| Conformation--the way a horse is put | | | | Withers |
| together--will determine not only how sound a | | | | Since withers are what keeps a well in place, any |
| horse remains throughout his life, but will also | | | | ridden horse needs to have appropriate withers. |
| determine to what extent he will excel at his | | | | Horses with flat withers, often called mutton |
| particular discipline. While some points of | | | | withers, often have difficulty being ridden up and |
| conformation vary with the type of horse and | | | | down hills, but can sometimes fare well on the |
| what job he is doing, there are some general | | | | flat. Poorly conformed withers can cause pain in |
| rules of conformation that most horsemen agree | | | | the ridden horse and can lead to unsoundness. |
| on. | | | | Hip |
| Feet | | | | The angle and length of the hip should match the |
| Feet should be large enough to support the horse | | | | angle and hip of the shoulder. While short hip |
| and his weight, and the hoof wall should be hard | | | | lengths rarely cause unsoundness they can |
| but not brittle. The front feet and the back feet | | | | negatively impact speed and power. |
| should appear to be symmetrical from all angles. | | | | Back and Neck |
| The sole should be slightly concave, and heels | | | | The long back versus short back debate |
| should be even where they join the sole. | | | | continues depending upon the use of the horse. |
| Legs | | | | While long-backed horses do tire more easily, they |
| Legs should be straight. Legs that are out of | | | | can be more comfortable to ride. Long-backed |
| alignment can result in soundness problems, as the | | | | horses can also excel at jumping because of the |
| forces that travel up the leg of the horse as he | | | | scope the long back allows them. Long backs also |
| moves will affect other parts of the body, | | | | allow more movement in the horse's legs, which is |
| depending upon where legs deviate. Legs should | | | | why many long-backed horses excel at driving. |
| also be symmetrical, with no bumps or bulges. | | | | The length, shape, and way a horse's neck |
| Each pair of legs should also match each other. | | | | connects to the chest and the back will vary |
| Joints | | | | depending upon the breed and use of the horse. |
| Good joints are imperative to any horse who | | | | Horses who run need longer necks, while horses |
| performs. Joints should have the correct axis, and | | | | who show in park or pleasure classes often |
| they should be symmetrical, free of lumps, cool | | | | benefit from aesthetically pleasing upright necks. |
| to the touch, and should be in proportion to the | | | | Eyes |
| size of the horse. If one joint seems too large it | | | | Horses need big, well-placed eyes. Horses with |
| should be examined for injury. If all joints seem | | | | small eyes may suffer from impaired vision or |
| too large the horse should be examined by a | | | | have a medical problem. Eyes should not be set |
| veterinarian for nutritional or metabolic problems. | | | | too far toward the sides of the head, otherwise |
| From the front view, a line dropped from the | | | | peculiar fields of vision are sure to be an issue. |
| point of the shoulder to the ground should bisect | | | | Nostrils |
| the knee, fetlock, and hoof. From the side view, | | | | The nostrils should be open and symmetrical, to |
| the line from the front of the fetlock, along the | | | | allow for maximum air intake. Horses with |
| top of the pastern, and continuing along the front | | | | extremely dished heads or thick necks |
| of the foot to the ground should be straight. | | | | sometimes have difficulty taking in the right |
| Shoulder | | | | amount of air despite nostril size, so make sure |
| Good shoulder conformation will depend upon | | | | you take these things into consideration. |
| what the horse is being used for, as shoulder | | | | If you are like the rest of us at we love to learn |
| slope and how long the shoulder is varies with | | | | about horses. Stop on by and say hello, we would |
| breed type and use. As a general rule of thumb, | | | | love to hear from you. Just click on one of the |
| horses used for speed should have a long, sloping | | | | links in our resource box below. Oh come on, you |
| shoulder, while those used for power have more | | | | are only one click away from making some new |
| upright shoulders. | | | | friends. |