Conformation does not equal confirmation

And it's unlikely to change much with age.

[ADDENDUM, 1/29/12:

Conformation: the shape or proportionate dimensions, esp. of an animal
Confirmation:  the process of supporting a statement by evidence


Thanks, Merriam-Webster!


Example:  She was able to provide absolute confirmation that the horse had terrible conformation.]


I think one of the most overlooked parts of the horse is leg straightness.  Especially through the knee.  The knee is a very important part of the front leg assembly.  It takes a lot of the shock from hard landings after jumping, feinting while chasing cows, and just general trot-canter-gallop wear & tear.

I am seeing an awful lot of calf-kneed horses today.  It's a fault that can cause huge problems.  The stability a calf-kneed horse feels through it's joints is a lot like how a woman feels when she wears a high-heeled shoe backwards.  It puts a lot of strain on the knee joint, and all the major suspensory ligaments and tendons that run down the back of the leg.  Unfortunately, my dear Chevy has this fault.

Here she is as a 2 year old.

See how her leg seems to bend backwards at the knee?  A lot of people don't notice this.  The fault of being "over at the knee" is a lot more noticeable, but fortunately for the over at the knee horse, it's a much less serious fault.

Some horses are lucky enough to grow out of their calf knees--at least a little bit.  Chevy did, but not before she bowed a tendon because of it.  It took 4 months of hand walking rehab to repair.

Here she is at 6 years old, and her knees have straightened out a lot.  I also had a great farrier to help me with this.  But she'd never hold up to high impact sports.

I had a lot of people asking me early on if I would breed her because of her color, temperament, color, trainability, color, "she's so pretty", or whatever--even if she were lucky enough to have papers, those front legs take her out of the breeding ring for good.