# How is my horse's Conformation???



## ShutUpJoe (Nov 10, 2009)

Photos of her with her head down are going to skew the judging of her conformation. Can't tell shoulder angle or much with it down on the ground like that. I do think that she's a lovely colored mare. Absolutely beautifully marked.


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## Spotted Image (Aug 10, 2011)

She's a lovely man, but I'm a little bias when she looks similar to my Paint Mare.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

Hey...this isn't the girl that had Casey at Three Gaits for pony club,is it?

If so you might remember me. Heather,one of the people that worked there.


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

lol... hi heather.... yes this is claire


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

*Photos*

So here are some good pictures! Let me know if you need some of different places. Also, I know she is pigeon toed... And so... Do you think she has to much of a sloped shoulder? And you know how you do a triangle from the shoulder and hip bone, it seems like the triangle would be to tall... But let me know what you think...


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## Horselover165 (Jul 25, 2011)

I don't know that much about conformation, But .. she's got a lovely color !


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

Her shoulder does look steep,cow hocked,her back looks a bit long compared to the length of her neck.Looking at her pictures her conformation isn't really all that balanced. She could use more muscle on her top line.

I love her  She is such a sweet horse and I think she is beautiful.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Long back, weak coupling, right front is bench knee'd, small round hocks, puffy hind fetlock joints and her hind legs are camped under due to poor angulation and her very long back with a weak coupling. Her shoulder angle is good but the point of shoulder to elbow is very flat. She is not cow hocked. A horse's hind leg is a spiral and for the stifle to clear the belly and the hind leg to work properly, a horse needs to have her hind toes point out slightly. Toes that point straight ahead are a weakness.

She has low hocks (which is good) and adequate bone. Her neck ties on to her shoulder fairly well. Her head is weak.. she seems to have inherited the large jowel of the Quarterhorse or Paint ancestors but the narrow muzzle of the Arab. 

She could be helped TREMENDOUSLY by a lot of long trots up hill and cavelleti which would strengthen her underline muslces and allow her to better support that long back and weak coupling. It also might help her to stand less camped under. She will be a very difficult horse to collect and get working off her hind quarters. That long back and weak coupling concern me for her future soundness. 

All that being said, it looks as if she has a WONDERFUL disposition. You had to get under her to get the shot of the back side of her front legs and a lot of really great looking horses would have gladly offered to kick your head off. LOL

IMO good disposition can make up for a lot of flaws. My first horse was.. less than gorgeous conformation.. and I had him for 20 years. He was long backed, steep shouldered, and had an osselet on his one front fetlock joint. In spite of that I rode him miles and miles. He won a 30 mile trail ride and even herded some cattle. When I was a kid I used to take him to a stream in hot weather and we spent the day swimming (and I rode him with a halter and a lead rope). 

If Casey is like that horse, then the conformation is the least of your concerns.


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Elana said:


> She could be helped TREMENDOUSLY by a lot of long trots up hill and cavelleti which would strengthen her underline muslces and allow her to better support that long back and weak coupling. It also might help her to stand less camped under. She will be a very difficult horse to collect and get working off her hind quarters. That long back and weak coupling concern me for her future soundness.
> 
> All that being said, it looks as if she has a WONDERFUL disposition. You had to get under her to get the shot of the back side of her front legs and a lot of really great looking horses would have gladly offered to kick your head off. LOL
> 
> ...


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Jumping 2 feet wont hurt her. Gymnastics associated with jumping and caveletti would help her a lot. Twelve is not old and certainly not old for jumping or any other venture. Most horses hit their prime about that age (high competition horses in Dressage may be older). 

Dressage helps every horse (English or Western discipline) because dressage is simply the French word for training. Either way and no matter what you do, you want a horse who is balanced. This means working with weight on the hind quarters and a light front. Some horses find this difficult. 

In your horse's case you need to get her "ring" working. This is the ring of muscles that allows her to be elastic. Getting her abdominal muscles as strong as you can so they can support her back is what you are working for. 

Check these out:
Revitalizing the Effects of Down and Out

And this:
http://www.equinestudies.org/ring_revisited_2008/ring_of_muscles_2008_pdf.pdf


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