Yearling conformation - thoughts

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I really don't like to comment on other peoples yearlings, as I think IMO it really is the ugliest stage of a horse's life. Especially at this time of the year, when they have just come out of their first winter.
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He looks like most yearlings do before the grass has come though, unless they have been over stuffed with food and prepared.

Post some more pictures of your boy in August and I bet you will have a completely different picture.
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I totally agree but i think you should take him, you will have expert eyes on him and he will judged as an individual. His conformation looks ok to me, a German friend of ours has always said look at your foals conformation and then dont look again til about two and half!! He looks good in his foal pic's but is going through the gangly yearling stage right now. I would put him on something like Baileys stud balancer and build up some condition slowly, living out shouldnt have really done him that much harm, mine are out unrugged but have had ad lib horsehage and have come out of the winter looking great, can he be out on good grass 24/7 i think he still should be out as much as poss at his age.

Heres my yearling in Febuary, she has worn no rug, no hard feed except balancer but good quaility horsehage ad lib. Not a bad shine for a wholly coat!

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I dont see why you shouldnt take him- it'll be a fun day out for you and give him a good education.

Having never watched a futurity I dont know how he'd do but surely you have nothing to lose?!
 
Please _Jet Set_ and rufusbluemoon

Listen to what volatis, bananaman, severnmiles, -SN- and memo have to say about preparing for the Futurity as they know *from experience* that the evalutaors are specifically trained to look for potential and that over-produced fat youngsters are definetly NOT favoured as this not only affects their limbs and overall soundness in the long-term, but also their athleticism on the day -- and as this now (from 2008) scores double that shows how importantly it is viewed in the Futurity scheme of things.

Also, just a question to Janet George: AFAIK you have never presented any horses for the Futuirty (or possibly even bred any that have been forward for assessment) so I am worried as to where you got the impression that successful ones are prepped and cossetted from birth. Perhaps you could let us all know? And why not come along to an evalution so that you can see how it works in action and what the evaluators are atcually looking for and how this differs from showring animals? Just a thought . . .
 
Thanks everyone... He is definitely at the ugly stage
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However, this morning is the first time I have seen him move properly for quite some time. He has been in for 5 days due to having Panacur wormer, and this morning he was turned out with two mares he has never met before.

All I can say is WOW!!!

Now, I know the first meeting etc will provoke a huge movement, but then once everything had settled he came trotting over to me at the fence and good God, he just lifts off the floor his hinds push that hard!

So, for movement he is everything I could ever have asked for and more. I just stood watching him in complete awe, he has so much elevation and suspension that I could watch him all day. His trot is just beautiful and he has a lovely lolloping canter too
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So, we are going to go because if they judge on movement and looking for ability to compete as an adult, then I do believe he has that by the bucket full. I was comparing him to the other horses out and he is just so supple. I always thought he moved nicely as a foal but then they change so much I did not expect that to remain as expressive, but it has become even more so as a yearling.
 
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But I don't think he is bad conformationally just immature atm. As said, nothing that good spring grass and sunshine won't improve. Is he on supplementary feed as well? If he's in at night now I take it that he is? What is he getting? That said I am really anti over topping youngsters but he needs to be getting the right feed.

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Thanks... he is on Alfa A, garlic and TopSpec balancer, that is all. I was umming and ahhing about whether to put him on a joint supplement, I am a great believer in prevention rather than cure.

Can anyone recommend anything else he should be having?
 
Glad to hear that you are going to give him an education, that is important.
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I am a competitive dressage rider and during my career I come up against peoples opinions ALL THE TIME (I have learnt restraint
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), but I know that this is my choice, I have put myself in the position. I accept that, but I don't have to agree with them all the time.
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Good luck
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They are all so so different aren't they........... 99% of the time our yearlings are just awful especially when shedding out and tail end of winter..

However heres a friends Umenno yearling filly pics taken last summer, she was born in June 2006 pics taken one year later in July 2007..... and no she hadn't been fed and produced for the showring, far from it, she simply stayed on her mum throughout the winter, and shared moms grub, lush spring summer grass and voila....

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Glad to hear that you are going to give him an education, that is important.
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I am a competitive dressage rider and during my career I come up against peoples opinions ALL THE TIME (I have learnt restraint
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), but I know that this is my choice, I have put myself in the position. I accept that, but I don't have to agree with them all the time.
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Good luck
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Thanks... I haven't seen him move really since he was 6 months, so was a bit sceptical about taking him. But I am not quite sure how I will keep up with that trot!
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Oh excellent I am pleased that you will be taking him hun!

Is he on hay or haylage? I think if he were mine I would add oil, kentucky karon oil is AWESOME! Though oil from the supermarket is good too, but I have noticed a huge difference in H's coat since he's been on the karon oil.
http://www.forans.com/products.asp?Action=Detail&ProductID=96

Why is he on the garlic?

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Thanks SN... I added some Outshine to his dinner tonight, as it has worked really well for Grace I think. But will definitely look into that oil you have mentioned for him. Grace won't eat anything with oil in
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but will eat the outshine which is why I have some in
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He's on garlic because the flies are horrendous where he is and it is supposed to help their immune system too so I thought it would help fight anything off. What do you think?
 
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They are all so so different aren't they........... 99% of the time our yearlings are just awful especially when shedding out and tail end of winter..

However heres a friends Umenno yearling filly pics taken last summer, she was born in June 2006 pics taken one year later in July 2007..... and no she hadn't been fed and produced for the showring, far from it, she simply stayed on her mum throughout the winter, and shared moms grub, lush spring summer grass and voila....



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She's lovely... I promise to get some of him moving tomorrow. Camera is charged and ready to go
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Sorry, really don't want to hijack thread, but I have a query to JanetGeorge that I hope would also be relevant to your question :

Quote : "He's a nice youngster but still looks quite immature compared to youngsters you'd meet in Futurity classes who have been 'prepared' to the hilt from the day they were born".

A bit puzzled (and alarmed!) by this, as all the BEF material emphasises that yearlings should be brought to the Futurity NOT in "show condition",

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Mmm - well look at the highest graded foal last year:

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Probably about 7 months old there. He's not overdone - but he's a very mature chap for his age!

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why do you think his shoulder is not the best you have seen in a yearling? I thought he had quite a good shoulder actually, that was the only bit I picked out in his conformation

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His shoulder looks better in his foal pics than in the most recent one - so it could be more condition than conformation. It's certainly not the worst shoulder I've seen either - not by a long shot - but I like to see a rather longer shoulder meeting the chest with a bit more 'angle'. I could EASILY be wrong!

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Also, just a question to Janet George: AFAIK you have never presented any horses for the Futuirty (or possibly even bred any that have been forward for assessment) so I am worried as to where you got the impression that successful ones are prepped and cossetted from birth. Perhaps you could let us all know?

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Nope - never presented any - or bred any that have been put forward. But I DO take an interest and look at the pics of the high graders (in case I one day have a sport horse I think is worth taking - although sport horses are a side line for me.)

But I do BREED a few sport horses and leave them out in the field with the absolute minimum of 'extras' and I THINK - from the pics of the 'performers' that mine would look very 'underdone' by comparison.

This is one of my yearlings from last year who I really like:

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I think he has a reasonable shoulder, but is a bit straight behind - and a bit too 'leggy' at that stage (he looks better as a 2 year old.) But I wouldn't have taken him to the Futurity last year - and probably not this year (or ever!) Maybe I'm hyper-critical - or maybe I'm a poor judge and he's cr*p
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no she sure ain't...... mums magic I guess............ look forwards to seeing the moving pics Jet_Set
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there's an old saying is there not, three hours, three days three years..... and look at nothing inbetween.......
 
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Thanks SN... I added some Outshine to his dinner tonight, as it has worked really well for Grace I think. But will definitely look into that oil you have mentioned for him. Grace won't eat anything with oil in
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but will eat the outshine which is why I have some in
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He's on garlic because the flies are horrendous where he is and it is supposed to help their immune system too so I thought it would help fight anything off. What do you think?

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Karon oil is good stuff as it's fortified with calcium! I was going to suggest the outshine, but wasn't sure of the calorie/protein content.

Feeding garlic for the immune system is a great idea - I do that when needed. Though for flies you'd be better off feeding brewers yeast - all of mine are on it!
 
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