Advert - Poor conformation for broodmare?

Hormonal Filly

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 April 2013
Messages
3,219
Visit site
Just came across this ad. Fully registered Irish Draught mare priced very cheaply. Unbacked, being sold as a broodmare due to very poor conformation.
Am I missing something? Surely you don't breed from something that has poor conformation, it will only pass it on to its off spring? I don't know tons about conformation but chest and back end looks 'odd' to me? Sure someone can pass more knowledgeable comments on the photo.

1057a95d19c64c11b947693928e8e480.jpg
 

Pinkvboots

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 August 2010
Messages
21,359
Location
Hertfordshire
Visit site
The photo looks at a funny angle but she looks a bit like the front end don't belong with the hind end, she looks weak behind but it could be due to age and lack of work?

It is a strange thing to put in an advert as no you wouldn't want to breed from something with bad conformation.
 

The-Bookworm

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 December 2018
Messages
1,455
Location
Earth
Visit site
Bad photo angle as the hooves at the back look boxy? You want a side on photo.

Why are they not backed? Goes lame, falls over their own feet.
 

Leandy

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 October 2018
Messages
1,540
Visit site
You certainly don't want to breed from something with bad conformation unless it has some other redeeming feature such as won at the Olympics. That said, whilst it doesn't seem the best angle for a conformation photo (why do people do this?? Just take a decent side on shot fgs...) it actually looks quite a nice type for a broodmare from what we can see (subject possibly to the straight hind leg already pointed out but I'd want to see it properly and moving to assess that). Maybe they mean as an embryo recipient mare?
 

nikkimariet

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 December 2010
Messages
5,405
Location
N/A
Visit site
I 100% believe people should have to undertake an assessment in order to hold a license for breeding.

See far too much of poor conformation, poor temperament, lack of decent results or a lack of results altogether. Anyone with a stallion thinks they can or should breed and likewise anyone with a mare thinks they can too. Especially if the mare has failed as a ridden horse which means that somewhere a weakness is being bred. And then we wonder why a, there are so many horses for sale b, why none of us can sell horses and c, why so many go wrong!
 

Meowy Catkin

Meow!
Joined
19 July 2010
Messages
22,635
Visit site
From that angle it looks like she could be very straight in her hind legs.

I saw an ad recently for a potential jumping horse that had straight hindlimbs that would rival a halter bred Quarter horse. I did remember someone once saying that 'on the straighter side hinds' can be good for jumping, but these I thought would be too straight even so.
 

hopscotch bandit

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2017
Messages
2,872
Visit site
I
Just came across this ad. Fully registered Irish Draught mare priced very cheaply. Unbacked, being sold as a broodmare due to very poor conformation.
Am I missing something? Surely you don't breed from something that has poor conformation, it will only pass it on to its off spring? I don't know tons about conformation but chest and back end looks 'odd' to me? Sure someone can pass more knowledgeable comments on the photo.

View attachment 38843
I'd say at a rough guess that due to her massively overdeveloped front end and her under muscled back end she has something along the lines of spavin particuarly as she would be predisposed to it with her straight hindlimbs.

She obviously finds it easier to pull herself along than push herself along - hence the muscle development/lack of.

If she does have spavin there it could be hereditary as there is a high incidence of it in Icelandic's suggesting it could be a genetic predisposition.
 
Last edited:

Melody Grey

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 April 2014
Messages
2,099
Visit site
Too weird an angle to fully tell from that pic, but as a theory, no I wouldn’t want to breed from something with horrendously poor conformation.
Depends what you’re after though. If you’re not expecting a world beater but something that’s a useful, nice person, less than perfect conformation might be worth considering if it’s nothing drastic?
 

hopscotch bandit

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2017
Messages
2,872
Visit site
This is one I stumbled across recently. I'm afraid I can't see the point of advertising a horse for sale if the best and only photo you can come up with is this. Not exactly showing him off well? Poor horse, think he's probably a cutie really.
 

Attachments

  • 1574430657071.png
    1574430657071.png
    123 KB · Views: 75

The-Bookworm

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 December 2018
Messages
1,455
Location
Earth
Visit site
I can take unflattering photos of mine, but then I have an amazing skill of getting her at an angle where she looks slim! ;)
Most horses at that angle display weird bums anyway.
 

hopscotch bandit

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2017
Messages
2,872
Visit site
Last edited:
Joined
31 October 2019
Messages
22
Visit site

MrsMozart

Just passing through...
Joined
27 June 2008
Messages
41,222
Location
Not where I should be...
Visit site
A sweet face and for a low price she'll go to someone.

Our Grey Mare has straight hind legs and jumps like a stag, or did before said legs went wonky :rolleyes: But she's also a fruitloop so we'd never have tried to breed from her.

Retired these past five years or so she can still have a good hoon around when the mood takes her.
 
Top