Conformation flaws you'd overlook in a racehorse

Talk about upcoming sales or auction results.

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Crystal
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Postby Crystal » Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:27 pm

A horse can't do anything about their conformation faults, but we can modify their training to help prevent injuries and do our best to heal any they have or maybe prone too. We can also help potential foals by not breeding mares to sires that may also have the same conformational flaw.

I believe Bob Baffert touches on conformational flaws he doesnt mind and could work with in either his book or the Blood Horse conformation video. Say what you want about BB but he gets results with horses who have known conformation flaws.

Mood Swings
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Postby Mood Swings » Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:19 pm

Wow Barcaldine, before I even finished reading your post I looked up Double Set on my APR. Thanks for sharing!
"People come and go but horses leave hoofprints on your heart"

Tappiano
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Postby Tappiano » Sat Dec 10, 2011 3:47 pm

I have done a lot of reading the past year or so on conformation so I might, while stallion shopping for my mare, be able to "spot" certain things.

I'd say unbalanced in that the angle of the shoulder in relation to the angle of the pastern differ would be something I would stay away from for ME because I know my mare is going to throw tons of leg and bone and I don't want short, upright pasterns trying to support that weight. The more balanced stallions seem to have pasterns that are slightly longer and I don't mind that as they can grow into longer pasterns. Northern Dancer's pasterns were really long as a foal and he grew up to do pretty well :D

Offset knees, toeing in or out does not bother me, but a club foot does. I'm not sure about small feet and whether small feet are part of the leg and bone gene or not but if they aren't I would probably stay away from that too.

Good discussion, I am always eager to learn and hear others thoughts.

Maybe as a secondary discussion we could talk about actual physical traits you know your mare will always pass on and how that influences your decision on a mate?

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Joltman
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Postby Joltman » Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:19 pm

Barcaldine wrote:
I dont know what the moral of this story is except perhaps that there are no hard-and-fast rules in this game. And that those of us who breed horses must be the most insane of all the players in the horse industry.


Great story. How many of us have gone down a similar road in the 'hope springs eternal' mindset. But you followed your gut about the female family and it was right.

One last question and a comment

- where does a grad student get horse money?
- have enjoyed your posts of late Barcaldine ...

jm
Run the race - the one that's really worth winning.

vallygirl927
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Postby vallygirl927 » Sun Dec 11, 2011 8:45 pm

I loved your story Barcaldine!!! :-)

Barcaldine
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Postby Barcaldine » Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:25 am

Joltman, to answer your question--even during high school and college I bought and sold a few horses, and those earnings, plus whatever I had saved at my part-time job, started me going. I was very fortunate at the age of 17 to have sold for $13,500 a mare I had bought two years earller for $1800. Finding diamonds in the rough has been my avocation/vocation for many years.

Thanks for your comments