What comformation faults put you off a horse?

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moses06

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Mine are curbs - can't abide them. (hopefully mine won't develop them!!) and horses with chests so narrow that both front legs look like they emerge from one hole, I also dislike horses with the dip on the neck in front of the withers if that makes sense!! Not keen on anything tied at the knee either.
Not too bothered about pigeon toes or cow hocks as long as not too extreme. Splints don't worry me too much either, don't show to a high enough level to worry about them!
 
Bad feet. TBH anything bad below the knee/hock will put me right off (apart from splints and wingalls as once established they don't often effect anything) mainly because I'm into driving and driving equals a lot of work on hard ground generally.
 
Bad legs - too long in cannon bone/too short in forearms, bad feet (although if the feet were the only problem wouldnt worry too much - we have a fantastic farrier)

splints dont worry me, and windgalls also, they generally dont cause a problem once formed fully. very long pasterns at very sloping angle worry me, fear the strain it puts on suspensories.

bad leg confo imo will mean less of working life but then there are some exception horses, I know a fantastic eventer who is very pigeon toed :P I gasped tbh!

upright shoulder, mainly because it limits jump, and not keen on long backed horses.

tbh, i sound pickier than i am, I can do these if they are slight (my own horse is slightly parrot mouthed, but as he is a gelding has no effect whatsoever) but if they are major I would usually walk away.
 
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what are curns and goose rumps?

A "Goose Rump" is defect in the conformation of the horse when the line from the top of the rump to the base of the tail is too steep and is insufficiently muscled.
A curb is an enlargement on the posterior part of the hock joint, about 4 or 5 inches below its point.
 
bad feet (either flat or boxy), long pasterns and horses that are back at the knee.
also don't like straight hocks.

ewe necks don't bother me at all as the neck is the easiest part of the horse to change with correct schooling.
 
millitiger got there before me! ewe necks are fine as they come right with correct schooling, i have a horse who came with the most horrendous ewe necks but now you would never be able to tell that he used to have one as he has been worked properly which resolved it!
otherwise its splints, bad hocks and horses that are back at the knee.
 
When I'm looking for a new one I start at the feet and work upwards...and walk away very quickly if I see something that might jeopardise the work that we want it for...strong feet and soles, well aligned feet, correct length pasterns, short cannon bones, not adverse to simple splints or windgalls though, don't like upright shoulders, don't mind goose rumps...don't like roach backs...don't mind ewe neck if it means lack of topline as that can be sorted with correct schooling but don't like it if the neck is not set on well...teeth that say the right thing and a good, kind eye.
 
only_me said:
see I wouldnt mind a goose rump, those that have them are meant to be good jumpers :)
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Ah, there is a common misconception there, there are two similar conformational "faults," one is a goose rump which is the steep bum and lack of muscle and then there's the "jumpers bump" which is an extra bit of bone on the top of the hip which allows for extra muscle attachment and therefore a better jump. The two can be very similar though.
 
moses06 said:
Mine are curbs - can't abide them. (hopefully mine won't develop them!!) and horses with chests so narrow that both front legs look like they emerge from one hole, I also dislike horses with the dip on the neck in front of the withers if that makes sense!! Not keen on anything tied at the knee either.
Not too bothered about pigeon toes or cow hocks as long as not too extreme. Splints don't worry me too much either, don't show to a high enough level to worry about them!
Click to expand...

If your talking about what I think you are, the dip in front of the withers in the neck is not a conformation fault. The horse just has no muscle there - my TB has this but is beginning to build some topline now. :)
 
Generally downhill conformation puts me off, eg, croup higher than withers with a loaded forehand. Don't mind minor faults, actually I can't think of a p[articular fault that would put me off as most can be worked with. I would probably avoid a horse with an obvious old injury though, but it would depend on the situation etc!
 
Long backs.. cause no end of probs in my experience and I also find horses like that hard to school properly and hold together as I am small.

I dont care about ewe necks, thats pretty easy to change with correct schooling and feed.

The front legs must be spot on, they must look straight and even. Im open to minor faults in the hind legs but tbh anything glaringly obvious with legs would put me off!

Must have nice feet, good walls and the same shape. If the toes are a bit long that wouldnt bother me too much as a decent farrier can sort that out. Boxy feet are an absolute no no, wouldnt touch a horse with a bargepole if it had upright, boxy feet.
 
My horse is a little long backed and goose rumped, but the latter could be improved with some more muscle build up.

I would be put off by pigeon toes, very flat feet, boxy feet, or any very profound leg confirmation problem.
 
quite a lot actually! dont mind a horse being over at the knee but it must be straight moving- will accept a bit close behind if you can see the horse will improve with work. Not keen on a straight shoulder as I want to jump, ditto long back and croup high is a definate no no. Dont care about ewe necks as they can change albeit takes a while. Like the majority of people, I work by way from the feet upwards. However, the first horse I actually bought, had the most apalling sloping pasterns yet was a superb jumper. At the time I was massively under his "top" weight and he only slowed down due to arthritis in his old age and I had him for over 20 years!
 
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