Mare #1
swing in extension. Her forehand is fairly light based on a pillar of
support (a line extended up and down through the naturally occurring groove in the forearm) that emerges well in front of the withers, good rise of humerus from elbow to point of shoulder and a base of neck at least a hand above the point of shoulder. Unfortunately the bottom of the pillar of support
emerges behind her heel. As a result, there is additional strain on her suspensory apparatus, which can be seen in the changes to her tendons. Stallions for her should be of the dressage type with good LS placement, but should have a pillar of support that emerges into the heel. It would be wise to check a number of his offspring with soundness in mind.
Mare # 2
We will also be able to make accurate assessments of the resulting youngster regarding discipline preferences and levels of athleticism.
MARE #1 This mare’s LS (the lumbosacral gap just in front of the high point of croup) is within athletic limits (either bisected by a line from the top of one hip to the top of the other or less than 1.5” rearward of that line). Her rear triangle, shorter on the side of the ilium (point of hip to point of buttock), is what one finds in top dressage horses. In addition, her stifle protrusion would be at the level of the bottom of the sheath if she were male – another dressage trait. This hind end construction allows for sustained collection and a good
MARE #2 This mare has a poorer LS, making her less athletic. She also has a rear triangle that is shortest on the side of the femur, which puts her hocks out behind her and limits her ability to reach underneath. This also adds stress to the hind leg from hock down and often results in wind puffs plus shortens the stride behind. Her stifle protrusion would be below sheath level if she were male, which is not conducive to sustained collection. Her pillar of support emerges in front of her withers (not as far ahead as the other mare’s) and barely touches her heel, which is an improvement over the other mare, but not the advantage it should be due to her being heavier on the forehand. She has less of a rise to her humerus than the other mare and her neck is set very low. As a result, she shows changes in her forelegs even though she has not been asked to compete. The muscle development near the elbow (as circled in the photo) indicates that she likely has a tight elbow and
that in order to prevent it from striking her ribcage she stops the range of motion over the foreleg before the full range of motion. Stallion options for her are very limited because she has
several areas to strengthen. One would have to seriously assess whether this mare should be bred. Regardless of her pedigree, what will she add to the gene pool?
About Judy: Having researched equine conformation for the last 30 years, Judy has written two books about the subject with two more on the agenda. She travels worldwide giving clinics about conformation for all disciplines. Her website is
www.jwequine.com.
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