# Critique please?



## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

Overall, she looks like a cute "backyard" horse. But from what I can see from the pictures is that she has a longer back, is sickle hocked, and she has a thick throatlatch (but that may just be from fuzz). And her pasterns seem kind of long.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

busysmurf said:


> Overall, she looks like a cute "backyard" horse. But from what I can see from the pictures is that she has a longer back, is sickle hocked, and she has a thick throatlatch (but that may just be from fuzz). And her pasterns seem kind of long.


 
Ok, so I'm really bad at parts/terms of the horse as I haven't studied these in almost 10 years.. what does sickle hocked mean? And also her throatlatch has fur that is almost 3 inches long. Her face is the fuzziest part. Any problems any of this may cause? She was used as a broodmare her whole life, poor girl :-(.


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

The best way I can explain it is when their hocks (the knee looking things on their back legs (sorry if that's a little to basic, but that's how I explained it to my 9yr old:wink) are close together and their feet point out. Kind of opposite of bow-legged in ppl. Long pasterns may cause problems in the future, but it depends on how strenuous your riding is. Some ppl say that horses with less than perfect confirmation always end up with serious problems, and in a lot of cases that's true, but not necessarily. Basically I don't see anything that's going to prevent you from riding her, she's just not going to be winning any halter classes


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## hoopla (Jan 29, 2012)

Sickle hocked is when the hocks have a forward inclination.

Cow hocked is when the hocks turn in and the toes turn out.

I think busysmurf meant your horse was cow hocked.

I think that she lacks musculature and looks like she has either worm burden or hay belly. 

What's wrong with her front right leg? Why is she always back on it and pointing with the left?


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Ha yea I don't plan on any halter classes, not quite my thing. I just wanted a project horse for riding. She's too old at 18 anyway to do any hard riding and eventually I would like to get a second for that. 

I just thought she was cute and cuddly and needed to be adopted so I figured I would take her. I was reading all these critiquing threads and wondered if anything was wrong with my girl. Glad to know she should be ok (once she's back in shape of course ).


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

hoopla said:


> Sickle hocked is when the hocks have a forward inclination.
> 
> Cow hocked is when the hocks turn in and the toes turn out.
> 
> ...


 
Well she was severly emaciated 6 months ago so she is still getting back to health. Vet is out next week to do vaccines and I am having him look her over at her progress and to ask about that belly. (she does get dewormed every 2 months).

And her front leg, well we are still working on ground skills and so she was wanting to follow me around but she only got as far as moving the one leg.


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

hoopla said:


> Sickle hocked is when the hocks have a forward inclination.
> 
> Cow hocked is when the hocks turn in and the toes turn out.
> 
> ...


You are correct. Can I plead "is it Friday yet-itis?"


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

My mom's first horse. TERRIBLE confirmation (she's a good example of why some ppl should NOT have horses)!!!! Only lame once in 5 yrs due to a hoof absess.
Mom only did trail riding about twice a week, and only at a walk or trot. So even with bad confirmation and hay belly's some horses, they're perfectly fine, just don't tell them anything is wrong with them


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

busysmurf said:


> My mom's first horse. TERRIBLE confirmation (she's a good example of why some ppl should NOT have horses)!!!! Only lame once in 5 yrs due to a hoof absess.
> Mom only did trail riding about twice a week, and only at a walk or trot. So even with bad confirmation and hay belly's some horses, they're perfectly fine, just don't tell them anything is wrong with them


 

She's still got a cute face though. And I am really hoping mine only has a hay belly, she did come from a breeding farm :shock:


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

If you've already ridden her and she's fine, go ahead and adopt her. She seems very mellow--great, she ground ties!!--and I've give her a good home.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Corporal said:


> If you've already ridden her and she's fine, go ahead and adopt her. She seems very mellow--great, she ground ties!!--and I've give her a good home.


 

I already adopted her but she is very deceiving in the pictures. She's arabian so mellow is not quite in her vocabulary, she was odd yesterday when I took those pics I think she was happy about the warm sun. I've been teaching her to ground tie, still working on it. As far as riding I can get on her but at 18 and never made to do anything it's a work in progress. I didn't think much about conformation when I got her so I am checking now, a little late I know but I plan on keeping her forever no matter what.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

The third pic down ...bam, the whole package changes. I rather think these photos just can't be completely "trusted". She does look "cuddly", as you said, and I am so happy she has a forever home. I don't know how anyone gets the courage to do this....like I've said before, I know my babies' faults, I couldn't bear to hear them.


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