Conformation Critics

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Daytona

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Just wondered what people thought the good and bad points are about my horses conformation are, also what classes if any could I enter him in at showing shows.

He has just turned 5 , 17h , Oldenburg. Only really started work proper in Jan and was underweight, weight now better but still along way to go with muscle .

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/ludoctro/photo-12.jpg

Hope that photo works.

( Saturday night sat home alone and bored :-) )
 
OK, I'll brave it :D

Nice head, looks to have a kind eye. Neck could do with a little more muscling and is perhaps set on a little low, shoulder a little upright for my personal preference. Other than that I can't see anything glaringly obvious - but could do with some straight on from front and back too to give a more overall picture.

He's a handsome beast :D
 
Oh no please do , good or bad I'm happy to hear others views :-)

Tough as old boots me, you won't offend ;-)
 
Thanks Cazzah, yeah the muscle real needs worked on he was right scrawny a few months back but slowly has put on weight at least, hopefully now some muscle will start to appear too.
 
Ps the only thing I thought I could see was he has long withers but not sure if that even true or not

I not very good at confirmation spotting of faults :-)
 
I like the boxer sitting behind. :)

Looks like a heathy horse - nice and shiny.
Nice head and good legs.
I would say bit of good grass for a little bit more weight and then you can use that to build up some topline.

Looks like he will be a super 6year old. What you going to do with him?
 
As for showing - if ridden class then; Tack and Turnout, Riding Club Horse (might have a jump) & Sports horse.
Different venues have different classes.

If you got some more weight on then Best Condition or even Hunter types - depends on if your just doing local shows.
 
Well I am a self confessed conformation geek so I will have a look...

Faults:
-Seems to have 'shark fin' withers, nothing physically wrong with this but if you were showing (in hand) then it would be mentioned.
-His neck could benefit from being a little longer as it makes his head look a bit big however I think that this could be due to the angle of the picture rather than him :)
-His croup could be a little longer however I'd much rather a croup be too short than too long!
-Shoulder looks a little upright? Then again this could be the angle, hard to tell when the horse isn't stood fully square so don't take it as gospel!

Good points:
-GREAT LEGS! This horse won't be breaking down in the future, those legs are built to last! Honestly can't stress the benefit of that enough! :D
-Kind face and appears very well put together.
-He has no visible issues which would affect his soundness in the future which is mainly what a horses conformation is all about, building a horse that will last!

Overall he is a lovely horse and you should be very proud to own him, it's not everyday that you find a horse who has no serious or impairing faults! :D

Ps. LOVE the boxer in the background! :D :D
 
That's my boxer Steffi :-)

What's " shark fin" then, it's that why I noticed or thought his withers long.???

He had really bad swollen glans today and last few days so his head is bigger than normal not sure if that makes and difference.

I thought he had nice long legs, when you see him move he comes across very athletic but I think it's done to his long leggies :-)

Yes I good summer of grass is exactly what he needs, doubt he going to get that as his field isn't the greatest but then this rain we been having might make it sprout up.

I bought him to jump.
 
im rubbish but something did catch my eye - he seems to be very boxy with his back feet. is your farrier firring the shoe to the foot or the foot to the shoe?
 
Well he will certainly make a good jumper by the looks of him, them leggies could take anything! :D

'Shark fin' withers is known as large withers which protrude from the back, basically they are large, obvious, sticky-up withers. They are very common in Thoroughbreds, they cause no problems and there is nothing wrong with them though :D
 
When I got him his feet were not great, had kinda been left so were splayed out a bit the farrier I use is prob the best and most experience corrective farrier in the area and all the vets use him and he travels abroad with ILPH etc to poorer countries to shoe horse. So I have 110% faith in him. What he was trying to do was bring the foot smaller and support his heels as they a tad low. He has been shoeing him about 8 months I'd say. Slowly trying to improve them.
 
Ah ok Lollydolly so that's why I thought his withers were long, because they are ;-)

Ah I spotted one thing right then :-)
 
I'm far from an expert. I'll give it a shot as it's something you can only improve on :)

Ok here we go:
-His neck is a little weak and short, though it looks like it has room to improve but is perhaps a little low set (?)
-His shoulder is a little upright, though to be honest, I think a slightly upright shoulder isn't going to hinder him and apparently such a shoulder is now favoured for some when it comes to jumpers (not something I'd know about though)

However...
-He has a good depth of girth
-Decent legs, proportioned, straight, a little bone
-Overall impression is good, he looks well proportioned and on first glance, nothing looks out of sorts.
-He has a kind face, handsome rather than pretty.
-At only 5, and only in work since relatively recently, he has yet to fully 'blossom' and looks like a very promising chap.
 
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