# confo critique 2yr Kiger/Tb



## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

i think he's really cute, but definately has growing to do. my little appy mare is 2 in april, 14-14.1 and string tests 15.1-15.2hh. it depends on genetics and nutrition. gonna be a nice horse when he's done growing


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## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

thank you  the previous owner did the string test on him, but im wondering if it was done correctly because it came out at 16h....which is a little optimistic I think! His parents are both 15h but with how tall he already is I would think hed pass that!


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

He is VERY posty/straight through his hocks. His pasterns (both front and rear) have more of a slope than I like to see. His front legs are nice and straight, but he looks a wee bit tied in behind the knee. He's got a nice laid-back shoulder on him, which should make for a fairly smooth ride. His neck ties in nicely, but in that last pic, he's carrying it REALLY upright, making it look EXTREMELY ewed. Watch that as you start him under saddle and make sure to get him to do a lot of long and low so he doesn't become ewe-necked. His got a thicker throatlatch, but it's not coarse, which is good. 

You can see a lot of the Kiger in him through his body, but then his neck and head are decidedly thoroughbred. I'd say he'll finish out around 15.2hh (this going based on a growth chart someone posted on here that states that horses reach 97-98% of their adult height at the age of two).


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> *He is VERY posty/straight through his hock*s. His pasterns (both front and rear) have more of a slope than I like to see. His front legs are nice and straight, but he looks a wee bit tied in behind the knee. He's got a nice laid-back shoulder on him, which should make for a fairly smooth ride. His neck ties in nicely, but in that last pic, he's carrying it REALLY upright, making it look EXTREMELY ewed. Watch that as you start him under saddle and make sure to get him to do a lot of long and low so he doesn't become ewe-necked. His got a thicker throatlatch, but it's not coarse, which is good.
> 
> You can see a lot of the Kiger in him through his body, but then his neck and head are decidedly thoroughbred. I'd say he'll finish out around 15.2hh (this going based on a growth chart someone posted on here that states that horses reach 97-98% of their adult height at the age of two).


 
that was my first impression, too. I agree with the rest.


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## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

im not the best at conformation, and im not saying your wrong *drafty*, but theres a website I like to look at about conformation and leg set and he looks close to the illustrated pictures that are ideal leg set and doesnt look to me to be excessively post legged. According to that site. can you explain more in depth to why you think he has the faults he does because im lost lol. I want to get better about conformation so please dont take this as me saying your wrong, im just not seeing it when comparing him to the website and I want to know what it is that im overlooking. I can see the post legged to an extint, but i feel like his hocks line up well, better than what they look in these photos. (Maybe ill try and get some new ones with a friend helping me on level ground and square up to him because im not directly at his barrel in these photos, they were just the closest ones to conformation shots that i had since he just came late Sunday night.) Your comment makes me feel like its excessive and I think its only a little. As for the pasterns I think they look great, but he is also OVERDUE! for a trim so maybe that has something to do with it? Now, for the faults as you seem them, how could that potentally hinder performance? In any way, for any discipline.
heres the website I look at Leg Set: Its Effect on Action and Soundness of Horses


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

The majority of why I'm saying he is posty is because of the angle of his pasterns. If you look at the image of the correct hind leg, the pasterns are more upright with a more open angle to them. A horse with a posty hind leg has more severely sloped pasterns, like your boy does (especially noticeable in that first pic and also in the last).









Also, take that first pic and draw a line straight down from the point of his buttocks to the ground. A correctly conformed hind leg should have the cannon bone following that line exactly, with the back of the cannon bone touching the line. A posty hind leg will be set a bit forward of that line, so it isn't touching the line, albeit still on the same angle (meaning upright/vertical...if it isn't vertical, it means the horse is sickle hocked, which your boy isn't).

As far as effecting performance...it means that he will probably have some difficulty using his lower back effectively, which reduces the power and swing of the leg. It also causes them to have a short, choppy stride with the hind legs. It's actually a fairly common conformation fault among TBs.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

his hocks do look straight, but hes also 2yo and they often are very straight when the horse is growing, i wouldnt worry too much.


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## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

ok. I was wondering because I do jumpers (goal is to at least compete at schooling level which is 3'6, usually do child/adult or lows now) and lower level eventing (like maybe move up to Novice but I dont know if ill go much past that). I just wanted to see if it could potentially prohibit that. I am more of a pleasure shower, so about 1 a month or sometimes not even that much. 

As for the post legged, I see what your saying now. I was looking more at the angle than anything else and I just didnt see where it was that far off. Maybe that website isnt the best with the angle, but he clearly doesnt meet the line from the point of his butt down.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Aside from his over straight hind leg, he is a bit rough coupled a long in the back and butt high. He may even up.. but he won't get shorter in the back. 

He is a useful looking horse and with the right training to get his "ring of muscles" working, he will be a pretty good one. Without that training he coulf become weedy, hollow backed and (as said previously) ewe necked. I like his head, neck and his eye. 

Take a look at this as this will help you understand what he will need when you start to work him. 
Biomechanical Riding and Dressage 1


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

interesting website, if a bit scattered. I was hoping that they'd show diagrams of riding long and low and how it works on the muscles ans such.


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## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

ok I had some help with him today and took some photos on level ground. I dont know if it will make a difference but at least this way itll be a lot more accurate and ill know for sure. As far as training, Im a HUGE fan of hill work and long and low work. I have a mare with a long back so its a total life saver to keep her going properly!!


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## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

anything after the better photos?


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