Importance of confirmation?

[Oscar]

How important is front leg confirmation for the sport horse? I have seen a lovely horse for sale with amazing bloodlines, but less than perfect confo by the pics that have been sent. But he could have been standing downhill or not standing perfectly square.

How much importance do you put on straight limbs?

 

[Romax]

depends on the level you want to compete at. leg conformation has a lot of influence on jumping and associated injuries e.g. long cannons can magnify stress on the carpus, and short, upright pasterns are associated with ringbone/navicular/stress injuries in performance horses.

 

[FrodoBeutlin]

If you are a Catholic, quite essential I would say!

Sorry sorry sorry, couldn't resist

I think it was Harry Boldt who said that for dressage, conformation is important (as in, you want a horse who is built uphill etc) but there are more important things to consider, such as movement. He says there are plenty of horses with impeccable conformation who move with average places, so clearly not suitable for dressage.

I wouldn't be worried, to be honest.

 

[millitiger]

I worry a lot about poor leg conformation tbh and it is something that would stop me from buying a horse for any discipline.

However, maybe ask for more photos or go and look before writing this horse off?

 

[ScratchyMooMoo]

Go and see it for yourself if possible, watch in move. Sometimes pictures can be deceiving. As above is depends on the level you want to compete and how bad the fault is I guess, but then again there are some oddly put together horses in top level competition. If it isn't too bad and everything else is perfect with the horse I wouldn't worry too much myself. How old is the horse? if still a youngster he may change yet.

 

[TarrSteps]

I'm glad FB made the joke as I was struggling not to.

It depends on the context. Some faults are more likely to be a problem than others, depending on all sorts of factors - I would think long and hard about buying a horse to jump that's back at the knee, for instance, and a rotation from the shoulder tends to cause fewer problems than a twist in the bones of the leg - and obviously there are degrees. It also depends how it fits into the whole. A good moving athlete with something not quite perfect is going to be less affected than a heavy footed horse. There are certainly lots of horses competing at high level that wouldn't win a conformation class!

I do think it's important for a horse to land square, though, whatever the leg does in flight. A significant pronation is not likely to stand up to hard work, although there seem to be some top level dressage horses that get away with it, at least for awhile.

 

[BigRed]

I went to the nationals at the weekend, I saw plenty of horses who had less than perfect conformation.

 

[soulfull]

I wouldn't buy anything with bad conformation!

long and or Sloping pasterns are my biggest dislike and worry. seen horses where their fetlocks actually hit the floor

Too upright in pastern maybe a navicular problem in the future

pigeon toes are likely to cause side bone


wouldn't consider croup high either

Too long in the back will be difficult to hold together and can cause back problems


just to name a few

no one expects perfect conformation so mild variations are ok

 

[Ali16]

Come and take a look around our yard! You would be amazed at the confirmation of some of the horses that are competing at top level dressage and eventing.

One horse on our yard is nicknamed 'The Camel'! He is bright ginger, has withers so prominent that they look like they are storing a week's worth of water, pigeon toed in front and turned out behind. He events successfully and has THE most amazing ping on him (jumps 1.55m with ease). He is now 12 and as fit and sound as he ever was.

If horses are managed well the confirmation should not be a massive issue. Look at Opposition Buzz - pigeon toed in front, shoulders and neck a bit like a bull. Doesn't stop him as they manage him well.

IMHO if you find a horse that you click with, but the confirmation is not 100% I personally would (and have done in the past) take lots of advice from CREDIBLE sources (vets, physios, chiros.. whoever you work closely with) and weigh up the pros and cons.

Quite often that little leap of faith is rewarded...

Good luck

 

[kerilli]

it depends what you want to do with the horse and how bad the fault is. if the workload is going to be light, most horses can cope however dodgily put together they are. if you're aiming to do higher level comp, with all the practice and fittening/fast work that entails, then good forelimb conf is pretty essential imho.
there are certain absolute no-nos for me, and other things i'll cope with. check how the feet hit the floor. show pics/vid to your farrier and see if he thinks he can improve things perhaps?

 

[wench]

I went to the racehorse sales in Newmarket last October. Quite a few of the ones that were making the megabucks were pigeon toed, and probably had more wrong with them.

 

[kerilli]

I went to the racehorse sales in Newmarket last October. Quite a few of the ones that were making the megabucks were pigeon toed, and probably had more wrong with them.

ah yes, but racing people are weird imho... i went a while back and a very obviously lame horse (lame behind, but seriously lame at walk) went for £60k. :O :O

 

[PapaFrita]

I went to the racehorse sales in Newmarket last October. Quite a few of the ones that were making the megabucks were pigeon toed, and probably had more wrong with them.

I've never known pigeon toes to cause problems.

 

[Worried1]

I know plenty of horses who have done very well and had conformation which was less than ideal.

I also know a few horses who conformationally, should have been exceptional and were not.

I think personally I would try and aim for as near to perfect as my budget could allow. There most certainly is a link to conformation and weakness and so would be trying to minimise all avenues which could lead to failure.

If in doubt say the picture is not ideal and ask for a better one or a short video?

 

[POLLDARK]

It's all a matter of degree but I think , in the long run, poor conformation would shorten a horses competative life because of the extra stress badly formed joints would put on the rest of the skeleton.

 

[KatB]

It depends how it fits the whole horse tbh! I have seen some HORRENDOUS leg conformation in eventers at high level, but as said, if the horse's foot lands square and flat, I wouldn't care what it did in the air tbh! Some conformational problems I would be more cautious about, such as overlong pasterns, back at the knee etc etc...pretty much as Tarrsteps has said!

Body conformation it all depends how the horse looks overall. If it looks "odd", I would be less likely to touch it. If the overall picture is balanced, it would fuss me less!

 

[OneInAMillion]

Having had recent experience's with a horse with poor leg conformation (my own horse ) I would not buy another one

 

[foxy1]

You only have to look at the photos of the horses at Badminton being trotted up to realise that conformation is not the be all and end all, not to mention the showjumpers you see in the warm up at the very big competitions; handsome is as handsome does!

 

[Orangehorse]

I agree with Polldark.

Some top level horses with awful conformation are there because no-one would buy them! I have seen racehorses and point to pointers with the most horrendous faults, in training and staying sound, for now. But what about long term?

My vet said why buy trouble - but, but, but a lovely horse with excellent conformation, althletic, etc. etc. is going to be mega-bucks, so in the end you can only buy what you can afford. It depends on what the fault is and what the degree of the fault is. Go into it with your eyes open and get a good horse vet.