placement rule occurs when the horse has a femur side (point of buttock to stifle protrusion) that is shorter than the ilium side, even with a low stifle, as seen in Photo #5. The short-femured horse has a restricted range of motion, does not reach the hind legs under the body and travels with the hocks further behind than a horse without a short femur (Photo #4). Horses with a short femur are also more prone to injury to the hind leg from hock down. Notice the wind-puffs on the horse in Photo #5. So, even if a stallion has a low stifle, he may not add scope.
What if your mare is a bit heavy on the forehand? Horses that are heavy on the forehand are more likely to develop tendon issues in the forelegs. The horse in Photo #6 is heavier on the forehand than the horse in Photo #7 as seen by where the top of the line depicting the pillar of support (extended up and down through the groove in the forearm) emerges in relation to the withers, the rise of the humerus from elbow to point of
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shoulder and the placement of the base of the neck. Like horses
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that are heavy on the forehand, horses with a pillar that emerges behind the heel are prone to injury and will frequently develop muscle on the underside of the neck as a form of protection. The horse in Photo #6 is heavy on the forehand, but shows good placement of the bottom of the pillar. The horse
in Photo #7 is light on the forehand but has a pillar close to or behind the heel. If you mated them, you might get a foal that is lighter on the forehand than #6, but if the pillar was like #7, it would be more unsound than #6.
What if your mare lacks flexibility? If your mare doesn’t excel at lateral work or bending through a turn (one direction or both), then she may have a tight elbow on one or both sides, as seen in Photo #8. Notice the muscle development as a result of the horse trying to avoid the elbow/rib collision. This construction also affects stride length as the horse tends to lift the forefoot off the ground before going through the full range of motion, the one that would cause elbow and ribcage to collide. In contrast, the horse in Photo #9 has a very roomy elbow. If looking for stallion with a roomy elbow, be sure to check both sides. Also note that the horse in Photo # 8 is heavy on the forehand due to a low point of shoulder and low base of neck.
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About Judy: Judy has researched equine conformation for 30 years and has written three books on the subject (the most recent, an e-book). She travels worldwide giving conformation clinics for all disciplines. Judy also analyzes individual horses based on photos and gives breeding consultations. Learn more at
www.jwequine.com.
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