Conformation
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Transcript of Conformation
Conformation
Anastasia Kellogg
Head
• Facial characteristics and desirable head profile varies from breed to breed
Head
• A concave profile is called a dished face (i.e Arabian)
Head
• A convex profile is called a roman nose, and is faulted in most, but not all, breeds
Head
• Generally, a straight profile, (or sometimes a dished face) is preferred
Head
• Larger nostrils provide for intake of air at speed
Head
• An overbite is called a parrot mouth (lower jaw short)
Head
• An undershot jaw may be called a bulldog bite or monkey mouth (lower jaw long)
Head
• The pronounced bulging forehead of the Arabian is called the jibbah
Head
• Eyes should be bright, widely spaced, and prominent, but not bulging (bovine eyes)
Head
• Eyes that are too small are called pig eyes
Head
• The Exmoor pony is noted for “toad eyes,” and the Appaloosa is noted for a visible white sclera
Head
• Paints, Pintos, and some other breeds sometimes have blue eyes, called glass eyes, while most horses have brown
Head
• The ears should be slender and alert
• Ears that are too long are called mule ears
Head
• The Arabian is noted for ears that meet, or appear to meet, at a point in the center
Neck
• The length of the neck is said to have an affect on the horses stride– The shoulder actually has
more influence on stride length
• The throatlatch should be clean and trim, and the neck long and slightly arched (degree varies by breed)
Neck
• A neck is considered too long when it exceeds the length of the body
• The ideal neck is one third the length of the entire horse
Neck
• A ewe neck is one concave from withers to poll, and interferes with flexibility
Neck
• A fallen crest occurs when fat deposits in the crest of the neck become so excessive as to fall to one side or the other; most common in ponies, draft breeds, and Morgans, especially stallions
Neck
• A bull neck is short and thick, with a short upper curve
Neck
• A knife neck is extremely thin, with poor muscle development on the top and bottom
Forehand
• The shoulder should slope at a 45 degree angle from the withers to the point of the shoulder; a straight shoulder shortens the stride, causing a trappy, pounding gait
• The foreleg is attached to the body by the shoulder muscles, and there is no skeletal attachment
Forehand
• 60-65 percent of the weight is carried on the forelegs
• The forearm should be twice as long as the cannon bone, and its length influences the length of the stride
• The knee should be flat, wide, and clean
Forehand
• Tendons should be well defined, and should not be “tied in” behind the knee, as this indicates weakness
• Sprung forward at the knees is said to be buck kneed, or over at the knees
Forehand
• Sprung back at the knees is said to be calf kneed
• Calf knees are a serious fault and predisposes a horse to lameness
• Buck knees are a minor fault, and some racehorse trainers prefer a horse to stand slightly forward in the knees
Forehand
• A horse having medial deviation at the knees is commonly called knock kneed
Forehand
• In a bow legged horse, the knees are too far apart, or laterally deviated
• Bench knees are knees in which the cannon bone is off center, and they predispose the horse to medial splints
• The pastern should slope at a 45 degree angle to the ground
Forehand
• Short upright pasterns cause a rough gait and can lead to osselets, navicular disease, and other problems
• Excessively small feet predispose to navicular disease
• Large, flat feet predispose to sole bruises, corns and other foot problems
Forehand
• Toeing out is standing splay footed, and causes dishing, or winging in
• Toeing in is standing pigeon toed, and causes paddling, or winging out
Top Line
• The withers should be prominent; thick, meaty withers are called mutton withers
• Horses are measured at the withers
• The body should be deep, short, and have well sprung ribs
• Depth through the heartgirth provides room for the heart and lungs
Top Line
• The back should be short and strong
• Lordosis, or sway back, is a weakness causing extreme concavity in the back, and is sometimes associated with age, especially in broodmares
Top Line
• A convex bend in the back is called a roach back, and causes short stride and interferes with flexibility
• A long back can predispose a horse to spinal injury, and interferes with athletic ability
Top Line
• The loin, or coupling, is the connection between the back and the hindquarters (space from last rib to hip) and should be short
• A horse weak in the coupling will also be shallow in the flanks, and is called wasp wasted, herring gutted, or hound gutted
Top Line
• The croup should be level or slightly rounded, depending on the breed
• The tail setting also varies with breed, with a higher tail preferred in the Saddlebred, Arabian, and Morgan
• Too much slope in the croup is termed a goose rump
Top Line
• A smooth top line figures heavily in the judge’s first impression during a conformation class
Underline
• The underline should be smooth
• A horse that is tucked up below the flanks is said to be wasp wasted, herring gutted, or hound gutted, and usually is also weak in the coupling
Hind Legs
• The hock and stifle are dependent joints
• The hock is the hardest working joint in the body
• Impulsion comes from the hind end
• Hocks with excessive bend are called sickle hocks
Hind Legs
• Sickle hocks predispose to curb, or injury to the plantar ligament
• Hocks which point towards one another are called cow hocks
• A horse which is too straight in the hock is said to be post legged
Additional External Anatomy
• Chestnuts are natural horny growths on the the insides of the legs
• Chestnuts are found above the knees and below the hocks
• The shape of the chestnut may be used in identification
• The ergot is a chestnut like growth on the back of the fetlock joint
Additional External Anatomy
• The top of the head is called the poll, and is formed by the summit of the occipital crest (top of the skull)
• The six joints of the foreleg are the shoulder, elbow, knee, fetlock, pastern, and coffin joint
Additional External Anatomy
• The seven joints of the hind leg are the sacro-iliac, hip, stifle, hock, fetlock, pastern, and coffin
• Conformation faults named after mammals include: bulldog bite, monkey mouth, pig eyes, mule ears, ewe neck, mutton withers, calf knees, buck knees, hound gut, and cow hocks
Additional External Anatomy
• Conformation faults named after birds include: goose rumped, parrot mouthed, pigeon toed