Roscreigh Stable

Conformation Analysis

My intention for this page is to help we who love the gypsy horse to better understand the architecture of a cob vs a full sized draft horse or a riding horse.

Excerpts are primarily from: Conformation Analysis Is your horse a riding horse? By Deb Bennett, PhD
supported by; The Horse Conformation Handbook by Heather Smith Thomas

The Riding Horse

The primary requirement of a riding horse is to bear a rider’s weight upon the freespan of his back without strain. Ideally, the horse coils his loins, “rounds up” and goes onto the bit easily, and his conformation contributes to his success and his continuing soundness. Therefore, riding horses possess the following structural requirements:

• an excellent loin coupling, which is broad, short, smooth and strong, yet flexible for coiling. The circumference about the loin and groin is about the same as the heart girth.
• overall body balance that is nearly level or even “uphill.”
• a short or medium freespan of the back.
• a neck that is set high on the shoulder, meaning that the vertebral curve at the base of the neck is shallow. This shape of neck naturally tends to arch and “turn over” well.
• a long shoulder, covering a deep chest. Depending on the horse’s use, his shoulder angle can range from fairly steep (about 62 degrees) to well laid-back (about 45 degrees).
• a medium to wide chest.
• withers that are at least moderately high, with spines that slope well backwards. The peak of the withers lies well behind the elbow.
• a pelvis that constitutes at least 30 percent of the body length and slopes from 18 to 22 degrees.
• a relatively long thighbone (femur), conveying a slow, smooth hind stride.
• “normal” stifle and hock angles.
• well-aligned limbs with large, square joints. They are also substantial—cannon-tendon circumference equals eight inches or more per 1,000 pounds of weight. It’s especially important for riding horses to have broad hocks as seen from front or rear.
• total body weight less than 1,450 pounds.

Weight-carrying ability—the single most important characteristic of riding horses—is not conferred by increased height. Statistics from South American military trials, as well as from North American endurance tests, indicate that weight-carrying ability is primarily a function of body breadth, especially over the top of the loins. Few tall horses -- over 16 hands -- meet the breadth requirement while at the same time staying within the weight limit. Potential soundness plummets as weight exceeds 1,450 pounds. Therefore, a smart rider chooses a broad-backed horse that is just tall enough to fit him.
THE CONFORMATION OF THE IDEAL RACEHORSE IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE IDEAL RIDING HORSE.

The Racehorse
While it’s true that many racehorses are ridden, weight-carrying is not the goal of racing. Sheer speed is. Thus, the nature of the task makes the conformation of the ideal racehorse quite different from the conformation of the ideal riding horse. This is particularly true concerning body balance. Although lightness is desirable in a riding horse, on the racetrack it is “the kiss of death,” because any racehorse that becomes light while running -- raises his forehand relative to his hindquarters -- will transfer support to the hind legs and slow down. Racehorses are therefore built “downhill,” and the shorter the distance over which the horse was bred to be raced, the more downhill his body balance is likely to be. When the structure of the racehorse is compared to that of the riding horse these similarities and differences are evident:
• The loin is longer and narrower over the top, permitting maximum flexibility for deepest loin-coiling.
• Overall body balance is downhill.
• The freespan of the back is medium (in timber racers, steeplechasers and horses going more than a mile) to long (in sprinters and milers).
• The neck is light, flat and projects straight to the front, meaning that it is set lower on the shoulder and that the vertebral column within forms a deeper, more open curve at the base.
• The shoulder is very long, covering a maximally deep chest.
• The chest is narrow, but not so narrow that the forelimbs interfere with one another.
• The withers are the same as in a riding horse.
• The pelvis is longer than 33 percent of the body length and slopes close to 22 degrees.
• The femur is relatively short, conferring a quick, efficient stroke.
• The angles at stifle and hock are wide open, guaranteeing the efficient transfer of thrust energy from the rump muscles to the ground.
• The limbs are the same as in a riding horse, though even small misalignments (offsets, rotations, deviations) or errors in hoof trimming (unbalanced feet) are much more likely to cause breakdowns in working racehorses. Ideally, the front limbs must meet the minimum requirement for substance and are perfectly aligned.
• The total weight does not exceed 1,450 pounds.

The Carriage Horse

This classification includes any horse bred primarily for harness, whether meant for pulling heavy carriages, stylishly stepping along in front of a buggy or racing in front of a sulky. Warmbloods, which were until 50 years ago primarily adapted for carriage use, still show many carriage-horse characteristics. The carriage horse compares to the riding horse in the following ways:

• The loin is the same; frequently deep in the flank from loin to groin.
• Overall body balance is the same; often slightly uphill.
• The freespan of the back is the same—short to medium.
• The neck is long and set lower on the shoulder and high on the chest, coupling an elegant appearance with a naturally high head carriage giving the horse ability to flex at the poll traveling well.
• The shoulder slopes backwards considerably in the heavier types, to facilitate the wearing of a collar. Sloping shoulders confer low, sweeping movement unless they are coupled at greater than 90 degrees with a long, steep arm. For maximum “motion” in the lighter breeds, the shoulder is fairly steep—about 60 degrees—and the angle formed at the point of shoulder is wider open than 90 degrees.
• The chest is wide or very wide
• The back is broad and strong.
• The withers are moderate.
• The pelvis is 30 percent of the body length, but a shorter pelvis is not a great disadvantage. Likewise, the pelvis can be more toward the horizontal.
• The femur is medium to long, the horse must be able to pick up front and hind feel extending well.
• The angles at stifle and hock are “normal.” The hocks are broad in front or rear view.
• Knee action is adequate to negotiate bad footing or mud.
• The limbs are substantial and well aligned.
• The horse’s weight is in accordance with the weight of the vehicle he is expected to pull.

WARMBLOODS, WHICH WERE UNTIL 50 YEARS AGO
PRIMARILY ADAPTED FOR CARRIAGE USE, RETAIN
MANY CARRIAGE-HORSE CHARACTERISTICS.

This list makes it clear that in many ways, carriage horses are like riding horses. To change a carriage breed into a riding breed strictly in terms of form, a horseman only has to select for a medium-length, arched neck set high on the shoulders, and a sloping pelvis; the other characteristics stay the same. However, it is important to note that there is no upper weight limit for the carriage horse; therefore, to convert the heavier breeds, the weight must be reduced. An easy way to achieve these goals is to cross carriage breeds with Thoroughbreds or Arabians. This was first done in the early 19th century by the creators of the Standardbred.

The Draft Horse

Horses of draft type existed in western Europe and the British Isles before mankind domesticated the species Equus caballus.. However, I am referring to what most people today consider draft horses to be—tall, massive animals suitable for pulling the heaviest loads. The giant size of the modern draft breeds is a product of the advent of railroads. By 1850, huge, massive animals standing more than 16 hands and weighing at least 2,000 pounds were being produced in Britain and on the Continent to take loads to the railway stations. Such massiveness stretches the biomechanical limits of the equine body and imposes strict limitations on what draft horses can do and remain sound. The structure of the draft horse compares to that of the riding horse in the following ways:

• The loin is very strong, the horse deep in the flanks and belly. Although a good drafter has a broad back, in many the coupling is not very smooth.
• The overall body balance is as in a racehorse—downhill to keep the traction against the collar and the angle of draft low.
• The freespan of the back is the same as in a racehorse—medium to long to keep the animal on the forehand.
• The neck is of medium length and set very high on the shoulder. This facilitates wearing the collar, as well as pulling ability. Many draft horses have beautifully shaped and set necks.
• The shoulder slopes but can be more upright to facilitate leaning weight into a collar for pulling.
• The chest is wide or very wide but not excessively so. The front legs myst not be too far apart, if so concussive forces from the front feet will cause injury.
• The withers are moderate set lower due to the shoulder angle.
• The pelvis is 30 percent of the body length and as steep as 35 degrees to make starting the load easier, a maneuver that requires the drafter to coil his loins powerfully, then dig in with hind and forelegs.The rear legs appear wide at the hip, narrower at the hocks fetlocks and feet.
• The femur is short, conferring both first-gear “jump-start” capabilities and “granny-low” for all-day traction.
• The angles at stifle and hock are “normal” or somewhat straight, as in racehorses, to ensure efficient thrust against the ground. It is as important for a draft horse to have wide hocks and thick stifle. The hock set is fairly low for maximum leverage while "digging in".
• The limbs are substantial and well aligned short and solid for pulling power and stability. Joints are large and strong to make up for less bone mass per pound than a riding horse.
• Feet are large and wide, deep at the heel.
• Pasterns can be more upright than a riding horse due to less concussion to dissipate. He does not work at speed. Pasterns too upright are a fault.
• No matter what the animal’s height, his total weight is in accordance with the weight of the load he is expected to pull.

This list shows that in many ways, draft horses are more similar to racehorses than they are to riding horses. The advantages that a well-conformed draft stallion would bring to a riding-horse breeding program would be to improve the shape of the neck and the lay-back of the shoulder and perhaps to broaden the back. Crosses between draft and other types produce cobs, which can be very good riding horses. Because both have downhill body balance, the cross between draft and race types is the least likely to produce balanced riding horses.
Nor are draft horses particularly adapted to bearing weight; huge size does not confer weight-carrying ability. Moreover, great weight predisposes unsoundness. Although they have increased the animals’ weight through selective breeding, draft-horse producers have been unable to obtain a proportional increase in bone. No large draft horse possesses eight inches of bone per 1,000 pounds of weight—by this standard, a 2,000-pound drafter would have to have a 16-inch cannon-tendon circumference. Statistics instead show that modern draft horses average only five inches of bone per 1,000 pounds (10 inches of bone on the 2,000-pound horse). This is fine, so long as the adult animal is never expected to produce suspended gaits and does most of his work at a walk. However, since suspension—thrusting the body clear of the ground—is a necessary quality in riding horses that trot or canter, they cannot be massive and be expected to remain sound.