conformation - be kind!!

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millyspaniel

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Hi everyone, feeling brave and just looking at my mares conformation particulary her long sloping pasterns - shes 4yrs old, reg TB.
This was taken after i bought her in the summer, she was a bit under-weight. Had a word with the farrier regarding her legs and he didnt seem to worried about them. I use her for hacking and a bit of light jumping but would like to do a bit of dressage with her also. She has a lovely forward bouncy canter but deff needs more work in the school!
Please be kind!!! also can i point out that the sheep netting/bad fencing has now been repaired!!! thanks
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She does have quite long pasterns in front, but that is her breeding, so long as the foot axis is kept correct she should be fine. She has nicely let down hocks, bit week in the second thigh which is probably just her youth, nice back end in general. She has plenty of body room to breed you a foal one day too!

Hope you have lots of fun with her, and that someone else is along soon to give you a bit more info, she has a kind face and eye!
 
starting at the front....she has i nice kind eye and lovely big ears (sign of an honest horse). although her head is turned, she looks to have a good lenght of rein. nice sloping shoulder. back is nicely compact as some mares can be quite long in the back. good quarters with tail set on nicely, (not too low). the hind limbs look a little to straight, but this could be the way she is standing. front limbs, look good, nice forearm, with good flat knees and short cannons. fetlocks are good. pasterns are a little long, just be sure that her front feet dont get to long and flat. keep some heel support, so she does not end up walking on her heels. a very nice sort. hope you have fun. she should jump well with that nice jumpers bump.
 
can't see the proportions of her head/neck, but she's got a nice expression, kind eye and huge ears!

Neck set on well to her shoulders and a good length - the whole horse appears to be in balance

Angle of the shoulder matches the angle of her pasterns so although they are too long (to be correct) she should give a very comfortable bouncing ride, as both the shoulder and pasterns are operating as shock absorbers. (compare with an irish draught type with upright shoulders and short upright pasterns, which tend to be shorter striding and can be more jarring to ride)

She is less likely to have concussive issues with her pastern conformation - but more likely to have tendon ones, due to the extra stress put on them. Having said that, with the work load you plan for her, she is very unlikely to have tendon problems either!
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She is nice and deep through her chest/rib cage - lots of heart and lung room, and will take up your leg nicely. She looks to have quite well spring ribs too.

She has a nice short back - should be strong and powerful over a jump

Lovely hindquarters - very good jumping angles in her hind leg from her hip joint down - slightly weak second thigh - but then she will strengthen as she gets older and does more work.

Quite well let down - slightly long hind cannon bones - but then she is TB so it's really to be expected.

Good workmanlike stamp!

Nice girl
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Thank you everyone for your comments
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i must admit i dont know too much about conformation and probably read alot into her pasterns
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she is very honest and very quiet and sensible. She does have a great jump too but just needs abit of work on her flat work.
She will be turning 5 next july so still very young and i am a little concerned about doing too much with her whilst shes still a baby? at the moment am riding (hacking about 1hr to 1hr30 mins a time) around 4 days per week, mainly walking abit or trotting and about once a week we have a nice long stretch of canter across a big field, 2 to 3 times per month i take her down the woods and we do a bit of homemade XC jumps - most are around 2ft one is 4ft for approx 20/30 mins a time.
Do you think it may do her some good to have the winter off and maybe bring her back into work in the spring?
 
I had a horse a very long time ago who had sloping pasterns like your mares - it did make him very comfortable but I did keep on top of the shoeing - in his case every 4 weeks and he was near TB. I was always warned of tendon strain but in the end, when he had to be retired it was when he was well into his mid 20's and it was arthritis that slowed him down, not his tendons!
 
She currently goes around 6 - 7 weeks for shoeing, hoping to speak to my farrier (last time he was away so was someone else newly trained) to see if he can give me some advice.
Its reasuring to know shes all in balance!
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luci07 - thats reassuring to know!
 
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i would just keep her ticking over. if she is happy enough then keep up the steady work. x

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She enjoys being ridden, shes very willing - she would go out for miles and miles on her own! i just wish she would stick up for herself in the field, she tends to get bullied by the ponies
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She's very pretty, typical tb really but I have to say there does appear to be a lack of muscle behind her withers.

I like her, my lad also has long pasterns too, although I'm more worried about his self harming these days!
 
Re shoeing, ask for quarter clips in front as the shoe is more secure and there is more support under the heel esp. in long pasterned TBs.
Nice mare I hope you have lots of fun.
 
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She's very pretty, typical tb really but I have to say there does appear to be a lack of muscle behind her withers.


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Yeah she does have lack of muscle here.
Would this just be down to her being underweight when i got her? shes a very poor doer and lost most of the weight after putting it on during the end of the summer
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only now that shes on the right diet and ad lib hay is she filling out.
This was her approx 1 month before:
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I am currently in the process of waiting for the saddle fitter to come and change her current saddle as shes filled out now and it doesnt seem to fit right - it seems tight on this muscle wasted part that you mentioned.
Will it always be a weak point or can it fill out?
 
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She currently goes around 6 - 7 weeks for shoeing

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Thats too long for most horses to go for in between shoeing - so I'd definately look to a more regular visit from the farrier. Around 5 weeks.


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Thats too long for most horses to go for in between shoeing - so I'd definately look to a more regular visit from the farrier. Around 5 weeks.


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6 weeks is quite normal for a horse to go between shoeing.

particularly in the winter when feet are growing less andgenerally horses have a lighter workload.

my horses go 6-7 weeks in winter and as soon as spring comes around and they are growing hoof faster and working more they go down to around 5 weeks.
 
Its been 4.5 weeks since she was last shod so fitting her in next week, anything to help her feet stay in good condition! the farrier did say she has very good hooves for a TB
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Th ponies go up to 12 weeks in the winter, (trim) there feet hardly grow and 8 weeks in summer.
 
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