Fleece Navidad
Well-Known Member
Just stumbled across this thread, great idea Auslander.
Any thoughts on Bob?
The brutally honest confo thread!
- Thread starter Auslander
- Start date
Any thoughts on Bob?
SpringArising
Well-Known Member
Just stumbled across this thread, great idea Auslander.
He's really cute.
Big head, neck too short and low-set, slight sway back, tail set a little high.
His front legs are not too bad, a little straight through the knee and pasterns are a little short. He has nice short cannons and a very nice shoulder angle.
He's lacking overall condition and muscle - how old is he? He looks in his 20s?
Fleece Navidad
Well-Known Member
Thanks.
He's 17. We're working on muscle building, and I've just looked at the time stamp on the photo, it's from last year, quite likely after a break due to allergy related issues, I must find a newer one for comparison. The short neck I agree on, possibly emphasised by about 8/9 years of being upside-down?
Wagtail
Horse servant
I'm fully aware of Alf's strengths and weaknesses, and I'm not going to get my knickers in a twist if he gets savaged, so, go ahead...what's good and bad about this old man, and what do you think his job in life should be, based on his type/conformation (I know pretty much everyone knows what his actual job was, but try not to let that get in the way of looking at what's in front of you)
Happy to have weight comments too - as that's another area people often struggle to know what is ideal
Ignore the front end doing carrot stretches - the hind legs are a bit more normal here
Alf is lovely and he looks a well proportioned strong boy. He doesn't have the prettiest of heads, but he looks smart. He has a well set on neck going into an upright shoulder. I like all four of his legs. His feet look well proportioned and he has a nicely rounded bottom. I am giving his hocks the benefit of the doubt that they are not slightly sickle because it is impossible to tell for sure from those photographs and it is probably the way he is standing in both of them.
Auslander
Well-Known Member
Thank you. I think he's very nice, but I am a bit biased. Agree about his head - it looks attractive in some pics, and like a box in others!
He doesn't have sickle hocks - but he does stand a bit camped under - he's got arthritic hocks, and has had serious problems with both hid suspensories.. He's pretty sound nowadays, so I'm fairly confident that it's habit, rather than discomfort.
That bottom is immense, and mostly all muscle! He's never really lost the engine, despite not being in full work for a good few years now. He used it to great effect this morning to bog off with me...
windand rain
Well-Known Member
Alf is lovely but he has a fat tummy but is great everywhere else
Northern
Well-Known Member
This is E. She's only four and going through a growth spurt. Have at her, she won't mind 
She's hopefully going to be a nice eventer, has already competed at her first event and was a star
ETA: Sorry for the small picture size, can't make it bigger apparently :/
She's hopefully going to be a nice eventer, has already competed at her first event and was a star
ETA: Sorry for the small picture size, can't make it bigger apparently :/
ahml100
Well-Known Member
Gosh, now I am feeling brave!
Here is mine, ISH eventer 9 years, the best picture I have so sorry for the high head-clearly something very interesting in the background!, we are working on the top line as due to ill fitting saddles it hasn't developed properly but it is now
Here is mine, ISH eventer 9 years, the best picture I have so sorry for the high head-clearly something very interesting in the background!, we are working on the top line as due to ill fitting saddles it hasn't developed properly but it is now
Auslander
Well-Known Member
He said it's not fat. It's relaxed muscle...
Northern
Well-Known Member
Aaaand this is K. 10 Years old with a genuine shark wither
Also an eventer (when she wants to be!).
And because she's cute!
Also an eventer (when she wants to be!).
And because she's cute!
ahml100
Well-Known Member
giving it a little bump!
SpringArising
Well-Known Member
This is E. She's only four and going through a growth spurt. Have at her, she won't mind
She's hopefully going to be a nice eventer, has already competed at her first event and was a star
ETA: Sorry for the small picture size, can't make it bigger apparently :/
I'm on my phone and the picture is blurry but I'll tell you what I can see.
She's very weak looking all over. She's lacking muscle and topline. Her neck is upside down and ties low into the shoulder. She's camped under in front and looks calf kneed. Her back length is OK, she has a steep croup and is standing splayed behind in that particular picture. Her pasterns are hard to make out as when I zoom in the pic goes blurry, but the angle of her off-hind looks very odd. I do like her shoulder angle, though.
Wagtail
Horse servant
Gosh, now I am feeling brave!
Here is mine, ISH eventer 9 years, the best picture I have so sorry for the high head-clearly something very interesting in the background!, we are working on the top line as due to ill fitting saddles it hasn't developed properly but it is now
Smart looking horse. He has a lovely head but his neck is overdeveloped on the underside and lacks top line. It is also low set on. However his shoulder has a nice slope. His back looks strong and although there is still some muscle wastage from the badly fitting saddle you mentioned, it is not bad. His front legs are a little long in the cannons and pasterns but his feet are lovely which is nice to see in a shod horse. He also has a very nice bottom. His hocks are very slightly straight and his hind legs have quite a short length from hip to hock and again long cannons.
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SpringArising
Well-Known Member
Gosh, now I am feeling brave!
Here is mine, ISH eventer 9 years, the best picture I have so sorry for the high head-clearly something very interesting in the background!, we are working on the top line as due to ill fitting saddles it hasn't developed properly but it is now
He paints a nice picture overall. I like his head, neck, and sloping shoulder.
His legs are OK until you get to his pasterns! They are too long and he is slightly coon-footed.
I like his quarters; they look strong, although he is standing in a slightly odd position.
ahml100
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
Thank you! Photo is does on a slight angle which could explain some aspects, though I do know he is not perfect!
Wagtail
Horse servant
Here goes. My girl who is still unbroken and not in any work at present. I sat on her as a four year old and started her work proper as a five year old before my health got in the way and she has done nothing since. I am hoping I will be able to start her again very soon. She will be 6 in July.
I can see four conformation faults which I won't list here as don't want to influence and also want to see if I have missed anything. First pic is more straight on, the second is because her tail is in the way of her hocks in the first one. There is also a similar coloured horse behind her so you may need to look closely at the photograph as it is a bit unclear which is her shape and which is the horse behind her. Sorry.
I can see four conformation faults which I won't list here as don't want to influence and also want to see if I have missed anything. First pic is more straight on, the second is because her tail is in the way of her hocks in the first one. There is also a similar coloured horse behind her so you may need to look closely at the photograph as it is a bit unclear which is her shape and which is the horse behind her. Sorry.
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Casey76
Well-Known Member
Here goes. My girl who is still unbroken and not in any work at present. I sat on her as a four year old and started her work proper as a five year old before my health got in the way and she has done nothing since. I am hoping I will be able to start her again very soon. She will be 6 in July.
I can see four conformation faults which I won't list here as don't want to influence and also want to see if I have missed anything. First pic is more straight on, the second is because her tail is in the way of her hocks in the first one. There is also a similar coloured horse behind her so you may need to look closely at the photograph as it is a bit unclear which is her shape and which is the horse behind her. Sorry.
She is slightly bum high and built down hill, a fairly steep shoulder and short neck. in the photos she is standing camped out behind which accentuates her long underline. the major thing for me... her front pasterns, long and slopey. I'd look after those front legs as if they were made of glass.
mcgreggor
Well-Known Member
Oh I'd like a go!! Sorry pics are the best I could do!
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Wagtail
Horse servant
Thank you. I think the camera is closer to her back end in the bottom photo which distorts her. She actually measures exactly the same front and back but I am hoping she comes up in front a bit! I think she's a bit camped out because I had just rearranged her legs so she was standing square but I will check other more natural photos of her. She is fairly thick through the gullet too (which is emphasized by her fine head). She has rather long front pasterns but actually has 8 1/4 inch of bone in front which surprised me because she looks finer. Her feet are a bit small too. I chose her for her character and movement, knowing of her conformational faults as they were faults I could overlook on balance. I hope that won't come back to haunt me!
Here's one with her standing more naturally:
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Annagain
Well-Known Member
I'm no expert but she seems to have 7 legs. I'd say that a pretty major conformational fault. 
Here goes. My girl who is still unbroken and not in any work at present. I sat on her as a four year old and started her work proper as a five year old before my health got in the way and she has done nothing since. I am hoping I will be able to start her again very soon. She will be 6 in July.
I can see four conformation faults which I won't list here as don't want to influence and also want to see if I have missed anything. First pic is more straight on, the second is because her tail is in the way of her hocks in the first one. There is also a similar coloured horse behind her so you may need to look closely at the photograph as it is a bit unclear which is her shape and which is the horse behind her. Sorry.
emmad96
Well-Known Member
I shall attempt to join in on this hoping it will work from my phone.
Top pic is Ali probably a month after I bought her, still a little on the lean side but it's the best confo pic I've got. Second pic is taken roughly around the same time, just to show she looks a lot better under saddle even though rider (me) is doing a shocking job. Third pic was taken a week or two ago, just to show that bum is now almost worthy of challenging Beyoncé haha. Also, if anyone would like to guess age and breeding, be my guest
Top pic is Ali probably a month after I bought her, still a little on the lean side but it's the best confo pic I've got. Second pic is taken roughly around the same time, just to show she looks a lot better under saddle even though rider (me) is doing a shocking job. Third pic was taken a week or two ago, just to show that bum is now almost worthy of challenging Beyoncé haha. Also, if anyone would like to guess age and breeding, be my guest
Wagtail
Horse servant
Oh I'd like a go!! Sorry pics are the best I could do!
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He's very nice. Does he have a good proportion of section D in him?
Lovely head, neck and shoulder. He has boots on which spoils the view of his legs so I won't comment other than to say his front legs look very nice in the bottom photo but again difficult to judge when moving. His back seems quite long. His hind end looks strong and well-proportioned, with a lovely angle to his hocks.
Wagtail
Horse servant
I shall attempt to join in on this hoping it will work from my phone.
Top pic is Ali probably a month after I bought her, still a little on the lean side but it's the best confo pic I've got. Second pic is taken roughly around the same time, just to show she looks a lot better under saddle even though rider (me) is doing a shocking job. Third pic was taken a week or two ago, just to show that bum is now almost worthy of challenging Beyoncé haha. Also, if anyone would like to guess age and breeding, be my guest
She looks very sweet with a pretty head. The top photo, as you say, shows an under muscled horse. Her neck is quite short and low set onto an upright shoulder. She does look nice in the ridden picture, but the saddle is too short for you and you are sitting on the cantle which may cause soreness down the line. Unfortunately, looking at her, she could not accommodate a longer saddle and so you are in a similar situation to me in having a horse that cannot accommodate the length of saddle you really need. My mare needs a 16.5 inch saddle whereas I need a 17 or preferably a 17.5 inch. In the end I had to go treeless, but did a lot of research first and got it properly fitted. Your mare has a slightly dipped back judging from the top picture and bottom one so will need extra care.
She is quite straight through the hocks and the last photo shows a compensatory degree of sinking of her fetlocks. Her heels are very low too. I love her bottom which does look very strong. Very pretty horse.
emmad96
Well-Known Member
Thanks Wagtail - yes, I am currently on the opposite of what the horse is, trying to make my bum smaller and hers bigger!! She has a very strong bum, hunter through and through, almost too keen on jumping if you know what I mean. Thank you .
.SpringArising
Well-Known Member
I agree with the things pointed out here. Her pasterns, especially in the second pic, look absolutely awful. But they don't look as bad in the follow up pic that you posted.
Oh I'd like a go!! Sorry pics are the best I could do!
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This is a stunning horse.
Wagtail
Horse servant
Her pasterns are definitely her worst confo fault IMO. But I am wondering about my camera now because when I look at her she looks very short backed and long legged but the camera shows the opposite! It's my phone camera and people look short legged on it too. Maybe will have to try a different camera. Or maybe it's my eyes that are wrong, lol.
Auslander
Well-Known Member
I guess I have to allow people to be brutal about this bottom, but it's perfection (in my eyes!)
Wagtail
Horse servant
I guess I have to allow people to be brutal about this bottom, but it's perfection (in my eyes!)
No, I agree. His is a beautiful bottom!
Auslander
Well-Known Member
And his head doesn't look so plain at that angle!
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
It's a good bum.
Here's my grey from behind (from when she was a yearling) complete with 'happy tail'. Considering that she could stand like a cow hocked donkey when relaxed (most of the time), it was nice to see that she could stand straight if the mood took her.
Here's my grey from behind (from when she was a yearling) complete with 'happy tail'. Considering that she could stand like a cow hocked donkey when relaxed (most of the time), it was nice to see that she could stand straight if the mood took her.