Thursday, February 13, 2014

Conformation Clinic - Request

I have a proposition for you. In the past I've done conformation analyses of my horses and there seemed to be some interest in having me analyze readers' horse's conformation.

For my equine exercise physiology class we're using a neat program called On Track to look at conformation and movement. It's much cooler than my little MS Paint pictures that I did for Jetta's conformation. It can do angles and lengths, all sorts of nifty things.

We have to do a final project for the class and I've decided to analyze conformation for dressage. Basically modeling it after the conformation clinic you'd see in Practical Horseman. I'd like to compare 5 horses. I have a limited amount of time with this program and free time in general, so depending on how many pictures I get I might not be able to do them all. But, hopefully I can!

Requirements:

  • Horse must be set up properly (square or "open" stance), preferably on hard, level ground. Ideally not standing in tall grass or deep arena footing.
  • No woolly mammoths. A little fuzz is okay, but the furrier they are the harder it is to analyze.
  • I don't care if they're braided or in a halter or really if they're all that clean.
  • You have to be ok with me potentially using the picture in my project. Only my teacher is going to see it. I'd like to share some on the blog (I promise I won't tear them to shreds!), but if you don't want it to be, specify that in your email.
  • Good quality photos only, no cell phone pictures.
  • Include name, age, height and breed.
  • Doesn't have to be a dressage horse. I'd like to get a range of body types so jumpers, western, endurance, whatever!

Good photo except for the grass!


I'm really hoping people will take me up on this. I'm definitely not an expert on conformation, but I like to think I'm well educated, though everyone will have their own opinion on conformation.

Let me know if you have any questions and if you'd like to help me out, send a picture with the horse's information to skybluequestrian@aol.com


17 comments:

  1. I sent a couple as well. Fun project!!

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  2. This sounds like a fun project!

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  3. Gonna go see if I can find a good photo of my boy. :) Sounds cool!

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  4. Just sent some. Good luck with your project! :D

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  5. Cool! I will check my pictures tonight. Any interest in doing a young horse...say 6 months old?

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    1. I could try. I have zero knowledge in evaluating young horses and I know it's definitely different than for a mature horse. I'm going to see if there are any resources out there on what you're "supposed" to look for...

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  6. DO ME DO ME! I'm such a conformation idiot. Sending you pictures now!

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  7. Sending some! I need to better my confo skills/eye!

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  8. I sent you some of Dancer. I also have shots from the day I first saw him. He's underweight, but standing square, and I got him right, left, front, back.

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  9. I will be sending you some of my Fjord mare!

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  10. I need to see what kind of pictures I have but I will totally send some! Might have to take some this weekend! :)

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  11. Can you do my three?

    Parker: http://imgur.com/r0N0FqU

    William: http://imgur.com/dbpa3cS

    Penny: http://imgur.com/hOM2LbC

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    1. Parker: 5 year old 17.1h OTTB

      William: 6 year old 16.1 h Trak/Tb

      Penny: 7 year old 16.2 OTTB

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