# Oldenburg Mare Critique



## sportschick068 (Sep 1, 2012)

Hey, all! So I've been wanting to get conformation critiques on my new mare but I keep forgetting or postponing it. Now that I'm posting, I'm committed! :lol:

These aren't the greatest conformation shots but this gives me the incentive to REMEMBER to get better ones when I see her tomorrow. I only just bought this mare. We've had a few rides together and she's still green. In the cantering video that was our... 2nd ride (?) at my barn - 3rd ride in total. In the trotting video that was the day after she arrived. I figured I'd offer a glimpse of her movement. Again, she's very green with a scattered 90 days of training (the training was here and there over the course of a year or two due to previous owner's limited time and opportunity to have her started). 

She's not downhill like some of the pictures look. When I had her on level ground her withers were level with her croup, if not a smidge uphill. 

The last video is just for entertainment. I was letting her roam the ring and play around with stuff. She knocked over the cones but then decided she would pick one back up.

Anyways, she's a 16.1 dark bay Oldenburg mare. 6 years old, a daughter of Rosenthal, and a granddaughter of Wolkenstein II. I want to jump with her and maybe one day try dressage/eventing. She's a bit chubby. She has a couple fat rolls right now :lol: Last fall is when she was last ridden before I got on her, and even then it was just an occasional ride here and there.






 





 





 

aaaand just another one for some entertainment. I think we should go pro in soccer :wink:


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## Weezilla (Aug 3, 2012)

She's gorgeous! I just love the dapples. Lovely neck placement though I'd like it to be longer. She's a bit over at the knees and tied in behind. Hind legs are rather straight with a small gaskin. She's also quite _fluffy_ - she (and I) need to diet:wink: My Oldenburg was a bit of an airfern, and we were constantly fiddling with his diet to keep him trim.

She has 3 nice gaits, though she travels on the forehand. What direction are you pointing her in? If its H/J judging by the saddle, I think she will make a lovely hunter and equitation horse. If dressage, you will need to work on freeing up her forehand by asking her hind end to come under and take on more of the weight. I would be doing this no matter what discipline you choose. Working at all times off the rail, large circles, tons of crisp but balanced walk-trot-walk and trot-canter-trot transitions on a circle, building up to trot-halt-trot transitions as she gets the hang of things.

One thing I disagree with is the Kimberwicke, and though I can't see a curb chain I'm assuming its there, and the reins in the bottom photo are attached to the lower slot for more leverage power. To me, the only time any horse should be in a Kimberwicke is out hunting or jumping XC when you need that power, though I think other bits are generally more effective. Using a bit with such power from the port and curb chain can really back a horse off, which is the last thing you want to do on a greenbean. Plus the fact that the mouthpiece, besides often having a port, is usually not jointed, which curbs the horse from chewing and "feeling" the bit, which you really want, in order to correctly work her on the flat. 

How is she in a simple 1 or 2-jointed snaffle? 

She is really lovely - congratulations!


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

I think she's cute ..I especially like the fact that things don't seem to bother her...she picked up that cone and actually very carefully set it down so that it was upright and she approached that "soccer" ball without fear..my last horse would have been snorting and dancing around it.


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## sportschick068 (Sep 1, 2012)

Thank you very much! I fell in love with her dapples  The diet she was getting (and still is - I don't think the barn owner has changed it) was: a handful or so of whole corn and 2-3 cups of oats in the AM and just 1+ cups of oats at night. Hopefully with her exercise she will slim down and tone eventually. I'm just trying not to push her too hard too soon.

You're correct  I'm aiming to do H/J with her. I'm going to start doing exercises and hill work to strengthen her and get her to lift the forehand. Both of those videos were taken prior to my first lesson on her. I've since then discovered that when I lift my hands more she gets underneath herself, especially at the canter. Also, since those videos I changed to the Kimberwicke bit. Originally I was using a full cheek snaffle. She did NOT like that. She felt more strung out, she would lean against it, and somewhat ignore cues. The lesson I had on her using that bit wasn't too great. Once I changed to the Kimberwicke she was an entirely different horse. Granted, I lost the chain a while back. It's the bit my gelding uses and I figured anything was better than the full cheek for her haha. My trainer and I are going to play around with other bits to see what she likes. I just found out that her previous owner used an Egg butt snaffle on her which she supposedly did well in. So she won't be keeping with the Kimberwicke much longer. I'm thinking tomorrow we're going to look into using other bits.

Tlkng1, she's been great! She doesn't seem very fearful and takes everything in stride except for one thing: cats. She's petrified of them. Even if they're laying down she starts snorting and side passing away from them. It's weird but funny because she was calm having large dogs running around and jumping at the window of her stall (at her last home).


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## Weezilla (Aug 3, 2012)

Sounds like a good training plan for her! It makes sense that she felt less strung out in the K, since by virtue of its port, it backs the horse off of leaning. Unfortunately, it backs the horse off, period:wink: 

Does anyone have a double-jointed snaffle for you to try, like a KK? I've found that they suit all kinds of horses.

kk snaffle bits at Dover Saddlery

HS bits are a fortune, but there are similar and more affordable bits -I'm sure you can find them cheaper than here at Dover:

Dover Saddlery - Search


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## sportschick068 (Sep 1, 2012)

Thanks! I'll definitely mention them to my trainer and look into them.

Do you/anyone see anything major that would hinder her in jumping? Eventually, I want to jump 3+ feet with her, but probably no more than 4 feet. Of course, I would jump her when she's fit and in shape.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

If you could post some proper conformation photos, then I can write up a critique for you, but with the current photos I cant do an appropriate one.


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## Msail (Jul 20, 2013)

I don't know anything about conformation but she is STUNNING!!​


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## sportschick068 (Sep 1, 2012)

Okay, I tried but she was distracted. If these won't suffice then I will take more tomorrow.
Thanks!

There are sometime divots in the ground that make it less even and sometimes I got an 'eh' angle.


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## sportschick068 (Sep 1, 2012)

And I had issues with trying to align her legs properly. While my gelding lets me place his feet/legs where I want, this new mare hasn't gotten to that point with me yet. She still wants to stand how she wants to. Plus, I was trying to hurry with these in between her moving :/
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## sportschick068 (Sep 1, 2012)

Anyone?


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## silverxslinky (Jul 23, 2013)

Hey! Lovely mare. I hate to ask but did you have this horse vetted/x-xrayed? I'm about 90% sure I inquired about this horse in December 2012 and was told that her x-rays were not clean and it had turned several buyers off. Can't remember exactly what the problem was (possibly OCD?) or if it was even a sure thing.


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## Tryst (Feb 8, 2012)

LOVE her color! She looks like she will have a lot of power and once she trims down and muscles up I think she is going to be lovely! She has a very nice shoulder, nice length of neck that ties in well, back is a good length and appears strong through the coupling, with good length of hip. I would prefer more substance of bone for her body size and she appears to be a bit straight (posty) behind. She also has a capped hock and is not the most feminine through her head . Overall I find her nicely balanced and pleasing to the eye.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

This is a very very nice mare. She could do dressage and maybe go a ways with it. She has a good shoulder, proper neck placement, short back, top of the line coupling, good knee and hock placement, good bone, good size to her feet, good angles to her hind leg. I could say she may be a little tied in at the knee but it does not hurt her at all. 

I would love to own this mare as solid as she looks. 

BTW I too hate Kimberwicke bits. they stink. 

Getting her off her forehand means riding her back to front. She can do it. She is so solidly coupled that it won't take the work another horse might to get her working better and lighter in front. Get her forward.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

BTW she looks to have a capped right hind hock.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

She's very typical for her breed, a lot of them were imported into the UK in the 70's and were the foundation - or part of - for the British Warmblood.
She has plenty bone (leg) for her build - she's just a bit overweight but work will sort that out
She looks to have capped her hocks - might be the photo but keep an eye on it.
Some horses just plain don't like jointed bits and are happier in a mullen or low port. If you decide to stay with the kimberwick then don't use the lower slot. I use this type on horses like that and if you have light hands the horse shouldn't back off from it.
Korsteel Standard Kimberwick


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## sportschick068 (Sep 1, 2012)

Yes, I had her vetted and all. She's sound. 

Haha no, she doesn't have a feminine head at all. A friend of mine said she has a head like her grandfather 

And it's coincidence that you guys mention the capped hock. At my lesson on Monday we noticed it on her right hock. I just can't remember if it was there when she initially came or not :/ do I just put cold water on it? It's still soft. I know it's just a blemish and not a lameness issue but I would definitely like to treat it if anyone knows how to properly do so. 

Jaydee, I just tried her in the standard kimberwick. She seems fine with it but I still have 4 bits to try out so we will see  she was responsive except with backing up. She evades the bit when I ask her to back up and uses her thick neck to her advantage. Gotta work on that. 

Thank you, everyone! I'm hoping she looks like she would do well with jumping. I don't think I would ever exceed 4' with show jumping. I may, down the road, try dressage with her. I would just need to find a trainer.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

They are not a breed known for having a dainty head - they should look not unlike a British hunter type - 'workmanlike' rather than a Beauty Queen!!!!
Our WB X TB had capped hocks when we got her, she'd always been kept either in a stall (rubber matting) or on a tiny dry lot area so not sure if that had any effect on her as she's now turned out as much as possible on 4 acres of grass (or snow!!!) I keep her bedding as deep as possible and she has rubber matting
Her hocks are now barely capped at all so I think the exercise she gets from just being able to move about more has helped her.
I did buy some Back on Track hock boots as they work really well for sprains etc, they had a very good effect but they didn't stay up at all well so I gave up on them


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## sportschick068 (Sep 1, 2012)

Well, I have her back in a full cheek snaffle and she's better than last time she was in it! I can try getting a video or pictures up to see what ya'll think.

I was also curious if anyone would be willing to "map out" her conformation, like with the lines and stuff? I'm wondering only because it would sort of be a guideline for me to better see conformation and what might be an "ideal" although there is no perfect horse. If someone could do this, that'd be great and it would help me out a lot.

Thanks!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Be interesting to see how she's going
If you want that sort of conformation critique you need to get a really good pic of her taken


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