Conformation pls...

entreat · #1 16th Mar 2006, 05:52 AM

Hi guys!!
I'm looking at buying this pretty boy. Not that it makes a difference to whether I buy him, I just wanted some notes on his conformation.

He's a 10yo TB never raced, but trialled twice. Has done XC SJ & dressage, but nothing really for the last 6 months. Can't see it in the photo, but there's a ewe-neck on him too.

phyzelda · #2 16th Mar 2006, 06:40 AM

unfortuantely im not that good on conformations

But

I think hes lovely, very pretty!! and i have a soft spot for ex racers as i have one!!

MissFliss · #3 16th Mar 2006, 08:03 AM

Hi Entreat, was thinking of you recently! How are things in WA? Is this where the horse is? Did your mare have her foal?

Anyway, he looks like a lovely boy. I'm not so great at conformation, but he seems to have a good shoulder set, nice deep girth, a little weak over the loins but good legs as far as I can see in the pictures. I can't comment on the ewe neck, save it is a little short for a TB, but he has a very, very pretty face!

So whats his story? Come on, spill!!

holiday · #4 16th Mar 2006, 08:55 AM

Prob not the best photo for conformation comments, he looks a nice boy, maybe a little long in the back but that could be the angle of the photo!! Very pretty!!

diplomaticandtactful · #5 16th Mar 2006, 09:29 AM

no expert either but shoulder front looks stronger than quarters which look a bit weak, but if he isn't in work then that could be improved.

Just.Jump · #6 16th Mar 2006, 02:29 PM

Looking 'through' the mane, you can see it in the photo- it's a fairly bold one to be honest.

Offly, he looks very arab to me- he's got the smaller back end with not much croup definition, yet a longer back than I prefer. The back legs are at an angle, but they seem a bit straight to me. However, he does have good cannon bones in my opinion- I hate long ones, and he looks nice and compact in that area- his front legs actually look very nice to me. His neck looks slightly upright, set completely on the angle of his shoulder- which isn't too steep- not sure if I like that or not, or if it effects the horse as much as a more vertical shoulder would.

But he definately looks healthy with that shiny coat =)

entreat · #7 16th Mar 2006, 11:00 PM

Thanks guys. Lots of people have said long in the back - what would that mean to my riding? would there be more bounce in his trot? when I watched a video of him being ridden, his back looked very elastic. More elastic than I'd notice on any other horse (but then I haven't been looking at other horses as critically because I wasn't thinking about buying them). His eweneck was quite prominent on the video, but I think I can work on that. It's probably a function of his head tossing too. I found 2 dressage results of his on the net. First one was 86!! then the next was 48 or 50.

He's very cheap ($1500), but that's due to him having some small faults like head tossing. it was clearly shown in the video I saw, but only after he'd been held in frame for 5 mins. IMO, it was muscular pain in the neck, maybe poll pain, because he wasn't used to being worked (after being in the paddock for 6 months). He looked quite lazy on the video, but have been told he's not typically. He looks like a great candidate for western pleasure (something i know little about) because he was doing a neat little jog for his 13yo rider in the video, & looked very happy to be doing it.

I wasn't really in the market for a new horse (I was going to bring my pony over, but have decided that at age 33, he can be happily retired even though he still love to be ridden), but Joe caught my eye.

This is his ad:
http://www.cavalletti.com.au/viewad_horses.php?id=12433

MissFliss - I'm great! WA if awesome. So busy @ work. infact, I'm meant to be planning some drilling right now. I've been suffering equine withdrawls - only ridden 5 times since I moved here 7months ago. My mare sadly slipped the foal. As we missed this season, she'll go back to stud in september, where she'll stay with them until she's foaled (& probably return to the same stallion).

I'm going down to Perth to see him next weekend. I have first option on him. His owner thinks that I am the most suited applicant so far. I'll let you guys know what happens!!

Rips · #8 16th Mar 2006, 11:38 PM

Do you not think its his neck and the angle of the picture that makes him look long in the back? Look at the distance between where his actual wither is and his croup, its not a short back but its not bad. His neck is quite bad - pity, because other than that I think he's fab. Definately ride him and see.

Just.Jump · #9 17th Mar 2006, 12:40 AM

A long back is supposed to be the biggest obstacle (or even inability because of it) to round up the back and properly engage the hing quarters. He seems very loose because short-backed horses have a large tendancy to be very stiff, so incomparison, well it's obvious.

Tehiti_Horse · #10 17th Mar 2006, 02:41 AM

Sorry I really am not an expert an conformations, but I think he's gorgeous

entreat · #11 17th Mar 2006, 02:51 AM

Thanks TH! He's very very cute.

The place the owner has him being ridden/assessed said that I can keep him on & have him further educated... abit useless seeing as I'm probably more uneducated than he is! LMAO!! I'll think abotu it after I try him.

Shiny McShine · #12 17th Mar 2006, 10:30 AM

He looks to be a nice type of horse to me. He does look a touch long in the back but to his credit it comes more from his upright shoulder than a long back span or loin length.

As a result the back appears very long (because the point of the wither is positioned forward), however, this actually would not affect his soundness a great deal, especially because while the wither peaks far forward it carries back into the seat of his back beautifully.

He is somewhere between ewe-necked and straight necked, but the neck ties on well to the wither which will help. Because of the forward peak of wither he does have a short neck but he doesn't have too small a skull so he should still be able to balance himself adequately.

Other than that I can't get a good look at the legs but he is nice and low at the knee and has beautiful long femurs behind. His hindquater looks suitably powerful from that angle, and overall I would say he is a lovely horse.

Good luck with it all

.

teabiscuit · #13 17th Mar 2006, 12:33 PM

i'm with rips on this one-i'd say he doesn't look over long in the back.if you look at the actual distance between the withers and the croup and the length of loin i'd say he's fine.
its hard to tell with pictures though, the angle they're taken at can make them misleading.
i like his nice bright expression

entreat · #14 17th Mar 2006, 10:57 PM

OK! More photos.
These were just sent to me by the owner.

MissFliss · #15 18th Mar 2006, 09:34 AM

He's such a pretty boy!! When are you going to look at him? Can't add any more to the confo critique, except he looks pretty good from the side on view, and I've seen worse necks!

Sorry to hear of the loss of your foal. It's sad when it happens, but hopefully you will have better luck this year.

entreat · #16 18th Mar 2006, 10:28 PM

The ewe-neck in the photos doesn't look so bad, but you can see it in the video. I don't know when the video was taken.

Yep - I was dissappointed about the foal. But she's going back in Sept. She got knocked up easily enough, so here's hoping it'll happen as easily the second go! *fingers crossed*