Can He Do It?

[OnyxThePony]

;)

Two Yr old now gelded:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a89/PondDucks/poweras.jpg

[slc2]

He's a very nice looking young horse. I think how far most horses will go in dressage and how well they will do depends on -

1. How consistently and how frequently the rider works with an experienced trainer, to some extent how much experience he himself has

2. How sound the horse stays over the years

3. How good a mind the horse has

Conformation is hard to analyze in a two year old horse.

They tend to often still look a lot like a yearling - the croup tends to be higher than the shoulders at that point and the neck often looks thin and lacks shape and topline, as does the back.

In any case, if they are high in the croup and slender in the neck, it's hard to say exactly how the neck will look in a couple years, or overall, how much of that is 'two year old growth spurt' and how much of it how he's going to turn out.

Being able to look at full brothers and sisters who are three, four and five years old helps. Being able to see both parents helps.

I don't really think conformation is as important in most situations as the rider getting lessons and getting good guidance.

[OnyxThePony]

:lol:
So maybe, the Q is, Is there any reason, beside the ignorant human flopping around impeding him, that he CAN'T :lol:

[slc2]

The statement shows an awful lot of wisdom, even if it is self deprecating. The horse is there for us to teach us, so we become less of a sack o' taters.

What I am saying is that you need to wait and see how he looks as a 3 and 4 year old. He needs to grow into himself, and fill out, and level off some. He should be allowed to grow slowly and not 'pushed' with lots of rich hay or supplements, to avoid the development of problems like osteochondrosis, then, hopefully, he isn't longed at all til he's about 3 1/2, then only for a few weeks before he's backed, and he is ridden lightly til age 4, at that point the work starts to gradually increase, and develops in a systematic way, without too much drilling or repetition, with very frequent, shorter rides til he is fitter, and then gradually increasing in work.

If a horse is built very downhill, with a straight shoulder and crooked hind legs, a low set neck and a weak, sloping, narrow back, it is going to take an incredible amount of diligence, careful, gradual, daily conditioning, and a lot of very good advice from a very good trainer, and even then, the animal would have limitations beyond which one would not go, even if the animal were willing, because it would put too much strain on the animal physically.

[nhwr]

I am not as long winded as some of my pals :winkgrin:

If you can do it, he should be fine!

PS I bet he will be quite handsome, which never hurts :D

[cu.at.x]

Any horse can "do" dressage. The question is, how far do you want to go?

[merrygoround]

I would hope that the human floppining around on his back waits til he is 3 and in the meantime developes a little stability! :) :)
Then I hope that the human would find a patient instructor to help her explore his capabilities. :)

[slc2]

Horses are generally very tolerant of the 'flawed humans'.

[Icecapade]

I think it has less to do with the horse's tolerance and more to do with the age issue... but I'm super anal about not starting to early. As in, not real riding till after 4, closer to 5. But thats a whooooole other basket.

He looks handsome for sure, past that I can't tell you anything as I have no knowledge of how the larger horse's develop withers/hip height etc etc.

[phlip]

i think it would be....

[asanders]

Interesting difference between this thread and the same horse on H/J.

Anyway, that thread prompted me to start a confomation photo reference thread (cross discipline, so on Off Course). and this is a shameless bump, since it is the active conformation thread on the Dressage forum. If you have helpful information to add about getting good conformation photos (relating to horse, environment or camera), please go add your wisdom for the ages:
Taking (Great) Conformation Pictures (http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=193660)

[OnyxThePony]

Thank you each and every one. Yes, it is an interesting thread, many views and opinions on an issue that I very purposefully did not clarify.
Just threw up an old photo to sort of feel it out (he is now rising four) and see if everyone saw what I saw.