[Acme Acres]

Conformation most certainly does make a horse good. It's the absolute foundation from which to build on.

[DancerLover08]

Originally Posted by firegurl979

yes. but conformation doesn't make a good horse. It also depends on the horse itself and how they overcome conformation faults.

Yes, but the fewer faults to overcome the better the horse.

[firegurl979]

true. its the ideal. But theres no such thing as absolute perfection in conformation. and that doesnt measure the heart or courage in any way. Some of the best performers have really bad physical faults.

[Acme Acres]

BUT that doesn't give them the license to breed or mean they should be bred. ANY breeding animal should be held to the highest standard possible. With out that, you end up with Joe Schmoe breeding this and that because it's a sweet horse or because he's a good (fill in this part). It takes the whole pie to equal a breeding quality animal in my book.

[firegurl979]

Of coures. Thats how you get the problems we have in America today with overbreeding and not for the right qualities. -.- For example the quarter horse registry has no standards as to what can be bred and to what.

[LifeIsGrand]

I agree with what everyone has said about his conformation...

IMO, to carry on the subject... in order for a horse to be breedable material, good comformation is a MUST along with disposition. That is what makes the breed. You can't have one without the other. In order to be breedable material, the disposition and comformation MUST be near perfection to represent the breed-otherwise, IMO, they should not be bred.

[PinkHorse]

Originally Posted by firegurl979

true. its the ideal. But theres no such thing as absolute perfection in conformation. and that doesnt measure the heart or courage in any way. Some of the best performers have really bad physical faults.

True. We used to have one those "franken-horses" who could somehow pull it all together into spectacular movement. That's great for the show pen but there is no way that a horse like that should EVER be used for breeding. For every conformational nightmare that can move, there are hundreds or thousands that can't.

The OPs pics show a long-backed, straight-shouldered, weak-quartered, dime-a-dozen horse. He'd make a cute gelding but he's a not a nice stallion.

[taliacristianna]

I think most of you would b@rf all over your computers if you saw what was winning in some of the top dressage and jumper rings. Ever wonder why those warmblood ads are usually chocked full of action shots and seriously lacking in confo shots?

As for those that DO have confo shots... Pay special attention as to whether or not they are standing on level ground and if the back end is slightly angled toward or away from the camera. These tricks can camouflage a number of conformation faults. Professional horse photographers are well-trained in this art.

I have a vet friend who works exclusively with the big name hunter-jumper barns around here. He says being around "the winners" has made him seriously reconsider what he always thought constituted a good conformation.

I'm not arguing for or against this horse as a stallion but I sure wonder why it's only stallion confo critiques that tend to foray into the "to breed or not to breed" debate? (Especially considering the fact that I specifically asked that it not go there.)

Also considering the fact that mares can put 15-20 foals onto the ground in their lifetime, why don't their confo threads get the same treatment? Not trying to start a fight, just something to think about.

[PinkHorse]

Originally Posted by taliacristianna

Also considering the fact that mares can put 15-20 foals onto the ground in their lifetime, why don't their confo threads get the same treatment? Not trying to start a fight, just something to think about.

I agree. Mares selected for breeding should be held to the same high standards as we would like stallions to be held. However, when somebody asks for a confo critique of a stud, breeding potential is always part of the equation because there aren't that many other, legitimate reasons to leave a stallion uncut.

Mares are left intact mainly because spaying is major surgery. Confo questions directed towards a broodmare do get similar treatment but talking about a mare outside of breeding is much like talking about a gelding. Outside of embryo transfer, most mares don't put that many foals on the ground. While the potential may be there for 10+ foals from a mare, a stallion can sire many hundreds (or more) of foals during his lifetime.

If Impressive had been a mare, would HYPP be the problem it is today? Would we be worried about HERDA if Poco Bueno had been a mare?

[firegurl979]

Mares do have quite an influence though... since 66% of the genes come from them. So a mare should be bred to a stallion at least as good as she is.