Conformation Flashcards
Parrot mouth
When upper jaw extends wells past lower jaw
Ewe neck
A short crest resulting in an “upside down” appearance to the neck
Often elevated head carriage and a braced, hollowed back
Pigeon-breasted
Appears front-heavy, with a prominent, protruding chest, and with front legs positioned too far under the body
Base-wide
Wider in front of, rather than behind, the girth area. Elbow movement is restricted and girth soring
often results
Base-narrow
Generally associated with sore knees, splints and decreased front-end coordination
A short back limits ____
a horse’s scope
Overly long back limits ____ and _____
coodination and collection
Long loins
Reduce the horse’s ability to use the hindquarters properly for impulsion
Sway back
indicates weakened ligaments and muscular attachment
Roached back
occurs when the spine rounds up in an “arch”
Slab-sided
Ribs are more straight up and down than wide and curved
Pigeon toed
Toes face in
Calf-kneed
Back at the knee
Buck kneed
Over at the kneed
Cow hocked
Hocks in, toes out
Bog spavin
Fluid builds up in hock joint - only unsightly
Bowed tendon
When a tendon and its surrounding tissues stretch too far, they can tear or rupture, and fail to return to their original length
Conformation predisposition for bowed tendon
long, upright pasterns or a foot with a long toe and low heel
Capped hocks and elbows
Injury or irritation of the hock or elbow may result in
a noticeable swelling or cap. After injury subsides, unsightly
Cloudy eyes
Spot on horse’s eye can indicate corneal ulcer or laceration
Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU)
Moon blindness. Cataracts develop from recurring irritation and inflammation and turn the lens opaque.
Club foot angle
Greater than 61 degree
Club footed horses tend to land ____
heel-first
Contracted heels
Narrow heels that close in near the frog.
Dished foot
hoof that is concave, rather than straight, in front from the coronary band to the toe
Curb
inflammation or tearing of the plantar tarsal ligament at the back of the hock
Girth gall
sores caused by chafing and abrasion
Hoof flares
An unbalanced foot results in steepness on one side and a flare on the other
Saddle sore
occur from ill-fitting, improperly positioned or poorly cleaned tack
Splints
hard, visible bump alongside the cannon bone caused by injury or inflammation of the splint bone. Splints most commonly occur on the inside of the leg.
Thoroughpin
windpuff of the Achilles tendon, above the hock.
Chronic inflammation of the tendon sheath around the deep flexor tendon
Horses prone to thoroughpin
Sickle-hocked or post-legged
Very straight hind legs
Windpuff
balloon-like fluid swelling of the deep digital flexor tendon sheath near the back of the fetlocks
