Pictures Conformation Critique - Post Yours!

[Leo Walker]

ok, thats enough of me insulting everyones horses for one morning, someone else have a go! Heres mine. Feel free to be as harsh as you want. I love her but am more than aware of her faults Heres 2 pictures, one of her slim and working and one when i bought her fat as a pig and having done nothing really. Neither are perfect photos but both intersteing to see how weight and angle can make a big difference!

 

[Denbob]

I love these threads! I haven't got a really solid picture of Denzel so will try and get one tonight - but will post two slightly rubbish photos in the meantime. One is from 3 years ago, the other is this winter just gone as a rising 6yo out of work. I always joke that until about 2 months ago he looked like two horses stitched together in the middle, or the same horse but 2 years apart! Even now he's quite quarters heavy I think. That being said despite his flaws I adore the bones of him and hope his flaws don't lend themselves to any issues down the road.


As a very young 3yo, he's croup high, back at the knee, can't see it very well but cow-hocked, short in the neck and just a bit meh! To me this isn't a horse who was physically ready to be backed and working away. He's quite straight and slightly long in his hinds, and which pushes him onto the forehand.


Still croup high, neck is more in proportion and there's the beginning of a shoulder, VERY back at the knee here but from seeing him daily most of that is the angle of the ground.

 

[Hallo2012]

Ive got the stallion license notes in front pf me so wont spoil it by parroting them-have at him! he's a welsh B

 

[hattie2525]

Would be interested to have some comments on this one. He was 27 and retired when this was taken so not great muscle but its the only good side on shot I seem to have of him stood up vaguely straight.

 

[only_me]

Ive got the stallion license notes in front pf me so wont spoil it by parroting them-have at him! he's a welsh B
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PS have you a new username? Seem to have missed it 😂 He’s doing well isn’t he! Future GB pony I’d imagine 😄

 

[showjumpingharry]

Go on, rip Harry to shreds I know his faults but I would be interested to see what others thought. And yes he's far too fat, he had just had 9 months off at this point Awful photo but I only seem to have ones of him under saddle lol

 

[showjumpingharry]

Ive got the stallion license notes in front pf me so wont spoil it by parroting them-have at him! he's a welsh B
View attachment 33906

Nice pastern angle and short cannon bones. Also not too straight through his hocks either which is nice. Lovely sloping shoulder - I imagine he is very comfy and springy but not too bouncy? Short backed, but I imagine he finds collection easy. He also has a proper wither which I like. The only thing for me is his neck seems quite long but set low. I think that might be the photo though, as I haven't noticed it in other photos of him. He's a lovely proper old fashioned B, I like him

 

[JFTDWS]

This is a really unflattering photo of my "conformational trainwreck" aka QH... Apparently in the thousands of photos I have of her, there are none standing still, side on, with her head looking forward... She's a lot better muscled now - this was well over a year ago.

 

[oldie48]

Rose is a funny one, I always think she looks a bit plain and weak stood up but her ridden pictures are lovely! Shes a very delicate mare, light of bone but its balanced out as shes quite slight all over. He neck looks a bit long in this pic but I think shes stretched out, it definitely looks weak, but will change as she works more. Shes a bit back at the knee and a bit upright in the pastern. Her shoulder is more upright than I'd like. I'm not convinced I like her hip set but I think shes stood a bit odd in the photo so I'm not convinced about that!

that was exactly what I thought when I first saw her, very plain and so weak, she had absolutely no muscle at all and tbh I thought she was too small for me. This is why it's about the ability to see the basic structure, which tbh I struggle with. She's already got a lot more topline since this pic was taken but I suspect she will always look a bit weak in the neck, looks better when ridden. Although she's Hannovarian she has a lot of TB in her which personally I like but isn't everyone's cup of tea. Can you explain more about the hips, I'm not sure what I'm looking at?

 

[Bernster]

Bernster, there's a load to like about your grey. I am surprised that he's rising five in the pic as he looks more mature, to me he looks like a handsome, kind horse who could go out and do any job.
I didn't say anything about my Rose but her neck is set on a bit low, she's a bit long in the back but she's a mare and her hocks are possibly a bit straight but generally her confo is good and she is an elegant horse. Her stand out feature is her head, which is beautiful.

Thanks. If he was straighter through his front with a wider chest I think he’d have done very well as a hunter. We had a successful 1st ever year of showing (for both of us) qualifying and placing at sunshine tour with the wrong tack and very little experience. Sadly now has melanoma so our showing career has ended, but he is a very ‘useful’, straightforward chap.

Your girl looks a lovely type. I’m assuming Tb? Her neck looks weaker in that pic but, as others have said, she is stunning.

 

[Fleece Navidad]

Not a great shot, but the most recent side on I have.

And one which changes the proportions a bit

If I can convince him to stand up nicely later I'll see can I get a better shot.

 

[Bernster]

[QUOTE Interestingly the Chestnut has the better conf and has had a much easier life, yet he's the one that struggles with soundness.
View attachment 33902[/QUOTE]

Interesting about the confo and soundness. We always want to buy a horse with good confo but it’s a poor measure it seems as so many of the ones who go on for years have less than perfect confo! My tb mare who probably had the most correct confo has all manner of soundness issues. Both my geldings have/had dodgy feet and not straight fore limbs, which you’d think would be a big concern. Never an issue.

 

[catkin]

[QUOTE Interestingly the Chestnut has the better conf and has had a much easier life, yet he's the one that struggles with soundness.
View attachment 33902

Interesting about the confo and soundness. We always want to buy a horse with good confo but it’s a poor measure it seems as so many of the ones who go on for years have less than perfect confo! My tb mare who probably had the most correct confo has all manner of soundness issues. Both my geldings have/had dodgy feet and not straight fore limbs, which you’d think would be a big concern. Never an issue.[/QUOTE]

Good conformation is a measure only of the outside physical attributes of the horse - it helps the mechanics of movement but there are many many other factors that will help with soundness such as the way the horse is ridden, kept, propensity to 'internal' problems that can't be seen, attitude and temperament. Depending upon all this, and the job the horse is to do then there are some faults that can be managed and some that can't. For everyone they are likely to be different - a good frame is just the start.

It is an important aspect but not the end of what consists a good horse.

I had a little horse who was a 'cut and shut' - but she moved dead straight and had that indefinable something called presence. She would never have troubled the judge in an in-hand class but did better than expected in dressage, and kept sound until she was well into her 20s - so was she a good horse or not?

 

[Caol Ila]

JFTD, she's got great bone and reasonable angles for a QH. There are zillions of them in the US, and so many have thin legs, tiny feet, and are terribly post-legged, including the one I used to own, who pretty much had to be retired from dressage by the time she was 15.

Here's my Shire-TBX. I'd say she is long in the back and neck set could be higher. The angles of her legs are good, and she has nice, low set hocks, a sloping croup, short cannon bones. She's 26 and still in full work.

 

[Abi90]

You can see she is some sort of draught x TB just by looking at her. Watch her be a fancy warmblood now I've said that! I like her, she isnt perfect but she looks a useful sort! A bit "common" through her head and neck, her neck is too short and thick, but once she matures into her body she will be an attractive workman like mare.He shoulder is ok, nice well muscled forelimb and shortish cannon bones. Her pasterns are short and upright which can make them a bit jarring to ride and make them a bit prone to lower liimb issues as the shock absorption isnt as good.

She isnt actually croup high at all in that photo, and again her pillar of support is good. Her gaskin is a bit weak and under muscled but I think her hind limbs are ok. Her bum is much better than you usually see on these types, a bit of a slopey croup and low set tail but very minor compared to a lot. She looks like she is probably pulling herself along by the front at this point, and once she starts using herself more her bum will round off I think.

Thank you very interesting.

She is a full ID but definitely something finer in there somwhere.

Someone else mentioned her bum the other day! She is only 6 and very much still maturing so hoping her bum does muscle up. She’s actually incredibly comfortable to ride.

I think “useful” describes her well

 

[Hallo2012]

PS have you a new username? Seem to have missed it 😂 He’s doing well isn’t he! Future GB pony I’d imagine 😄

he a dude bless him, possibly too small to be a GB pony himself but hopefully will help to breed a few
hes going to be the first 13hh to GP i keep telling him!

 

[AmyMay]

Lovely horse Bernster

 

[Hallo2012]

Nice pastern angle and short cannon bones. Also not too straight through his hocks either which is nice. Lovely sloping shoulder - I imagine he is very comfy and springy but not too bouncy? Short backed, but I imagine he finds collection easy. He also has a proper wither which I like. The only thing for me is his neck seems quite long but set low. I think that might be the photo though, as I haven't noticed it in other photos of him. He's a lovely proper old fashioned B, I like him

thanks

thats pretty much what the judges said, slightly croup high and slightly thick low neck were the two points made but other than that they really liked his legs and angles.....at the futurity the vet raved about how strong he looked and how sound he should be (fingers crossed!)

 

[Pippity]

Difficult to get a photo of Blue where she isn't looking at you...



She has a coarse head and enormous ears. Neck could do with being a bit longer. The big one - her back goes on into the next county. Shoulders are enormous, but she's a cob so kind of expected. You can't see it so much in this photo, but they do have a reasonable slope to them for her type. Legs are too woolly to really see much, but there are no serious sins there - she's straight and, despite the deceptive white blob on her off knee, she isn't back at the knee.

What the confo doesn't show is that she moves beautifully. Even my extremely picky instructor says so - while exhorting me not to screw her up - so that bit isn't just rose-tinted glasses! I'm hoping to get her out showing at some point. If she does moderately well, it'll be down to movement and schooling over confo.

I'd love to hear what other people think.

 

[oldie48]

Thanks. If he was straighter through his front with a wider chest I think he’d have done very well as a hunter. We had a successful 1st ever year of showing (for both of us) qualifying and placing at sunshine tour with the wrong tack and very little experience. Sadly now has melanoma so our showing career has ended, but he is a very ‘useful’, straightforward chap.

Your girl looks a lovely type. I’m assuming Tb? Her neck looks weaker in that pic but, as others have said, she is stunning.

What a shame, melanomas are such a PITA, we were lucky, our grey didn't develop them, well not that we could see.
Nope Hannovarian but her grandsire is Shogun (german TB) so she has a lot of TB in her. She was so weedy when I bought her because she'd stood in a field for nearly three years, was unclipped and very badly shod but she started to bloom (Rose ha ha) once she'd settled in. She is very beautiful and I am very shallow so we suit each other perfectly. I love her big ears and she is a real softie. You can tell I am smitten with her

 

[Bernster]

Pippity she looks like a marvellous chunk of a cobbus!

 

[Pippity]

Pippity she looks like a marvellous chunk of a cobbus!

Thank you! She's definitely a chunk - this isn't an attractive photo of her, but it gives some idea of how wide she is in front. (She'd just had a bath and wasn't impressed.) On the bright side, if I do get her out showing, the HW cob classes tend to be smaller than the LW!

 

[alexomahony]

Is the chestnut back at the knee? He looks it in that photo, but it could be the angle.

Very potentially! i'll take a good look tonight

 

[alexomahony]

Lovely, but so interesting that the chestnut, who is absolutely gorgeous, is the one that struggles with soundness. I tend to work on the principle that if nothing jumps out at me, then the confo is probably OK and then it's down to luck with regard to soundness.

I know, I'm the same! I have a theory that Maldwyn (chestnut) loves the vet, where as Sky hates him... so I imagine he'd stay sound just to avoid a visit haha

I also think some of it's down to his breeding - his lines are very very close

 

[alexomahony]

I thought that too but the photo isnt side on so its hard to judge

He looks less so here - but I'll still have a good look tonight!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

The spotty. This was taken end of November last year. He had been on and off back in work from his keratoma op so not as built up as I like.

He is croup high, neck a little short and small for his shoulders.

Anything else anyone can see. It's the best one I have for now.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Other images of spotty. One he still has his bandage on from his op.

The other if the the elephant. I know he is croup high, back at the leg, he has a thick throat. He is also tubby in this picture as I think this was taken when he had just started upping trot work after his year off from RH suspensory branch injury.

Have at it.

 

[indie1282]

My two. Both bought as foals and here to stay. Its bloody hard to find a decent side on pic of them stood up properly! Aware that the black horse is croup high.

Theres a good 5 years between the 2 pics of the grey.

 

[ihatework]

The big 7yo has lots to like and bits not to like! Bar his bucket head he has a really nice front end, good shoulder and length of rein. His hind topline doesn’t quite match, needs more butt and primarily is long and weak over his loins. He has nice bone but is slightly under and mildly cow hocked. Superb hind feet, front are like dishplates

The little 3yo has an exceptionally strong topline, really great engine and for me his hind leg is pretty spot on. There is a mild lateral deviation in a front limb, he lands square and it may or may not improve over time. His neck is like his dams, a bit short and at the moment a little thick underneath (which hopefully will improve under saddle). His feet are lovely. He also has an attractive head apart from the unfortunate bit of white in one eye. So for me if I could change 2 things it would be more length of rein and a bit more limb bone. He was almost elite in his foal evaluation, lost a couple of decimals on his neck.

 

[SpringArising]

@indie1282 Long toes on all of them!