 |
Toed-in, but sound |
 |
Over at the knee, but sound |
Introduction
Writing about conformation as it applies to function is a very difficult thing because each part of a horse is not only linked to other parts, one part can affect the function of others. It is also a visual subject, which is why there are so many photos in this book. And on top of that, in the written form, things tend to be adopted as absolutes, but there are few absolutes when it comes to the conformation of a performance horse.
Good conformation means different things to different people, but to me it means structurally suitable for the job – built to function.
Function is not something that is all that foreign to us. We apply our knowledge of it without thinking in all sorts of ways. For instance, we understand the principles of a teeter-totter. Add or subtract a little weight from one end or the other and it affects the balance. Move the fulcrum, or balance point, even slightly, and once again you have affected the balance. You can affect the balance of a teeter-totter in 3 basic ways - adding weight, subtracting weight or changing the balance point – but you can also do these things in a variety of combinations. The possibilities are nearly endless.
The various effects are determined by the degrees of change. Add a lot of weight to one end of the teeter-totter and the result is dramatic compared to the effect of adding just a little weight.
You can also make changes and have the same balance. You can add weight to both ends or you could change the weight at one end then move the fulcrum and still maintain balance.
If you find yourself on an unbalanced teeter-totter, you can automatically compensate in order to correct the balance without even thinking. That is not something you were born knowing; it is something you learned, but now, it’s second nature.
We look at monster trucks and know that we wouldn’t want to drive one for several hours on a winding highway. We look at a sports car and know that it should be a joy to drive on that same road. We can also tell which one is functionally constructed for speed. Again, that’s acquired knowledge.
We spot a horse and say, he’ll be a good jumper, hunter, reiner, dressage mount, racehorse, or whatever, but we may not have acquired the knowledge to be accurate in our predictions. We don’t always pay close attention to how horses are functionally constructed and how they actually function.
Most horse people can judge straight legs and prominent withers, but from there it starts to fall apart. They usually look at muscling instead of the bone structure. You can change a horse’s muscling through training, but you can never change his skeleton.
Once you find a horse with suitable structure for your purpose, then you can assist by developing the muscles. A horse with the wrong structure for a job may improve slightly with muscling, but he will never reach anywhere near the top of that sport, while horses with the right structure can do that job fairly well even with limited training.
A slight difference in the length of a bone or a degree or two of difference in an angle can evoke dramatic changes in a horse’s ability. For example, imagine how much heavier on the forehand a horse can become if nothing else changes except the point of shoulder is a mere finger width lower. For example, the horses in these photos differ greatly in how heavy they are on the forehand.
Developing your eye for the functional aspects of conformation – what lets a horse jump well, what helps hold collection, what makes him efficient - is something we can all do and something we can apply to our breeding choices, our selection of prospects and our training methods.
I believe that if you can identify the skeletal features that make a horse suited or not suited to a particular job, you have a valuable tool at your disposal…and our horses will be happier doing what comes easily.
My hope is to start you on the road to improving your eye by dispelling some of the conformation myths.
Photos and site content Judy Wardrope ©2007. May not be copied or distributed without express permission.
Site design Christina Weese www.christinaweese.net - Web hosting by Gaitpost Magazine