# Yearling advice and critique please.



## Shan6754 (Mar 18, 2013)

I have found some pictures of her as a foal that show her other markings and also her mother. Thank you.


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

If her parents are registered with APHA and AQHA (I'm assuming her sire is a paint horse) then you can register her with APHA, not just PtHA. Quarter horses/ paints in general tend to mature faster, so if you want to start her ground work, as long as you do it lightly, you should be fine. I know a lot of people who start them at 2 and go as far as backing them/ light riding, if they're mature enough, whether it's just around an arena, on the trails, or even to show. There are some individuals who just aren't mentally and/or physically, though. Personally, if she were mine, I would start her ground work and back her at around 3 1/2, just because I don't like starting them at 2 even if they are mature enough.


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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

The ideal 50/50 color will only affect you if you enter her in a "color" halter class, such as Overo Halter or Tobiano Halter. Otherwise it should not affect you negatively.


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## Shan6754 (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks for your reply soenjer. Her sire is registered paint, not registered with AQHA as far as I know. Im not sure about the dam i will have to find out. ****** is halter broke and so easy to do anything with, I just didnt want to to anything she wasnt ready for. She has definately inherited her sires easy going nature, he is a real gem.


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## Shan6754 (Mar 18, 2013)

Ok, so the color aspect is definately throwing me. What classes should i show her in? With my arabs we had age/prodgeny ect not specifics really. She cant be reg QH because her father isnt so that rules out QH classes, which leaves me color classes????? sorry for being a bit confused, i really know nothing in relation to colored horses.  Thanks, i really appreciate the advice.


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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

Shan6754 said:


> Ok, so the color aspect is definately throwing me. What classes should i show her in? With my arabs we had age/prodgeny ect not specifics really. She cant be reg QH because her father isnt so that rules out QH classes, which leaves me color classes????? sorry for being a bit confused, i really know nothing in relation to colored horses.  Thanks, i really appreciate the advice.


You can show her in Pinto shows if she's registered pinto. You can choose either pinto stock type or pinto hunter type. She looks more stock type to me, but you will have to see how she moves. 

Pinto has many different "halter" type classes. They have Stock Type Halter Yearlings, Hunter Type Halter Yearlings, Overo Halter, Tobiano Halter, etc. and then showmanship.

You don't want to show in the "color" halter classes such as Overo halter or Tobiano halter because she does not fit the ideal 50/50 color ratio. However, you could show her in stock or hunt type (depending on your choice) where conformation matters and color does not factor at all. Personally, I don't think she has the best conformation to stand out and win in a halter class. But you could be welcome to do open show halter for fun.

Otherwise, when she is old enough to ride, color in pinto association is not a factor when judging riding classes, and it is not a factor for any class other than the specified tobiano/overo halter.

You should really read the pinto rulebook, it is available on their website and covers any question you could have about showing specifics and guidelines.


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## Shan6754 (Mar 18, 2013)

Thank you. I will definitely read the pinto rule book. I think it will be fun to take her out to a show for the day, even if she doesn't place it can't hurt to expose her to different things I guess. 
Her full sister has a medicine hat and shield markings, she would possibly be more suited to showing???? 
I have a little while before I will be riding her, how much more should I expect her to grow? Is she almost done? I know with my Arabs they are slow to hit their full mature height and weight is this the same with ******?


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

Stock horses tend to mature/develop faster. I've always had stock horses, so it was really interesting to compare their growing processes to that of my arabian who I bought at 2. He was really skinny and awkward until just recently, and at 6 has finally fully grown into himself and filled out practically over night- meanwhile, the quarter horses all developed really early, with the only real changes being their withers and their butts continuously trying to catch up with each other. Their shapes themselves were mostly set by the time they were about 2, and then they just grew taller and filled out, if that makes sense.


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## Shan6754 (Mar 18, 2013)

Yes that makes perfect sense. The Arab as its maturing looks kind of like it's been put together with random pieces till it is older, whereas what I'm understanding of the QH types you can sort of guess what your end result will look like, but not so much regarding height. I have string tested her, to about 14.3. Ghee I hope she gets there. Thanks for helping out.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I like your filly quite a lot. She looks like she needs a farrier in the first photo. The stance does her no favors so I won't comment on her conformation. 

I will mention that you may need to use sunscreen on her face and ears as they can and will burn in the hot sun. She looks a good one. Get a better photo and I will give you more of a critique. I like all the white (except when things get muddy!). 

You have had Arabs before this horse? Oh you are going to love her... really...


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## Shan6754 (Mar 18, 2013)

She is still at the breeders but as soon as she is at my home I will get her feet sorted out. They are rather long. 
I am looking into getting her a full face mask. Just need to locate someone who makes them. I have seen them but cant remember where..... Are the mesh ones better than the hood with eye pieces? 
She is such a lovely natured girl, I'm very excited to start her. She already leads, ties, feet ect. I havent had a horse with blue eyes before, they are stunning, the half half eye is not like anything I have seen or heard of. 
Thanks so much for replying ELANA. Greatly appreciated.


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## PreciousPony (Feb 15, 2013)

Trim that girl's feet!! Her hooves look really long.

As far as conformation goes, they aren't really great pictures. In the first picture, it looks like her shoulder is leaning away from the camera/her head is turning towards the camera, making her neck look shorter and her head look bigger than they probably actually are. Obviously she's still a bit downhill. Overall she looks proportionate. The slope of her shoulder and croup are both a bit steep, which may make her gaits uncomfortable and short strided. Her pasterns also look a little short and upright, which could add to a choppy stride. 

That's pretty much all I can tell from the pictures. She's cute, but no conformation queen at this point. As for backing, I see no reason to ride a horse before it's three. At two I would work on all the stuff that's actually important; standing still for tacking up, bathing, grooming, farrier, loading on and off the trailer, desensitizing, groundwork etc.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Shan6754 said:


> She is still at the breeders but as soon as she is at my home I will get her feet sorted out. They are rather long.
> I am looking into getting her a full face mask. Just need to locate someone who makes them. I have seen them but cant remember where..... Are the mesh ones better than the hood with eye pieces?
> She is such a lovely natured girl, I'm very excited to start her. She already leads, ties, feet ect. I havent had a horse with blue eyes before, they are stunning, the half half eye is not like anything I have seen or heard of.
> Thanks so much for replying ELANA. Greatly appreciated.


She's very cute. As the owner of a couple of blue eyed horses, I'll tell you to invest heavily in sunscreen and heavy fly masks to keep them from burning. Either that or keep 'em in during the day and turn out at night. I really like the Crusader Fly masks with ears and long noses. They fit better than most and last at least as long if not longer and aren't anymore expensive. 

Crusader Pasture Long Nose Fly Mask w/Ears Cashel (Supplies Tack - Draft - Fly Masks)

I also use SPF 50 Bannana Boat sunscreen 2X/day, morning and night to help keep them from burning and to keep the skin from drying out. 

This poor mare burnt worse than anyone else I've ever had: 









And this guy right behind her: 










Him, I use straight zinc oxide on his pink parts, I can't keep a fly mask on him. He's a real artist at getting out of them and then destroying them. So, I put sunscreen all over, then zinc oxide on the pink parts.


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## Peppy Barrel Racing (Aug 16, 2011)

Make sure to use fly masks with UV protection. I also use SPF 30 sweatproof/waterproof sunblock on the face, ears, and shoulders. There is no SPF rating higher than 30 so anything over is actually 30 but its used as a marketing ploy . Also the eye that doesn't have the red patch does it have eyeliner? If it doesnt you might consider tattooing it to protect the eye from infection, sun damage, and cancer later in life. Beautiful horse!
This is my chestnut max sabino pepper. He has natural eyeliner which protects his eyes from the sun.


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## Shan6754 (Mar 18, 2013)

Wow what a great response, so much great advice I can't thank you all enough. I will be sure to rug my girl and make sure she has plenty of sun protection. 
I will post some more pictures in a month or two.


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## SnowCowgirl (Jun 3, 2010)

just wanted to say - she's super cute! I don't usually like lots of white but she's pretty adorable.

I'm not sure I understand what type of showing you want to get into - are you SET on color classes? why not show her in an actual competition class, rather than in halter?


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

soenjer55 said:


> If her parents are registered with APHA and AQHA (I'm assuming her sire is a paint horse) then you can register her with APHA, not just PtHA. Quarter horses/ paints in general tend to mature faster, so if you want to start her ground work, as long as you do it lightly, you should be fine. I know a lot of people who start them at 2 and go as far as backing them/ light riding, if they're mature enough, whether it's just around an arena, on the trails, or even to show. There are some individuals who just aren't mentally and/or physically, though. Personally, if she were mine, I would start her ground work and back her at around 3 1/2, just because I don't like starting them at 2 even if they are mature enough.


Skeletal development wise, there is no difference between breeds of horse as to how fast they mature. That's a myth.


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

Chiilaa said:


> Skeletal development wise, there is no difference between breeds of horse as to how fast they mature. That's a myth.


Skeletal-wise, no, but from what I've seen, certain breeds tend to take on their 'final shape' quicker than others. All the quarter horses I've seen looked 'matured' at a really early age, and as they grew, they only changed height wise and substance wise (discounting the growth and changes that you can't really see, like their joints fusing etc.)... That's why, when I got my 2 year old arabian, I was thrown for a bit of a loop when he looked really awkward until he was 5 or 6, then suddenly grew into himself completely. My sister's paint/qh filly, on the other hand, looked like a carbon copy of her dam but in smaller form by the time she was 2, and has only grown height wise and filled out a bit. I'm speaking from a purely visual/ outer perspective of their growth.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

soenjer55 said:


> Skeletal-wise, no, but from what I've seen, certain breeds tend to take on their 'final shape' quicker than others. All the quarter horses I've seen looked 'matured' at a really early age, and as they grew, they only changed height wise and substance wise (discounting the growth and changes that you can't really see, like their joints fusing etc.)... That's why, when I got my 2 year old arabian, I was thrown for a bit of a loop when he looked really awkward until he was 5 or 6, then suddenly grew into himself completely. My sister's paint/qh filly, on the other hand, looked like a carbon copy of her dam but in smaller form by the time she was 2, and has only grown height wise and filled out a bit. I'm speaking from a purely visual/ outer perspective of their growth.


And I am talking from a purely "ready to be ridden" point of view, just as the OP asked. The skeleton is the deciding factor on when a horse should be ridden, and a 2 year old, no matter how filled in they are in terms of flesh, is simply not matured enough in terms of skeletal development to ride.

The reason that Arabs, and other such breeds that are finer, seem to take so long to mature compared to QHs or drafts etc is a visual one. Stock breeds are far heavier from the start than an Arab, so it is to be expected that they seem thicker and more "built" at an earlier age. They still spend years more filling out, but yes, a two year old QH might indeed be chunkier than a full grown Arab that has done his filling out. That doesn't mean the 2 year old is ready to ride, just that it has the flesh to make it seem that way.


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