Any horse conformation experts out there?

[showmanshiptop]

Looking at her as a halter house, which I've learned to judge, she looks good. Unfortunately she toes out a bit in the back. However for that price she is probably worth it. Look to see how she travels too.

 

[Bunnylady]

Looking at the updated pics:

Still seeing toes out in back, toes out in front, long pasterns, club foot on right rear. Upright shoulder, long, ewe neck, and a very large head. Head now appears to also have a roman nose.

 

[beetandsteet]

Looking at the updated pics:

Still seeing toes out in back, toes out in front, long pasterns, club foot on right rear. Upright shoulder, long, ewe neck, and a very large head. Head now appears to also have a roman nose.

She does have some weird characteristics, they don't throw horses around between auctions for nothing

 

[donrae]

What would your goal be for this "project"?

I agree there's a reason she's been auctioned off multiple times. She's a conformation train wreck. She may be sweet and make a good pasture pet. She'd probably be fine for light riding as a trail/pleasure mount. But, in my opinion, she's just ugly. I wouldn't see the point in having an animal I cringe to look at every day. And my eye keeps going back to that shoulder angle, it's so vertical. I don't think any rider in the world would be able to coax a trot from her that wouldn't jar your guts out. Even a canter will probably be quite an effort to sit. So, she's not going to be a great ride, even if she's physically sound enough to do the work. I'm just not seeing the point, sorry.

Rescues are overflowing with animals who have more potential than this. I'd keep looking, were I you.

 

[Trish1974]

I'm feeling very sorry for this horse, because it sounds like she's had rotten luck so far, but I'm hard pressed to find many positive things about her conformation. Her starved condition makes her hard to look at - and it's hard to know just how much a lack of proper nutrition at such an important time of her life may have impacted her development. Yes, she has long pasterns, and in a couple of the pictures it looks like she may have a club foot on the off hind. In every picture, it looks like one or the other of her hind feet are pointing well off from forward, so she may be cow hocked. It looks like her front feet may toe out, too. She appears to have an unusually large head (particularly so for such a young animal). Skinny horses' heads often look large, but even allowing for that, she appears to have a big head. Her neck looks very long, and it has an odd dip in the middle of it. Add that large head and long neck to the very steep, straight shoulder, and I'm seeing a horse that probably will always be heavy on the forehand, with a short, choppy stride that may not be very comfortable to ride. None of the things I have pointed out necessarily will make her unrideable, but she may not be very useful.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[showmanshiptop]

My thoughts exactly!

Mine too!!!

 

[DutchBunny03]

She is pretty cow-hocked, but there are many cow-hocked horses that turn out just fine. For $350, i'd say go ahead, but your area may be different. In my area, horses are REALLY expensive. With the right training and and conditioning, you could make up for a few of the conformation flaws.She is a very beautiful horse, despite conformation issues, and could make an okay riding horse.

 

[donrae]

Are the sellers sure she's not pregnant? That belly has to come from somewhere, and since she's in a rescue I'm hoping she's not carrying a huge load of worms.......

 

[beetandsteet]

I went out and looked at her this afternoon. She lives with several other horses, including the most gargantuan senior Percheron I have ever seen. The lady who owns her rescues horses from auctions. I felt very comfortable that I would not be cheated on.
She is much smaller in real life than in the pictures, definitely under 2. She is still a tad underweight, belly not at all as bad as the pictures showed. She is very sweet and gentle, a little nervous but so innocent. It would be hard not to love her. Her coat is also perfectly fine. Her head is not as disproportionate as the pictures show.
However she has horrific cow and sickle hocks, and her pasterns are very low. Toes turn out in the back mostly. Also, she had had a huge abscess in the front knee, it had drained mostly, but knee is still puffy. It is not painful to her. She actually appears to be gaited when the lady longed her. She is a tad stunted for sure, I wouldn't ride her for at least 2 more years.
To sum it up--sweet, gentle filly, but I already have a "pasture ornament" mare who is a drain (bless her heart) and this little one has a lot of potential problems that I cannot afford to deal with. Had to turn her down. Thanks to everyone who took their time to help me out

 

[Peaches Lee]

Aww, this poor little mare! I say take a chance on her! Will she be a Grand Prix dressage horse? No, but, golly, she may be one heck of a little trail mount. She actually reminds me of one of my best horses I've ever owned.

He was a plain little bay Thoroughbred gelding with nothing going for him! He was underweight, had osselets, was sickly and to top it all off extremely neurotic. I couldn't believe my parents paid money for him! But he turned out to be such a favorite of mine, and was doing so well (he was schooling about 2nd/3rd level dressage) people were offering to buy him because he had blossomed under my consistent and trusting care!

I learned a lot from that experience, that I just shouldn't sneer at a horse and dismiss it because it isn't beautiful or perfect. For me, having horses is all about that partnership, the ability to face anything together from a little stream on the trail to performing your first test at a show. You just never know where you'll find your next partner.

Good luck to you and that little mare.