Conformation Basics: Balance

Quiz 1

Prior to each posted "lesson" I will post a quiz. Today's quiz: name each part of the anatomy numbered below. If not sure, list your best guess. Feel free to use outside resources for this "quiz." The goal is not to test what you already know, but to encourage you to find and review information you don't. Please email quiz answers to: rsherck@gmail.com
In competitive horse judging, nearly one half of success is attributable to contestants' ability to evaluate horses' conformation. Conformation or "halter" classes assess the predisposition for soundness and athleticism of horses based on their structural correctness as well as balance, muscle, and quality.

Structural correctness is the first and arguably the most straight forward aspect of horse conformation. It is important that a horse judging contestant never neglect to check each horses' legs carefully for deviations from their ideal structure. Here is a diagram of desirable and undesirable structure in horses' forelegs:
A: ideal; B: Toes out, "splay footed"; C: Toes in, "pigeon-toed"; D: Stands "base wide"; E: Stands "base narrow"; F: Bow-legged

Because the majority of 4H contests in our area have only stock type halter classes, we will focus on the conformation of the breeds that fall into this category. In fact, the ideal conformation of paints, appaloosas and quarter horses is identical. In stock type breeds, the principal aspect of conformation is balance, which is universally desirable in horses of all kinds. Balance is the overall design of the horse, and directly influences that horse's ability to perform athletically.This gray mare has fine balance. She is laid back in her shoulder, as well as short backed in relation to a long underline. The angle of her shoulder is similar to that of her hip, giving her a symmetrical trapezoid. But what does any of this mean?Now there are lines superimposed on this mare's key attributes. A line drawn over her back, from her withers to her loin, is shorter than a line drawn along her underline, which is from her heartgirth to her flank. Angles drawn from her withers through the point of her shoulder, and from the point of her hip to her gaskin, are similar in angle and length. The ideal angle of a horse's shoulder is 45 degrees. If you connected these four lines, they would form a near-perfect trapezoid. Another way to test a horse's shoulder angle is to mentally draw a line from the center of its withers to the ground. If the line falls well behind the horse's elbow, the horse has a desirable shoulder angle. The fifth line on this mare is from her withers straight down, and is another indicator of her good shoulder angle.

Now, let's look at a less balanced individual:
Immediately you should notice differences between this overo mare and the previous mare. Aside from distinct differences in quality, which we'll discuss later, This mare is longer-backed and straighter-shouldered. Study her image for a moment, then scroll down and see how the lines superimposed over her body bring out her negative traits.Another way to think about balance is to ask yourself this question: How easily divisible is this horse's body into thirds? A balanced horse's forequarters, midsection, and hindquarters should be relatively similar in length, and the fore and hinquarters should be similar in mass.

This lovely sorrel mare expresses excellent balance. If you were to draw a circle around her forequarters and hindquarters, you would find her body easily divisible into thirds of similar mass. Let's superimpose the lines on the picture and see if we're right:
Just as anticipated, these circles are identical and encompass the mare's fore and rear quarters perfectly. She displays balance in the structure of her fore and rear sections. Let's perform the same test on another, less balanced horse:This stallion has his positive traits. He is fairly short-backed and in good condition, but he is not strong in balance. Our mental line-drawing shows us he is straight-shouldered, but what can we learn from applying the circle test?
In addition to other key weaknesses, we see when we apply the circles that he is weak in the mass of his hindquarters and the structure of his hip.

The nuances of balance take time and study to learn, but eventually identifying incorrectnesses in balance will be second nature to any student of horse judging committed to the learning process. Don't forget - submit quiz 1 homework to rsherck@gmail.com, and look for another post and more activities next week.