# Critique Hanoverian



## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

First thing i notice is that he's a tad high in the withers and his neck appears a little long, but that could be due to lack of muscle more than anything. Apart from that, he looks rather nice and i like his legs 
Pretty boy!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

How old is he and what is his breeding?

Quite a nice horse, a little weak and straight behind, nicely sloping shoulder and quite uphill, wither is quite steep so you might have 'fun' fitting a saddle on him but once he bulks up it should get easier. Good length of rein on him as well, though his neck ties in a little low to the wither and I am not so keen on how his head is set onto his neck through his gullet. 

I'm guessing that he is quite young? Once he matures and builds more muscle he will be a lovely horse


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## redape49 (Jul 29, 2011)

Very uphill, but a very gorgeous boy!!! I love him! Love his legs and head. Very nice. If he is still young he will probably build up his bum


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

redape49 said:


> Very uphill, but a very gorgeous boy!!! I love him! Love his legs and head. Very nice. If he is still young he will probably build up his bum


 Very uphill is a good thing if we're talking about a dressage prospect  This guy's wither is wither than his croup so yes he is uphill in build that way, but I'm not sure if he will move so uphill with his fairly straight hind legs. But uphill is very much a desired trait in the dressage breeds such as a hanoverian


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Kayty said:


> Very uphill is a good thing if we're talking about a dressage prospect  This guy's wither is wither than his croup so yes he is uphill in build that way, but I'm not sure if he will move so uphill with his fairly straight hind legs. But uphill is very much a desired trait in the dressage breeds such as a hanoverian


 
Agreed! Otherwise you'd be like a wheelbarrow 
I can't see the pictures at the moment as I'm at work so will check when I get home. I will get some confo pics of my Westfalen too, she's very young, and was very skinny, so she doesn't have a lot of build up, and her front legs are a bit funny with pigeon toes  but would be good to compare!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Whoops his wither isn't wither than his croup - it's higher


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

DuffyDuck said:


> Agreed! Otherwise you'd be like a wheelbarrow
> I can't see the pictures at the moment as I'm at work so will check when I get home. I will get some confo pics of my Westfalen too, she's very young, and was very skinny, so she doesn't have a lot of build up, and her front legs are a bit funny with pigeon toes  but would be good to compare!


No critiques on my giraffexcamelxmaybeahorse yearling for a while yet!! :lol:
My partner's reaction when he first saw him "You paid HOW MUCH, for THAT??!!!!!!" :shock::shock::shock:


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

My apologies for so many posts here but I have just gotten home from work and now that I can see him on my home computer (bigger and better res than work!) I take back what I said about him being straight behind. Yes, still a little straight through the hip and stifle, but the hocks are actually a lot better than what I thought at first glance earlier today.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Kayty said:


> No critiques on my giraffexcamelxmaybeahorse yearling for a while yet!! :lol:
> My partner's reaction when he first saw him "You paid HOW MUCH, for THAT??!!!!!!" :shock::shock::shock:


 
HAHA! Duffy is known as the giraffe on our yard, she pokes her nose through the feeding hole of the horse next to her... YO says he's never known a horse be able to do that before! She's got a few bite marks there too 

When I first brought Duffy on the yard my instructor was so so angry with me. She said I thought you wanted to compete, not have a pet. I said I want a project, and for the money I have, this is the best I can get. Now everyone fights over her haha!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Best way to do it if you want a really nice horse but don't have the cash to buy something established under saddle! Get yourself a 'fixer upper' like Duffy, or a youngster. Billy looked great at 3 months but now is going through the revolting bum high, short neck etc. stage... bloody yearlings!


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Oh he's a handsome devil isn't he!! I love him! What are you training him for? Reckon he'd be good at dressage and jumping, his back isn't too long!! Swap??


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

As for a fixerupper, I would deffo get your vet to check for worm damage. Duffy doesn't, thank goodness, have any but you never know in underweight horses. Duffy was in poor, poor condition when I got her and she cost me 3,800e when I was budgeting for 6,500e... and I spent most of that on new kit as I got rid of my old stuff ( was planning on a small horse, not a bigger one haha!) and food, food and food, and dentist, and chiro, and lessons, and shoes. It all adds up, but well worth it when you see the results you do!!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

He is a bit long in the leg and a bit tucked up.. but really nice otherwise. I would like to see more angle in the hind leg.. and a lower hock (and slightly lower knees). He is built uphill and if he had a bit better angle in the hind quarters I would be yelling "DRESSAGE" at you. 

Nice horse. Not a much substance as most Hannoverians.. you do see the Thoroughbred ancestors coming through.. but a good one none the less.


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## BlackJester (Oct 27, 2011)

Thank you, I got him at auction so I do not have papers on him, he is a recent gelding due to fact I knew nothing. I use AQH for dressage, does great, often get first-third at most shows not local ones, local ones to easy to him, no one thought he could, but he did great I took him off barrels put him on Dressage and he seems better at it than barrels. Makes me think it is the horse not the breed more, he is a true foundation. This one is about four years, I want him to get bigger in his hindquarters. I was not sure about why I took him off slaughter, but he looked beautiful to me, and more so when I prettied him up. I agree on the conformation flaws, I was not sure about how his head fit his neck, and he seemed high to me and I am hoping to be able to build his muscle up. I had thought Dressage, and I think I will try it, but would he be better at hunter/jumper or...?


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

ALL horses benefit from Dressage training and it lays an good foundation. Start there and be sure to get him trotting up hills and over poles on the ground to develop his "ring" and get him balanced. 

He will let you know what he wants to do after all of that. 

I had a mare.. TB.. bred for Hunter/Jumping. Sent her out and she did it and was pretty over fences but she made in clear she did not LIKE it. I put her on cattle and she ate it up. Loved it. 

Train the horse, not the pedigree.


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