Horse Conformation
Conformation is one of those terms you might hear tossed around the barn as horse people discuss and compare different horses. It refers to the shape and structure of a horse, which affects its movement and performance. People often evaluate a horse's conformation before buying it - there are also contests where judges evaluate horses' conformation.
You're unlikely to find a horse with perfect conformation. A horse with conformation faults can still perform well. However, good conformation is more likely to lead to athletic ability and soundness (as opposed to lameness, which is abnormal movement due to injury or illness).
The 5 areas to focus on when evaluating conformation are balance, structural correctness, muscling, way of going, and breed and sex character. Balance is the most important area and means the proper angles and proportions, and equal distribution of muscles and weight, between the horse's front and back, top and bottom, and 2 sides. Structural correctness is also key and means the proper structure and alignment of bones, especially in the horse's legs.
You'll likely need to refer to this diagram of the parts of a horse as you read about good conformation for different parts of a horse's body:
You're unlikely to find a horse with perfect conformation. A horse with conformation faults can still perform well. However, good conformation is more likely to lead to athletic ability and soundness (as opposed to lameness, which is abnormal movement due to injury or illness).
The 5 areas to focus on when evaluating conformation are balance, structural correctness, muscling, way of going, and breed and sex character. Balance is the most important area and means the proper angles and proportions, and equal distribution of muscles and weight, between the horse's front and back, top and bottom, and 2 sides. Structural correctness is also key and means the proper structure and alignment of bones, especially in the horse's legs.
You'll likely need to refer to this diagram of the parts of a horse as you read about good conformation for different parts of a horse's body:
Whole Body
A horse's body can be divided into thirds: the length of its shoulder, the length of its back, and the length of its hip/hindquarters. These 3 sections should be roughly equal.
A horse's topline runs along its back, while its underline runs along its belly. The topline should be shorter than the underline. A long back is weak, and the horse has trouble bringing its hind legs up under its body when it moves. As a result, it places more weight on its front end, which is more jarring for the rider and can cause lameness in the horse.
Ideally, the distance from a horse's withers to the ground is equal to its body length (measured from its shoulder to its buttocks).
A horse's heart girth is measured from its withers to the bottom of its chest (chest floor). This distance should be approximately equal to the distance from the chest floor to the ground but greater than the depth of its flank (which is measured just in front of its hind legs). In other words, a horse needs to have enough room at the front of its body - in its chest - for its heart, lungs, and other organs.
A final point is that a horse's withers and hips should be at a similar height. It's not as much of an issue if the horse is higher at the withers ("uphill"). However, a horse that's higher at the hip ("downhill") carries more weight at its front end, just like a horse with a long back.
Neck and Head
A long neck is best since it's more flexible. Unlike with a horse's back, the topline of its neck should be twice as long as the underline.
Ideally, a horse's neck attaches to its body high up on its chest. This placement allows for a better slope in the shoulder. A low neck is also often heavier at its base.
A horse's neck should be approximately the same length as its front leg and 1.5 times the length of its head. It's important that the head is proportional to the rest of the horse's body since it helps the animal balance as it moves. A head that's too large and heavy concentrates weight at the horse's front end, while too small a head makes it difficult for the horse to counterbalance the weight of its rear end.
A horse's throatlatch is an imaginary line running behind its head (from its poll to its windpipe). The throatlatch should be about half the length of the horse's head. A horse with a thick, heavy throatlatch has trouble flexing at the poll and breathing when it does flex its head toward its chest.
A horse's eyes should be located about one third of the way between its poll and its nostrils. Imagine drawing a horizontal line from the outside of one eye to the outside of the other eye. The distance from the horse's poll to this line should be approximately the same length as the line. This setup allows there to be enough space for the horse's brain, sinuses, tear ducts, and breathing canals.
Horses sometimes have what's known as a Roman nose, in which the front of their face is rounded outward. That's not much of a problem except that their head is heavier. A more significant issue is platter jaw, in which the horse has excessively large jaws, making it harder to flex at the poll.
Slope of Shoulder
A horse's body can be divided into thirds: the length of its shoulder, the length of its back, and the length of its hip/hindquarters. These 3 sections should be roughly equal.
A horse's topline runs along its back, while its underline runs along its belly. The topline should be shorter than the underline. A long back is weak, and the horse has trouble bringing its hind legs up under its body when it moves. As a result, it places more weight on its front end, which is more jarring for the rider and can cause lameness in the horse.
Ideally, the distance from a horse's withers to the ground is equal to its body length (measured from its shoulder to its buttocks).
A horse's heart girth is measured from its withers to the bottom of its chest (chest floor). This distance should be approximately equal to the distance from the chest floor to the ground but greater than the depth of its flank (which is measured just in front of its hind legs). In other words, a horse needs to have enough room at the front of its body - in its chest - for its heart, lungs, and other organs.
A final point is that a horse's withers and hips should be at a similar height. It's not as much of an issue if the horse is higher at the withers ("uphill"). However, a horse that's higher at the hip ("downhill") carries more weight at its front end, just like a horse with a long back.
Neck and Head
A long neck is best since it's more flexible. Unlike with a horse's back, the topline of its neck should be twice as long as the underline.
Ideally, a horse's neck attaches to its body high up on its chest. This placement allows for a better slope in the shoulder. A low neck is also often heavier at its base.
A horse's neck should be approximately the same length as its front leg and 1.5 times the length of its head. It's important that the head is proportional to the rest of the horse's body since it helps the animal balance as it moves. A head that's too large and heavy concentrates weight at the horse's front end, while too small a head makes it difficult for the horse to counterbalance the weight of its rear end.
A horse's throatlatch is an imaginary line running behind its head (from its poll to its windpipe). The throatlatch should be about half the length of the horse's head. A horse with a thick, heavy throatlatch has trouble flexing at the poll and breathing when it does flex its head toward its chest.
A horse's eyes should be located about one third of the way between its poll and its nostrils. Imagine drawing a horizontal line from the outside of one eye to the outside of the other eye. The distance from the horse's poll to this line should be approximately the same length as the line. This setup allows there to be enough space for the horse's brain, sinuses, tear ducts, and breathing canals.
Horses sometimes have what's known as a Roman nose, in which the front of their face is rounded outward. That's not much of a problem except that their head is heavier. A more significant issue is platter jaw, in which the horse has excessively large jaws, making it harder to flex at the poll.
Slope of Shoulder
The slope of a horse's shoulder is measured from the point of its shoulder to the top of its shoulder blade (scapula). Imagine another line that's perpendicular to the ground (the black line on the image). The angle between these 2 lines is, ideally, 45°.
A horse with this slope for its shoulder has an easier time extending its legs forward. A horse with a steeper shoulder, however, has a more jarring stride. It also tends to have a shorter topline for its neck and a longer back - both conformation faults.
Hips and Hindquarters
The slope of a horse's hip should be similar to the slope of its shoulder. If its hip is too flat, the horse has trouble bringing its hind legs forward under its body. If its hip is too steep, the horse only has a limited range of motion for powering its movements.
A large hip is generally better since it has more power and muscles. A horse's hips should attach low to its gaskin muscles (the upper leg muscles). The hips should also be square, meaning that their length and width are equal.
Long hindquarters give a horse increased range for extending, while short hindquarters are more powerful. In either case, the hindquarters should not be too sloped or flat.
Different disciplines have different ideal proportions for their hind end. Imagine a triangle connecting the point of the hip, the point of the buttocks, and the stifle. For a dressage horse, the top of the triangle should be shorter than the 2 sides. For a jumper, all 3 sides of the triangle should be the same length.
Legs and Hooves
A horse with this slope for its shoulder has an easier time extending its legs forward. A horse with a steeper shoulder, however, has a more jarring stride. It also tends to have a shorter topline for its neck and a longer back - both conformation faults.
Hips and Hindquarters
The slope of a horse's hip should be similar to the slope of its shoulder. If its hip is too flat, the horse has trouble bringing its hind legs forward under its body. If its hip is too steep, the horse only has a limited range of motion for powering its movements.
A large hip is generally better since it has more power and muscles. A horse's hips should attach low to its gaskin muscles (the upper leg muscles). The hips should also be square, meaning that their length and width are equal.
Long hindquarters give a horse increased range for extending, while short hindquarters are more powerful. In either case, the hindquarters should not be too sloped or flat.
Different disciplines have different ideal proportions for their hind end. Imagine a triangle connecting the point of the hip, the point of the buttocks, and the stifle. For a dressage horse, the top of the triangle should be shorter than the 2 sides. For a jumper, all 3 sides of the triangle should be the same length.
Legs and Hooves
Conformational defects in a horse's legs affect the animal's movement and the way that impact with the ground travels up its legs. Excessive stress on certain areas can cause lameness. It is possible to correct some leg and hoof issues with hoof care or trimming, horseshoes, or surgery.
A horse with straight, correct legs does not tend to hit its legs against each other when it moves (known as interference). However, horses with certain conformational issues in their legs may tend to hit their legs together.
The cannon bone is a long bone in the lower leg. The cannon bones in the front legs should be shorter than the cannon bones in the rear.
A horse with straight, correct legs does not tend to hit its legs against each other when it moves (known as interference). However, horses with certain conformational issues in their legs may tend to hit their legs together.
The cannon bone is a long bone in the lower leg. The cannon bones in the front legs should be shorter than the cannon bones in the rear.
When you look at a horse's front legs from the front, you should be able to draw a straight line down each leg from the point of the shoulder to the ground. The line should divide each leg exactly in half, with the knee and hoof pointing forward.
Possible Defects of the Front Legs When Seen From the Front:
- bow-legged (knees sticking out sideways)
- knock-kneed (knees pointing inward)
- base-wide (toes far apart)
- base-narrow (toes close together)
- pigeon-toed (toes pointing inward)
- toes pointing outward
Possible Defects of the Front Legs When Seen From the Front:
- bow-legged (knees sticking out sideways)
- knock-kneed (knees pointing inward)
- base-wide (toes far apart)
- base-narrow (toes close together)
- pigeon-toed (toes pointing inward)
- toes pointing outward
When you look at a horse's front legs from the side, you should be able to draw a straight line from the centre of its scapula through the front edge of its knee and cutting its hoof in half. The legs should not angle forward or backward.
Possible Defects of the Front Legs When Seen From the Side:
- "camped out" (legs too far forward)
- "camped under" (legs too far back)
- calf knees (knees sticking out backward)
- buck knees (knees sticking out forward)
Possible Defects of the Front Legs When Seen From the Side:
- "camped out" (legs too far forward)
- "camped under" (legs too far back)
- calf knees (knees sticking out backward)
- buck knees (knees sticking out forward)
When you look at a horse's hind legs from behind, you should be able to draw a straight line from its buttock through its hock and fetlock. The back hooves will likely not be as straight, so they may point outward.
Possible Defects of the Hind Legs When Seen From Behind:
- base-wide (toes far apart)
- base-narrow (toes close together)
- bow-legged (knees sticking out sideways)
- cow-hocked (knees pointing inward)
Possible Defects of the Hind Legs When Seen From Behind:
- base-wide (toes far apart)
- base-narrow (toes close together)
- bow-legged (knees sticking out sideways)
- cow-hocked (knees pointing inward)
When you look at a horse's hind legs from the side, you should be able to draw a straight line through the point of its rump cheek, the back of its hock, and the back of its fetlock.
Possible Defects of the Hind Legs When Seen From the Side:
- sickle-hocked (too much of an angle to the hocks)
- post-legged (hocks are too straight)
- hoofs too far forward
Possible Defects of the Hind Legs When Seen From the Side:
- sickle-hocked (too much of an angle to the hocks)
- post-legged (hocks are too straight)
- hoofs too far forward
The pastern is located on top of a horse's hoof and absorbs the shock of the hoof landing on the ground. The pastern should have a similar angle to the slope of the shoulder - about 45° relative to the ground.
A pastern that is too short or straight is more jarring for riding. A pastern that is too long and sloped can cause too much flexing in the joint, putting pressure on the lower legs.
The pastern angle should be similar to that of the hoof. A horse with a hoof angle that's much steeper than its pastern angle is club-footed and more likely to develop lameness.
If the horse has a long toe and a short heel, it will have a long stride. If the horse has a short toe and a long heel, it will have a short stride.
Muscling
Evaluating muscling involves looking at both the quantity and quality of muscle. Muscle volume is the amount of muscle, while muscle definition refers to the degree of separation between the muscles.
The muscling on a horse depends on various factors, including its breed, its genetics, its diet, and the discipline in which it participates. In general, however, a horse's muscles should be smooth and well-defined over its whole body.
When evaluating a horse's muscling, examine the animal from the front, sides, and back. Particularly look at its chest, forearm, loin, stifle, and gaskin. The chest should have an upside down V shape. A horse's stifle should be the widest part when you look at the animal from behind.
Way of Going
Way of going refers to the way that a horse moves. Watch it moving from all angles and in all gaits to check that it is moving correctly.
When observing from the front, make sure that the horse's hooves are landing correctly. When watching from the side, make sure that its strides are the desired length (which will vary depending on the breed and discipline).
In any case, the horse should travel straight with its legs parallel. You want to make sure that there is no interference. The horse's hind legs should come forward smoothly to power its movement, but it should use its front and hind legs equally.
Breed and Sex Character
This aspect of conformation refers to how well the horse represents its breed and sex (male or female). There are often images of ideal horses for a particular breed on the breed organization's website or in a brochure, so you can compare the horse to the ideal animal. However, this aspect of conformation is probably the least important since a horse can do well in competitions even if it represents its breed poorly.
Try this worksheet to test your knowledge about horse conformation!
The muscling on a horse depends on various factors, including its breed, its genetics, its diet, and the discipline in which it participates. In general, however, a horse's muscles should be smooth and well-defined over its whole body.
When evaluating a horse's muscling, examine the animal from the front, sides, and back. Particularly look at its chest, forearm, loin, stifle, and gaskin. The chest should have an upside down V shape. A horse's stifle should be the widest part when you look at the animal from behind.
Way of Going
Way of going refers to the way that a horse moves. Watch it moving from all angles and in all gaits to check that it is moving correctly.
When observing from the front, make sure that the horse's hooves are landing correctly. When watching from the side, make sure that its strides are the desired length (which will vary depending on the breed and discipline).
In any case, the horse should travel straight with its legs parallel. You want to make sure that there is no interference. The horse's hind legs should come forward smoothly to power its movement, but it should use its front and hind legs equally.
Breed and Sex Character
This aspect of conformation refers to how well the horse represents its breed and sex (male or female). There are often images of ideal horses for a particular breed on the breed organization's website or in a brochure, so you can compare the horse to the ideal animal. However, this aspect of conformation is probably the least important since a horse can do well in competitions even if it represents its breed poorly.
Try this worksheet to test your knowledge about horse conformation!
| Conformation_worksheet.pdf |
You've now learned all about good conformation for the different parts of a horse, as well as possible conformational faults. It's easy to get caught up in the nitty-gritty details, but just take a step back and remember that, overall, conformation is about proportions - the ratios between body parts. Having body parts in the correct size and relationship to each other helps a horse succeed in its chosen discipline (but is not everything!).