Conformation #1
Face conformation common in Arabian horses where the face is concave below the eyes or forehead
What is a "Dish Face"
A foot lacking normal concavity in the sole
What is "Flat footed"
A horse that has one or both forefeet that turn towards each other when viewed from the front
What is "Pigeon Toed" or "Toed-in"
A horse with an extremely low wither. Very hard to keep a saddle in place.
What is a "Mutton Wither"
Also known as "splay footed" the horses toes point outward
What is "Toed-out"
A neck that is short, thick and difficult to flex
What is a "Bull Neck"
What is "Parrot Mouth"
Also known as hollow backed. A back that dips downwards. Common in some horses as they age
What is a "Sway Back"
A horse with a convex curvature of the spine between the withers and the loins
What is "Roach Backed"
From side view, legs from hock region down are angled in under body (excessive angulation of the hock joints)
What is "Sickle Hocks"
The bottom teeth are more forward than the top. The bottom jaw protrudes farther forward than the upper jaw
What is "Sow Mouth" or "Monkey Mouth" or "Bulldog Mouth"
Ears that flop or droop to the side and hang down in a pendulous fashion
What are "lop ears"
A conformation defect in which the hock joints are turned to the outside
What are "Bowed Hocks"
Horse said to have a convex face; the nasal bone protrudes when the head is viewed from the side
What is a "Roman Nose"
Where distance between hooves is less than distance between the limbs where they originate at the chest when viewed from the front
What is "Base Narrow"
Short steep croup that narrows at the point of the buttocks
What is "Goose Rumped"
A horse having small, deep set, narrow, squinty eyes with thick lids
What is "Pig-eyed"
Distance between hooves on ground is greater than distance between the limbs where they originate in the chest when viewed from the front
What is "Base Wide" conformation
Said of a horse who's ribs are neither rounded nor well sprung resulting in the look of a straight side instead of a curved side
What is "Slab sided" or "Flat sided" or "Slat sided"
Well rounded, arched ribs allowing ample room for expansion of the heart and lungs
What are "Well Sprung Ribs"
Another name for "Bow Legged"
What is "Bandy-Legged"
Cannon bones on front legs are offset to the outside of the knee when viewed from the front
What are "Bench Knees" or "offset knees"
Firm prominent swelling/enlargement of the flexor tendon at the back of the cannon bone due to strain or injury
What is a "Bowed Tendon"
Also known as sacroiliac desmitis - severe strain of the sacroiliac ligaments.
What is a "Hunters Bump"
Medial Deviation of the hock joints. Hocks when viewed from behind deviate inwards towards the body
What are "Cow hocks"