Evaluating Horse Conformation Pt 2

Another important yet easy to determine criterion of balance is hip and wither height. Hip and wither height should be approximately the same. Often, a horse can be slightly "uphill," or higher at the withers, without being penalized. If a horse is "downhill," or lower at the withers than at the hip, the horse will carry more weight on its front end and lack maneuverability and driving power from behind (Figure 3). Carrying too much weight on the forehand can also lead to future lameness of the front legs. However, when evaluating young horses, it is important to remember that they will grow faster at the hip than at the withers; therefore, a young horse (e.g., horses showing in weanling, yearling, or 2-year-old classes) may be downhill as it is growing but may catch up as it reaches maturity.

Another consideration that can be grouped with balance is depth of heart girth. Depth of heart girth is not quite as critical to a horse's balance but is considered in this section since it is an important measure of the body's capacity to house the heart, lungs and other vital organs. It is desirable for the horse to have a deep heart girth. When drawing a line from the withers to the chest floor, this length should be approximately the same as the distance from the chest floor to the ground and should be greater than depth of flank (Figure 4).

When determining whether a horse is balanced, it is important to examine certain ratios and angles of the body. The slope of the horse's shoulder is one of the most crucial aspects to consider. The slope of the shoulder ties in closely with many other body parts and proportions, such as length of back and neck. The slope of the shoulder measures the angle of the horse's scapula and is commonly measured from the top of the scapula near the withers to the point of the shoulder. If a line is drawn from the top of the scapula near the to the point of the shoulder and another line is drawn through the top of the scapula near the perpendicular to the ground, the ideal shoulder angle is approximately 45 degrees (Figure 5).

The slope of the shoulder directly influences the horse's stride length and smoothness. Too straight of a shoulder causes the horse to not be able to easily extend its front legs and therefore have a very short, jarring stride. Horses with a nicely sloped shoulder have a free flowing, smooth, long stride since they are able to reach farther with their front legs.

photo of horse that ties in high
(shown by white arrow)Figure 6aFigure 6b: photo of horse that ties in low, giving it a heavier and less refined neck. Also, has a 1:1 topline to underline ratio of the horse?s neck, contributing to a straighter shoulder and lower tie in.Figure 6b Figure 6c: horse that has a desirable 2:1 topline to underline ratio of the horse?s neck.Figure 6c

The shape and tie-in points of the neck also influence the shoulder. The horse in figure 6a ties in high (white arrow) while the horse in figure 6b ties in low, giving it a heavier and less refined neck. Also, figure 6c shows a desirable 2:1 topline to underline ratio of the horse's neck, whereas the horse in figure 6b has almost a 1:1 ratio, contributing to a straighter shoulder and lower tie in.

The slope of the shoulder greatly influences the look of the horse's neck. A horse with a steep shoulder often has withers that tie into the neck much farther forward than a horse with a good shoulder slope, which leads to a shorter neck topline and a longer back. Such a horse will typically have a shorter stride coupled with more weight on its front end due to its longer back. A short neck is typically an undesirable characteristic because it causes the horse to lack flexibility of the neck, as well as typically being associated with a steep shoulder angle.