CONFORMATION
When looking at a horse, the basic conformation will give you a good idea if the horse is suitable for the work needed. It may also give you a good idea if it will be prone to certain problems in its riding career.
It is important that you realize a fat horse can appear to have less issues, so it is essential you look at the structure below the fat. Equally, a skinny horse may have excellent basic conformation but appear very poor to start with.
THE HEAD
The head should appear to fit the horse and be well set on the neck. A large head may make him more on the forehand (appear to be riding downhill and have difficulty engaging his hind quarters). There should be at least a 2 finger gap between the top of the jaw bone and the wings of the atlas bone (the bone just behind the ears) indicated by the cross on Jeff’s head.
THE EYES
Both eyes should be clear with no unusual marks.
They should be well set apart to allow for good all round vision.
Small “piggy” eyes can indicate a “piggy” nature (cheeky and headstrong) but this has not been my experience.
Excessive white around the iris can indicate a scared or aggressive nature.
Blue or red eyes are more sensitive in the sunlight and can be more prone to infections.
THE FACE
A rounded nose indicates heavy breeding and this could mean a kind, gentle, slower nature.
A dished face indicates arab or welsh (if in a pony) breeding which could mean good stamina, but a speedier sharper nature.
OTHER FACIAL PARTS
The Nostrils
A rounded nose indicates heavy breeding and this could mean a kind, gentle, slower nature.
The Mouth
A small mouth can be difficult to bit and a long mouth can cause a horse to pull, as the bit sits too far back. Jeff has a fairly small mouth.
The Lips
Thick lips can indicate insensitivity to the bit action.
The Tongue
The tongue should be a good size for the mouth and not be squishing out of the gaps in the teeth. It should not be excessively fat, which causes biting issues, or too small, which causes the tongue to easily go over the bit.
The Jaw
There should be at least a fist’s width between the jaw bones to allow a good amount of room for his breathing and flexion.
the teeth
When observing the teeth they should line up together.
If the upper jaw extends over the lower this is an overshot jaw or parrot mouth.
If the lower jaw extends past the upper, this is an undershot jaw. Both these conditions will cause issues when eating and form sharp edges in the mouth where the jaw moves unnaturally. These defects can then cause weight loss or resistance in the rein.
The teeth should be straight and no sign of unusual wear, chips, missing teeth or any abnormalities.
the neck
The neck balances the horse. It should seem to rise up and out of the wither with a gradual curve.
A short thick neck is called a bull neck. This can indicate that the horse is strong and will find it difficult to work in an outline.
A neck that curves downwards is called a ewe neck, this can go with an overdeveloped muscle that runs up on the underside of the neck. This conformation will make it difficult for the horse to work well on the bit and flex over his back and engage his hind quarters. This is often seen with strong horses where they have learnt to set their neck against their rider.
A low set neck could cause a horse to work on his forehand.
the withers
The withers should be well defined and slope gently away to the shoulders.
High withers can be difficult to fit a saddle to, as well as flat withers, where the saddle will be inclined to slip down the horse’s neck. A crupper to hold the saddle back will be needed.
If the wither dips down to the shoulder, this shows the horse lacks muscle and work to improve his top line (line of muscle along the horse’s back that support the rider and allow correct movement from hindquarters to lighten the front end) should improve this.
the shoulders
The shoulder blade should slope at a 45 degree angle.
An upright shoulder can lead to a short choppy action that may cause concussion on the joints.
A sloping shoulder will make for a long lopey action.
Thick set shoulders or loaded shoulders, where they are very wide, can indicate the horse will be heavy in front and find it difficult to engage his hind quarters.
the CHEST
The horse should have a deep broad chest that allows plenty of room for the heart and lungs.
When viewed from the front there should be a large gap between the front legs, this will indicate less issues with front leg action.
If the legs are close together this could indicate faulty action like brushing, plaiting, or dishing (covered in the movement section).
THE FRONT LEGS
The front legs should run down straight from the shoulders and be equal on both sides.
Elbows that seem to be tucked in can cause the horse to have restricted movement of his shoulders.
A capped elbow is where the bursae around the joint has swollen as a result of trauma or not enough bedding.
It is desirable to have a long forearm that runs straight down with no lumps or bumps and well defined muscles and tendons.
The knee should be large, to allow more spread of concussion, and flat. They should be free from any swelling or blemishes. Excessive fluid is an indication of strain on the joint.
Calf knees, where the knees bow in towards each other (pictured in red), back at the knee, where the leg seems to bow backwards (drawn in yellow) and over at the knee, where the leg bows forward (drawn in blue), are all undesirable as they will cause unnecessary stain and sprain on the tendons and ligaments.
Tied in below the knee is where it seems excessively narrow just below the knee. This does not allow room for the tendons and ligaments. This is a weakness that should be avoided.
The cannon bones should be short and thick. Long thin cannon bones like Jeff’s are likely to be weak, as they provide a large area for kicks and sprains to occur in a poorly protected area.
A horse is said to have good bone if the cannon bone has a large circumference. This is measured just below the knee. As a simple (and may be flawed) rule 20 cm of bone will carry up to 13 stone, 23 cm 15 stone. As a general rule a 16h warmblood should have a minimum of 22 cm, a tb a little less, a hunter more.
The cannon bone and the tendons and ligaments behind, should run smoothly down with no lumps or bumps like splints. Splints (pictured on the black leg) are boney lumps caused by bruising or tiny cracks to the bone or its sheath, which has mended. This usually only causes cosmetic problems once formed. Swellings on any tendons or ligaments are a big red flag.
The fetlock should be large, round and clean with no lumps, bony or fluid, for example windgalls (fluid lumps that form at the back and top of the fetlock that indicate the joint has been under strain) indicated by the arrow.
The pastern should be short and slope at about 45%, as with the picture with the red line. An upright pastern, pictured in blue, will not absorb concussion well. A long sloping pastern will cause undue strain on the tendons and ligaments, as pictured with grass. Any bony lumps for example, ring bone (coloured in blue) and sidebone (coloured in purple) are all signs of trauma should be viewed with suspicion and avoided if possible.
The hoof should be at an angle of 45% to the ground on the front hoof and about 50% on the hind. Any difference to this will cause issues with all structures within the hoof and up the leg.
The hooves should be equal and the correct size for the horse, small hooves do not have room to absorb concussion, and large hooves can cause heavy footedness and make the horse more prone to tripping and banging the opposite leg.
Flat feet are prone to bruising as are low or collapsed heels causing weakness up the leg.
Toes pointing in-pigeon toed – will probably cause the horse to dish. Toes pointing out may cause the horse to plait.
Rings formed on the hoof wall could indicate a change of food, if on all 4 hooves and not too pronounced. It could signal a bout of laminitis if deep and on the front. Rings, grooves and cracks should always be investigated.
Any abnormality on the hoof should be a concern as they hold the horses weight and so many things can go wrong within them. NO FOOT NO HORSE.
THE BACK AND TRUNK
It is desirable to have a deep girth to allow room for the lungs and heart. (At last Jeff has a good conformation point!)
If viewed from the front the ribs should form a nice round shape. If narrow it can cause the rider to feel unbalanced and if too wide, it may cause issues for some riders, especially those with tight hips.
The under line of the horse running from the girth to the stifle should slope up gently, a fat horse may droop downwards. If it slopes sharply upwards, shown with the red line, even after rest, this is called herring gutted. Some horses appear this way after work but will return to normal after
feed and a rest.
When you stand to the side of a resting horse you should be able to draw a line from the wither down the girth. This line should be the same distance from a line drawn down from the horse’s nose and the point of the buttock.
A short back is desirable as it signifies strength and will make it easier for the horse to engage his hindquarters. If too short it may make saddle fitting difficult and, for mares, it is undesirable if breeding, as it does not allow much room for the foal.
A long back is considered a weakness as it is a big area to support and will make engaging difficult .
If the back dips this is called a sway back, shown by the arrow, and can be a sign of age.
A curve upward over the loins is a roach back. Both are undesirable as they can cause issues for the horse carrying the rider.
THE HINDQUARTERS AND LEG
The hind quarters should be well muscled and, when standing behind the horse, they should be rounded and the hips level.
When looking from the side, it is often called a jumpers bump when the croup appears high. when put with a goose rump (a steep slope from the croup to the tail), it is considered to be an advantage for jumping.
The tail should be well set on and hang straight, if it is too low it is considered a weakness and, if held tightly or hanging to the side, it could indicate a back issue.
The thigh should be long and well muscled. When viewed from behind there should not be a big gap between the thighs where the arrow is, as this could indicate a lack of muscle.
From the side you should be able to run a straight line from the point of the buttock to the hocks then straight down to the fetlock. If the lower legs appear to be in front of the line this is called sickle hocks which is a weakness. It is also a weakness if the legs appear to be behind the line, in which case engagement will be difficult.
It is also a weakness if the leg appears to be very straight, as engagement and tracking up will be difficult and problems associated with concussion may follow.
The hocks should be large and clearly defined with no fluid. Capped hocks (fluid around the point of hock often caused by lack of bedding, shown in red) thoroughpin (fluid just above and at the back of the hock, shown in blue, indicating strain), bog spavin (swelling at the front and middle of the hock, shown in purple, again indicating strain) or bone spavin (a bony lump around the joint, shown in orange, indicating arthritis of some sort) are all to be avoided.
Hocks pointing inwards are called cow hocks, shown in red, and outwards, shown in blue, are called wide behind, both are undesirable as they can cause faulty action and result in strain.
The cannon bones, fetlocks, pastern and hooves are the same as the front legs, apart from the fact that the angle of the pastern and hooves should ideally be 50 degrees.
Final Thoughts
Looking for correct conformation and any lumps and bumps when you are choosing a new horse, is very important as it can indicate any issues they may have, or will have in the future.
If you already have a horse I’m sure you love them whatever their shape, as they do you. I have been horrified whilst doing this section as Jeff has been the example for most undesirable characteristics, but I fell in love as soon as I saw him and would not have missed him.
Heart definitely ruled my head, thank goodness.