Bal ance, structure, muscling, quality, type and travel. The horse conformation handbook by heather smith thomas. Conformation analysis is the systematic comparison of one horse to another and all horses to an ideal type for the breed or athletic purpose. Importance of correct front leg conformation equimed. This is a book that belongs in the library of every serious horse person. This conformation puts extra strain on flexor tendons, suspensory ligaments, and the sesamoid bones. Not sure if this is the correct place but im gonna try here anyway. Conformation in thoroughbred yearlings studied kentucky. A comprehensive analysis of the functional conformation of the thoroughbred. Page 2 of 3 conformation revelations posted in discussion. An overabundance of muscling is the last thing i look for. A more holistic definition considers the implications of form for dynamic function as well. There was also no significant relationship between conformation defects and racing distance category. Hes only 4 and still a bit awkward and growing, but stands a nice 16.
The book is a little repetitive, repeating the same information in many different places of the book, but i found that this is a great book for explaining proper conformation and conformation. Name games before a thoroughbred can race, it must have a registered name. I can comfortably recommend that any horse person can gain from the information, and performance horse people should avail themselves of a clinic by judy at their earliest. Correct horse head conformation the ideal horse head conformation varies dramatically from breed to breed, but all breeds are valued for a relatively broad forehead. Conformation 1 p a g e conformation good general conformation conformation is defined as the form or outline of an animal. Conformation of feet and legs play a role in determining speed, athletic ability, and whether or not the horse will stay sound. Feb 20, 2008 anyone have any recommendations for a good book books on horse conformation.
Start your conformation analysis by becoming famil iar with the parts of the horse figure 1. Nov 16, 2014 produced in 1997 a look at the conformation of a racehorse bob baffert and hall of fame trainer mack miller share their approaches to assessing young thoroughbreds. In her latest book, internationally respected equine journalist judy. What does this tell us about the significance of conformation defects in thoroughbred yearlings. May 01, 2005 she discussed a conformation study that she is planning to submit for publication.
Conformation critique aspiring warmbloodapproved ottb broodmare nov. Conformation analysis is the another and all horses to an ideal type for the breed or athletic purpose. Ill draw an imaginary line from the tail to the front of the hip, then right in front of the hip to the withers, and from the wither to the poll, and then ill look to see how balanced those three pieces are. Conformation refers to the shape, dimensions, and proportions of a horse, created by its musculoskeletal structure. The late federico tesio, a worldrenowned owner, breeder and trainer of thoroughbred racehorses, was keenly aware of the importance of emotional conformation in the equine athlete and he spent hour upon hour at auctions studying the physical and emotional conformation of the horses he planned to purchase. To quantify the frequency of conformational problems in the average thoroughbred, she evaluated forelimb conformation, height, weight, sale price, and. How horses are put together and why they can run so fast. When examining horses for conformation, either when considering a purchase or competing in horse judging contests, it is important to break things down into key principles to avoid becoming overwhelmed when putting the overall picture together. The forelimbs are not attached to the spinal column directly, but are held in place by muscles and tendons. Heres how kerry describes emotional conformation in a book we coauthored.
He explained that the sicklehock conformation allowes horses to get underneath themselves and use their hind quarters for more power. The thoroughbred as it is known today was developed in 17th and 18thcentury. Conformation, a major factor in the soundness of limbs, often determines the useful lifetime of a horse. Start your conformation analy sis by becoming familiar with the parts of the horse. The late federico tesio, a worldrenowned owner, breeder and trainer of thoroughbred racehorses, was keenly aware of the importance of emotional conformation in the equine athlete and he spent hour upon hour at auctions studying the physical and emotional conformation of. As such, it is responsible for maintaining the american stud book, which includes. See the complete thoroughbred series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. Evaluate the conformation of these reiningbred long yearlings and place them in your order of preference. The ideal horse head conformation varies dramatically from breed to breed, but all breeds are valued for a relatively broad forehead a broad forehead provides increased sinus capacity, thus there is more room for air exchange through the air passages, and a large surface area for facial muscles that assist in opening the nostrils for good air flow. This tremendous spring power helps thrust the thoroughbred forward as its front legs provide pull. Horses with good conformation are the ideal for most horse people. In athletics as in architecture, form follows function, and nowhere is that truth more important than in equestrian sports. What to look for in a racehorse conformation buyers. There are many opinions regarding what makes a good horse, and various thoughts on what s most important.
A horse that has balanced conformationwith neck, back and hip of equal lengthwill generally be a good mover and that translates into good performance. This book was very thorough in its descriptions of proper horse conformation. Conformation of the pasterns and hooves of horses kentucky. In addition, the track record of a race horse may influence its future value as a breeding animal. I dont need a doctoral dissertation on the subject, but something more indepth than here is a picture of a well built horse, and here is a picture of a poorly built horse, the end. The thoroughbred s rear legs act as springs as they bend and straighten during running.
Thus form to function is one of the first set of traits considered in judging conformation. The thoroughbred book series by multiple authors includes books a horse called wonder, wonders promise, wonders first race, and several more. Mar 15, 2005 buy horse conformation handbook by thomas, heather smith isbn. One confor mation analysis system is known as bsmqtt. Conformation is an equine term that relates to the bone structure of a horse. Evaluate and place these 3yearold thoroughbred mares in your order of preference, then see how your choices compare with an expert judges. The most comprehensive guide to the horses body inside and out ever published. What to look for in a racehorse conformation buyers guide. I just acquired a new thoroughbred and am interested in seeing some opinions on his conformation. While a person certainly must pay attention to conformation, and phenotype, i think there are to many people these days, picking horses apart because of some minor faults. Shoulder the shoulder should have the same slope or angle as the pastern see diagram below. Although, im a relaltive novice to thoroughbred horse racing i have bought 5 thoroughbred yearlings so far and this book helped me find a steal at the latest barretts sale. This book explains the key body parts, and how they apply to distancegearing, ability, athleticism, etc. Structure, soundness and performance 1st lyons press ed by equine research isbn.
Apr 23, 2018 this excerpt from sport horse conformation by christian schacht is reprinted with permission from trafalgar square books. Mar 15, 2005 heather smith thomas has written extensively on animal health care, authoring thousands of articles and 24 books on the subject. Thoroughbred yearling selection based on biomechanics. Heather smith thomas has written extensively on animal health care, authoring thousands of articles and 24 books on the subject. A horse that has a better build, or conformation, is the one most capable of doing the work humans ask of them. Structure, soundness, and performance equine research, sherrie engler on. A broad forehead provides increased sinus capacity, thus there is more room for air exchange through the air passages, and a large surface area for facial muscles that assist in. The article below describes some aspects of horse conformation, giving us guidance on what to look for in our horses.
The game is all about picking the right horse, and this is an important. A horse that has balanced conformation with neck, back and hip of equal lengthwill generally be a good mover and that translates into good performance. At full speed, a 500kg thoroughbred will place the equivalent of 100 times the force of gravity on each hoof with every stride, so it is essential that the foot be shaped properly to withstand this concussion and to dissipate the shock of impact. However, the value of a thoroughbred may also be influenced by the purse money it wins. Conformation revelations page 2 discussion egyptian. Other conformational issues include the shape and size of ears and nostrils, the size and position of the eyes, the characteristics of mane, forelock and tail, the wither height, and length of leg. This book is an outstanding reference book on horse conformation. Conformation critique aspiring warmbloodapproved ottb. Therefore, the aim of this study was to utilise an objective method developed for recording specific body measurements to investigate the role of conformation in musculoskeletal problems in the racing thoroughbred. Evaluating horse conformation uga cooperative extension. This type of conformation is often associated with straight shoulders. The front legs carry more weight than hinds and are subject to more concussion and stress. The importance of conformation when selecting a horse the strong musculature on the rear of a barrel racing horse. The horse conformation handbook is the only complete book on the topic and will provide horse owners with a.
Thoroughbreds are considered hotblooded horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit. Breeders in particular should remember that, since good horse conformation has a large heritable component, they should strive to choose breeding stock. The horse conformation handbook by heather smith thomas, jo. The role of conformation in musculoskeletal problems in. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. If you take time to study a horses structure and anatomy, you develop an eye for what horse people call good conformation. Secretariat is an excellent example of ideal thoroughbred conformation. Conformation defects were shown to be more strongly associated with pedigree than with racing performance. Thoroughbred yearling selection based on biomechanics you will never look at a thoroughbred yearling or racehorse in the same way.
This is an extremely brief description of evaluating a horse for correct conformation as the purpose of the article is to discover and evaluate conformation. The thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. This excerpt from sport horse conformation by christian schacht is reprinted with permission from trafalgar square books. Mar 20, 2017 when im judging or evaluating a horse, the first thing i look for is overall balance. I like her a lot and she appears functionally correct, but she has some of the typical thoroughbred conformation attributes that arent appealing to wb registries. This new and comprehensive book, by renowned functional conformation and pedigree research expert judy wardrope, will help both the novice and experienced horse person to more critically examine the skeletal structure of the thoroughbred racehorse in order to understand its function, its potential for success under different circumstances and at. In general, the angle of the pastern will correspond with the angle of the shoulder. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the thoroughbred breed. The better a horses conformation how the animal measures up, or conforms, to the ideal standards. The ideal slope of the shoulder is approximately 45 to 50 degrees. In this excerpt from sport horse conformation by veterinarian and german fncertified breeding and horse management expert christian schacht, find out what to look for in a jumper prospect when it comes to frontend conformation. Stride length is largely determined by the conformation of the shoulder.
Equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horses bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. The importance of conformation when selecting a horse. Im a beginner when it comes to looking at conformation in horses and this book really helped me learn what to look for. Aug 07, 2010 equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horses bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. You will never look at a thoroughbred yearling or racehorse in the same way. In addition hooves should be matching pairs, both front and hind, and should be neither too large nor too small for the horse. A long, sloping pastern is commonly seen in combination with sloping shoulders in rangy horses. Balance, struc ture, muscling, quality, type and travel. Anyone have any recommendations for a good book books on horse conformation. Conformation is defined as the form or outline of an animal. The most comprehensive guide to the horses body inside and outsideever published. A long, upright pastern predisposes to fetlock arthritis, but not ringbone.
Mar 20, 2017 basically, i look for overall balance first. Buy horse conformation handbook by thomas, heather smith isbn. Then see how your choices compare with our expert judges. Although there are several faults with universal disadvantages, a horses conformation is usually judged by what its intended use may be. A horse that exhibits correct conformation should be a natural athlete. The role of conformation in musculoskeletal problems in the racing. Feet a horses hooves must be able to withstand a great deal of pressure. The horse is a working animal and its value is determined by the condition of its limbs and feet. The thoroughbred owners and breeders association will hold a thoroughbred pedigree and conformation clinic monday, oct. Using hundreds of photographs and drawings, this masterfully produced book will show you how to develop the.
Test your eye for horse conformation expert advice on horse. She raises cattle and horses on her family ranch in salmon, idaho. There are five main criteria to evaluate when examining a horses conformation. The thoroughbred s conformation, or physical makeup, enables it to reach speeds exceeding 40 miles per hour. Thoroughbreds unique foot structure gives it builtin cushioning to withstand the equivalent of 100 times the force of gravity on each hoof, which is the force exerted when a thoroughbred is running at full speed. Stride length is largely determined by the conformation. However, the undersized and knobbykneed runner went on to claim the 1938 horse of the year title subsequent to his victory over war admiral. Produced in 1997 a look at the conformation of a racehorse bob baffert and hall of fame trainer mack miller share their approaches to assessing young thoroughbreds. Hind limb conformation the hindquarters are what provides the power to the horses movement. Over a period of seven years 19931999, 3916 thoroughbred yearlings sold at public auction in england and ireland were assessed for nine specific conformation traits. The book, ten conformation myths by judy wardrope, and the relative revelations for equine form to function will be an asset to the horse industry for years to come. To measure conformation in 3yearold thoroughbreds and objectively. An introduction to functional conformation horse council bc. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Champion thoroughbred racehorse seabiscuit, grandson of the great man o war, was notorious for his poor conformation. All assessments were done by a single veterinary observer using a fixed routine. Test your eye for horse conformation expert advice on. Veterinarians can best manage, and even potentially correct, this abnormality in foals. I also liked that it listed and explained problems associated with the less desirable. Pdf conformation should be judged in light of the horses discipline. The role of conformation in musculoskeletal problems in the. One conformation analysis system is known as bsmqtt. As such, it is responsible for maintaining the american stud book, which includes all thoroughbreds foaled in the united states, canada and puerto rico as well as.
Although there are several universal faults, a horses conformation is usually judged by what its intended use may be. When buying, selling, training or breeding, all horses are graded on conformation which is an analysis of the overall physical horse. Ashleigh griffen swore shed never give her heart want to read. A wellbalanced horse will be able to perform athletically and will be a nice mover. Rooney wrote some very interesting text books about the biomechanics of lameness that are worth reading if you would like to know more about how form affects function and dysfunction.
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