# Three year old Conformation



## wilsonaact (May 6, 2017)

Good afternoon,
I would like your opinions on this 3 year old filly's build and conformation.

http://www.curlypinesranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20150314_1608215.jpg

http://www.curlypinesranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20150314_16435014.jpg

http://www.curlypinesranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20150314_1609126.jpg

If you need more pictures, let me know.


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## zephyr911 (Apr 23, 2017)

She has a nice head! 

Is this a soon too be work-horse? If so, she seems quite small for a 3 year old. Could just be me.

i bet with a nice work-out regime and feeding program, she would fill out and look quite nice, with some muscle-mass.

conformation wise, pretty good, might run in to some forehand problems in the future though, having very slightly longer hindquarters/ hind legs, than in the front.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

It would be helpful to have one from straight on in the back and one from the other side (opposite the side shot you have).

The biggest thing I notice is that her knees look very big/knobby. I don't know if that's a conformation fault or that she just hasn't grown into them yet. IMO the curly hair makes it a little hard to judge too. 

She looks decent for a three year old. A little butt high (which might change). Her back legs are a little straight/skinny and I think her cannons are too long, just because I don't know how they'd hold up to strain. She may need some more muscling that could make her look better. I like her head and neck, and her shoulder isn't bad.

I think she'll be fairly nice once she matures a bit more, I'd just keep an eye on those back legs.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I can't remember the name of the gal that is sort of a conformation expert, but I remember her saying that "large, shield shaped knees" are a good thing. She doesn't like knees that are small and round. 

I personally don't see anything particularly large or unusual about her knees, I think they look normal. 

She's a very pretty little horse! Maybe a bit immature still, but overall I think she looks lovely. 

I have a neighbor with a curly Foxtrotter and he is tough as nails! Never wears shoes, goes over all sorts of rocks without batting an eye, just a tough-as-nails trail horse with a great disposition. 

So I'm sort of fond of curlies. :mrgreen:


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Wow! I've rarely ever seen pics of a curly coated horse! Is it a breed, or do some horses just come out like that? ^I see above about a curly coated FT...

(Ed to add... just saw 'curlypines' from the pics, & learned it's a breed...)

So... The coat makes it harder for me to judge. Also the last pic shows nothing - if you want to show lower leg/hoof confo, you need to take pics squarely. The first pic would be best taken a tad further away. A back view would also help. Also her being in grass, you can't see feet clearly either, and how she's standing could be a little to do with soft/uneven ground, who knows. So best to photo on hard, flat ground, like a concrete floor or such.

The second pic - whole horse - looks OK. She appears to have a rather small body for her head & neck & smallish hind end. Her pasterns & hooves appear quite upright, but as said, this could be the ground, and can't see clearly due to grass. Could be a tad forward at the knee. That's something that may be addressed with good hoofcare though.

The front-on pic... She looks a tad valgus(outward deviation) at the knees, & maybe also fetlock of the right fore. That could be just the way she's standing/camera angle tho. She also appears cow hocked


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## wilsonaact (May 6, 2017)

Thank you for all of your replies.
Curly horses generally mature at a slower rate (usually around age 5 or 6) than other breeds (Quarter Horse for example). The breeder said that her Sire has the traditional stocky build of the original Curly and that her Dam has more height.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Even if she matures more slowly, she lacks balance, with a front end way heavier then her rear end
Agree with Loosie the front legs, but hard to tell if long unbalanced hooves might not play a part
Back legs also appear posty


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Wilson, NO horse - even a mini - matures fully before about 6-7yo. I think the story about some maturing 'later' is likely perpetrated by the TB & QH industries who like to start horses as babies.


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