Category Archives: Conformation Analysis

From KY to OK, TX and FL

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My time in Kentucky ended after taking conformation photos of Triple Crown winner, Justify.

Now in Oklahoma, where I will do some private work, before meeting up with two-time World Champion, Lynn McKenzie, at the Barrel Horse Futurities in Oklahoma City on December 4th. If you are a barrel racer and want to meet me there, just let me know, as I can either meet you on the 4th or return another day.

Following Oklahoma, I will be doing some work for barrel racers, eventers and breeders in the Tyler and Dallas/Fort Worth areas of Texas for a week or so, starting December 10th.

And then, if you will be in the Ocala, Florida area, I will be doing a Sporthorse Clinic at Canterbury Showplace on December 29 & 30.

http://www.warmbloodstoday.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WarmbloodsToday

Register early! (If sufficient registrations are not received by December 14th, I will not be going to Florida.)

 

It is nice to be appreciated.

2 Replies

Today I received two compliments – one via email and one as a comment on this site and both were unsolicited. I was also informed that another individual recommended one of my books to a noted trainer.

1 – I have learned a great deal from you and your books, and I am no longer navigating the stormy waters of horse purchasing without an excellent compass! Thank you so much for your practical physics and math based approach to functional conformation. Knowledge is power!

2 – I learned from the clinic I took with you that like all living things we are all built with certain strengths and weaknesses. All one has to do is look at the worlds better long distance runners. They are lean and have very long legs, (thighs). It is not usual to see the short dumpy people in these events. Nor is it usual to see those in the racing world doing well in weight lifting. I look forward to taking another clinic with you.

Thank you very much for taking the time to write to me regarding your views. And thank you for recommending my work to others.


					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				Breeding Season Evaluations and Recommendations
			

										

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It starts to get busy in January and February when plans for breeding edge into our thoughts. And when breeding season is actually upon us, it gets even busier…at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere.


If you know you are going to breed your mare next year, or if you want to know what type of mares would best suit your stallion, why wait until the busy season to request evaluations and/or recommendations?


The same applies to figuring out what direction to send a youngster (discipline or keep/sell). Why wait?


In truth, if you order an evaluation and/or recommendation early, you will likely receive the report quicker than you would if you wait until everyone else places their orders.


Here are some of the online services I offer:


Breeding recommendations for a mare based on conformation

– You provide photos of the mare (and video, if available) and up to 3 stallion choices.

– You share your goals for the resulting foal.

– You get an evaluation of the mare and an explanation of the pluses and minuses of each stallion as they relate to your mare.

– You may also get a recommendation for a different stallion, where appropriate.

– You will be invoiced through PayPal ($300) and will usually receive the report within a week of payment.


Breeding recommendations for a stallion based on conformation

– You provide photos of the stallion (and video, if available).

– You share your goals for his breeding career or your breeding program.

– You get an evaluation of the stallion and recommendations regarding qualities to look for in mares for him.

– You may also get examples of suitable mares, where appropriate.

– You will be invoiced through PayPal ($300) and will usually receive the report within a week of payment.


Evaluation of a horse (mare, gelding, stallion) based on conformation

– You provide photos of the horse (and video, if available).

– You share your goals for the horse regarding performance.

– You get an evaluation of the horse and recommendations regarding discipline or distance and level of competition.

– You may also get helpful exercises or areas to guard, where appropriate.

– You will be invoiced through PayPal ($150) and will usually receive the report within a week of payment.


Evaluation of a young horse (filly or colt) based on conformation

– You provide photos (and video, if available) of the youngster (3 months and up).

– You share your goals for the youngster.

– You get an evaluation of the youngster and recommendations regarding discipline or distance and level of competition.

– You may also get helpful exercises or areas to guard, where appropriate.

– You will be invoiced through PayPal ($150) and will usually receive the report within a week of payment.


* Note: Turnaround times quoted above are for off-season work.


For tips on taking photos for analysis, see https://www.jwequine.com/assessment_photos/


Sample Report: Well To Do

					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				Conformation of Young Horses
			

										

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I am frequently asked if the same principles for evaluating conformation apply to young horses. Yes, they do, but with a caveat: one has to already be good at analyzing adult horses plus understand how youngsters grow.


My advice is to make sure you become proficient at analyzing adult horses before relying on your accuracy with weanlings or yearlings. What if the youngster is butt high? Do you know what is causing him/her to be butt high? Do you know for sure that all the bones in his hindquarters are growing at the same rate? If the youngster is higher behind, you already accept that all the bones don’t grow at the same rate, right? Otherwise they wouldn’t go through the growth phases of butt high, level, butt high, level, etc.


So, expanding on that, what if the youngster is higher in the hindquarters because he/she is growing femur length? Appearances may lead you to believe that Junior has the same length to the femur side and ilium side now, but when the other bones lengthen, Junior will likely be shorter on the femur side than the ilium side. Not a good thing.


This previously-published article (conform[2]) , although about yearling Thoroughbreds, is intended to show you how some aspects of functional conformation can be determined and how those relate to the athleticism and longevity of the horse as an adult.


 

					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				And the Winner is…
			

										

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Congratulations to Angie D. from Louisiana! You won the half-price online conformation analysis.


And, the other winners – at least that is my hope – are the people who purchase my e-books, including the newly published Learning by Example for the Western Disciplines.


“This is such an exceptional book that I cannot begin to explain the excitement I feel towards this concept of conformation that Judy Wardrope presents. At this moment this concept might be above the way you have been taught to think. However, if you will persevere in this thought and truly make this a life time study, you will make great strides in training and riding horses that are built to do their job,” said Lynn McKenzie, two-time World Champion barrel racer, two-time NFR winner and a respected clinician.


“Although my personal interest is in dressage, I was utterly captivated by this book from the moment I first opened the cover,” said Ceci Flanagan-Snow, a published equine photographer and writer. “It is well written and illustrated with hundreds of relevant photographs making the concepts easy to understand and remember. I hope that this book, and its siblings, accomplishes Wardrope’s goals of improving the wellbeing and longevity of competition horses through helping horse people to understand and implement the principles of functional conformation in their breeding, purchasing, training and exhibiting programs.”


Analyzing Functional Conformation for the Western Disciplines

					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				How to take photos for a Conformation Analysis
			

										

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It’s that time of year again… when my brain tries to hibernate. Not really, but I am kicking myself for not writing this particular post earlier.


Breeding season and the approach of the outdoor riding season correlate with an increase in requests for functional conformation analyses, and, in the online versions, the client provides the photos (sometimes supplemented with video).


What is needed to assure the most accurate assessment possible? Here’s a bit of a guide.


Photos


– One photo of each side taken with the lens aimed at the middle of the underline of the torso and the horse’s legs closest to camera furthest apart. The horse should be standing on a level surface.


– One rear view and one front view – both with the horse standing square.


– Sufficient light so that muscle development and skeletal points are clearly visible. There should not be a light source behind the horse. This is particularly important on dark-coated horses.


An example of a suitable photo to submit for an online conformation analysis.
An example of a suitable photo to submit for an online conformation analysis.


An example of an unsuitable photo for conformation analysis.
An example of an unsuitable photo for conformation analysis.


Here are a few examples that can be downloaded and printed for reference:


Photos suitable for Conformation Analysis – suitable.pdf

Photos unsuitable for Conformation Analysis – unsuitable.pdf


Videos


– Short clips of upward and downward transitions plus over fences, if that is part of the expected use.


– Free movement (flat and/or jumping) is often more informative than under saddle work.


Tips


Ceci (www.imagesbyceci.com), a photographer friend, had a few useful suggestions to share.


– Allow enough time so that you can be patient, and be prepared. Be ready to shoot (zoom set, etc.) if horse happens into the right stance.


– Turn off the camera’s flash for two reasons: risk of scaring the horse and flatness to the photo.


– The best times of day to shoot are early morning or late afternoon – not high noon.


– Kneel or crouch if need be and hold the camera steady by keeping your elbows to your side and one hand under the camera. No holding the camera at arm’s length.


I hope this helps you.


P.S. Sometimes I have to settle for less than ideal stances when taking photos of top competition horses rather than annoy the people who have been kind enough to let me take photos.