Top level eventing horses and too line

[Indefatigable]

I don't profess to be an expert at all, but have been involved w horses since the 70s.
Attached is o Eid this year's Bramham contestants. But where's the top li e?

 

[Indefatigable]

Let's try again -
I don't profess to be an expert at all, but have been involved w horses since the 70s.
Attached is a pic of one of this year's Bramham contestants. But where's the top line?

 

[Cowpony]

Where's the pic?

 

[Indefatigable]

 

[Needtoretire]

I see a fit horse with poor conformation. It is a cut and shunt, but handsome is as handsome does.

 

[millitiger]

Looks fine to me?

 

[Gloi]

Fortunately there isn't a showing section in eventing.

 

[stangs]

Already discussed on this thread.

 

[LEC]

I think that horse looks amazing and has top line…. It’s fit to go and gallop at 550mpm for 10 mins over undulating ground with some decent hills.

Show me a horse who can do that who has its withers covered?

I look at the British Triathletes and think they look skeletal as nothing too them especially if you compared them to a 100m runner.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

is it not just a combination of conformation and being fit and lean in similar ways that racehorses in training are? their bodies have adapted to the work they do, so of course they look different to other types of horses or even similar types in different sorts of work

 

[tda]

Another owner who has no knowledge of withers
One of my neighbours is competing this weekend and I must admit I did gulp when I saw one of her horses in the trot up, he looked at lot leaner than all her other horses, but he might also be older

 

[SEL]

As eventers go that one is pretty well covered.

We had the debate on the other thread as to muscle development in the "galloping" horses vs dressage horses.

In my own world my cob lost all his topline (quickly & worryingly) when he was injured in the field in Jan. He's pretty fit now (90 mins trot / canter fit) but his withers are more prominent and his neck weaker looking than pre Jan. That's mainly hacking, straight line stuff and a lot of canter work so it'll be interesting for me to see if his muscle tone changes as I start to introduce more schooling.