# Mustang Critique please!



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I would like a few opinions on this 3 year old mustang's conformation. Do you think he would do well with basic dressage?


----------



## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

cant see the pictures... maybe its just me :s


----------



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

eek, they're showing up for me... I hope that isn't the case for everyone else. >_<


----------



## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

He looks quite straight through the shoulder to me but that may be the angle, they're not ideal really for critique. He should be ok at low level dressage.


----------



## EllaEnchanted (Dec 31, 2007)

No critiue execpt for EEEEEE Hes sooo cute!


----------



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Yes, I was sort of wondering about that shoulder... his neck looks like it might be sort of shortish too, but I'm not sure. I love his topline for the most part however.

I'm glad you think he's cute Ella!


----------



## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

Basic dressage yes. I think he's really cute and don't see anything glaringly wrong with his conformation.
:]


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

He's far and away the best looking mustang I've seen. Where is he from? He looks like he's taller than most mustangs as well. I would think he can do whatever you are horseman enough to teach him.


----------



## hillarymorganstovall (Mar 27, 2010)

I didn't think he had a straight shoulder, I must be measuring from the wrong part. I thought this was how to tell shoulder angle. I put yellow dots because I couldn't draw a straight line. If anyone could correct me I would really appreciate it!!










from the point of the shoulder to the crest of the withers


----------



## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

I don't think he has a straight shoulder. 
Based off this picture below of another horse your mustang's shoulder angle leans more towards the 'ideal angle'.











I also agree that he'll be good for basic dressage.


----------



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

kevinshorses said:


> He's far and away the best looking mustang I've seen. Where is he from? He looks like he's taller than most mustangs as well.


He's from a herd in Wyoming. McCullough Peaks I believe? He's about 14.2 right now... but as a three year old I hope that maybe he could edge in another inch or two as he matures. I'm pretty petite though so he's quite big enough.

Thanks for the image and the explanation of the shoulder slope! I'm always glad to get a little more handy knowledge like that!


----------



## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

These are hard photos to critique as he's pretty shaggy, and at three he's still growing, but I agree with the other posters, his shoulder angle and front end are terrific. If you're familiar with the conformation analysis tool of three equal parts and fitting into a box, things get a little trickier. His midsection is longer than his fore and hindquarter, but that may change a little as he grows. Overall, the construction of his hind end is good as well. 

Hard to tell what his neck looks like under all the hair, and ditto for much below the knee. 

But I don't see anything that makes me think he won't be a capable athlete at lower level just about anything.


----------



## NittanyEquestrian (Mar 3, 2009)

I agree with Maura. His shoulder and hip angles are excellent but he's a little long backed. The only problem with dressage and a long back is that they take longer to build muscle in their coupling (think lower back right in front of the croup) which is the weakest part of any horse's back. So until you start to really sit and drive on him in dressage that shouldn't be a problem. And with correct riding, really getting him muscled and fit before moving up the levels I don't see him peaking athletically with an amateur rider. And I also agree with Kevinshorses that he's one of the better looking mustang's I've seen in a while.


----------



## SabreBaby (Jul 27, 2009)

I don't mean to be a post thief here.  But he looks very similar to my Mustang.  Maybe it's the color? I think he is verrrry beautiful for a Mustang. He and my girl have something about them that seems to make them above average for Mustangs... take a look. 

p.s. She's gained TONS of muscle since this picture. 









Or you can look at all of her pictures at my "barn".  Just thought I'd share!!  I think he'd do fine in lower level dressage though.


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> He's far and away the best looking mustang I've seen. Where is he from? He looks like he's taller than most mustangs as well. I would think he can do whatever you are horseman enough to teach him.


Really? I think there are a lot of nicely built Mustangs out there. My guy is from Wyoming too, and is built like a tank. I think Smrobs has some good looking Mustangs too if I remember right.

Before I got my Mustang I assumed they were all scrawny and tiny and narrow. That is definitely not the case! My guy wore size 2 shoes (back when he wore shoes) and has leg bones that most QH's would envy. True, he's only around 14.3 fully grown, but it really doesn't matter because he has the bone structure of a much bigger horse. Heck, most QH's I've met couldn't wear a size 2 shoe if they wanted to. :lol:

I'm sure there ARE bands of scrawny, tiny, poorly built Mustangs out there, but I bet it is a result of the living conditions not the horse's genetic potential. For instance, it would be hard to grow big, strong horses out in the deserts of Nevada. But places like Wyoming were they actually have grass, and heck, even northern Arizona where I live, there are some surprisingly nice Mustangs. They may not looks like a show QH, but they are built to be good riding and trail horses.


----------



## armydogs (Apr 14, 2010)

he is a beautiful guy. i dont know anything about his conformation, but he looks great to me. i have a friend who has 7 mustangs. two from colorado, and i believe the rest are from arizona. they are great animals. i love the temperament they have if they are treated right. o, i can also tell you, your guy is much better looking than the ones i have seen running loose in louisiana.


----------



## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

i'm not to good at Critiqueing(sp?) but his porportions are seem pretty equal and over all i think he looks good and his body structure looks like like my mustang!


----------



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

In my experience, mustangs are generally very hardy and sturdy with great temperaments once they've been gentled... but they don't always look as fancy as horses that humans have bred selectively and there's a huge variety from herd to herd and so on. In a word, there's some gorgeous mustangs and some that while somewhat plain, are still amazing. I've spent years looking through the images of mustangs for adoption and this fellow caught my eye. Sadly, he was overlooked by those biased against his "plain" color.


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Thank you to those that clarified the shoulder slope thing.

I looked at the original photo and thought it was a nice shoulder. I got confused when a bunch of people said steep shoulder. I figured I had learned the whole shoulder thing wrong.


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

trailhorserider said:


> Really? I think there are a lot of nicely built Mustangs out there. My guy is from Wyoming too, and is built like a tank. I think Smrobs has some good looking Mustangs too if I remember right.
> 
> Before I got my Mustang I assumed they were all scrawny and tiny and narrow. That is definitely not the case! My guy wore size 2 shoes (back when he wore shoes) and has leg bones that most QH's would envy. True, he's only around 14.3 fully grown, but it really doesn't matter because he has the bone structure of a much bigger horse. .


I said he was the best looking I didn't say that he was the only useful mustang. A horse that is 14.3 and wears a size 2 shoe does not scream 'great looking' to me but I'm sure that he is a fine horse and very stout and useful. Same with Smrobs mustangs. They are fine horses but they have pretty obvious conformational flaws. 

For the most part there have only been mustangs since the 1940's. Big ranches in the west used to turn all thier horses out when they didn't need them. This included saddle horses and draft horses. The horses would be gathered a few times a year as the needs changed. Once farms and ranches became more mechanized fewer and fewer horses were brought in and they grew to be feral. Ranches became more fenced and the herds were closed to outside genes for the most part and became quite badly inbred and pushed to rougher less desirable areas were the feed was more scarce. Add to this the ****-poor management from the BLM and you have the problems that we have today. Too many mustangs and too few good ones.


----------



## hillarymorganstovall (Mar 27, 2010)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Thank you to those that clarified the shoulder slope thing.
> 
> I looked at the original photo and thought it was a nice shoulder. I got confused when a bunch of people said steep shoulder. I figured I had learned the whole shoulder thing wrong.



OMG!!! Me too, I'm pretty new at confo. I'm still learning but I was like totally confused!!!!


----------



## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

I would love to see him shed out, slicked up and brushed. I think it would go a long way to showing you he is one gorgeous animal under all that mud and hair.


----------



## ponyjocky (Apr 12, 2010)

mustangs always have such nice conformation in my eyes..


----------

