Confo Critique, help me improve my eye

[1ofEach]

I've only ever really had one person tell me about my mare's strengths and weaknesses. So wise cothers, please give me your input. Thanks! She's my first horse, my once of a life horse, and she has a home for life.

Her in her younger years:
http://picasaweb.google.com/dbequeath/Tag#5203564212012153522

Her at 22 & 23:
http://picasaweb.google.com/dbequeath/Tag#5203564117522872898
http://picasaweb.google.com/dbequeath/Tag#5258101655903910962

[Marney]

I am no conformation expert but she sure is cute!!!

[1ofEach]

Thanks Marney. She is the apple of my eye.

Oh come on please someone. I can't improve with no comments.

[kookicat]

None of those pics are the best for viewing confomation, sorry. :) You need a nice clear pic of her standing square, with her legs in view.

Okay, from what I can see- her neck looks a little short, and is quite thick. Nice clean legs, but a bit light of muscle. Quite a pretty face on a larger head. Nice short cannon bones, nice hind leg. :)

[1ofEach]

Thanks Kookicat for trying. :D
The only other pic I have handy is a bad angle, but it's from her younger days when she was tortured with a neck sweat. :winkgrin: I don't think her neck is short, just I'm a lousy photographer and the thickness makes it appear shorter. She's 15.3 and her neck is longer than the mare I had that was 16.1 with a thin long neck. (Yes I actually measured it out of curiosity).
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2205673770094185958sKvxod

She's always worn a cob bridle, but I do think her head is a touch long although narrow.

[FFTL1221]

Hey,
She is rather nice looking! From these photos, it appears her shoulder angle is a tad steep and it makes her shoulder a bit small but a nice hind end with good angles otherwise. :)

[Mach Two]

Ohhhhh....she is your darling and your apple....why would we want to point out any faults! She HAS NO FAULTS. None of the horses we choose to have for life have faults!:lol:
I love to do critiques when someone is trying to talk themselves into a horse that will not do for what they want to do...but I just want to pat your cute mare.
She is in great condition, and I know she has had a good life, and that you trained her to use her back well, hence her back looks great at 22 ad 23...my little horse Flipper has (almost) the same back at 22 that he had at 8, because once you build that muscle right, it tends to stay!
Thanks you for sharing the apple of your eye. Aren't those wonderful!

[grayarabpony]

My impression of her is that she looks like an athlete, and a kind horse to boot. She looks incredible for her age.

[TwinGates]

1of - you're to be commended for this mare's condition @ 22 and 23. Quite remarkable. You didn't have to tell us she's the apple of your eye; it's quite obvious this mare's had excellent care. So happy to see this as all too often the opposite is the case.

Overall, this is a very nice mare. Is she Appy or Knabstrupper?

On confo: agree with FFTL on the shoulder angle, tho to me the length looks pretty good. The throatlatch is a bit thick, but the photo of (you?) riding shows her going nicely into the bridle, and eventing doesn't call for the same degree of collection as the mid-to-upper levels of dressage (where heavy throatlatches can be problematic). Ideally the croup would be longer, less steep in angle and hind leg would have more bend (less open-angled hock) but these are often found on better-than-average jumpers, and my bet is she was talented over fences.

[Mach Two]

Oh....OK...for your eye...I will chime in, and start with "she looks athletic." If I were choosing a mare to breed, I would want one who has a slimmer throatlatch, and who's neck more resembles an elongated triangle, from the side. Her neck ties into her shoulder sort of low, and she has a more rounded shoulder blade, where I would like to see her more flat, and with a smoother more angular line from top of withers to topline of her neck...hope that makes sense.
I am not bothered by her shortish croup, it fits her well. Great muscle, and what I can see of her legs is that she stayed "clean legged"....so that indicates she is fairly correct. She obviously has done some fitness work, judging by ler forearm and gaskin muscle. She looks strong over the loin.
For a mare, I prefer a bit more "feminine" look, but I would not kick her out of my riding string ...you can't ride "feminine" per se!

[unclewiggly]

From the perspective of all the photographs her front is to heavy for the rear.
Her neck while set on up off the withers comes out of the chest to low.
Her rear end has shortish angles and must work very hard to push that front up.
Yet she is also light in the shoulder and head appears a tad big for whole picture.
With the neck off the photos if you take another look its all balanced, the neck and head throw the whole thing off like its a whole nother horse.
And I bet she is just a delight, tought sound and 100% willing.
Having evented and competed in dressage up to 4th level in the dark ages on a leopard Ap.

[1ofEach]

Aww thanks everyone. Your comments have been very helpful. Just wait until she gets her spring bath, she'll look even better without all the dirt she has hidden in that coat from rolling and rolling and rolling. She is appy (quite the mutt and also rangerbred). http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/tagme+otoe
The first pic was when I first got her at 5. She had a thick neck and no other muscle tone. She was a neglect/abuse case that taught me how to ride, but would never hurt me. She had a lot of issues riding due to that, but is sweet as sugar on the ground. She jumps like a cat and you can't pull her off a fence once she's locked on. She is very bold and almost never refuses a fence.

I always thought she was a bit of a freak. I wouldn't expect her to move as nicely as she does from looking at her. I think because she has so much go, she just makes it work by really using herself.

Like some ladies, she does have a weight issue. She seems to put on weight first in the neck. I'll have to look for a pic from her teens where her neck was thinner and blended better (although not ideal) than it does now.

While she may not look feminine, she definitely acts it. She has a very soft, dainty nicker when food is involved.