Head critique

Fanch · Apr 13, 2009

I was hoping you guys could give me a crittique of my geldings HEAD, its always the part of him that I find can look good at some angles, and HORRIBLE at others.

Also, for him, is there anything I can do to help/hide his head faults??

Here are some head shots of him (sorry for having to have links to the photos, but no matter how hard I try, if I post them here, I get really little pics)

Side view, close up

http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc111/S...nt=100_2276.jpg

Side view, far away

http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc111/S...=IPE2008083.jpg

Front on, close up

http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc111/S...Fair2007058.jpg

Front view, with body

http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc111/S...nt=HPIM0503.jpg

Thanks!

Jill · Apr 14, 2009

He does not have a bad head! His eye is very honest and I like this kind of an expression on a gelding

You might try him in a halter that just has conchos, vs. conchos and ferrules (if you have or can borrow one -- to see if it looks better). I was thinking to draw the judges' eyes to his eye with the concho. And possibly razor above his eye. Of his head, I think his eye is his most attractive feature

sdmini · Apr 14, 2009

He has what I consider a pretty typical mini head which is long from the eye to the muzzle. I personally love halters with all the "extras"

but have to restrain myself as some of mine has the less is more thing going on.

Personally I would get rid of both the ferrules and the conchos and move the halter up just a bit. Where it is set in the photo is where the "rule" is but I was talking with a trainer and they would move the halter up on the horses that were a tad long from the eye to the muzzle to "break it up" the length. I would probably switch the chain out for something lighter and shorter but that's personal opinion. I don't know your preference on facials but I've seen some pretty spectacular results.

All that said I agree with Jill in that he does not have a bad head.

susanne · Apr 14, 2009

Paige,

I really like that your boy has more of a "big-horse" head and not the cutesy "Pamela Anderson" head so common in minis. He reminds me of a hunter.

That said, I'd have the same criticism that I have of my gelding, Mingus -- the distance between eye and muzzle is much longer than that between eye and ear. I would want to break up the length, but at the same time play up his elegant, classic look. Experiment with your halter placement, as that will make a huge difference.

I like the wider noseband, but I think perhaps something a bit subtler than the solid expanse of "bling" -- perhaps either a color with gold or silver, such as the Double Diamond halte or a Showtime mixed metal (gold and silver) halter. I REALLY like the Schneider's Tack Bronze noseband -- stylish and classy, not cluttered with too much contrast.

Most conchos are way out of proportion for minis and do nothing to enhance. They need to be more than just a big, shiny oval on their face to add to the look. I have seen some smaller, different-shaped ones, but darned if I can find my booksmarks now!

I find most ferrules to be distracting at best and fussy at their worst.

You all know that I'm not a fan of shaving, so take this with a grain of salt: If you do it, be very judicious, as it can look bizarre and overdone on a dark horse -- you end up seeing the balding and not the horse himself. I personally would clip close and then use a bit of product for more of a satiny look.

Don't I just sound like Len on Dancing With the Stars? Sorry...He's a pretty horse!

hobbyhorse23 · Apr 15, 2009

I think his head looks fine! Kody, like Mingus and MacDuff, is much longer from eye to muzzle than eye to ear so I knew he needed so wider noseband and I'm being very careful in my placement as well. I hate the look of all but the best-done facials on a chestnut but find that on a black horse they often help quite a bit. Look at Devon's Wee Man! He looks great with a nice shave job. It's a lot easier to blend black skin with black hair than with anything else.

You've done an outstanding job grooming your boy in that photo outside the ring, he's very clean and his color is rich and dark. I think I like the bling on the noseband as it contrasts sharply with his darkness but to me the combination of conchos, throatlatch AND ferrules is a bit much. It overwhelms him and distracts from the horse. Take off the conchos and throat chain or use a different halter with no ferrules and definitely pull it up a tiny bit on his face. He would also look nice in a halter with a flared patent noseband, maybe in a nice maroon with silver trim?

The best thing you can do for him is tons of driving. His biggest problem (in that one full-body photo at least) is that like Kody he's pretty upside down and sort of unfinished-looking. I'm amazed and thrilled by what two years of concentrated dressage and chiropractic work has done for Kody's topline; not only has his neck turned rightside up with a real crest and everything, but even his mushy chest connection looks higher and cleaner!

I can't change how he's built and he's never going to be a halter horse but he sure looks great standing around and I love to set him up for pictures now.

It's nice to see you back on the forum Paige! I'll reply to your email as soon as I get a chance.

Leia