# 26 month old stud colt. Critique Please.



## amy (Nov 26, 2008)

In order to really citique him we need pictures where he is standing squarely on level ground. 

Cute color though


----------



## Barrelracer Up (May 22, 2009)

Thanks.
I will have to get more pics.


----------



## Colorado Dobes (Nov 12, 2008)

He is a very pretty color!


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

He's quite cute!
What are your plans for him? 
He's got a bit of a plain head. Nice shoulder from what I can tell in those pictures. Looks to have nice legs and a decent length of body. I'm not a fan of his neck-wither attachment, but that can be covered up with a bit of muscling.


----------



## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Something about those knees bothers me.. Nice color!


----------



## Barrelracer Up (May 22, 2009)

JustDressageIt said:


> He's quite cute!
> What are your plans for him?
> He's got a bit of a plain head. Nice shoulder from what I can tell in those pictures. Looks to have nice legs and a decent length of body. I'm not a fan of his neck-wither attachment, but that can be covered up with a bit of muscling.


I am hoping to run barrels with him. If he ends up being top notch, I will list him with Future Fortunes and IF. We will see if anything else manifests.....he has a decent collected trot. I've been on him a few times, but have had things come so his saddle work got back burnered. The only issue I might have racing him myself is I really prefer the short compact horses.....hopefully I will grow with him as he doesn't seem to be slowing down!! The few rides I did take with him he was very smooth and comfortable - albeit a bit down hill.

He got placed in a tiny paddock at the stable I just left and he lost a LOT of muscle tone in the past 2 months. The pics were taken 3 days after the move. That is another story, but he is not where he should have been.


----------



## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

Barrelracer Up said:


> I've been on him a few times, but have had things come so his saddle work got back burnered. The only issue I might have racing him myself is I really prefer the short compact horses.....hopefully I will grow with him as he doesn't seem to be slowing down!! The few rides I did take with him he was very smooth and comfortable


You might find he does better if you wait a while before riding him much. Those growing joints will do better in long run if you wait a while before riding him.

Is this horse the cribber?


----------



## Barrelracer Up (May 22, 2009)

No he doesn't crib, chew or weave. No bad habits to speak of really. He gets a little jumpy at times, but has gotten good a listening to me when I tell him to settle down or tell him whatever is scary isn't going to eat him nearly as fast as I will. We have done lots of sacking out and despooking. Apparently this horse was so hard to handle they had to lay him down or tranq him to trim his feet!!

I got him in Oct and the next day (before I heard all his horror stories) I put him on the wash rack and bathed him and trimmed his feet. Previous owner rounds the corner as I am finishing the last foot and about faints. He says he is letting you do his feet!? Then tells the story(s).

The reason I got him was that I was asked to give an opinion on him. The couple had had him 6 months and couldn't bond with him. I spent an hour in the round pen and did some Clinton Anderson lunging for respect and he just seemed to get it. They offered him to me since I had gotten further in that hour then they had in 6 months. All I did was tell him I wasn't gonna hurt him, but this is what I expect of you. When he is doing right I don't pressure him, when he gets in the wrong I pressure till he gets where he is suppose to be. The few times I got after him, for getting a little on top of me from trying to get away from scary things, I gave a sharp yell and made him back off. He is rather sensitive and gets his feeling hurt if I am not pleased with him.

I am hoping he is stud quality and will continue with the good disposition (other than occasional jumpiness I have never had problems with him). I have done lots of give and flex work with him and line drive him all over the place. Once he is fully under saddle we will continue the give, flex, bend, and collection exercises. Then next year exhibition barrels lightly and see if he is barrel futurity quality for his 4th or 5th year.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Hm, lets see. His color is beautiful and he is a very leggy colt. Just a few things that kinda jump out at me. Downhill; though he may straighten out with age. He is base narrow, a little cow hocked, and his front pasterns are very long. His neck is a little short and his head is kinda plain. His croup is short and steep and his tail set is very high for a QH.

On another note, I agree with Joshie. There is no sense rushing him. He is just barely 2 and has alot more growing to do. It would do wonders for his longevity to give him another year before you start riding him.

Also, I am really not being rude with this next statement, just blunt. I personally don't think he would be a good quality producing stud. His confo is not terribly impressive and his bloodlines are not eye popping. There are so many really good studs out there with spectacular bloodlines. He may make a nice stud but I bet he would make a spectacular gelding. Keep in mind that this is just my opinion.


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

smrobs said:


> Also, I am really not being rude with this next statement, just blunt. I personally don't think he would be a good quality producing stud. His confo is not terribly impressive and his bloodlines are not eye popping. There are so many really good studs out there with spectacular bloodlines. He may make a nice stud but I bet he would make a spectacular gelding. Keep in mind that this is just my opinion.


I do agree with Smrobs here. He is a really cute horse, quite eye-catching because of his color and nice head, but I do not think he is stud quality either. There are too many QH stallions of every way shape and form.
Since he already has a bit of a behavior problem, from what you have said, I would not want this trait passed on.

Again, he is a lovely horse, but in my eyes not stud quality.


----------



## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

He is a very cute horse, and like the other comments, he's definately a lot more downhill than I would like to see, but maybe he'll straighten out. Beautiful coloring, nice and leggy, of course I'm more of a Thoroughbred person, but especially with how down hill he is, I would honestly not keep him as a stud. I don't know because you haven't said, but if he's not at a big breeding barn, I don't see the value in keeping him a stallion. And I'd definately wait another year before riding him very much if at all. Hope that all works out for you.


----------



## Barrelracer Up (May 22, 2009)

*More pictures*

Ok - got a few more photos. Still not the best as I have no one to help.
I taped him and he is 16 hands at the rump and 15.2 at the withers. He turned 2yrs on March 15th.














































And since it is pic heavy anyway - here is one from just 5 months ago!! I cannot get over how much he has changed. And can't wait to see him when he is done.










And one of the few I was able to obtain of him when he was younger with his sire, 22 yr old A Risky Business.









I don't know how old the knee injury is on the sire, but I know it cut his career short.


----------



## Solon (May 11, 2008)

I agree with the person above that said not stud material. He'll make a nice gelding. He's still young so he's got time to even out. He's butt high. And looks like he toes out in back. Pretty coloring.


----------



## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I pretty much agree with everyone else. He's a real looker, but definately not top notch stud quality. However, that's your perogative, he could even out a bit with age but I have my doubts he'll ever sire anything fantastic.

Personally, I think he's FAR to immature to be ridden yet. I think if you're aiming him towards such a high stress event as barrel racing, you really need to take your time since his conformation is already working against him in that type of discipline. His pasterns concern me about holding up in high stress work, he looks much more pleasure type to me.

He's a real cutie, I like his color, but I'd definately take his conformation into account with plans of both barrel racing and breeding. From what I saw of his stud, he isn't coming off anything very impressive either. Good stallions make great geldings!


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Okay now that I see him squared up, I do think his pasterns are really quite long, creating an odd angle in his entire leg. See how he's standing under himself? His front pastern angles don't match his hinds. 
This might make him prone to injury, especially with a high-stress, high-impact sport like barrel racing.


----------



## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

agreed with everything everyone else has said. he does seem pretty under himself. and downhillish. 

very interesting color though!!


----------



## Barrelracer Up (May 22, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the input.

I will resume light saddle work soon - for those concerned, my babies are _lightly_ ridden once weekly or less and for 20 or 30 minutes _tops_ and primary goal is to build more on the flex and give exercises that I start on the ground rather than putting miles on them. After New Years I will lengthen his riding time to 30 or 60 min. and stay at once to twice weekly sessions, build on the foundation work I have done and start walking/trotting the pattern. Then, late summer or early fall, we will start exhibitioning at NBHA shows and see if we can get futurity ready for 2011. If by his fourth year he is showing that he will do well, but isn't ready for full out racing, I will hold off futurity shows until his fifth year. I should also know by late next year whether he has barrel racing potential, futurity potential or if he would excel at another field. _If_ he continues his easy manageability, shows he can prove himself as a performance horse, and has matured evenly without any major faults, then I will leave him intact and promote him. _If _he fails miserably at proving himself he will be gelded.

At present - he is finally getting some decent hoof growth and should have his heels up within the next 3 months, been moved out of the awful, tiny paddock that he has been stuck in for 2 months at the previous facility (that is a major vent topic there), and is getting the appropriate amount of feed for a growing boy (another major vent topic). Bless my new BO for working with us to get things set to rights. She told me today that she can't get over how sweet and non-studly he is and can see his body condition improving.

Thanks again.
Any other input is welcome!


----------

