The brutally honest confo thread!

ElliePippa said:
Comments welcome 5 year old

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Unless it's just the angle of the photo, I would fear that if you don't get that broken back hoof/pastern axis on the front feet fixed soon, you are unlikely to have a sound eight year old.
 
LaurenBay said:
Thank you.

Ruby was diagnosed with hock arthritis and she was very reluctant to use her back end correctly. She is on the mend now and we are trying to build back up. She is having ongoing pysio to help and massage from me every day.
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Good to hear she's doing well. Fingers crossed she comes back into full work.
 
AdorableAlice said:
So far on this thread with all its lovely pictures, this is the only one I would go to see if they all were listed for sale based on conformation not performance.
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Yes, he was pretty much spot on (with superb breeding), and thank you - what a lovely thing to say. He was a stunning animal with enormous presence.

All the good confo in the world couldn't cure his coffin joint disease - and he was gone at eight 😣
 
This thread is highly informative, thankyou to all who are contributing.
Would it be ok that if comments are being made (for good or bad reasons) would people mind adding a bit of commentary as to why that particular thing is good/bad/what it might mean in terms of how the horse moves and soundness etc?

I shall wait until mines been clipped and trimmed next week before posting photos- although maybe a before and after would be interesting to see if through hair makes a difference.

Lottiepony with the chestnut, yard geek with the gorgeous bay and adorable Alice's Alice are the 3 I'd like to take home with me!

Ester- Frank really was, um, 'well' when you got him wasn't he :o
 
rachk89 said:
Anyone want to critique mine? Have a guess at his breeding too if you want and don't know, some do. :) Sorry for the bad and old photos they are from last year.

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Very nice harmonious body shape, good back and depth, decent limbs but perhaps a tiny bit tied in below knees and hocks. Good shoulder and wither with the neck rising well BUT a dip in front of the wither and general lightness/weakness/shortness of the neck make this his weakest point.

What breeding is he?
 
Cortez said:
Very nice harmonious body shape, good back and depth, decent limbs but perhaps a tiny bit tied in below knees and hocks. Good shoulder and wither with the neck rising well BUT a dip in front of the wither and general lightness/weakness/shortness of the neck make this his weakest point.

What breeding is he?
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I know nothing on conformation sorry, what do you mean by tied in at knees and hocks?

I think his neck has improved a bit recently I will try and get a new conformation shot tonight. He is an Oldenburg x Connemara.
 
rachk89 said:
I know nothing on conformation sorry, what do you mean by tied in at knees and hocks?

I think his neck has improved a bit recently I will try and get a new conformation shot tonight. He is an Oldenburg x Connemara.
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The width of the leg just below the knee/hock is smaller than it is above the fetlock. I thought the same but Cortez posted first. Theory is that you need more room for the tendons and ligaments that all attach in that area to be allowed to work properly. But it's a pretty common 'fault'.
 
Yes would be good for people to add why they think a certain thing would cause a problem, and then for the owner of horse to add whether it has effected or not. I know for example one of the first youngsters I posted people commented on how weak his back end looks, which is fine, it is. However, if you say him trotting under saddle he actually has the biggest,free, powerful movement I have seen in any horse, especially a 4yo. All the horses I have/ had are showjumpers and mostly only 4-5 on the pics, conformation 'problems' aside they have all been/showing to be absolutely fabulous at their jobs :)
 
ljohnsonsj said:
Yes would be good for people to add why they think a certain thing would cause a problem, and then for the owner of horse to add whether it has effected or not. I know for example one of the first youngsters I posted people commented on how weak his back end looks, which is fine, it is. However, if you say him trotting under saddle he actually has the biggest,free, powerful movement I have seen in any horse, especially a 4yo. All the horses I have/ had are showjumpers and mostly only 4-5 on the pics, conformation 'problems' aside they have all been/showing to be absolutely fabulous at their jobs :)
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^ That follows on for Skylla too who's back end currently looks like it belongs to a different animal, but her movement is really lovely behind....
 
lottiepony said:
Shameless bump for mine lol. Sorry for the boots and the 'A' marker which don't help. Be good to get some unbiased feedback :)
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Can I have a go? Based purely on things I think I have learned more of from this thread, and then hopefully someone will come and correct / confirm for me?

Nice shoulder angle, neck could be longer but might be angle of the picture.

Quite upright pastern angle in the hinds.

Lovely horse though. I do like that type.
 
ycbm said:
The width of the leg just below the knee/hock is smaller than it is above the fetlock. I thought the same but Cortez posted first. Theory is that you need more room for the tendons and ligaments that all attach in that area to be allowed to work properly. But it's a pretty common 'fault'.
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Ah right yeah I would agree. It looks far worse from the front actually, his knees/hocks/fetlocks are all pretty large so his leg looks narrow because of it.
 
Quick question. I understand the reasoning behind most conformation requirements / desires as they help the horse to perform well and not suffer injuries. Those of you talking about horses being thick through the gullet - is there a physiological disadvantage to this or is it purely aesthetic?
 
annagain said:
Quick question. I understand the reasoning behind most conformation requirements / desires as they help the horse to perform well and not suffer injuries. Those of you talking about horses being thick through the gullet - is there a physiological disadvantage to this or is it purely aesthetic?
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It is physiological. I have a cob who can strangle off his breathing if he overbends. He sounds like he's choking, I guess because he is!

I have yet to reach higher levels of collection with him, but it's possible he's going to find it difficult to get enough oxygen to sustain a long dressage test in collection.
 
Gemmabel said:
Would be interested in your comments on my Highland

Unbacked Rising 4


Rising 5


Now - Rising 6
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I think he's absolutely stunning. I don't think he's camped under or sickle hocked although the middle photograph could give that impression but it's just how he's standing. It just shows though how this thread brings out polar opposite opinions.
 
Wagtail said:
I think he's absolutely stunning. I don't think he's camped under or sickle hocked although the middle photograph could give that impression but it's just how he's standing. It just shows though how this thread brings out polar opposite opinions.
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It's amazing how different a horse can look in different photos. If I can find them later I'll stick up a couple which highlight how bad a slightly different angle can make a horse look.
 
SpringArising said:
This horse does not look particularly back at the knee, although he is tied in at the knee.

He's a little too straight through the hocks, has a short neck and lacking some topline, but I think he is gorgeous SS. What a beauty.
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Aha! I was waiting for someone to say that he is straight through the hocks as I think this is one the his most glaring faults, although admitedy they don't look *too* bad in this photo. I had a look at his front legs today and actually he's not tied in at all. I'm wondering if it is the camera angle as although his neck looks short in this photo he's actually like a blinking giraffe! :D But thank you, I do think he's pretty special :)
 
Casey76 said:
What a lovely looking boy!

A lovely head, good length of rein, slightly upright shoulder slightly low neck tie in. A little long in the back with a weak loin. He had a nice hip angle, but slightly undermuscled in this photo. Very (very) slightly sickly hocked. Good big feet! Pasterns are a little long for me, but ok for his type. He is standing over himself in front.

Not one that I would choose to ride, as I prefer something with a little more bone, but he does look lovely!
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Thanks Casey76, i think the big feet and the sickle hocks are my photo but you are right on the pasterns and I hadn't noticed this myself. I do appreciate that many people like more bone but he is 15'2" and I am 5'2" of 'ok' size so he manages me! I certainly wouldn't put any real weight on him with his long back etc.

Question re pasterns - what do you mean 'OK for his type'?
 
Street_Skill said:
Aha! I was waiting for someone to say that he is straight through the hocks as I think this is one the his most glaring faults, although admitedy they don't look *too* bad in this photo. I had a look at his front legs today and actually he's not tied in at all. I'm wondering if it is the camera angle as although his neck looks short in this photo he's actually like a blinking giraffe! :D But thank you, I do think he's pretty special :)
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I'd prefer him if his knees were set lower down. I do think that he isn't flattered by your photo as his front end looks to be slightly further away from the camera than his hind end.


This mare is 20 and sound. She has always been a very tough mare and her only lamenesses so far have been due to a farrier who altered her hoof angle (came sound again when that farrier was replaced) and the odd hoof abscess.

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I would like it if she had a bit more angle to her hock and her gaskins have always looked a bit under-developed. As you can see from the photo where she's walking towards the camera, she is narrow in-between the front legs. She is a surprisingly comfortable ride, given the length of her pasterns.
 
mandyroberts said:
Thanks Casey76, i think the big feet and the sickle hocks are my photo but you are right on the pasterns and I hadn't noticed this myself. I do appreciate that many people like more bone but he is 15'2" and I am 5'2" of 'ok' size so he manages me! I certainly wouldn't put any real weight on him with his long back etc.

Question re pasterns - what do you mean 'OK for his type'?
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Do you have any other photos, Mandy Roberts, because I definitely agree with the sickle hocks from the one you posted. I can't imagine him in any position where this would not show so am genuinely asking/ I think he's lovely, BTW so no offence meant. Just would love to see photos to prove me and Casey76 wrong.
 
Wagtail said:
Do you have any other photos, Mandy Roberts, because I definitely agree with the sickle hocks from the one you posted. I can't imagine him in any position where this would not show so am genuinely asking/ I think he's lovely, BTW so no offence meant. Just would love to see photos to prove me and Casey76 wrong.
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I'll have a dig around. I actually tried to take pics today but it was a nice sunny day and he did an impression of a seaside donkey! This is a no holding back thread on confo so no offence taken!
 
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