# Anyone interested in critique/conformational analysis?



## nootka (Aug 8, 2007)

Here is a weanling gelding. Would love for people to point out and discuss what they see about this guy that they like or don't like.










These photos were taken at 4 and 3 months, respectively.

Here are some "moving" pics:









If you want to see more, you can go here:

Raftered Hearts TNT

C'mon and join me and learn what makes something "right" or "wrong" and learn a little about why we like what we do, and when it all boils down to aesthetics.

Even if you plain ol' don't like his color, or his expression, feel free to say it. He is a gelding, he is mine, and I am quite proud of him though I am also fully aware he is not perfect.

If you'd like to msg me privately with your responses, I am fine with that, too.

I will come back and post photos of his older brother as a weanling, too, just for comparison and learning because I've posted him before for critique and his flaws are pretty well-known though maybe not to the newer to the board.

I think regardless of height or age, conformational defects can be well understood and applied to whatever someone's "taste" is in horses, though sometimes when you're in the ring, or buying, it does boil down to a matter of taste as in color or height, or type.

Liz M.


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## rockin r (Aug 8, 2007)

What I would like is to see him running in "MY PASTURE" :bgrin


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## Jill (Aug 8, 2007)

Liz, you already know I like him a lot!!!!

I love his head, the shape to his neck, the set of his neck, his throat latch, his tailset, his long clean legs, his expression (cocky -- I love that!), and it's a hard to tell from the pics, but looks like his ears are also nice and tight.

Only thing I'd maybe do with a magic wand is give him a longer neck... but not even sure on that because you're not having him "give" his neck in the pictures.

He's one of my favorite '07 babies (and it's a short list for me!!!).


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## disneyhorse (Aug 8, 2007)

Oh Nootka... there's not much conformationally weak about that one, there... especially as a gelding! You have a right to be very proud of him!!!

If I had a "magic wand" too... I would make a longer neck and thinner throatlatch (fortunately for him he will be gelded, so it won't get worse!), shorter back (although I actually prefer a longer back), and a little more action.

But no, he is an excellent example of a well-conformed horse.

Andrea

Oh, guess I could be MORE positive in the critique, too... to be balanced





What I like is he is balanced overall, has a very attractive head and eye, his neck set is 45 degrees or more, shoulder is laid back (sloped back) just enough, topline is flat and tailset is high, he has a nice hip, not too straight in the stifle, angles of his legs are good, angles of his hooves appear fine, and I hope he maintains all that as he grows and matures! He's wonderful!


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## _minihorses4ever_ (Aug 8, 2007)

All I know is I have loved him ever since he was born.. And I think he is one heck of a gelding!


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## just2minis (Aug 8, 2007)

I am not a good "judge" of conformation but I know I like him



: Maybe a "tad" long in the back.

He is handsome !


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## Miniequine (Aug 8, 2007)

Liz,

If he were produced at my farm,,, I would be VERY proud!

I like him. The gelding classes I have watched this year

have been extremely competitive and I think he would

fit right in.

I love his head and flowing BALANCED body. The second picture seems to

make his neck appear shorter, but the 1st picture , where he is

"showing" he looks WOW.

His back may be a tiny, hair long but that could be the angle of

the picture. He really looks square to me.

I love that he is a Chestnut (not my favorite coat color) yet I

find him very appealing to look at.

I would be happy to have him in my barn.



:

~Sandy


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## CKC (Aug 8, 2007)

I'm not a good "critiquer", but just wanted to comment that I've liked him from the first picture you posted of him.

Kim


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## Reble (Aug 8, 2007)

Everyone always say there is no perfect horse? Than what is wrong with him? :bgrin


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## ChrystalPaths (Aug 8, 2007)

Gosh I wouldn't know what to criticize! I love him all over!


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## Gizzmoe (Aug 8, 2007)

I really like him. He is a pretty boy



: I am not sure if it is the pics or just the way he is standing but he does look like he toes out in the back. Other than that he looks great.


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## George (Aug 8, 2007)

I have no business commentiong on him at all but I'm going to. To me he has a beautiful neck and face and of course the rest of him looks really nice too! He's the type of horse that causes a lot of wishful thinking :aktion033: I think he is beautiful!!!


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## MiniHoofBeats (Aug 8, 2007)

Nice! Very nice!!!


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## Crabby-Chicken (Aug 8, 2007)

I think he is fat, and that red color,,, gross.... And he has goofy white rimmed eyes. He is too smart for his own good. And his legs are too long.

There that should cover it all. He reminds me of someone I know.....


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## Fred (Aug 8, 2007)

:bgrin I really really like him. How could I critique something so close to perfection!


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## nootka (Aug 8, 2007)

Why, shucks, everyone, thank you....I am glad to see I am not really all that barnblind when I find it hard to fault him too heavily.

Gizzmoe has a good eye, he DOES toe out (more on the right than the left) behind, though we are working to keep that straight and honest as he grows with frequent trims.

When he shows his neck, which none of the pics show very well, he does have a nice throatlatch, but I do think it could be a teeny bit cleaner, alright, with more "hook" to it maybe?

And a tad shorter back would also be nice, but hey, he IS a gelding, and I am fairly certain he's the best quality we've produced.

I so want to pursue the same cross in 2008 for a 2009 full sister to him.

I'll get those pics of his brother at the same ages for comparison....I think he's going to surpass Mouse once he's mature provided nothing falls apart. *knock on wood*

Liz


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## Devon (Aug 8, 2007)

Ok I was looking at your boy today actually!! You knwo I LOVE this horses expression and head he is so striking for having a "plain" solid colour he really strikes me. I want to steal his head for Zorro



I liek zorros head but I like pyros better so lets mix and match LOL.



: I wish pyro just had one littlle white marking somewhere



: He has a nice little neck on him too



: Want to send him here to play with Zorro for a show season



. They could be Show colts togetehr LOL Im trying to convince you if you ahvent figured it out yet LOL.



:

Anyone want to do Zorro privatly even



:


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## lyn_j (Aug 9, 2007)

Liz I love this boy.... that first pic of him reaching out his neck is perfection. He is far better than most stallions I have seen here and other places. I admire you for gelding him..... you are a very responsible breeder and he should do VERY well in the show ring.

Lyn


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## nootka (Aug 9, 2007)

Thanks, everyone...it is partly because I think he is SO great that I did geld him.

I have no use for him as a stallion and since I am committed to getting him the RIGHT home (haha that's getting more of an IF with every day), he has to be a gelding to stay here and reach his maximum potential as an all-around horse.

His sire and dam still produce, and while I may never get another Pyro in 20 breedings, I can try!

Even so, he has at least 20 years worth of active, sound life (barring anything unforeseen), that is perfectly fine.






I think he has almost unlimited potential in the right hands.

He's just that much nicer than his big brother, Mouse, who's nice, but needs some refining, etc. 

L.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Aug 9, 2007)

You know I love Pyro, he's a very nice looking little fellow!! I can't believe I got that first photo of him. I clicked the shutter and then went "Wow!" :new_shocked:



:

There are things that could be improved on any horse and he's no exception but they're pretty hard to find on this colt. I'd like to see his neck slightly longer and definitely thinner on the bottom, I have the feeling it may thicken up slightly as he ages from what I've seen in person. I LOVE his hip and tail, they are just awesome from any angle and in any pose. I wish Pyro's trot action was a little freer but he did pretty well coming from a Gallopin' Daddy like Falcon! LOL After all, he was bred for halter, not driving, and he is clearly an excellent halter horse. I expect he'll take after both father and brother and be a solid, broad boy when he's grown which is good for driving power if not something I particularly look for in a mini. His head looks wonderful in profile but the individual pieces seem a little odd to my Arab-accustomed eye, like his nostrils are slightly wrinkled or something. But it sure makes a pleasing overall picture! And remember, these issues are about type and personal taste, not correctness.

I love my chestnuts but I do wish he had some smidgen of white somewhere. He's good enough to stand out even with a monochrome palette, but just think how striking he'd be with white socks or a blaze! :new_shocked: Oh, be still my heart. :538:

That's it, that's all I can find on him. I LOVE his round sturdiness, his legs and hip, and the afore-mentioned eye whites. (I've got two like that, after all!) His attitude is fun and will provide a wonderful challenge for his trainer. Yes, to me that's a compliment! :lol: He has an AWESOME chest, clean and blocky and perfect for harness in a couple of years. I drool every time I see it. He's just...impressive.

Leia


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## Crabby-Chicken (Aug 9, 2007)

Actually Leia,,





: Falcon has done well in halter, obstacle, and jumping and pretty soon in driving, I hope. He can trot fairly well,,, only when a Falcon wants too! So I know that Pyro will be a well rounded boy. If he were one of the thin chested boy models he probably wouldn't be able to pull it all off. He looks like he will put muscle on like his daddy. That is what I like best about him. He looks like he has been worked when he has.

I hope Liz gets a female version in a year and a half!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Aug 10, 2007)

Crabby-Chicken said:


> Actually Leia,,
> 
> 
> 
> : Falcon has done well in halter, obstacle, and jumping and pretty soon in driving, I hope. He can trot fairly well,,, only when a Falcon wants too!


I know he has! Falcon is awesome and I didn't mean anything negative by my comment. I was only referring to his tendency you've joked about to gallop the entire liberty class instead of trotting. :lol: Some horses, big or little, prefer to gallop rather than trot and when you're looking for a driving horse, you want one who prefers to trot. It doesn't mean the galloper can't do it and do it well!

Leia


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## Crabby-Chicken (Aug 10, 2007)

I know... I just had to protect my soft hearted red stallions virtue! HeeHee! He said he won't make no more babies for me if anyone picks on him!

Yes he does love to gallop,, he hears my friend Yvonne tell me.... "don't let him gallop on me". So he thinks it is a cool thing to do! He is such a neat horse he wants to try and do everything he can, that we ask him. It is kinda fun to push him to see how far he can go.


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## shalamara minis (Aug 10, 2007)

Only thing I see wrong is he is in your pasture not mine!!! LOL

He looks great!


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## nootka (Aug 10, 2007)

Mouse, 6 weeks old.



(pyro is 8 weeks old, here)




Mouse at five months.



Pyro's four months in this pic.

I SHOULD have Liz McMillan pics of Pyro in the next 24 hours or so.... 

Thanks, everyone, I do think he's very nice and like Leia, I see things I could fix, but they are relatively small and don't really relate to soundness as much as aesthetics.

It will be fun to see what he's like as a yearling. Mouse really looked amazing as a yearling.

Yep, some white woulda been nice, but for some reason Mr. Falcon couldn't find those 48 white hairs on his forehead and double or triple them to make not even one teeny star. No socks anywhere (except Gramma, who's pinto) so what can ya do?

L.


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## whitney (Aug 10, 2007)

I would of held off with the knife on this one if he were mine. You can always cut but its impossible to paste.


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## Crabby-Chicken (Aug 10, 2007)

HeeHee, Whitney,,,

I am actually asking people that breed to my stallion to geld the colts. I am glad that Liz is of the same mind set as I am. She did it on her own. It is the only way to support the stallions out there. Everyone wants to get a cheap stallion it seems like.


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## nootka (Aug 10, 2007)

Yep, even my vet thought I was nuts as he is not a "fan" of most mini stallions, but said this guy was the nicest one he'd seen that looked right and had good proportions plus he liked his attitude.

Falcon makes beautiful babies, and if I were keeping him intact, I would be very PROUD of him as such, but I have no use for a stallion that is related to over 50% of my herd right now (though I wish I coulda "saved" a sample for Lailah, she and he woulda been phenomenal).

Noone was stepping forward wanting a solid red breeding stallion with a price that I considered reasonable, soooooo he's sterile but maximized potential OTHER than making babies.

I so hope I get a filly like him, I don't even care that she would be solid. My first love is correctness and good proportions, attitude and THEN color. Obviously as all my herd save for one is solid.

Thanks so much for the compliments...I am looking forward to his life most especially training him and competing with him until he sells (if he sells.)

Liz


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