# Thoughts on this 3yo TB (f)



## LTG (Aug 24, 2013)

Hi there, sorry I don't have more photos yet, but this filly is a 3yo TB who is presumed to make a smart, staying, steeplechasing race-mare for Ireland/UK, where they are raced at 4yo+

she has a bit of a belly as she's untrained yet, and on grass all spring / summer,

Any thoughts ? Thanks.


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## Tryst (Feb 8, 2012)

I see swelling/puffiness in her pasterns all around, especially front left. Or possibly a bow in that leg?

I see a shorter neck, good shoulder, good length of back and coupling leading in to a nice, though slightly short hip. Angle to her hock is good. I love her substance of bone. Somewhat over at the knee and tied in below the knee. Slightly downhill build. If the legs are sound she looks fairly athletic.

I know nothing about steeplechase, so I can not tell you how that translates to anything in that world. Pasterns would concern me.


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## LTG (Aug 24, 2013)

Hi Tryst, thanks for your comments,



Tryst said:


> I see swelling/puffiness in her pasterns all around, especially front left. Or possibly a bow in that leg?


Nice spot, I'll have to look more closely. Hasn't ever been raised before.



> ...good shoulder, good length of back and coupling leading in to a nice, though slightly short hip. Angle to her hock is good.


This is what I like to hear ! It's great to get unbiased opinions, and this is kinda what I thought already. 

She has a very nice pedigree, she's the 11th foal from our best Broodmare and they have all been very hardy and three stakes winners in there (inc a full sis to this filly).

I'm in Ireland, and here and in England Steeplechasing is very popular esp. in the winter when the ground is a bit soft and the flat season is over. 

In general, you want hardy, staying types who can collect well and in that regard a good strong back is very nice to have. The best races are around 3 miles, and run at about 2 mins/ mile with fences roughly 5 feet high about every 2 furlongs.

I would just add that yes she looks slightly downhill, and sprinty even to my eye, but might be that she'll pull up in front going on family history, she should have another inch to find yet.

Thanks again !


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I, personally, love her. She's got enough substance to stand up to use and the faults she does have are minor. She's also got a lovely deep heart girth, which should make her a stayer. She's just overall a lovely mare who is well put together. Definitely get those pasterns checked, but barring any major issues there, I could see her being a great steeplechase horse.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## LTG (Aug 24, 2013)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Definitely get those pasterns checked, but barring any major issues there, I could see her being a great steeplechase horse.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Hi, and thanks for the comment - I'll be paying close attention to those pasterns in the morning !

thanks again, nice to get encouragement.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I like this horse a lot. I was thinking she looked Irish bred. Steeple chase? Yes. I would say so assuming she vets and stays sound. She is out of shape now.. but over all she has so much nice substance. Lovely shoulder, lovely neck set. Withers are high and knife like. Her hind cannons look a little light.. but really that is not so important. 

I don't know if your plans or your association with this horse is for Steeplechase.. but based on how she looks I think she has a shot. If she is not headed for racing I can see her as a nice field hunter. 

Either way, she will need a PPE and that should include Xrays of Hocks, Knees and Pasterns. If she will race they usually scope them for wind (roaring).


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

BTW I love the look of most Irish and English (and Australian) Thoroughbreds. They tend to have substance. They look classic for the breed. 

I love 'Chasers. They MUST have substance.


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## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Lovely looking mare. Perfect steeplechaser. All I can see is a high wither and maybe weak hindquarters. 
Very nice!


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## LTG (Aug 24, 2013)

Elana said:


> BTW I love the look of most Irish and English (and Australian) Thoroughbreds. They tend to have substance. They look classic for the breed.


Hi Elana, thanks for your comments.

It's true, and we see it here in the sales ring with American purchasers at the top end buying some of our broodmares, believing that a lot of of US TBs have lost a lot of hardiness in the search for speed.


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## LTG (Aug 24, 2013)

CandyCanes said:


> All I can see is a high wither and maybe weak hindquarters.
> Very nice!


HI Candy, I wonder about the hindquarters myself, and wonder if they will strengthen up much when she starts training ? she's certainly not shy of muscle, as she's done a bit of work on long-reins recently and built up noticeable around the shoulder. 

I also wonder, and it's a general question, what kind of work could I do to strengthen hindquarters in general ?

thanks all, your comments are greatly appreciated !


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Long trots up hill with light contact. If you are doing this on long lines it won't be the best. LOL

So long WALKS up hills. This will also help her develop abdominal muscles that will help (ultimately) with all that she does. 

Yes.. speed in favor of hardiness is the thing that makes money. I will say that on the farm I worked the top horses still had substance. The thing in the US is 'Chasing is not a big race draw. I like it.. but there are no good tracks with hills and all the rest. 

I probably should have been born in the British Isles and been a horse trainer. I reckon things got messed up on the assembly line somehow and.. well.. that didn't happen. LOL


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## LTG (Aug 24, 2013)

Elana said:


> Long trots up hill with light contact. If you are doing this on long lines it won't be the best. LOL
> 
> So long WALKS up hills. This will also help her develop abdominal muscles that will help (ultimately) with all that she does.


Hi Elana,

Sorry I should have been more specific. She's been driven in long reins - i.e. pulling a roller, to give her some exercise, education and muscling. Also she's been doing some lunging. She's taking a break now before being broken in a few weeks. I should post some new pics as the originals are before the work.

It's just that when she goes into training, which will be a few months yet, maybe even a year, I'd love to have done some work which would have strengthened her up in the quarters in particular, as I really like her neck, shoulder and the muscling in the upper legs.

thanks for the advice, hills make sense alright.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Trot her up hills on a loose contact with you in a 2 point. Let her lean forward and down with her head and neck and let the rear end drive her on up. It is amazing how this can help a horse.


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## LTG (Aug 24, 2013)

Thanks everyone for your comments, they are very useful and I appreciate every bit of feedback from you,

here are a couple of pics I got today, they are about 3 months on from the originals. To my eye they show a good bit of progress, do you think ? To refresh the scenario, this is with a view to either putting her in training to race (the optimistic, expensive scenario), or to go to stud next spring. Btw she's standing 16.1/2 now and may have another half or full inch in her yet. And just to clarify, she's very straight, just not standing straight ! And I had her pasterns checked (thanks) and they are fine, nice and big and strong but no swelling.

Many thanks !

Also, here's the pedigree for her full sis if you're interested:

http://www.pedigreequery.com/shirley+casper


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## Teekin (Apr 9, 2012)

This mare is bred to steeple chase with the best of them. I am very surprised they are selling her, is she part of an estate sale or someone getting our of racing? I think she is going to be A LOT of horse as she matures and gets stronger. This is a horse that I would be slightly frightened to take on, I just don't want to deal with that much RACEHORSE again. I like the ones who fall asleep in the loading gate or don't like the contact so hang back and just let everyone else go ahead, then take a nice easy stroll home.


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## LTG (Aug 24, 2013)

Teekin said:


> This mare is bred to steeple chase with the best of them.


Thanks Teekin, I really enjoyed your post! 

She's my filly, we bred her. 

The question with her is whether to put her in stud, next spring, which is simple and uncomplicated. Or, to maybe wait a year and put some money into having her trained to race (expensive and risky).

She has a good pedigree so she doesn't need to race, but it would be good for her as a broodmare if she did well. So the question goes on...


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Shame not to race her or train her for Point to points or fox hunt something. She can have babies.... later..........


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