# Please critique my boy



## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

Any critiques would be helpful. He is a QH. About 15hh. grown since the pic


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

another picture


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

cant tell much from those photos, we need clear pictures, a little closer, on level ground, directly from the side, front and back for a really good critique


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

BlueSpark said:


> cant tell much from those photos, we need clear pictures, a little closer, on level ground, directly from the side, front and back for a really good critique


Alright, I'll try to take some when i go to the barn either today or tommorow!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I see bow legged behind and very light bone. Tied in at the knee, steep croup and long coupling. LOVELY neck, withers and shoulder. You don't get a shoulder that nice on most Quarter Horses.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Better pictures would help, if you can get them. 

The first thing I noticed in the pictures is that his legs are very light boned. Also looks somewhat cow-hocked in back, and duck-footed in front. It may be the angle of the 2nd photo, but his neck looks short for his body...or could be that his back in a bit long. I feel like his shoulder is a bit steeper than I would like to see. I would also like to see his hocks lower to the ground. Overall, I'd like to see better conditioning, toning, and muscling. 

But I sure like his facial expression in the pictures!!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

other than being able to see that he has a very nice shoulder, and neck, the angle of those photos does not make for an accurate assessment of his leg angles (cowhocked or duck footed) . a lot of that can be becuase he was just turning when the camera caugtht him.

take good, squared up photos and you'll get better answers.


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

beau159 said:


> Better pictures would help, if you can get them.
> 
> The first thing I noticed in the pictures is that his legs are very light boned. Also looks somewhat cow-hocked in back, and duck-footed in front. It may be the angle of the 2nd photo, but his neck looks short for his body...or could be that his back in a bit long. I feel like his shoulder is a bit steeper than I would like to see. I would also like to see his hocks lower to the ground. Overall, I'd like to see better conditioning, toning, and muscling.
> 
> But I sure like his facial expression in the pictures!!


Haha thank you! I think a lot of it was in the angle and the unlevel ground of the pictures. I'll get better ones tomorrow. These are pretty old pictures from when I first got him. He doesn't look as light boned now and has more muscle. He was a pretty awkward horse at first.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

OK.. here is how he is bow legged behind. Not cow hocked. His hind feet point straight forward forcing his hocks OUT. See the red lines. The blue lines show approximately how the feet should point. The hind leg is a spiral construction (like a spring). So the hind feet need to point out to accommodate that physics. 

I LOVE this horse's expression and head.. circled his head in green for that reason.

The shoulder is lovely because it lays back and has a nice open angle at the point of shoulder from scapula to humerus. A lot of quarterhorses have a closed angle at the point of shoulder. He is tied at the knee and light boned.. arrows to show this. And the marks on his back to show the long coupling. I wish the peak of croup were further forward between the two lines on his back.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

Elana said:


> OK.. here is how he is bow legged behind. Not cow hocked. His hind feet point straight forward forcing his hocks OUT. See the red lines. The blue lines show approximately how the feet should point. The hind leg is a spiral construction (like a spring). So the hind feet need to point out to accommodate that physics.
> 
> I LOVE this horse's expression and head.. circled his head in green for that reason.
> 
> The shoulder is lovely because it lays back and has a nice open angle at the point of shoulder from scapula to humerus. A lot of quarterhorses have a closed angle at the point of shoulder. He is tied at the knee and light boned.. arrows to show this. And the marks on his back to show the long coupling. I wish the peak of croup were further forward between the two lines on his back.


I agree with most of what you said except the shoulder. For a nice slope to the shoulder, you want a closed angle, not an open one. An open shoulder angle means steep and I might his shoulder on the steep side. 

I DO agree about the lack of bone in all four legs; he has longer cannons, not a lot of solid bone and he does tie in at the knee. What I love about this horse is his back length....pretty darn perfect if you ask me, at least from the one side shot. It also appears to be level across, neither uphill or downhill.....like that. Someone mentioned lower hocks, but his hocks are pretty much is line with his knees....so for him, they suit well.


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

Elana said:


> OK.. here is how he is bow legged behind. Not cow hocked. His hind feet point straight forward forcing his hocks OUT. See the red lines. The blue lines show approximately how the feet should point. The hind leg is a spiral construction (like a spring). So the hind feet need to point out to accommodate that physics.
> 
> I LOVE this horse's expression and head.. circled his head in green for that reason.
> 
> The shoulder is lovely because it lays back and has a nice open angle at the point of shoulder from scapula to humerus. A lot of quarterhorses have a closed angle at the point of shoulder. He is tied at the knee and light boned.. arrows to show this. And the marks on his back to show the long coupling. I wish the peak of croup were further forward between the two lines on his back.


Thank you! I really appreciate you showing me how you did this! Is there any way I could make him not so light boned? and will him being a little bowlegged effect how he competes? (im hoping for him to be my up and coming barrel horse) and do they grow out of some of those things you mentioned? These are pictures from a year or two ago and I haven't noticed any faults but then again I'm new to this


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

GotaDunQH said:


> I agree with most of what you said except the shoulder. For a nice slope to the shoulder, you want a closed angle, not an open one. An open shoulder angle means steep and I might his shoulder on the steep side.
> 
> I DO agree about the lack of bone in all four legs; he has longer cannons, not a lot of solid bone and he does tie in at the knee. What I love about this horse is his back length....pretty darn perfect if you ask me, at least from the one side shot. It also appears to be level across, neither uphill or downhill.....like that. Someone mentioned lower hocks, but his hocks are pretty much is line with his knees....so for him, they suit well.


Thank you! He has quite a few World Champion Halter horses closely related to him so he can't be too screwed up...


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

sparkoflife said:


> Thank you! He has quite a few World Champion Halter horses closely related to him so he can't be too screwed up...


can you post his pedigree? Most halter horses are terrible examples of ideal conformation...pretty bad to be axact. So I'm glad that he doesn't show your typical halter horse conformation.


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

GotaDunQH said:


> can you post his pedigree? Most halter horses are terrible examples of ideal conformation...pretty bad to be axact. So I'm glad that he doesn't show your typical halter horse conformation.


 Hopefully the link will work, if not, ill give you his name and stuff so you can look it up. 


Sparky Quarter Horse


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

I'm pretty sure he has more halter horses in him, but I know for sure his grandsire was one. Wish I knew his sire so I could know what else he's bred for


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

^ you don't have his registration papers?


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

GotaDunQH said:


> ^ you don't have his registration papers?


he can't be registered. I got him from a rescue and they didnt know who his sire was. and the guy they got him from refused to sign the papers saying he's 100% QH :/
im hoping that i can convince the guy to sign them though


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

I'm not a big QH person, but I like him.


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## sparkoflife (Jul 8, 2012)

wakiya said:


> I'm not a big QH person, but I like him.


Aww thanks!!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

GotaDunQH I must disagree (and I do not often disagree with you) with your statement regarding an open angle at the point of shoulder. If this angle is less than 90 degrees, the shoulder is incorrect. A LOT of Quarterhorses have a closed angle at the point of shoulder and the humerus lays quite flat. 

An open angle and laid back shoulder (this shoulder could lay back a bit more) allows for free-er action in the front leg and more reach. Over fences, you need laid back AND open so the horse can get his knees UP and fold his front legs. Knees level (or not even level) and front legs hanging are based in physics (shoulder construction and neck tie in) not in individual style. 

Fore things such as WP etc the open angle at the point of shoulder may not be as important and it may actually produce the down hill trot and lope that is popular there.. but it makes for a horse that has less scope in his front end.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

BTW a horse born with light bone always has light bone. Bow legged behind will give you less drive (remember.. hind leg = spring) out of the turns. Try him and see.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

Elana said:


> GotaDunQH I must disagree (and I do not often disagree with you) with your statement regarding an open angle at the point of shoulder. If this angle is less than 90 degrees, the shoulder is incorrect. A LOT of Quarterhorses have a closed angle at the point of shoulder and the humerus lays quite flat.
> 
> An open angle and laid back shoulder (this shoulder could lay back a bit more) allows for free-er action in the front leg and more reach. Over fences, you need laid back AND open so the horse can get his knees UP and fold his front legs. Knees level (or not even level) and front legs hanging are based in physics (shoulder construction and neck tie in) not in individual style.
> 
> Fore things such as WP etc the open angle at the point of shoulder may not be as important and it may actually produce the down hill trot and lope that is popular there.. but it makes for a horse that has less scope in his front end.


 
In geometric terms.... and when you draw lines....you DO not want an open angle because that means it's a very straight shoulder. I could not imagine a horse with a 90 degree angle.....it would be an "L" and that is far from correct.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I some how think we are not communicating this right GotaDunQH. 90° at the point of shoulder .. but the long leg of the "L" lays back at 45° to be ideal. I will try to draw it when I am at a PC and get examples..


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