# This is my 15.3 hh Quarter Horse mare...hunter jumper prospect?



## laurenlewis24 (Dec 1, 2012)

Please critique my mare. I am thinking about showing her in hunter jumpers but I am not sure yet. Let me know what you think! Thanks in advance!!


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## smguidotti (Jul 31, 2012)

She needs a LOT of conditioning/muscle development (in the right places) before you do anything serious with her! IMO But she is cute 

She looks a bit over the knee and a little pigeon toed in the back but some horses just stand funny, like my mare, and end up being good jumpers regardless. However, I don't do a lot of jumping and overtime the stress could cause some damage to your horse. 

I don't know your experience level, but just start her slow, PLEASE do not rush things!

Judging from the horse's neck/head set, doing a lot of trot work, encourgaing him/her to stretch_ long_and_low, over ground poles would work wonders on their top-line AND gain muscle on the top of the neck instead of underneath it! 

GOOD LUCK!


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

Going by the first pic only, she is extremely out of condition. She toes out in the back and is pigeon toed in the front. I don't know how long she will stay sound, with those incredibly sloping pasterns. She seems to be short-legged for her body. To me, she appears to be more of a Western horse, than English. Maybe a better pic would help.

Lizzie


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Her front pasterns have me asking a LOT of questions. That much drop to the pastern.. and it is not a LONG pastern.. have me wondering about a possible medical issue. Even though I assume she is sound, that is something I would have a vet look at.

This horse does not look like a hunter or a jumper. Her neck is wide based and heavy. Her shoulder is steep and the point of shoulder is set low and the angle from point of shoulder to elbow is very low. This indicates she will have diffculty getting her knees up over a fence.. and difficulty getting her lower leg up as well. 

He back has dropped and she has a large belly.. from a lack of conditioning and work. As said by others.. this horse needs to be conditioned first. Trotting up hills with the rider in a two point and horse on a loose rein. Training her over caveletti.. gradually working up to 8 consecutive poles 12 inches off the ground (rider again in a two point, loose rein and horse trotting). A few months of being ridden and conditioned (riding 5-6 days per week) would help a lot.. then you can try to start jump training if you want to. 

I would not do anything w/o finding out a little more about those front legs/pasterns first.


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## Casey02 (Sep 20, 2011)

Yeah he front legs scare me (not wanted in English OR western)


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## smguidotti (Jul 31, 2012)

The front pasterns could be the result of a bad shoer . . . and do you keep up on worming your horse?


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

laurenlewis24 said:


> Please critique my mare. I am thinking about showing her in hunter jumpers but I am not sure yet. Let me know what you think! Thanks in advance!!
> 
> View attachment 129039
> 
> ...


 
Wow...lots going on here! The front legs, as Elana said are scary...particularly the pasterns. That is conformational and might change a TAD with a different trim...but not much. She's carrying a lot of body without enough bone to carry it. While I like the cannons...front and back and the hock set...she's a big horse on top and that shows some unbalance. She's got a HUGE wither and a short back. I like a shorter back, but the big wither and dip tells me she is very out of shape and has no topline muscle to speak of. What I do like is that she is uphill, and I CAN see her as a Hunt Seat horse, although I like to see matching longer cannons on a hunt seater.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I am wondering if this horse is suffereing from Degenerative Suspensory Ligament disease with those front pasterns. 

DSLD/ESPA Symptoms, Diagnosis and Management


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

I’d steer clear of that one.


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

Those front pasterns made me wince a little. Maybe it's because of her standing on soggy ground (hopefully!) But I see more of a western build on this mare.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I wonder about soundness in ANYTHING she would be doing with the way she looks in those pictures...


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