What is a sloped croup on a horse?

A sloping croup gives a lower tail set and a lower tail carriage as shown by the Friesian in the top photo in Figure 6. Figure 3: The position of the sacrum and pelvis relative to the contours of the hindquarters. The three prominences on the pelvis are marked by red circles: 1. point of croup; 2.

Why is the withers to croup level an important feature to look at for performance?

When the croup is higher than the withers, the horse’s weight is concentrated more onto the front legs, which reduces his front-end agility, especially when the horse is asked to collect himself, jump or make quick changes of direction.

What does it mean when a horse has good conformation?

Conformation refers to the shape or structure of a horse, and it can impact a horse’s athletic ability. A horse can move best with a short back and long neck. Correct legs structure can improve desired performance and reduce lameness.

What does it mean if a horse is bum high?

Some horses are built bum high (their rums higher than their whithers) which will cause gravity to naturally feed weight from the back end to the front. Rider position effects how the horse loads its weight. A rider who leans forward over the shoulder will load extra weight onto the horses front legs.

How do you tell if a horse is built uphill?

First we locate the lower cervical curve and the LS joint, and then we draw a line from point to point. If that line is parallel to the ground, the horse is level built. If the line slopes upwards (left to right), the horse is downhill built, and if the line slopes downwards, the horse is uphill built.

What is sickle hocked in horses?

A sickle-hocked leg structure is one in which the back leg joints of an animal, usually a horse or other equine mammal, are set with too much angle, resulting in the hock also being excessively angled. This can result in uneven hoof wear, which is incredibly painful for the affected horse.

How do I know if my horse has high withers?

High Withers The bump where its shoulder blades meet between the neck and the back is taller than average, causing a sharp angle from the tip of its withers to its shoulders. A high-withered horse also has a slightly narrower back compared to a horse with normal withers.

What causes a horse to paddle or wing?

With a knock-kneed horse when the leg is folded back at the knee the cannon bone, and thus also fetlock and hoof will not align under the forearm, but will fold up to the outside of the forearm. When the horse folds and swings the limb in movement this creates the paddling action.

How can you tell if your horse has straight legs?

if the joint angle between the upper leg bone and the cannon bone is more than 170 degrees. Viewed from the side, if a hind leg is too straight, a line dropped from the buttock falls in back of the cannon; the hock is set forward almost under the stifle; the leg as a whole is almost as straight as a fence post.

How do you tell if a horse is a good mover?

A horse that has balanced conformation–with neck, back and hip of equal length–will generally be a good mover and that translates into good performance. A horse that exhibits correct conformation should be a natural athlete.

How do you tell if a horse is uphill?

If that line is parallel to the ground, the horse is level built. If the line slopes upwards (left to right), the horse is downhill built, and if the line slopes downwards, the horse is uphill built.

How do I know if my horse has good conformation?

An important ratio to consider when evaluating a horse’s conformation is the ratio of the top of the neck to the bottom of the neck. The topline of the neck is measured from the poll to the withers and the underline is measured from the throatlatch to the shoulder junction.

What does it mean when a horse is croup high?

CROUP HIGH HORSES. Croup high conformation on a horse means that the horse stands taller over the croup than the withers. It is often seen in thoroughbreds for running fast and driving horses for pulling.

Why are horses with poor conformation at risk?

Horses with poor conformation may be at higher risk of: The basic conformation rules allow you to review a horse’s athletic ability for a certain performance. Generally, a horse’s neck should be one and a half times the length of the head, where:

Is there more to performance success than conformation?

There is often more to performance success than conformation. A horse must be fit and in good condition, with a sound mind and body. The horse’s willingness and ‘heart’ attitude may overcome a conformation flaw. A horse with a particular conformation flaw in one area may have another area that compensates for that area.

What kind of conformation does a parade horse need?

  A parade horse may be of any breed, as long as he is animated in nature and tends to be a “high stepper.”           Gaited and parade horses require an upright shoulder and a short forearm.    Generally the gaited horse and the parade horse tend toward weak hindquarter conformation.