# Would like some opinions of my Paint Gelding



## KennyRogersPaints (Jan 9, 2011)

he has nice bone, nice short pasterns and a nice powerful hip, he looks like he is lacking fitness, definitely needs some work with his topline and he appears to be a bit cow hocked and toes out behind, he also looks a little weak through his stifle. with some fitness he could be quite the looker! I love a red horse with a white face! His color is awesome too, looks like a splashed white to me


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## Nokotaheaven (Apr 11, 2012)

Personally speaking, i don't like how his withers stand out, and how his neck connects to them. Also, it looks like his front lefs are set a bit too far under him. But other than that he's a gorgeous horse. He looks exactly like horses used in western pleasure, even just by the way I see he moves in his jog. So I'd say he'd be good for western pleasure or Hunter, and possible ameture halter. But thats just my opinion, gorgeous boy though


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

KennyRogersPaints said:


> he has nice bone, nice short pasterns and a nice powerful hip, he looks like he is lacking fitness, definitely needs some work with his topline and he appears to be a bit cow hocked and toes out behind, he also looks a little weak through his stifle. with some fitness he could be quite the looker! I love a red horse with a white face! His color is awesome too, looks like a splashed white to me


Thanks. The last three years he has only been ridden a hand full of times so he is really lacking muscle and while he has a hay belly I think he lacks weight too.

My plan is to ship him to my trainers for 60 days and see where it takes us.


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

I can't really add more than what has been said above, lol. As for discipline, I see him doing western pleasure. Lovely boy, and he has gentle eyes.


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## greenbryerfarms (Apr 9, 2012)

Iknownothing about confermation but I loveeee the way his coat pattern is!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

Nokotaheaven said:


> Personally speaking, i don't like how his withers stand out, and how his neck connects to them.


Thank you!

His withers has made saddle fit a nightmare.
I always thought his neck was long, but he seems long all over to me so perhaps it evens out? :lol:

I'm hoping with more weight his withers and neck look to fit him a little better.


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

soenjer55 said:


> I can't really add more than what has been said above, lol. As for discipline, I see him doing western pleasure. Lovely boy, and he has gentle eyes.


Thanks. I would be VERY happy with a pleasure horse... that's what I've been into for a while but just haven't lucked out with horses that a built for it. I tend to take the horse that falls into my lap so I just go with the flow and do what they like and are good at. My last horse was halter bred and I we got the local shows down, but he just couldn't go further and he really liked the HUS stuff a lot better. That horse now carts kids around in 4H shows and enjoys it a lot more than trying to be something he is not.


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

greenbryerfarms said:


> Iknownothing about confermation but I loveeee the way his coat pattern is!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Thank you! Truth be told I was a little younger when he was a two year old and I only wanted him because of his color. :lol: Later he grew on me because of his build and even later he had me smitten by his goofy personality. I'm glad he is mine now!


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## arrowsaway (Aug 31, 2011)

My horse has the same obscene withers so I know how you feel about saddle fit. 

I REALLY like him overall. He's a bit bum high, but I've heard that gives them a bit of an edge of speed, so take the negative and make it a positive, right? :lol:
He's really is a gem and a half! SO GORGEOUS!
Good luck with him, please post updates along your journey!


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## RunSlideStop (Apr 21, 2012)

Oh my goodness. He seems wonky the way he connects through all his parts, and his hind legs are so long that his stride is tiny, BUT he is absolutely adorable. My goodness, I have never seen a more adorable horse in my life. 

Excuse my useless confo critique, I am just here to drool.


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## RunSlideStop (Apr 21, 2012)

As for discipline, depending on what his gates look like, I honestly don't see him excelling in much other than HUS. He is pretty base narrow and long-legged, though pretty well balanced. Work on getting that hiney built up and he could extend his strides a bit easier, and he would make a cute HUS.

Drool


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

RunSlideStop said:


> As for discipline, depending on what his gates look like, I honestly don't see him excelling in much other than HUS. He is pretty base narrow and long-legged, though pretty well balanced. Work on getting that hiney built up and he could extend his strides a bit easier, and he would make a cute HUS.
> 
> Drool


Does being base-narrow affect their ability to do western pleasure? I always thought the horses I saw excelling in wp were pretty narrow and long-legged... I hope this isn't a silly question...


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## RunSlideStop (Apr 21, 2012)

As for WP, nope. He just "looks" more HUS to me. I am not a fan of either in their current "fads" as it were, but HUS horses seem more conformationally correct to me. Still have a very low set axis of rotation for the shoulders and hips, making the stride shorter than seems healthy, and the whole peanut rolling fad is a bunch of bull dooky in my opinion. However, as I said, HUS seems more conformationally correct to me. 

Did that answer your question? 

ETA it is worth noting that any horse on long, spindly, narrow-based legs is going to have a hard time balancing; something I notice a lot in WP and HUS horses. This is evident in the elevated movements made to transition in gates or change leads, etc. Paired with (in WP) the practise riding the horse with its face tipped into the rail to keep it slow, and you have a pretty unbalanced beefcake on toothpick legs 

That being said, I think this boy is just marvellous and can become quite well balanced and forward.


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

RunSlideStop said:


> As for WP, nope. He just "looks" more HUS to me. I am not a fan of either in their current "fads" as it were, but HUS horses seem more conformationally correct to me. Still have a very low set axis of rotation for the shoulders and hips, making the stride shorter than seems healthy, and the whole peanut rolling fad is a bunch of bull dooky in my opinion. However, as I said, HUS seems more conformationally correct to me.
> 
> Did that answer your question?
> 
> ...



Thank you.

Like I said my main plan is to get him into a 60 day program that can help him build up (be it slowly and carefully) what he is noticeably lacking.

Weather permitting my instructor and trainer likes to get horses OUT and does a ton of trail riding, which is great for a horse like this. 

Another cool fact, its been pretty much decided through trial and error and then by a 'vet check' that Vinny is deaf. Or pretty darn close to it. But, he doesn't seem to be bothered by it too much.

I'm just not sure I'm sold on his name... Vinny.... so that might have to go. His original name was Otto I think. I dont care for that either.


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## RunSlideStop (Apr 21, 2012)

Finn?  Ollie? Interesting that he is deaf or nearly deaf. He seems to cope fine?

Glad to hear you have a solid plan for him.


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

RunSlideStop said:


> Finn?  Ollie? Interesting that he is deaf or nearly deaf. He seems to cope fine?
> 
> Glad to hear you have a solid plan for him.



Yep. He seems fine. 
The only issue is that once in a while when he passes the doors in the indoor he will be startled by whats outside (usually a person that just appears out of no where even though they yell "DOOR").

When we approach him, such as in the pasture, we just loop around so he can see you coming. If you walk up behind him its clear that he had no idea you were 'sneaking' up on him. But it does not appear to scare him.
We are more careful though then with the others obviously.

Its funny because I always kiss for the lope/canter. He just doesn't pick up on that. Also you can snap a lunge whip and he doesn't even acknowledge it. I should try a cap gun some time. :lol:


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

in pic 2 and 3 he looks a little sickle hocked, but then in pic 4 -5 not. 
He is not butt high. That wither is going to make saddle fitting difficult.
He needs top line work, and he could probably do hunter flat work, and western pleasure if you can get him to relax and round his back. He is a tad cow hocked but since you are doing halter classes and not doing cutting reining he should be okay. Love his color and his shiny healthly coat. Hope he works well for you . I would put a tad more weight on him , not whole lot , but a little more.


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

stevenson said:


> in pic 2 and 3 he looks a little sickle hocked, but then in pic 4 -5 not.
> He is not butt high. That wither is going to make saddle fitting difficult.
> He needs top line work, and he could probably do hunter flat work, and western pleasure if you can get him to relax and round his back. He is a tad cow hocked but since you are doing halter classes and not doing cutting reining he should be okay. Love his color and his shiny healthly coat. Hope he works well for you . I would put a tad more weight on him , not whole lot , but a little more.


Thank you. 

I agree that he needs more muscle, then I think he will look a lot better, I should wait now and post pictures 30, then 60 days into training so we can all see what the difference is. 
Where he is now he gets turnout, but that was all, and the pasture is mid-sized and flat.

Whatever he works out to be, I like him. 
His personality is enough for me!


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

stevenson said:


> in pic 2 and 3 he looks a little sickle hocked, but then in pic 4 -5 not.
> He is not butt high.


Oh, and I don't think my pictures did him any favors. Pics two and three I 'backed' him into standing, pic 4 and 5 I backed him, then pulled him front. What a difference! I could see it right away but I already had the other photos so I just moved on. 

He has not been shown in a showmanship or halter class for years (me either) so I forgot what a difference pushing and pulling can do to the over all squareness. Just more things we both need to work on!


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

oopss my bad.. since you are Not doing halter classes .. my typo..
he still would do good with the flat work and WP. Yes I would enjoy seeing some pics of him in 60 days, when he has more muscle and weight.


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

RunSlideStop said:


> As for WP, nope. He just "looks" more HUS to me. I am not a fan of either in their current "fads" as it were, but HUS horses seem more conformationally correct to me. Still have a very low set axis of rotation for the shoulders and hips, making the stride shorter than seems healthy, and the whole peanut rolling fad is a bunch of bull dooky in my opinion. However, as I said, HUS seems more conformationally correct to me.
> 
> Did that answer your question?
> 
> ...


I see, thank you!


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

Lopin N Paint said:


> Thank you.
> 
> Like I said my main plan is to get him into a 60 day program that can help him build up (be it slowly and carefully) what he is noticeably lacking.
> 
> ...


I was going to ask you if he is deaf, and this particular coat pattern....especially on the head, results in deaf horses a good deal of the time.


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## Critter sitter (Jun 2, 2012)

I have a deaf border collie and she is more in tune with me than her hearing brother and" listens" better. I think as long as you can get his trust down he'll prove to be better than most hearing horses. Good luck he is georgeous!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

GotaDunQH said:


> I was going to ask you if he is deaf, and this particular coat pattern....especially on the head, results in deaf horses a good deal of the time.


Someone told me too it has to do with his white face but also the way the white on his belly goes... not too sure about that part :lol: then again I never had a deaf horse before so what do I know!


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

Critter sitter said:


> I have a deaf border collie and she is more in tune with me than her hearing brother and" listens" better. I think as long as you can get his trust down he'll prove to be better than most hearing horses. Good luck he is georgeous!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Thanks.

He doesn't seem any better or worse to me; I just treat him like a normal horse as far as training... but like I said I make it a point to let him know where I am the best I can. 
It doesn't help either that he is half asleep all the time. He is one chill dude thats for sure. Not a care in the world. He just seems happy and more relaxed now that someone is giving him some attention. :grin:


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

Lopin N Paint said:


> Thanks.
> 
> He doesn't seem any better or worse to me; I just treat him like a normal horse as far as training... but like I said I make it a point to let him know where I am the best I can.
> It doesn't help either that he is half asleep all the time. He is one chill dude thats for sure. Not a care in the world. He just seems happy and more relaxed now that someone is giving him some attention. :grin:


My trainer had a couple deaf horses in the barn, they showed APHA and did ok for themselves!


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## spurstop (Mar 22, 2012)

I am going to be honest with you because I feel that critiques on a horse's conformation should be accurate and not because a person wants to flatter the owner.

I'm sure he's a sweet boy, but he is a hot mess.

His neck is unfortunate. It attaches low into the wither and the muscles are developed incorrectly, so he has the start of an "upside down" neck. Until he's properly conditioned, it's going to be hard for him to use his neck for any of the rail events. Even then, his neck is never going to be correct -- it will always tie in low. 

He is short in the shoulder in comparison to his hip and back. His back is fairly weak, which means that he is probably going to have a difficult time elevating his shoulders and rounding up to have the amount of drive needed to be successful in the western or hunt seat events. He will most likely always be a fairly flat (meaning through the body, not the legs) mover. With his shoulder, I would prefer to see a higher point to his shoulder and see it more laid back. A lower point of shoulder typically means the horse isn't able to use his shoulder as much for a free moving stride, and they are often choppy. It would be difficult to push him into a long stride for the hunt seat. 

His back legs are significantly longer than I would like to see on a prospective rail horse, and the impression that I get is that it is going to be difficult for this horse to drive well off the hock. He gives the appearance of running downhill, and coupled with his weak topline and shoulder, I can imagine that he will be a difficult one to keep up off the forehand. 

He is an attractive color, and it sounds like he has a nice personality. Do you have video of him? That would be the best way to determine if he has the movement to do the rail classes.

Regardless, even if he is not the nicest mover he may still make a good pattern horse.


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

spurstop said:


> Regardless, even if he is not the nicest mover he may still make a good pattern horse.



Thank you.

I appreciate the honesty. Right now I just want to put miles on him and enjoy him for what he is! Lucky for him (I guess maybe not for me if I do ever want to show) is he has sentimental value so we will just work with what we got and go from there .

I have off tomorrow so I will try to get a good video of him in the roundpen. I never did the video thing so it could be interesting. His feet get done today (old owner really left them go) so I can leave the boots and halter off so it does detract from his movment... any other video tips?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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