Good thread on Dressage Conformation

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/horse-forums/need-advice-in-dressage-255633.html#post3604438


* * * * My post w/ links I want to save * * * *
ANY horse can perform basic dressage movements, but to excell competitively, it really takes a horse with a conformation suited to the sport... here is some more info that may be helpfull;

http://www.tvda.org/conformation.htm
Here is a good diagram of desirable conformation for a dressage horse. As you can see, this is quite different then a stock-type horse....

An except from this site: http://www.eques.com.au/dressage/jan...sage_horse.htm

Quote:
Most dressage movements are performed from the hind quarters, so it is very important that these are sound and powerful. Other important conformation points are slope of shoulder and pastern, and ‘uphill’ build, and a long slightly sloping croup. A horse possessing these conformation traits are likely to find it easier to perform high level dressage movements (with correct training), whilst maintaining soundness over the number of years it takes to achieve this.
Another good article: http://behindthebit.blogspot.com/200...formation.html

Quote:
A dressage horse needs to have a lot of forward reach from the shoulder -- out rather than up. A laid back shoulder provides the freedom to extend the forelegs. It is also desirable in dressage because it places the wither farther back, and thus puts the rider further back, over the horse's center of gravity. As with jumpers, dressage horses should have a long humerus. This increases the horse's ability to move the elbow away from the torso either toward the front or to the side, as in a half-pass. In a dressage horse, a long forearm will help to make the uphill build that is so critical to dressage. Extra length in the forearm and shorter cannon bones are advantageous for height and soundness.

Both the jumper and the dressage horse will need a high neck set. The dressage horse tends to havea shorter, more upright neck than the jumper -- the neck rises out of the withers at an angle that is close to 45 degrees. A long neck is not needed as a counterbalance (e.g., over the top of the fence), and it can actually make for a more difficult ride. While a longish neck is undeniably beautiful, it is not necessary, and horses can use a long neck to evade the aids.

The hindquarters are similar to the jumping horse overall. A critical feature for both dressage and jumping horses is to have the lumbosacral (LS) joint directly over the point of hip. This maximizes the power of the hind leg by making the most of the LS region's rotation. The LSJ is the only point of the vertebral column that allows significant amounts of flexion and extension. Dressage horses tend to have a longer femur (point of buttock to stifle) and shorter, more level ilium (point of hip to point of
buttocks) when compared to jumpers; their hip angles form a "7" where the downward stroke is the femur. They have a more open angle from ilium to femur, and while the stifle should be low, this is not as critical for the dressage horse. Dressage horses will tend to to have a straighter hock, as it will require less effort to close the joint angles and collect.
and 2 other good articles from the same site:
http://www.jwequine.com/pdf/conforma...1-dressage.pdf
http://www.jwequine.com/pdf/Conformation-Dressage.pdf

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