# Straight shoulder?



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I hear this term all the time. I asked couple people (who deals with horses a lot), but they didn't give me a definite answer. So.... What mean "straight shoulder"? How to see whether the horse has one? 

I'm not sure it's a right place for the thread, but I'm not sure which one is.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Horse A has a nice sloping shoulder and horse C has a very straight shoulder. It can create a rougher ride and cause problems with front end agility.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Oh, I see... Thanks for posting those!

Does the horse with straight shoulder ALWAYS give a rough ride?


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

What you are looking for is a 45 degree angle from the point of chest to the top of his withers. More than 45 and the ride will be choppier. There are other factors such as the angle of his pasterns but the shoulder is the main feature to look at.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Thanks, iride!

Is that true that long pasterns also give the rough ride?


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## Trissacar (Apr 19, 2009)

You want a sloping shoulder preferably.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

kitten_Val said:


> Is that true that long pasterns also give the rough ride?


Straight pasterns do. You want an angle there as well as the shoulder.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Great thread! Conformation is 1 thing I am completely daft about!

iridehorses - Can you tell me about my Boo's confo for me?

Walk me thorugh it! Educate me!


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## eventnwithwinston (Feb 15, 2009)

iridehorses said:


> Straight pasterns do. You want an angle there as well as the shoulder.


Yes, but if your pasterns are too long they cause strain and make it harder for a horse to recover in dicsiplines such as jumping. You want pasterns to be a medium length, 45 degrees in the front and 55 degrees in the back... just to get technical.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Is that why Draft Crosses don't last long physcially, because their pasturns are shorter due to the pulling aspect of their breeding?


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

MIE, overall I like your horse. He looks balanced, his neck comes in basically a little below the middle of his chest, his body weight looks to be a 5ish with a little crest just past the withers. His shoulder looks like an OK angle - maybe a little straighter then I like. He has a goose rump but not too bad and his tail comes in at the right place. He has a nice face with a relaxed overall look to him. His legs look good and so do this pasterns.

Anyway, that's my opinion. I like him.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Thank you  He is my special man.

We compete Novice Level Eventing and school at Training Level. I do have hopes to go Prelim - but he is 16 now and I don't know if I want to put him to that level of training and competition. 

I may just stick at Novice/Training until he retires. We love to Fox Hunt, and we love to compete at Dressage Shows when we can - 

This year, I am hoping to do allot more clinics.

He suits me just fine - at the low levels we are at.


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

I enjoy him too MIEventer. Looks like he could use a little topline near the withers (this could be an out-of-work shot though  ) And his heels look underrun to me. I think if they were fixed.. the pasterns wouldn't look so awkward. Overall, very pretty. Get his rump muscled!!


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

He's nice looking boy. So he certainly doesn't have a straight shoulder from what I see. 

I'll try to take good pics of my horses tomorrow and will REALLY appreciate if you could give the opinions about the shoulder and pasterns.  I tried to look today and seems to me the shoulder is not straight, but frankly I still can't tell for sure.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

> I enjoy him too MIEventer. Looks like he could use a little topline near the withers (this could be an out-of-work shot though  ) And his heels look underrun to me. I think if they were fixed.. the pasterns wouldn't look so awkward. Overall, very pretty. Get his rump muscled!!


Thank you 

His Topline has been an ongoing issue for me - due to me not knowing how to correctly ride him, lifting his back and all that stuff to build it up - AND he is a difficult fit for a saddle being A Symetrical.

I do agree though - he has a weak topline and I don't know what I am not doing to build it up.

His Heels - AHHH that's a long story!!! And still in the process of correcting that. When I bought him, I was under a certain farrier...who, unknowingly to me - was trimming him with long toes, no heels. Thins soles, no blood flow. All pressure in his toes.......then, a blessing happened where I had to get another farrier to replace a thrown shoe - to find out everything that was wrong with his feet........now going through corrective shoeing. 

This farrier showed up, took 1 look and shook his head. Examined his shoulders, his hips, his pasturns - walked around him and even massaged certain points on his body - creating Nelson to almost collapse due to pain and pressure.

The farrier drew scales for me with his feet to show me where his angles should be, and walked me through how wrong his feet were - 

So - after a whole winter off - I've been starting to ride him again. His soles have thickened, his toes are brought back immensely, his heels are starting to grow again and blood flow.

You should see him track up now and move! Totally different horse!

That - was only the short version of what happened.



Kitten Val - I look forward to pictures - because I want to learn about conformation!


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

I know EXACTLY what you mean about 'difficult topline', lol! My paint gelding, due to previous draw rein use, has a horrible time of building it. Puts a hole behind the withers, where the saddle slides... which then prevents him from building topline!!! I just ordered a thinline pad with shims, and they are supposed to be the next best thing, after sliced bread. It was pricey (150 for a halfpad sheepskin, last years model), but it has RAVE reviews, and you can independently shim sides and front to back. I will let you know how it goes for helping to improve the Paint's topline!

SO glad to hear about the feet! Again, the Paint above had HORRIBLE feet when we got him, and we are now barefoot, beautiful, and showing almost every weekend. It's possible!


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