Conformation critique and guess the breed

D

Dexter

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2009
Messages
1,608
Visit site
Please be nice as this is my pride and joy! However I know her conformation isn't perfect. I'd just like some other opinions on her weak spots :) Shes been out of work having foals for the last 3 years, so is understandably weak looking. Shes 14.2hh and an ex JA, fab temperament, can be ridden out hacking alone by a complete novice but would also take a reasonable rider round a 1m20 course. Moves beautifully, much better than she looks like she should :D She is about to have a second career as my new dressage pony.

If you were going to breed from her what sort of stallion would you use? Its something I may do in the future, so would like some ideas for my fantasy stallion shopping :) Shes heterozygous for grey, both previous foals were bay, as was she before she greyed out.

Also, just for fun! can anyone guess her breeding? I have mentioned it a couple of times, but just wondered if anyone could guess by looking? And finally, I know the pictures arent great, but they were the best I could do in the poor light today!

175115_10150098585483667_606503666_6484789_6368089_o.jpg


171864_10150098581438667_606503666_6484730_2025847_o.jpg
 
Aww she looks a sweetie! i also would have said a bit weaker in her hind quarters but this could be down to lack of muscle and having babies. Might have taken a guess at connie also but i'm not to sure..x
 
She is very, very sweet! I utterly adore her! Ideally I want to breed a really top class sports pony from her in a few years time when the youngsters are out and about under saddle. So I'm really interested in her weak points, and if in fact shes good enough to do that? I'm dead against breeding for breedings sake, but I reckon she earned her right to reproduce by getting to JA :) I'm also hoping by then she'll have points at BD elementary just to add to her CV :)As well as having 2 pretty correct foals by stallions I wouldn't have used!

She was sold to me as connie x and you can see why, but I've got her papers here and shes not!
 
Shes very clever! in a nice typical pony way. Shes passed this on to both foals, as well as her phenomenal jumping ability. I didn't breed him, but my rising 2 yr old out of her, jumped a 5 bar gate for fun as a yearling :D I think shes passed her movement on, but the rising 2 yr old currently resembles a weird looking camel :D I get odd flashes of nice movement, but then he grows again and goes all fugly!
 
She does look very similar to my New Forest ( purebred have papers)

And by the sounds of it similar attributes - little bugger jumps anything to escape onto nicer grass ;) Moves wonderfully when he wants to show off and trash my field :D

I vote New Forest
 
Bryndu said:
New Forest x Sec B?
Bryndu
Click to expand...

Nope! but to give you all a clue there is a small amount of welsh in there, its just not the welsh your expecting :D I'm cynical but happily bought her as connie cross, I was genuinely shocked when I researched her pedigree! Although, and major clue here, it does explain her tiny feet :D
 
Funnily enough, there were 2 reasons I thought she wasnt Connie (or at least pure Con)- 1)the feet/lower limbs and 2) the hindquarters. She also lacks the depth of girth that most Connies have.
Section A x ?

On the basis of her competition performance and temperament then she is worth breeding from. Conformation wise, there are a few areas that could benefit from improvement (hindquarters, lower limbs, neck(though difficult to see clearly in pic)) but the whole package is pretty good. Would need slightly better photos to judge from(more angles).

As for potential crosses/stallions - a good performance Conniw tih plenty of bone would be a good start if aiming to breed a competition pony. A nice small ISH stallion like Boherdeal Clover may give her offspring a little more bone without being heavy and hes smaller than his stud card suggests. I bred a pony by him out of a 15hh mare (also got a 15.3hh filly and smae mare/stallion combo had previously produced a 14.2hh mare). My mare was a premier broodmare but had never been broken/ridden herslf - she has produced 2 Grade A ponies by the above sire(the larger filly has never been registered by has competed/placed at PC/RC eventing, hunter trials and showjumping at National level).
I think a pure TB would result in a foal too light of bone and most likely not a pony. Otherwise look at some of the current top pony sires/JA pony stallions. If the mare is full up 148(doesnt look it?) then perhaps you could try a 138cm stallion (theres a nice grey 138 JA I cant remember the name of).Otherwise I guess a stallion in the range of 14-15.2hh may be the best bet.
 
A little upright in front, obviously lacking in condition (not weight. I would not be aiming feed her up much, as she is only slightly under what I would call perfect and as she comes into work she'll look a different pony) but a lovely sort of pony under there. I'd say a connemara x, don't see any tb myself.
 
I reckon she's a Welsh section A/ arab cross. Arab crosses often throw bigger than expected offspring. I think she will muscle up into quite a stunner.
 
pastie2 said:
I dont really care about the breeding, IMO she is not worth breeding from. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Sorry, i think thats a bit harsh. Shes got to JA level, and has a lovely temperament... Isnt that worth passing on to a foal?

She looks a little week in the hind quarters, but she doesnt look thin, so is she usually angular looking ?

I reckon she looks like my friends welsh B x standardbred. ( it wasnt a deliberate mating - fences were down during a bush fire ! )

Has she got some tb in her ?

Kx
 
Thanks Circe. Although as Pastie2 didnt bother to elaborate on my mares obvious defects I think I'll just ignore her :)

She currently has no muscle at all, and its doing her no favours.

She is out of an arab x welsh section A mare, by a stallion who is registered as 50% but is believed to be full arab, just not papered correctly. I was really shocked when I looked into it properly, but once you know its obvious.

In the flesh she just resembles an old fashioned, well over height section A. I get lots of little girls exclaiming that Moomin looks just like their little pony :D
 
glenruby said:
Funnily enough, there were 2 reasons I thought she wasnt Connie (or at least pure Con)- 1)the feet/lower limbs and 2) the hindquarters. She also lacks the depth of girth that most Connies have.
Section A x ?

On the basis of her competition performance and temperament then she is worth breeding from. Conformation wise, there are a few areas that could benefit from improvement (hindquarters, lower limbs, neck(though difficult to see clearly in pic)) but the whole package is pretty good. Would need slightly better photos to judge from(more angles).

As for potential crosses/stallions - a good performance Conniw tih plenty of bone would be a good start if aiming to breed a competition pony. A nice small ISH stallion like Boherdeal Clover may give her offspring a little more bone without being heavy and hes smaller than his stud card suggests. I bred a pony by him out of a 15hh mare (also got a 15.3hh filly and smae mare/stallion combo had previously produced a 14.2hh mare). My mare was a premier broodmare but had never been broken/ridden herslf - she has produced 2 Grade A ponies by the above sire(the larger filly has never been registered by has competed/placed at PC/RC eventing, hunter trials and showjumping at National level).
I think a pure TB would result in a foal too light of bone and most likely not a pony. Otherwise look at some of the current top pony sires/JA pony stallions. If the mare is full up 148(doesnt look it?) then perhaps you could try a 138cm stallion (theres a nice grey 138 JA I cant remember the name of).Otherwise I guess a stallion in the range of 14-15.2hh may be the best bet.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply :) Thats exactly the sort of reply I was hoping for :D Shes not full up, but she does throw big foals. the first one is 14.2hh at 18month old, and the second one, by a 13,2hh stallion looks in line to make 14.2hh. I definitely don't want a grey stallion. I want to minimise the chance of a grey foal.
 
I personally dont think that head looks at all arab or section A. And i don't think she looks 3/4 arab, so maybe the stallion did have something heavier to him. Not sure about breeding, but i would like to see her in good condition and muscled up (and without the beard :D ) before i said 'dont do it'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top