CONFIRMATION EVALUATION

PHYSICAL FEATURES

As much as I would like to pass over what makes a horse ''beautiful" as being irrelevant, there are features of conformation, other than how he stands, that directly relate to the safety and pleasure of the ride.

58- Coarse looking head ( 1-5 ) [20]

A saddle horse uses his head for balance. A draft horse head, that is oversized, thick, when coupled with other faults, can mean a dangerous ride.

59- Thick Neck ( 1-5 ) [17,20,69 ]

A stiff, fat, neck hampers a horse's ability to turn quickly, gracefully. Also, this type of conformation is prone to Laminitas.

60- Thin/Ewe-neck ( 3-7 ) [17]

A bit more serious, this is almost considered an un-soundness. Due to a lack of flexation, this horse is prone to carrying his head high, nose up, "star gazing."

61- No withers ( 1-3 ) [69, 81 ]

A characteristic of some breeds. It is hard to hang a saddle on a horse with low, rounded, withers. Base wide legs, as the effect is a gait that tends to roll along from side to side, compounds the problem.

I should mention that the Quarter Horse saddle tree was developed to fit this condition. If you already own a saddle and are, ''buying a horse to fit," take it along and make sure it sets with at least three fingers clearance from the withers to the underside of the pommel (the part the horns sets on).

62- Heave line ( 10 ) [26,96]

This is an unusual development of the muscles at the flanks as a groove, or furrow, that extends up towards the hips. Caused by the stress of breathing out in two movements, a horse with Broken Wind might also have a stretched, pot, belly, and a big barrel chest.

63- Rafter hips ( 5-10 ) [88,89 ]

Pointed, instead of round and plump, a fault as this should have shown up under Stance, or Way of Going. It was mentioned in entry 45, as being prone to strain on the stifle.

These last entries are to give a chance to mark something that you know is "not quite right," but can't pinpoint without standing back for an overall view.

64- Lack of proportion ( 3-7 )

Look at the relationships of the build, rather than temporary conditions, as being too fat, or thin. If a horse has a well sprung back, then the chest, and the stance, should also be ample. The length of the back should match that of the neck, and legs. Well developed hindquarters look out of place when attached to a girth that lacks substance. The hind legs should not be noticeably taller than the front. Etc.