BODY AND HEALTH
English
Conformation: What is good conformation? Balance
Conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other Although a horses basic body conformation will vary by breed, all horses should have basic "athletic" structural attributes. A horse’s conformation determines how well it can perform the functions asked of it.
Aspects of conformation include:
• straight legs or crooked legs, the length of the bones, the angles of the joints, the proportions and overall balance of the horse, desired muscling, length of neck and back, straightness of the top line and croup
To judge a horse’s conformation you will evaluate the horse at a standstill and while in motion.
The fore and hind legs should be evaluated for:
• straightness
• correct angles
• slope
• muscling
• proportion ...(Cont)
Teeth; floating
Floating means to smooth or contour your horse's teeth with a file (called a "float"). Unlike your own teeth, your horse's teeth keep growing. At times, your horse's teeth may develop sharp edges, making it difficult for her to chew food or simply hold a bit.
One sign that your horse's teeth may need to be floated is if she is consistently dropping food from her mouth and you start seeing signs of weight loss. Your horse may also exhibit behavior like head-tossing, undigested food particles in manure, excessive salivation, or opening her mouth frequently
(CONT.)
Cleaning and bathing
Horses can be bathed by being wet down with a garden hose or by being sponged off. Horses are often hosed off with water after a heavy workout as part of the cooling down process, and are often given baths prior to a horse show to remove every possible speck of dirt. They must be trained to accept bathing, as a hose and running water are unfamiliar objects and initially may frighten a horse. ...(Cont)
LEG AND FOOT:
Conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other Although a horses basic body conformation will vary by breed, all horses should have basic "athletic" structural attributes. A horse’s conformation determines how well it can perform the functions asked of it.
Aspects of conformation include:
• straight legs or crooked legs, the length of the bones, the angles of the joints, the proportions and overall balance of the horse, desired muscling, length of neck and back, straightness of the top line and croup
To judge a horse’s conformation you will evaluate the horse at a standstill and while in motion.
The fore and hind legs should be evaluated for:
• straightness
• correct angles
• slope
• muscling
• proportion ...(Cont)
Teeth; floating
Floating means to smooth or contour your horse's teeth with a file (called a "float"). Unlike your own teeth, your horse's teeth keep growing. At times, your horse's teeth may develop sharp edges, making it difficult for her to chew food or simply hold a bit.
One sign that your horse's teeth may need to be floated is if she is consistently dropping food from her mouth and you start seeing signs of weight loss. Your horse may also exhibit behavior like head-tossing, undigested food particles in manure, excessive salivation, or opening her mouth frequently
(CONT.)
Cleaning and bathing
Horses can be bathed by being wet down with a garden hose or by being sponged off. Horses are often hosed off with water after a heavy workout as part of the cooling down process, and are often given baths prior to a horse show to remove every possible speck of dirt. They must be trained to accept bathing, as a hose and running water are unfamiliar objects and initially may frighten a horse. ...(Cont)
LEG AND FOOT:
Leg: bones |
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