# Dressage prospect - How does he look?



## katec1991 (Jun 25, 2012)

What do you think of his conformation for dressage? He will be 6 in January and he's about 14.1hh. His rear offside is slightly cocked, sorry about that.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Ok. I think I'm going crazy. This is another horse that looks like he's standing under himself and is slightly sickle hocked. Other than that and his back maybe being a touch long, I like him.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## katec1991 (Jun 25, 2012)

Here are some more pictures. Not sure if any will help you guys, but I just thought I'd share because I think he's so cute


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

To me he looks rather upright in the shoulder which is far from ideal for dressage coupled with the long back i would think that whilst he could do the lower levels of dressage he will likely struggle with the collection needed for anything above elementary (2nd in the US i believe)


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## katec1991 (Jun 25, 2012)

I only plan on doing low levels with him. Thanks


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I think he will do fine for what you want. He has nice roomy hocks and looks pretty good. Long back and upright shoulder will limit him if you want to SHOW at the higher levels.. but you can learn hugely by training him as far as you can. 

My first horse had a steep shoulder, a long back and an osselet in his right front fetlock joint. I trained him to do a lot of higher level movements. Would he have WON in a competition? No. He was not pretty and it was hard work for him and it LOOKED like hard work for him. Still, I trained him to do it and he was the horse I actually got to do a Levade.
We were accurate. Sometimes he would not hold cadence or collection (it was hard for him) but I learned more from that horse than I could have from a perfect horse. 

You like him, then work him and train him and learn. He will be a better horse and you will be a better rider. Now that seems like winning to me.


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## katec1991 (Jun 25, 2012)

Exactly  I only want to do maybe some low level local shows just for the experience. I have no hopes of going to the Olympics with him, haha. But I love dressage and would like to go as far as I can with his training


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## SaddleStrings (May 15, 2012)

What breed is he? Looks like a mustang?


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

You can teach almost ANY horse dressage moves. Remember. The horses originally trained for this were used in war. The moves a dressage horse perform were to give his rider an advantage over an oponenent both on foot and on horseback. This means a LOT of horses back in the time of Napolean ans so forth were trained to do high level moves because that is the horse they had. They could not just go and pick the best. 

As time went on the best sort for the job were bred. The horses mowed down that led the Polish Cavalry against Tanks in the beginning of WW2 in Europe were some of the finest horses you could ever see. The breeding program to produce those horses was years and years in the making. 

Before that the horse at hand was the horse used. 

When I trained my one horse to Levade I was told that the ability of the horse to do this move put his rider above the level of ground troops and holding that levade for a few seconds allowed the rider the advantage not only of height but of sight. 

You can take your horse as far as he is sound enough to go and as far as you are determined to go. You may not win prizes but the gains you make in learning how to train and ride and the strength and willingness your horse gains through that training are a heckuva lot more than any ribbons or accolades from a judge.


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## katec1991 (Jun 25, 2012)

Thanks for the info  That was interesting.

He's a rescue so I really don't know what he is. I was thinking Andalusian/Connemara pony.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

Well, he's definetely a cutie! Have fun with him.


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## katec1991 (Jun 25, 2012)

Thanks


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

He is long backed and long loined like others have said, and steep shouldered, but he's got a nice deep heartgirth and good bone. He looks much heavier upfront than the back, but that is due to the deep heartgirth paired up with the slight hip and long loin connection. There's no reason you can't do low level dressage with him, and it would be a great way to learn! Ya, I see the Andulsian in my for sure.


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