Good/Bad Conformation.....

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nijinsky

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Is it obvious to look at a youngster & tell if it's conformation is good or bad. I feel a bit stupid even asking this question but I really don't think I have an expert eye.

I'm looking at yearlings on some horse sale websites. I look at what I want first ie filly/colt, then look at breeding, so like that mare/stallion, but I find myself looking at the foal & thinking "what am I looking for"? I'm sure bad conformation is more easier to see but what is ok/good conformation. I know you can only tell so much from a picture.

Can anyone explain in "simple" terms what I should be looking for or what you would look for? Any advice/help would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks.
 
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everything in porportion really plain and simple

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and facing in the right direction...

I guess it depends what discipline you are buying for as to how far you go down this line, but at the very least I want clean limbs that don't turn in or out, well made feet, an alert interested head and a deep chest and strong back...

then it is down to personal preference, purists will examine the lengths and angles of the legs and feet..personally if there is a leg at each corner (don't like narrow horses) and a compact back I will look at it..but I am never likely to be in the market for a TB these days, where I would be looking at quite different things
 
Thanks. So apart from the obvious, the rest is personal preference?

Eg, I showed one picture to two different friends, one said the foal was a nice foal, the other went on to say it was a bit too upright, not much of an angle in the hock, then showed another picture & the hocks didn't look that bad!!?? So I really need to be able to judge for myself & thought is there a hard & fast rule to go buy and can you tell that much from a foal/yearling?
 
I like straight legs and straight movement. And I like good slooping shoulders, correct set on tail. I like short cannon bones, short pasterns and long forearms. Good fronts not norrow. I like good hocks, not weedy or sickly.
It all sounds confusing but confirmation affects the ride
I dont like upright shoulders (uncomfortable ride) or long backs (hard to engage or collect) Long pasterns is confy for ride but is weak
I've got a book called CONFORMATION by Robert oliver and it makes good reading...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Photographic-Guide-Conformation-Robert-Oliver/dp/0851318517

Hav'nt got this one but would like it..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Horse-Conformati...3184429-9406253

I dont work for a book shop i just googled it........
 
Its hard to put it in words what I like , We bought a foal last year, She just turned yearling in march . She has great confortmation (of course im biased) Showing her in may .


Bought her quite quickly , seen her and that was that, actually bought her in really bad light, but because her background (ie shows that she had been placed in ) that probably made my mind up about her .


Like I said its hard to put into words what I look out for, I just look at horses and majority of the time can tell if its something I like, if that makes sense. So far I seemed to have picked nice horses. :P


Have you seen anything you like yet ? or bought already ?
 
Thanks. May have to invest in a book then!! I can definitely tell the upright/sloping shoulders part, the length of back speaks for itself but the limbs I struggle with, hind in particular. Yes, I can tell if the foot turns in/out. It is TB types I'm looking at so do I need to be more fussy with the legs as opposed to, say, a warmblood. I will have a look at that link, thank you.
 
Am still looking but everything I'm looking at is either down in Devon or up in Scotland so really need to like the look of it by pictures before I make such a journey. Most advertisers highly rate what they're selling such as fabulous movement, uphill, straightl, etc but they're selling it aren't they!

For instance, my own mare is very long in the back so am looking for the opposite. She's quite upright so am looking for the opposite, have had problems behind with her so am looking for good, strong back end, I just can't tell what's "good". I suppose really you need to go & see it move?
 
Yearlings can be difficult to judge at times because they go through their ugly duckling stage depending on their growing spurts. But you won’t change certain things about them boxy or flat feet (though a farrier can help to improve them). Dishing/plaiting or going wide behind. If they are long or short in the pasterns, shoulders, and how the neck comes out from the front won’t change either.
 
I would definitely recommend Oliver's 'Photographic Guide to Conformation' - it's really helpful to have photos of good and bad conformation, rather than just the usual line-drawings.
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