Conformation Flashcards
what is conformation?
overall body shape or form
what does form and function determine in a horse? (2) what does it affect? (2)
determines:
how the horse moves; how it withstands impact-related stress
affects: beaty and presence, health and soundness
what are 3 general aspects of a horse with good conformation?
- nice to look at
- comfortable to ride
- easier to train and perform
what is mainly evaluated when determining conformation? why? (2)
the skeleton;
1. it is the scaffolding for muscle and fat
2. it is the basis for good or poor conformation
what determines the skeletal conformation of a horse? (2)
- genetics
- environment (nutrition, exercise, health)
what do different breeds share despite their overall different dimensions?
common conformational traits
what is similar in great performance horses regardless of breed? give an example
musculoskeletal systems; example being that good quality muscling is wanted in both QH and arabians, but that good quality will look different
what does balance mean in conformation?
each part is proportional to all other parts
how many roughly equal sections with a horse with good conformation have their body divided into? what are these sections?
roughly equal and balanced thirds
1. point of shoulder to the withers
2. the withers to the point of the hip
3. the point of the hip to the point of the buttock
should you always look for balanced and equal thirds in young horses? if not what end usually grows first?
no; they are not always in balance; back end usually grows first
what is meant by the trapezoid you look at when evaluating a horse’s conformation?
includes the slope of the shoulders and hip to the length of the back (which we want to be short) to the underline (we want to be long)
what is yielded by a long underline?
longer, ground-covering stride
what does a short back do?
yields hind end power to the front, allowing both front and back to move in unison
what are the 5 criteria used when selecting a horse?
- structural correctness (of skeleton)
- balance (equal thirds)
- muscling (based on purpose)
- type (must look lile breed)
- size (fit for potential buyer/rider)
what is meant by structural correctness of horses?
bone structure of the horse
what is the usualy site of lameness in the skeleton that carries 65% of the horses weight?
the forelimbs
what is referred to by “type”? give an example
characteristics that separate one breed from another; how arabians have a dished profile
what is meant by the more “typy” a horse is?
the more it resembles the ideal of the breed
in what two ways does muscling vary? give an example
by mass and volume, or how much and what type of muscles; for example QH have a lot of fast twitch muscles but arabians have a lot of slow twitch
when looking at a horse from the rear, what should be the widest part due to muscling?
stifle to stifle (knee to knee)
what three things are ideal in terms of muscling?
- tie in low and clean to hocks and knees (no muscle below hock and knees, just ligaments)
- smooth appearance
- athletic tone or “fit” looking
what are 3 common comformational characteristics?
- prominent withers (composed of the dorsal spinous processes of T3 and T4)
- long sloping shoulder which forms a 45 degree angle between the scapula and the ground
- width of chest, depth of girth, and spring of ribs (to indicate heart and lung capacity)
what is yielded by the angle of the scapula to the ground?
a longer stride
in terms of topline and underline of horse, what do we want and why?
short back, long underline; to couple back end to front end and yield strength
what is the hip or croup on a horse?
the point of the hip to the point of the buttock