Judging Conformation in Horses 01

02 Outline 1. Balance 2. Quality 3. Muscling 4. Structure

03 Balance What is balance? Balance is defined as the blending of the horses body parts.

04 Balance What body part directly affects a horses balance? The Shoulder!

05 Balance Lines or circles drawn around the shoulder, barrel and hip should be similar in size and length.

06 Balance Lines drawn from the withers to the chest floor and from the chest floor to the ground should be similar in length.

07 Balance A line drawn from the middle of the back to the bottom of the barrel should nearly bisect the horse in half.

08 Balance A line drawn from the withers to the top of the hip should be nearly level.

09 Quality Quality is mainly evaluated in the horses head and neck areas and may also include the quality of the haircoat.

10 Quality The head should be wide between the eyes, short from eye to muzzle, and taper down to a refined muzzle. The ears should be short, and both the eyes and nostrils large.

11 Quality Attractive headPoor quality head

12 Quality The neck should be long and lean while attaching high out of the shoulder.

13 Quality Long, clean neckShort, thick neck

14 Anatomy The throatlatch should be clean and thin to allow for proper flexion and breathing of the horse. Thick throatlatch Clean throatlatch

15 Anatomy The wither should be sharp and prominent to help hold the saddle in place. Flat witherHigh, strong wither

16 Anatomy The back should be short and strong to withstand the weight of a saddle and the rider. Long, weak backShort, strong back

17 Anatomy The barrel or heart/girth of a horse should be deep. The flank region should be shallower than the heart and slightly higher, but should also have some depth. Shallow heartDeep heart

18 Anatomy The croup of a stock-type horse should be long and gently sloping downward towards the tailhead. Short, steep croup Long croup

19 Anatomy The hip should be long and powerful to give the horse drive and push when needed to perform with quick bursts of speed. Tip: a good hip should appear ‘square’. Short hipLong hip

20 Muscling Muscle is viewed from 4 main areas on the profile. 1.Forearm 2. Shoulder 3. Stifle 4. Gaskin

21 Muscling Here are examples of differences in muscling when viewed from the profile. HeavyAdequate Light

22 Structure The structure, or feet and legs of a horse is very important to its usefulness. A horse that has poor structure will not be able to withstand heavy use or riding. Hind legsFront legs Correct Structure

23 Structure Here are examples of incorrect structure. Toes InBowed Legs Toes Out

24 Structure More examples of incorrect structure. Calf Kneed Buck Kneed Calf Kneed and straight pasterns

25 Structure More examples of incorrect structure. Sickle Hocked Post Legged Club Footed

26 Structure Here are examples of common blemishes or unsoundnesses. Bucked Shin Quarter Crack