Conformation

Conformation is the term given to the overall appearance of a horse; the bone structure underneath. A show horse should have good conformation, so that they appear good in front of a judge. Here is the simple way to tell how your horse's conformation is:

1. The Head
The head should be small and compact. If you were to take the head, and place it inside the shoulder, would you have room to spare? If so, your horse has a good overall head.
The eyes should be set far apart from each other. The farther apart they are, the smarter and more intelligent the horse is. The corners of the eyes should be clean and relatively dry. Wrinkles above the eyes show a calm horse. Hollows above the eyes show age. There should be no scars on the eyes.
The ears should be cleanly cut, not too small, not too large, and should appear to fit the head.
The nostrils should be clean and dry. If they are wet, the horse is probably allergic to dust. The lips should be firmly held in place with each other, and not drooping. There should be no scars around the muzzle.

2. The Forepart
The neck should be long. A short neck indicates a puller. As a guide, you should be able to draw a line from the top of the neck to the girth, and one from the girth to the top of the hindquarters. The lines should be about the same length.
The shoulders should be large and well-muscled. If you go to the front of the horse, you should be able to fit a ball cap in between the two front legs. The space should be no smaller and no larger.
The forelegs should be fairly long, and the knees should be very clean and round. Knobby knees are unsightly, and generally indicate an older horse. Viewed from the front, the forelegs should be absolutely straight, not toed in or toed out.

3. The Backpart
The top of the hindquarters should meet the level that the top of the withers meet, perhaps slightly lower. The hindquarters should be well-muscled, but not as robust as the shoulders. The hind legs should be well-boned, and their should be plenty of bone on the hock. The feet may toe out slightly, but never toe in. The legs should be straight.

If your horse meets these qualities, it has good conformation. Who knows? You may not know it, but perhaps you have a show horse on your hands!!!