I think she's a nice sort.
nice face, set on her neck well, and she's got the best bit of ISH neck too. She maybe a bit 'thick in the jowl' but it may just be the angle of the pic.
She's got typical irish 'square' withers, but that's not really a problem, you just might find that her saddle slips back because of them, especially as she doesn't have much behind the saddle to help it stay forwards.
She's a little weak over the quarters, but that's partly her age, partly her work load. A good bit of hill work would soon sort that out.
IMO she's maybe a little long in the pastern and cannon bone, but her hocks and knees are well let down, and she's got a good second thigh. If her long pasterns are strong enough, and your farrier is good at keeping her feet suitably upright to protect her tendons then she should have a cracking jump in her.
I think she's a really nice sort, and it would be interesting to see how she looks when she's finished maturing and in full work.
Thank you, her second thigh was my favourite bit of her when I brought her
Luckily I have an excellent farrier so keeping her feet upright (which is an obsession of mine anyway!) shouldnt be a problem...I'm very interested to know how she will mature aswell!
dito what jenhunt has said, just needs to mature in her body. lots of long and low work to build up her back muscles as she is a little long in her back, but thats quite normal for a mare....i very nice sort.
Thanks showdiva. We've been doing lots of work long and low, as when i got her she was a bit up and tense, but has now learnt to take the contact forward and down and is so much looser as a result.
When I first looked at her, i'll be honest and really wasn't keen on her... hence interested on peoples comments
i actually don't think she is long through the body at all, nice and compact!
tail a little low, exaggerated by the jumpers bump!
i am not really keen on her pasterns or feet in front or behind, but that is something i am very hot about having had a mare with poor lower leg conformation who had constant lameness problems and ended up retired at 7!
nice looking girl and i think she will look totally different next year in terms of neck, quarters etc and if your farrier could work on her feet a bit you may be able to improve the lower leg a touch too.
Thanks Millitiger. She doesnt tend to have so much angle in her pasterns, she is stood on a slight slope towards the camera... Her feet aren't that "flat" either (again not clear in the pic, I agree!), it was something I looked at closely when i brought her, but yes could do with slightly more heel
She was shod with no heel support when I got her, which is improving
Pleased you said she isn't long, when I first got her she was referred to as the "smarties tube" as she looked so long and thin, with a huge jumpers bump!
I think she looks longer at the mo due to weakness/lack of topline. Whats the thought on low tails? Someone else said that to me, and Ive never really paid much attention to tails!!