curious about a conformation critique

[2boys]

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x184/grobis/theo/P9120180JPG2.jpg

I know he is not completely sideways, but I am just interested in what others think based on this. Thanks!

[keana]

You can't tell anything really from that picture. You have to have a picture from the side with the horse set up or straight ahead shot of the front or hind legs. it's not fair to judge a horse by a picture like that.

I can't tell anything other then he is bay.

You judge a horse on angles and straight lines, in that picture their are non to really go by, his pasterns look a bit long, and he could be bunched kneed but it's hard to say.

When you take the picture aim for the middle of the horses barrel. And have all his legs under him as best you can, set his head and most look better rocked back a bit as they tend to inch forward,
Level ground is a must!

[shawneeAcres]

It is really impossible to do a conformation critique from this one photo at this angle, and youa re kind of setting yourself up for dissappointment asking for one. He is cute, nice face, but I cannot truly assess anything else without a clear side view

[merrygoround]

He is cute, looks like he might have a nice uphill topline. Hard to judge the straightness of the legs and the angles of the hocks.

How old?

[2boys]

Okay, thanks. I will hold off and get a picture of him tomorrow. Thanks, guys.

[2boys]

He is cute, looks like he might have a nice uphill topline. Hard to judge the straightness of the legs and the angles of the hocks.

How old?

Thank you! He is six.

[egontoast]

he could be bunched kneed but it's hard to say

That's a new one. Do you mean 'bench kneed"?

[Equi88]

He is a TB?
Just from what I can see, he is over on his right knee. There is a dip in front of his wither and a bit too much underneck muscle. The neck also looks a little short and low set, but that can just be the picture angle....

[2boys]

Not tons better, but better nonetheless. Good enough???:confused::confused:

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x184/grobis/scruffytheo.jpg

[Nojacketrequired]

How old is he?

NJR

[2boys]

Six, why?

[snbess]

I certainly wouldn't pass him up. His neck seems to tie in a bit low, but his hind end seems quite nice, pasterns aren't too long, back looks like a decent length, seems like he has good bone. Feet look like a good size. Might be a bit downhill, but maybe he's on a slope?

What does he ride like?

[ToN Farm]

The two photos look like different horses, probably because of the photo angle. In the first photo, he looks thin and streamline. In the second photo, he looks overweight and short necked. However, in the second photo his gaskins and hind end look stronger. The long mane isn't helping critique his neck.

[2boys]

In the first photo, he looks thin and streamline. In the second photo, he looks overweight and short necked.

Ugh, in the first photo he was new to me. In the second, he has been exposed to the wrath of my overzealous feeding regimen. I have cut his feed back.:sadsmile:

[Gestalt]

1st pic - he has a very cute face! I'm sceptical of his front legs from the knees down. With proper conditioning and food his neck and haunches should improve.

2nd pic - I like your feeding program. His coat is a dark rich color and he has filled out nicely. Good job! Can't see the front legs very well so I still have reservations about them. He has a nice "behind". :D

What are you doing with him? Do you like his personality? He looks like a nice boy.

[Nojacketrequired]

I asked his age because you don't critique a conformation picture the same at every age.

NJR

[goeslikestink]

1st photo he looked a nice weight not to fat not to thin
2nd photo hes getting obesed and you want to watch that

[slc2]

Looks like a very nice lower level dressage horse.

The neck is set on low; the croup is steep and narrow. In the photo he appears to be 'built downhill'. In other words, he is like horses that most people ride dressage with - perfectly good for learning on and quite capable of keeping the rider busy for many, many years. Indeed, most of learning and developing in dressage can be done on very, very ordinary, non specialized horses.

It's hard to evaluate everything from one picture. The side picture gives an idea of the basic proportions, angles of shoulder, hip, length of neck, etc, but doesn't allow an evaluation in detail of the legs.

A 'bench knee' is something you can only see from a direct-in-front view. It means that the cannon bone does not come out of the center of the knee, rather, the cannon looks like it's coming more from the outside of the knee. Ideally there is an equal amount of knee above each side of the cannon, and the cannon is directly below the middle of the forearm. Neither photo would allow you to see a bench knee. In the first photo, the horse is standing with his right knee a little bent, that doesn't mean he has a bench knee.

Your horse appears to be rather overweight and out of shape. Dressage is 99% about muscles and conditioning the horse. Conditioning is more important in dressage than any other type of riding sport other than endurance racing. Dressage is about developing the muscles of the horse, it means frequent rides.

[2boys]

Thanks, everyone. I don't THINK he is bench-kneed,based on your description, but I will double-check that.

I have just been doing low level work with him, and he has had the winter off (pretty obvious, huh?). I LOVE his personality, although it can be strong at times. He is very brave and smart.