# Please critique this Quarterhorse mare



## Janet Cherry (Jul 13, 2009)

Please offer honest and helpful critique of Sweet Delilah who has recently joined my yard. Sorry about the overreach boots - they are hard to take off! Thanks.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

She's nicely put together and very pretty! A bit uphill and not a clean throatlatch, but I really, really like her.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

She is very nice.....
I like her eyes and ears set on her head, shape of her muzzle and length of her face. She has a nice wide set forehead.
A slighter straighter shoulder than I like.
Appears to have a short strong back.
She looks like she was trying to walk forward or off in the picture so her pelvic girdle is engaged in movement or it would be flatter I think.
Decent hind legs. Average angle.
A little narrower in her front legs and chest...difficult to see if she is slightly turned out at the knee or just her stance in the pasture grass.
I like she has a heavier bone appearance...
Overall she is a nice looking horse...more inclined I think to ranch work I think of Quarter Horses doing than a fine boned Thoroughbred show jumper.
She looks to be in good weight and balanced in build front to back and side to side.
I bet she is fun to ride and handy in her athleticism...
She could be in my pasture anytime...
Enjoy her....she looks like great fun! 
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo.._


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## LittleBayMare (Jun 2, 2014)

My my, she is nice. The only real issues I see is a very narrow front end. She is a little cowhocked, but that's pretty normal for the breed. Honestly, that front view looks like it should be of a completely different horse than the side view. She is gorgeous. Enjoy her!


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## A Rose Among Thorns (Apr 17, 2017)

Toed out. I had a mare with toes pointing out and she was narrow breasted hehe. She rarely tripped and ran great (even at a gallop!). As long as you have a good farrier then you're good to go! Nice straight back! She looks like a 4 yr old! She's beautiful for not having much white markings. I'm jealous.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Nice strongly built mare with a pretty head and neck, and a kind expression. She does toe out front and hind, and is too narrow in front. She also has a set of flaws that often all go together -- overly straight shoulder and pasterns, croup too short and steep. Unless she is going to be asked to do something requiring a lot of extension like jumping, I think a lot of her flaws are just going to make her a rougher ride than optimal. She looks like a good using horse.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

I agree that she looks like a general nice using horse, with the biggest concern,for me, being the front legs and narrow build. Since horses that toe out, wing in, and since she is narrow, i would worry about her clipping herself
Is that why she has over reach boots on- clipping herslef with opposite foot, versus really over reaching, or does she over reach, in which case, trimming and shoing can help


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## Janet Cherry (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks for all the helpful critique - what do you mean by 'good using' or 'nice using' horse? It's not a term I am familiar with here.....

re the overreach boots - her serious problem which you can't see is her box foot on the off fore, together with a ringbone on the same pastern. She has an old heel injury on the near fore which has damaged the hoof, and the overreach boots protect that heel as well. She is now 8 years old and has not yet been lame, though I am concerned that either front foot might cause lameness in future. 

She is a lovely ride, active walk, long-striding trot and easy canter - though she is not as balanced up and down hills as I would have expected - any ideas why not?


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Janet Cherry said:


> Thanks for all the helpful critique - what do you mean by 'good using' or 'nice using' horse? It's not a term I am familiar with here.....
> 
> She is a lovely ride, active walk, long-striding trot and easy canter


_You answered your own question...._

She is a pleasure to ride...
Enjoyable and can do many things well she is asked to do. 

As for her hoof...the "boxed" one I think is what we refer to as a club foot.
I am no hoof expert and those here that are may have some great suggestions to help you with those issues.
I would imagine though that having that hoof shaped as it is could add to some of her balance issue when combined with ringbone. 
Her having a old hoof injury may also have some damage to her hoof sensitivity in feeling the ground {IDK?}...possibly all add together to make her cautious on uneven terrain.
Some of her having the pastern length and angle others noticed and a straighter shoulder and such could be reasoning too....all little things when added together make somethings "challenging"...and what horse is not a challenge? None I know of!!

Even knowing all of this new information shared...
This horse could come live in my yard any day...she just looks like a nice animal to have, period.
Do enjoy her!
 :runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Nice looking girl! Nice shortish, strong looking back, strong looking body generally. I like!

Obviously if she's not standing square, it's hard to judge, but her looking 'sickle hocked' & steepness of croup may be purely because she's leaning back in the first pic. Even if it is 'a thing', that combined with the kind of pointy tuber sacrale area, she could just need some good bodywork - has bits 'out', rather than it being innate, unchangeable 'conformation'. Likewise for the narrow chest(to some degree at least) & bit 'outsie' front legs(they appear to be straight legs, turned out from elbows at least, rather than lower/joint deviation or such) - could be just very tight through the shoulders for some reason, which may be corrected.

I wouldn't consider that degree 'cow hocked' behind personally, but it may also be the way she's standing that makes her look a little more like that there.

And the club foot & overreaching - can't say anything about hoof care on that note from these pics, but bodywork could possibly help those issues too. I'd be inclined to get a good chiropractic vet check her out.

Her short back, upright right fore(at least) and any body issues may all contribute to her being a little 'choppier' ride than otherwise, and upright front(s) will cause her to have a harder time on downhills.


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## MerriBelle1 (Apr 19, 2017)

Appears a bit cow hocked and narrow chested with toes out. This can be corrected with a really good farrier who knows what hes doing. Nice looking stock horse other wise. Is the horse registered?


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## Janet Cherry (Jul 13, 2009)

Not registered but sire is AQH sire Dillion JB Lynx, imported to South Africa, and brother to Mr Gun Smoke. I am ignorant of AQH breeding but allegedly she has great 'cow sense' although I am not planning to do any serious stock work with her. She came to me by chance - I am not involved in showing and she will be a pleasure riding/trail horse - there are cattle next door though, to keep her interested!


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

MerriBelle1 said:


> Appears a bit cow hocked and narrow chested with toes out. This can be corrected with a really good farrier who knows what hes doing. Nice looking stock horse other wise. Is the horse registered?


I'm a hoofcare & rehab specialist. There are a lot of problems that come down to incorrect hoofcare & balance, to be sure. But I would NOT advise you just have a farrier try to 'straighten the horse up', at least not alone, without working closely in conjunction with a good bodyworker. Farriers are(often) not very knowledgeable about anything going on above the knees. Changing hoof balance, trying to make 'bent' limbs straight, etc, will only put unhealthy torque on other joints. If the horse 'should' be skewed - limb deviation, permanent body issue causing, for eg, a club foot, just making the feet 'well balanced' can cause some serious further injuries.


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