Horse question.......?

Question

i've been reading about conformation today, trying to learn more about what to look for in the info. i'm not too good at it yet(how judges judge conformations.) i just want to become better at it/being able to tell what's important conformation wise in a horse. legs are numer one importance (from what i learned already) but what i wanted to know was:

this judge talks/writes about the face/eyes/ "femine" features on mares, and i'm not totally sure what they mean. big eyes are good, but why? spacing of eyes are important, why? when going to buy a horse what area should you look at first and why? are the eyes/face more improtant then the legs/ back of a horse?

Answer 1

Different judges like different things, but honestly a judge who looks at eyes first...  hmmpf.

The most important things are the ones that contribute to the horse's useability.

Balance. First, visually divide the horse in three parts, poll to wither, wither to point of hip, point of hip to point of buttock.  These three sections should be equally wide and equally muscled.  Second, compare the distance from the wither to the chest and from the chest to the ground.  These should be about equal.  Third, compare the distance front of the chest to back of the rump to the distance from the ground to the top of the wither.  These should also be about equal.

Angles.  Draw an imaginary triangle from the point of hip to the point of rump to the stifle.  This gives you an accurate picture of the internal angulation of the hindquarter.  Ideally, you'll have drawn an equilateral triangle, with the side from point of hip to stifle being perpendicular to the ground.

In the front, draw an imaginary triangle from the withers to the point of the shoulder to the point of the elbow.  This won't be equilateral, but the two short sides (in the front) will show what the angle of the shoulder is and should be about equal.

Topline.  The horse's withers should be higher than his hindquarters, there should be a smooth line from poll to tail.  Check the muscling, particularly through the loin.

These are important, because they accurately reflect how good the horse will be at his job!  If he's not balanced, he'll have great difficulty with collection and will always be less athletic.  If his angles are right, his bones are in the strongest, least stressed position, and he'll be less prone to injuries.  If he topline is poor, he's probably going to be weaker through the back.

After I've looked at all these, I look at the legs.  Short cannons with longer gaskins/forearms are stronger.  Assess for less than ideal angulations here - a side to side deformation will be a bigger problem than front to back.  Sickle hocks put more stress on the joints, because the cannon doesn't line up straight to carry the weight, but instead puts it on the joints at an angle.

After that, I'll look at typiness if I care about breed standard (I generally don't).    

I would never put the eyes and face ahead of balance and structural correctness, but I would use them as a deciding factor between two otherwise equivalent horses.  I DO like a good looking horse, and a common head detracts from that.  I like a big eye because I've found there's a strong correlation between eye size and intelligence/good temperament.  Makes no sense, but seems to be true.

THere's so much to horse conformation, you have to really study it.  Sites like the one posted (I think by American Made?) can be very, very helpful if you also apply your own common sense.

It's very much a subjective art, particularly when you can't see the horse move.  A lot depends on the expected use of the horse - typiness is far more important for breeding, as is femininity and beauty, while balance and angles are more important for performance.  A draft person wants a different hock angle than a jumper.  A quarterhorse should have different muscling than a thoroughbred.

I hope this helps... but really the best way to learn is to look at a lot of horses with an expert.  With multiple experts, as they'll FREQUENTLY disagree!!

Answer 2

"The eyes are the mirrors of the soul" they say.  Many feel that a large, soft eye (like a puppy) reflects a gentle stable temperament.  It used to be thought that a "pig eyed" horse was inherently ornary and stupid...based on someone's experiences.  I've always heard it, although I have seen quite a few that I consider pig eyed that were gentle and sensible.

The space between the eyes is always said to reflect intelligence...I know Arabs are highly intelligent and that is an Arab feature, so who knows.  

I personally want it all...Sound sturdy substantial hooves and legs that are anatomically correct, sloping shoulders and pastern angles which make for a smoother gait.  The hindquarter is less important to me now that I don't compete...But I still want correct angles and depth through the hip, strong gaskins and I want a longer refined neck set high on the chest.  I want my horses to hold up well, and good conformation is about that. I also want a short mouth...my experience is that a long- mouthed horse is less sensitive to the bit....and less attractive (as a secondary consideration).  My point is, I think it's all important and I've never been in such a hurry that I couldn't wait to find those qualities at a price I could afford.

Answer 3

dreamhorse.com or victorystables.com workh