Conformation

CONFORMATION Learning to evaluate a horse

Conformation

 defined

as the physical appearance of the horse due to the arrangement of muscle, bone and other body tissues.

CONFORMATION IS IMPORTANT

CONFORMATION  Important

to all horse enthusiasts  Important to all equine disciplines  A basic skill that all Morrisville students need to possess  The basis for understanding how a horse functions  A major determining factor in predicting the usefulness and longevity of a horse

A horse is only useful if he is functional and sound Morrisville students are involved in a diversity of equine disciplines

 Racing  Driving  Jumping  Hunter

on the flat  Western pleasure  Reining  Trail riding

By understanding the basic concepts of conformation, it is possible to predict a horse’s usefulness and longevity Students need to develop an understanding of conformation so they can make informed decisions for themselves, their employers, or their clients.

A

halter class is defined as a competition where a horse is judged based upon its conformation  The purpose of a halter class is to preserve the integrity of the breed by selecting individuals in the order of their resemblance to the breed ideal  and that are the most positive combination of balance, structural correctness, breed and sex character, muscling and way of going.

The Ideal Quarter Horse

The breed standard         

Attractive head Refined throatlatch Well-proportioned, trim neck Long sloping shoulder Deep heart girth Short back Strong loin and coupling Balanced athlete that is muscled uniformly throughout Straight and structurally correct legs and feet that are free of defects

Criteria for evaluating Conformation:  Balance  Structural  Breed

correctness

and sex character

 Degree

of muscling

 Travel/way

of going

Balance  Balance

is the underlying structure made up of angles and proportions (lengths) that make up the skeletal structure of the horse  Balance is the most important criteria in evaluating conformation  Balance is influenced almost entirely by skeletal structure  You can develop your eye to look for indicators of balance and proportion

Learning to Evaluate Balance  It

is important to visualize the skeleton of the horse underneath its muscles and other tissues  There are several reference points that you can use to evaluate balance

The Ideal Quarter Horse

Point of Withers Above Point of Hip

Point of Shoulder Point of Buttocks

TRAPEZOID – 3 EQUAL PARTS

There are optimal skeletal angles and proportions

90 degrees

An optimal shoulder angle gives optimal reach and length of stride

Slope of Shoulder  Nothing

is more critical to balance than the slope of the shoulder  When the slope of the shoulder is steep, the ratio of the top to bottom line of the neck changes

The Ideal Quarter Horse

NECK – TOP TO BOTTOM RATIO

Slope of shoulder  Nothing

is more critical to balance than the slope of shoulder  When the slope of the shoulder is steep, the ratio of the top line and underline changes

The Ideal Quarter Horse

TOP TO BOTTOM RATIO

Slope of the Shoulder  When

the slope of the shoulder is steep, a horse’s back is longer resulting in a shorter neck  That horse’s heart girth is shallower, so that his legs are longer than his heart girth

Other indicators of balance  The

hindquarters should appear square and full when viewed from the side  The ideal horse is as full and as long across the horizontal plane of the stifle as it is from the point of the hip to the point of the buttocks

The Ideal Quarter Horse

SQUARE HIIP

The Ideal Quarter Horse

LONG CROUP AND HIP

The ideal horse is as long across the horizontal plane of the stifle as it is from the point of hip to the point of buttocks

Structural Correctness  Related

to skeletal structure  There are optimum proportions and lengths of bone that allow optimum performance  Structurally correct legs are very important  Legs and feet take a tremendous amount of stress….correct structure means efficient movement with less concussion  Properly aligned bones distribute the weight of the horse evenly throughout the limb

PASTERN AND HOOF ALIGNMENT

EXPENSIVE HOBBY

AN EXAMPLE OF “FORM TO FUNCTION”

Breed and Sex Character (Quality)  Breed

type – overall body style  Sex characteristics – masculinity and femininity – most easily recognized in the head and throatlatch areas - hard to define but easily recognized  Stallions tend to have larger jowls and sometimes thicker in the throat latch

SEX CHARACTER A STALLION SHOULD LOOK LIKE A STALLION

SEX CHARACTER A MARE SHOULD LOOK LIKE A MARE

Degree of Muscling  Depends   

 The

on:

Breed type Age Sex type

correct horse is muscled uniformly throughout  There is a difference between fat and muscle  A fit horse will show more delineation of muscle

Way of Going (Tracking) A judge must watch a horse track to determine straightness of legs, movement and stride length • The horse must be viewed front and back at the walk and trot and from the side at the trot •

COLOR DISTORTION

Summary A

horse’s conformation can be evaluated by analyzing  Balance  Structural Correctness  Breed and Sex Character  Degree of Muscling  Tracking (way of going)

A factor that is not easily measured until you start working with a horse is his “mind” or trainability… Often a poor attitude is associated with poor conformation… An athlete with a great mind is a wonderful combination…