Conformation for performance

UNDERSTANDING WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Conformation, along with temperament, should be any rider’s number one consideration when buying a horse, or asking it to perform in their chosen career.

A NOTE ON BREEDS

When looking at different horses of different breeds, it quickly becomes apparent that they come in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Over time, horses have been bred to perform certain roles. For example, the Clydesdale was bred to pull a heavy load or plough, while the Thoroughbred was developed for speed and stamina. Thus, as determined by what was required of each breed, so we see differences in conformation. The Thoroughbred is a lean athlete with a nicely angled shoulder, fine limbs and plenty of muscle. The Clydesdale, on the other hand, is heavy-set, has a more upright shoulder and ‘more bone’ - meaning that the circumference of the knee, cannon and fetlock is greater than that found in the Thoroughbred - and therefore has greater load-bearing capacity.

UNIVERSAL COMMONALITIES

Although there are marked differences across the various breeds all over the world, there are a few simple and universal points to look at when assessing conformation:

THE FOREQUARTERS: A: When viewed from the front, the line dropped down from the point of shoulder should pass through the centre of the point of shoulder, knee, fetlock and foot. The space between the front feet is approximately equal to the width of one hoof.

B: Turned-in or ‘Pigeon toed’: The front hooves point inwards. This means that there is unequal hoof contact on the ground and therefore there will be an increase in wear on the medial (inside) quarter, and less wear on the lateral (outside) quarter. The outer ligaments are subjected to increased strain, while the inner bones are subjected to increased compression. Horses that are pigeon toed may tend to bump themselves and can be predisposed to stumbling.

C & D: Turned-out: The knee and the fetlock are arched inwards (deviated medially).

Whether it is the fetlock and the knee or one of the two that is deviated, this type of conformation places extra stresses on the lower limb, especially the inner ligaments of the knee and fetlock.

While moving, horses with front limbs that ‘turn-out’ tend to ‘dish’ or ‘paddle’ as the lower part of the limb is displaced outwards; and therefore, they may seem ungainly or unsteady on their feet.

E: ‘Too open in front’: The front limbs have too much space between them and fall outside of the vertical line dropped from the point of shoulder.

The limbs, however, may still be vertical with the knee directly above the cannon, fetlock and foot. This type of conformation may be caused by overdevelopment of the forequarter and may render the horse more stable and sure-footed but can detract from speed.

F: ‘Closed in front’: The limb is placed inside the vertical line running down from the point of shoulder, with the front hooves close together.

Opposite to being ‘too open’ the chest is underdeveloped, and the limbs deviate. This is sometimes, colloquially, described as ‘both legs coming out of the same hole’. Horses with this type of confirmation may lack stamina and the limbs are subjected to similar types of stress as those of the horse that ‘turns-in’. The inside of the foot (medial quarter) will wear more than the outside (lateral quarter). This type of horse has a decreased base of support due to the narrowness of the lower limbs in relation to the body. They may also bump and even cut themselves especially during fast work.

THE HINDQUARTERS:

G: A vertical line drops straight down from the tuber ischii (point of buttock), through the centre of the hock, hind cannon, fetlock and hoof. The space between the two limbs is generally equal to the width of one hind foot.

H: ‘Closed behind’: The lower part of the limb, from the hock down, is displaced inwards (medially). Generally found in ‘narrow-chested’ horses, the horse is rendered less stable as the base of support is reduced. These horses may have an awkward gait or tend to bump their legs during work.

I: ‘Cow-hocked’: Only the hocks are deviated towards the midline (medially). This is similar to being ‘closed behind’. Horses that are ‘cowhocked’ may have awkward movement and the extra stresses put on the hock joint can cause problems over time.

J: ‘Too open behind’: The hindlimb is placed outside of the vertical line from the point of buttock. As with being ‘too open in front’ if this is due to overdevelopment of the muscles of the trunk and hindquarter then the horse may be both stable and powerful. If this is due to under development of the hindquarter, then the inside (medial) parts of the limb will be under increased strain.

K: ‘Bow-legged’: Both hocks are displaced towards the outside (laterally). The hock is placed under unusual stress on the outside (lateral) ligaments which are over stretched, while the inner (medial) bones of the hock are overloaded. The outer (lateral) quarter of the foot may wear more than the inner (medial) quarter of the foot.

IN PROFILE

THE FOREQUARTERS: Imagine three vertical lines:

1. Dropped down from the point of shoulder

2. Dropped down from the middle of the scapula

3. Dropped down from the point of elbow

A: When viewed from the side, the leg should be straight and fit between the second and third vertical lines. The line dropped from the centre of the scapula should be in the middle of line 1 and 3 and should reach the centre of the hoof.

B: ‘Under in front’: The direct axis of the limb is inclined down and back instead of vertically. This type of horse may tend to stumble and suffer from weak knees and the base of support is reduced. They are also more likely to forge as the hind feet meet the fore feet especially during fast work.

C: ‘Camped in front’: The direct axis of the limb is inclined down and forwards. Weight of the horse is distributed onto the heels and the back tendons are under increased strain. Horses may appear to be ‘camped in front’ if suffering from pain such as that caused by laminitis. In this instance they stand in this manner in an attempt to redistribute the weight to the hindlimb and ease the pain in the front legs. In this case, the hocks may take strain due to the unnatural weight distribution.

D: ‘Behind at the knee’: The knee is positioned underneath the elbow of the horse and meets line 3. The limb is not a straight column but has a ‘bow’ shape. This type of conformation places increased strain on the ligaments behind the knee as well as tendons running down behind the knee and fore cannon, since the body weight is not carried by a vertical column of bones.

E: ‘Over at the knee’: The knee projects forward over vertical line 2. May be prone to stumbling and tend to have weak knees.

HINDQUARTER:

Imagine three vertical lines:

1. Dropped down from the patella

2. Dropped down from the hip joint

3. Dropped down from the point of buttock (tuber ischii)

F: The vertical line running down from the hip joint should pass the front of the hock and straight along the front of the cannon bone. The limb should be placed in the middle of line 2 and 3. A line dropped from the point of buttocks should run just behind the hock and parallel to the hind cannon.

G: ‘Camped out behind’: The direct axis is a broken line inclined down and back. As the base of support is extended, increased strain is placed on the muscles on the back and loins and these types of horse may move awkwardly in the hindquarter. They will also struggle to engage the hindquarter and build top line muscles.

H: ‘Under behind’: The lower limb is inclined forwards towards line 1, and the cannon bone is not vertical. The base of support is shortened, making the horse less stable, and likely to forge.

I: ‘Sickle hocked’: The limb is extremely angulated with the hock extended past the line dropped from the point of buttock. This type of hind limb conformation places extreme strain and wear on the bones of the hock, as well as the ligaments and tendons supporting the fetlock and foot.

J: ‘Straight hocked’: The hock is not angulated very much and is in line with or in front of the vertical line dropped from the hip joint (line 2). The foot is placed under the line running down from the patella (line 1). Horses with this type of conformation may struggle to engage the hindquarter and may tend to be heavy in front.

SUMMARY

The above illustrates some of the points to look out for when buying a horse or assessing its suitability to perform in a certain discipline. Don’t forget that just like us, horses are hardly perfect, and they must be assessed according to their chosen career. A horse that is doing weekly hacks or lessons does not need to be as close to perfect as a toplevel reiner, polo pony or showjumper.

The last point to look out for, which cannot be illustrated, is Heart. This is a tough thing to assess and can take time to detect. However, if the horse doesn’t have the heart and enjoy what they do, perfect conformation isn’t going to make a much of a difference.

On the other hand, I have known many horses and ponies across various disciplines that at first glance did not look like they were made to do what they manage to do. If combined with a calm and quiet nature, these types of horses are truly special and somehow ‘make a plan’. Think about all of the ‘tiny’ 15.2hh horses that have their names in South African showjumping history… Or the ‘too big and too long’ Thoroughbred that enjoys playing polo.

REFERENCES

Goody, P.C. (1997) Horse Anatomy , 8 edn., Great Britain : J.A. Allen & Co Ltd

Pilliner, S; Elmhurst, S; and Davies, Z (2012) The Horse in Motion , 9 edn., Oxford, UK : Blackwell Science Ltd