Confo Critique... this one should be fun!

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Kate260881

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OK, this is not my horse but a horse at my yard. He's a Groningen and I'll not say his age but I'd like to see what people think of how he's put together. I'll not make any comments yet. These are not the best pictures in the world but just a few from the other day.



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Does the owner know you have put this on the forum...... If they do and are happy with it then you may get some replies
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Otherwise I can see people keeping schtummmm
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Just a thought are the owners of this horse aware about the confo critique post, because if i was them and I didn't I wouldn't be best pleased.
 
Deep breath!!! Clunky head, disgusting topline, aweful shoulder, cant tell properly but looks cow hocked, what is with the back right pasturn? Looks over at the knee but could just be the pic, but yeah pretty much the most AWEFUL conformation possible! Yuck! Please tell me its a gelding at that she got it free to good home!
 
Like others have said - does the owner of this horse know that you have posted pictures of their horse on a public forum and asked for his conformation to be critiqued?
 
To be fair, he looks like one of his breed. They're carriage horses so his shoulder might not be a brilliant shoulder for riding but will allow for high knee action...
 

Awful confo for riding but then, his breed wasn't bred for riding. I'm rubbish at confo but he looks like he has the high head carriage desired in a carriage horse. The high knee action as another poster said & a deep chest for pulling the load he would be expected to.

Really not sure about the very prominent back end though. Not sure if that is typical of the breed etc.
 
Sorry never seen one of this breed before
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(Scurries off to look breed up). Found it ok. (just bear in mind this book I have on breeds dates back to 1954)
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Well does have a similar build in body but the hind legs on your friends horse seem all tucked in. chest seems unnatural, neck needs more mussel. seems to have problem with hocks.

I would guess this horse is quite old??
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Sorry if I'm wrong.
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Are you going to let us in then?
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At a guess i would say he was maybe bred as a carriage horse or something similar ie to pull something rather than event LOL!!. Reminds me of a friends gelderlander (well we think that is what it was lol!!!). He looked half horse half cow too!!!
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What on earth is going on with his feet! I have a foot fetish you see! It is always the first thing I look at!
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ETA- Just read the other comments! After i posted so I guessed well!
 
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/groningen/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groningen_Horse

"a heavy warmblood horse with a powerful musculature, an appealing head, a strong and well-carried neck, good withers, not too steep in the shoulders; a wide and deep rump, full, round rib case, solid bones, short and strong cannon bones and wide, hard feet. Its walk is roomy, the trot brisk and groping. This breed has a calm temperament. The primary colours are black, bay or brown."

The Groningen horse stands between 15.3 and 16.1 hands. The association presently has more than 400 members. The studbook and breeding register together list just over 300 horses. At present about 20 stallions are approved for breeding the Groningen. Every year in August there is a National Groningen Show in which the horses that qualified at Regional Selections are presented in hand in various categories for final selection.
 
They are normally sound for a long time so would have to say that, whilst the confo of this horse would initially put me off, I don't think it would make me run a million miles if it could do what I wanted...
 
I would love to know how good he is in terms of his breed. Despite his odd conformation and feet he does look to be a very powerful horse. I reckon he is a youngster.

My friends gelderlander-we-think was really dangerous to ride and she sold him at auction. TBH I always thought he would have done well on a carriage as he was great until you got on his back!
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But if you had seen his confo you would have realised he wasnt designed to carry a saddle. Hopefully someone picked him up and found his niche.
 
I doubt he'd even be that great for driving. He's so pigeon chested that a collar, full, breast or broller would be hell to fit. He has a classic gelderlander bum (if i'm right a grogen is a predecessor to the gelderlander), i.e. no croup, long loins= practically flat from withers to tail. Who trimmed his feet? First pic looks like someone took a hacsaw to them. If he's old it'd be nice to see a pic of him years ago and see him in a few years ago.
I would list confo faults but I feel mean enough as it is... sorry
 
Glad everyone else has said it
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Have never heard of one of these. I used to drive but would not drive this.
It looks loke something you would have for education - what not to buy showing conformation faults
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Haveing said that i love all horses
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OK (was out for dinner so replying now), so story with this boy is current lady who owns him, her brother left him to her when he died so there is a sentimental value to him. He is 20 and hasn't left the yard in 5 years. My instructor (guy in the pics) has basically just started bringing him back into very light work. We've started taking him out for grass with the girls and he seems to think that he's now a 3 year old stallion. He's a grumpy old git at 20 and no, his feet I don't think have seen a farrier in a very long time. He also doesn't have a good temperment, tries to kick and bite and generally is a grumpy old man. But its nice that he's now actually getting to do some stuff and is getting out and about again.

So yeah, he doesn't do anything really but hopefully will get a bit more 'purpose' in the next few months
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He looks very much like a Gelderlander we have at our yard. Its completely mental, it looks like its contantly on speed or something
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I certainly wouldn't entertain the idea of having either!
 
All I can say is my friend had one and trained him to Grade A showjumping then sold him for £45k (she paid £1800). Sometimes its not how they look its how they perform. Not my choice of breed for Dressage though!
 
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