Confo critique as feeling quite down.

P

piaffe

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I over heard someone at the yard telling another livery, last night, how badly put together my new mare is and how plain she was. AND, if I thought she was going to make a dressage horse, Im living in a dream world.
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As you can imagine, I was quite hurt and have tried not to let her comments get to me but it has got me thinking.
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So, what do you think? Be as brutally honest as you like, I can take it. Im rubish at confo anyway so it would help me too.

Here are a few photos.

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Honestly, I wont be offended!

Also, I dont mind critique as long as it is explained and justified. If someone thinks she is a crap mare, thats ok, as long as they can say why.
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ETS she is rising 3.
 
Ok Im no expert and could be completely wrong, she looks a little behind at the knee - but then in the last one she doesn't! She looks to have a lovely deep chest and a nice shoulder, perhaps her neck is a little short, but hard to tell if she isnt in work because that makes so much difference.

She certainly isn't plain. She's stonkin gorgeous!!!!
 
Oh and to add, the people who said that must be either very cruel or very jealous because I cannot imagine being so bloody rude. Ketchup tampons stuck to their riding boots is the answer!!
 
Ignore them. Jealousy is the only reason I can imagine someone would say something like that about her. She looks anything but plain in the first two particularly. Ignore the muppets and prove them wrong I say.
 
No, she is very nice, I did think she was a little short in the neck in the first 2 pics, where she is trotting round the school, but in the following ones she doesn't so maybe she was looking at something outside the school? When I read her age, I was amazed as she looks more mature than that & I would think that under saddle she will look terrific. To squash the ignorant piggies at your yard, you have a lovely & very promising youngster there, so ENJOY!!!!!!
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She's a lovely looking mare.
TBH some of the top dressage horses today don't have the best conformation. If she moves well that's the main thing.
You're reply to the other liveries should be
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Fort a rising 3 year old, she is a lovely looking mare. If I were being hyper critical I'd say a bit weak behind, but given her age that is not something that would concern me at all. I love all solid with no white so to me she is anything but plain!


Anyway since when was dressage a beauty contest(not that she isn't beautiful), but that it has nothing to do with her dressage ability.

What's her breeding?
 
i'd echo comments about a slightly short neck and weak back end, but as a three year old thats nothing to worry about. My 6 year old is quite short necked (he's native so big thick neck), but he's doing well at dressage at the moment.

You'd expect a weak back end on a three year old, that will muscle up with correct work, as the neck should improve with work, getting her to work long and low, strecthing down into contact etc.

Sounds like the green eyed monster to me! I think you have a lovely looking mare, best of luck and just ignore these people!
 
I dont think she is badly put together at all, agree with whoever said she looked a little weak in her back, but FFS she is a baby!
Also I thought she looked a wee bit back at the knee, but nothing crucial.
Because she hasn't got any white on her face it looks a little plain, but in the picture with the flash noseband she looks fine.
Trust me, you can disguise an awful lot with carefully chosen tack, I have a proper motley crew to beautify with nosebands etc!!
ETS in the photos she is standing with her feet pointing in different directions, which dont really give a true picture, try (hard I know) training her to stand truly square.
 
Its not too bad my two main crits would be slightly long in the back but this can change as she is a mare (longer anyway) and weak behind. More topline will shorten this.

Her feet seem low at the heel and quite shallow. But could be that they are recently trimmed but I would make sure they were looked after and watched.
 
I think she's a super looking mare! Especially for a three year old with no muscle or topline. Some of the pics do make her neck look a little short. In the third pic she looks gorgeous; I really like the fact she has no white on her.
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green eyed monster, she is lovely
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and agree with the others about her confo, she is a baby and a mare - derh! maybe the girl at your yard doesnt have a clue
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and i bet her bloody horse isnt perfect
 
shes beautiful, and compact and athletic looking, dont listen to them shes anything but plain,,,, she is slightly back at the knee if i was making an observation, but alot of horses are, and it is only slight!!
 
I'm certainly no expert but to my eye she is a lovely, strong looking horse. Her neck is a tad short and I would imagine this may make flexion a little difficult for her. I think the "plain" comment came from her having no white on her face, but I think she is beautiful - ignore them, there is always someone ready with a bitchy comment
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I think she is a nice mare and the comments from the other livery are very harsh and either someone spouting rubbish or a touch of the green-eyed monster! She is still a baby and will probably change quite a bit, so I really wouldn't worry. The trotting pic shows what super movement she has, so definite dressage potential.

My only comments:

Her neck looks a little short and upright in the first pics and quite weak in front of the wither, however, as she is young and not yet broken this would not concern me too much as topline will improve the look of this. Also the pics of her stood in hand make this look better, are these more recent?
Her feet look quite flat and her heels are a bit under-run, I would ensure you have a good farrier to balance these to avoid problems
Her face is a little plain, like another user said - choose you tack carefully. I would use fairly narrow but fancy bridle on her (so maybe with white stitching or a bit of bling!), avoid the drop noseband as it elongates her face. The flash breaks it up a bit and may be better (*disclaimer* this is only for prettifying her when in hand, obviously your choice of tack will be dependent on how she is when ridden!)
 
My main concern about her ATM are her feet, especially her hinds
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She is very low and I would, as others have said, be ensuring I have a super duper farrier or be thinking about correctively shoeing her already to try and make them a better shape.

Yes, she is short in the neck but TBH once you are riding her I don't think it will be that noticeable - P has a very short neck!
 
PF Firstly ignore bitchy nasty tattle on a yard....now if you were to dye her bay she would be perfect
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She is lovely.
 
Agree about the feet.

In the last photos she had been trimmed a few days before and by a farrier who is just qualified. I spoke to my farrier (who works with him) and asked him to come and check them. He agreed that they are small and maybe trimmed a little too much and said he will come out and do them himself next time.
 
Thanks L. See my above comment about feet.

I have to say, looking at the photos, the last one makes her feet look REALLY odd
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Im guessing because they have black hoof oil which has come off the bottom half? I dont know, but they dont look that hideous in RL!!!!!
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Yeah it was the last pic that made me go a bit
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Don't worry, it is something that can be rectified
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Ignore the idiots - she will transform under saddle anyway!
 
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Ignore the idiots - she will transform under saddle anyway!

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But why is it people have to be like that???
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OK we all have different tastes but, IMHO, she isn't THAT bad.
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I really like her. Three year olds often look plain (mine did) but once older and in work I'm sure she will be lovely.
 
When she is old enough ,go out and prove them wrong. A horses attitude is the most important thing.Our horse is a real trier and straight and calm and gets great marks because of that and he is trained correctly.
Forget others stupid opinions and enjoy!
 
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