there is something her conformation suggests? I am learning about conformation, but am by far no expert in judging that.. 
Is there anything you guys can tell that would suggest her being more suitable for one discipline over other?
I snapped a video of her after we got back from trail ride yesterday:

Color Me Smart Gal conformation.MPG - YouTube

Please point out cons and pros. - her back looks a little long to me, but I have notices many cutting bred horses do have back like that.. she is a comfortable ride even though she is only 14.1HH at this point


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Well, from the video I'd say it look like she'd be good at hayburning.
Can you post some photos to take a focused look at?


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## MyBrandy (Jan 19, 2011)

Well I apologize - I did not have anybody to hold her for me.. so she had to be tied.. LOL she is good at hay burning, what horse is not ? :-D
Anyways I did go all the way around her and did get angles from back, front and sides.. I just don't have any good recent conformation shots..
Here are few pictures of her but not the best conformation pictures.. that is why I though the video would help.
Here are few shots that I have, but like I said not best confo shots :-(


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

I'd like to get a good view of her front legs, but I see nothing to suggest she can't barrel race. Pretty cute mare. I bet she'd be relatively competitive if she's got the heart and gets the training.


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## MyBrandy (Jan 19, 2011)

bubba13 said:


> I'd like to get a good view of her front legs, but I see nothing to suggest she can't barrel race. Pretty cute mare. I bet she'd be relatively competitive if she's got the heart and gets the training.


<-----If you fast forward in that video, I took a nice shot of her front legs and chest 
What do you look for in a barrel racing horse? 

I was thinking mounted shooting, saw an event this summer and loved it.. so far she really trusts me and will do anything I ask her..
Thanks


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Mounted shooting just needs a good broke horse. About any horse can do that, but it's gotta be very well trained and have at least adequate speed and footwork. 

She's a little finer, lankier, and longer than my ideal barrel horse, but certainly nothing terrible. She won't have speed but she will have stride to make up for it. Snappy turns won't be her strong suit.

To me, this is the sort of conformation I look for in a barrel prospect:


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## MyBrandy (Jan 19, 2011)

bubba13 said:


> Mounted shooting just needs a good broke horse. About any horse can do that, but it's gotta be very well trained and have at least adequate speed and footwork.
> 
> She's a little finer, lankier, and longer than my ideal barrel horse, but certainly nothing terrible. She won't have speed but she will have stride to make up for it. Snappy turns won't be her strong suit.
> 
> To me, this is the sort of conformation I look for in a barrel prospect:



Oh wow.. that horse is built.. ehm, well she's still got plenty of filling out to do, but I see your point.. this horse has got definitely more "bone" on him.. 
- I guess we will just try few different things next year and will she what will make her heart tick  I do think some sort of speed event would be up her alley, because she moves pretty quick and down to the ground...she is also pretty "bendy" she can rollback and change direction pretty quick now.. loves to back up... FAST (not that would make her time at barrels any shorter haha)


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## StarfireSparrow (Jan 19, 2009)

Her back is a bit long, which can make it a bit weaker especially since her underline is fairly strait and her belly is a bit thin looking. She does not look like she has much abdominal muscle to help her support her back. 

For barrels, I would want to see her hip a bit stronger. She does have good deep hocks, which will help her dig in. 

If you are undecided about what to do with her and have an idea that you want her to be an all around, I would just work on fine tuning her handle. You can do a lot of work just teaching to her to take detailed direction from you and 3 is still pretty young. If you keep working on the basics, there is no reason you can't do all that you want to with her. 

A horse that has learned to take direction from their rider can go into any class and perform well.


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## MyBrandy (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks MysterySparrow, I will just keep tuning her to be light and responsive, I guess we will try to sign up for different things next spring, including team penning.. she go to practice on a cow 1x and seemed to really enjoy it.. gosh it's far to drive to though...
About her muscle, yes she doesn't have much muscle yet.. actually I bought her in OK day before last Christmas and she looked like a malnourished yearling rather than almost 2 year old.. she was 13.3HH now she is 14.1HH and getting stronger by the day 

But I see your point about her back and belly - I did notice that too.. Also yes her hip could be stronger, but it looks much better then when I got her.. this following picture is from January rhis year.. (No I did not ride her yet she only had saddle on).


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## nherridge (Oct 30, 2011)

Seems like she could excel in any western sport. Have you considered reining? This horse is only turning three though, she should not yet be in any sort of speed events, or even training for them. It is not fair to the horse to run her like that until she is matured and her joints have fused. That is how many perfect horses get ruined. Why not start her in WP - if done correctly it is a nice foundation for any sport. And safe until she matures.


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## MyBrandy (Jan 19, 2011)

nherridge - yes I absolutely love reining, but there are absolutely no reining competition in Chicago area.. all the shows are out west and south IA, OK, etc. :-(, it is just too far for us to travel..

Western pleasure is something I am not a huge fan of, but on the other hand I will do anything for my horse that will benefit her.. 
I will be joining drill team with her in few weeks in a local show barn (only about 15 minutes away) and they do focus on WP a lot.. The filly does have an AMAZING light WP jog, and after I work with her a while she can almost do it in place.. a slow collected lope is something we do need to work on.. so maybe for the time being she would benefit from doing some WP. To me though she doesn't not look like typical western pleasure QH/ APHA - I have NO experience showing, but from what I have seen the WP horses are usually quite tall horses, not sure if in a show ring she would have a chance for success..
Any WP people around here? - Do you know what judges are looking for in WP show horse?


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

FWIw the last pictures do NOT help her at all. LOL

She has a very strong coupling and I love the images showing how well she reaches under herself with her hind feet. She is a bit butt high. 

Keep on training her and see what she seems to turn on to. Lay a foundation with no holes first (at 3 years old she is perfect for that). Get her working off her hind quarters and coming up to you.. so you can lighten her front and get her to change leads and so forth. Get her working her ring of muscels. 

The better her foundation (which you will build over the next year) the better barrel horse (or reiner or whatever) she will be for you.


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## MyBrandy (Jan 19, 2011)

Elana said:


> FWIw the last pictures do NOT help her at all. LOL
> 
> She has a very strong coupling and I love the images showing how well she reaches under herself with her hind feet. She is a bit butt high.
> 
> ...


Hi Elana,
"coming up to you" , do you mean to work on collection in general - getting her soft in the bridle?, get her to hover over her hind end? Yes we are working on that . I just switched her from regular offset Dring snaffle to 3 piece snaffle with barrel in the middle (in the arena) on the trail I ride her with short 5" shank Reinsman bit (same 3 piece mouth peace) .She gives horizontally and vertically very well, it's been a challenge to get her to stay working off her hind end. (maybe because she is still butt-high? There is about 1" difference between her butt and wither height ATM.), but when she's warmed up and we do lots of roll-backs, trot and stop/backup she is much better..

- After I warm her up trotting we do lots of circles first large, then small - tight ones, she does them fairly well to the point where I just pin my eyes to a certain spot in the sand and she goes around it without me using the reins much at all, I think she can feel my seat and thighs shift very well. Then we work on yielding shoulders and sidepassing (sidepassing goes better then actually moving shoulders that much, she knows how to roll back though), then we move haunches in a circle both ways and practice a lot of backing up, that he can do very well.. then practice yielding hindquarters in walk and trot. She CANNOT do flying lead changes yet, but she will take the correct lead when I ask her to (most of the times). 
- not sure how to get get her doing flying lead changes from this point on - any tips?
- also it's hard to keep her in nice slow lope, she tends to hollow out is I ask her to slow-lope (precedes with very fast trot LOL), she is comfortable in fast paced canter and then I can feel her balancing herself much better... any clue why?


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