Confo Critique on Appy Paso fino Cross

Hey, this is my first post, I've been lurking for awhile now.

Anyway, this is Rocky, he's 12yrs and I mostly use him for trails. I'm thinking of starting him on a little bit of jumping, nothing big just 2' or so. I'm not very good with confirmation, and would like to know if there is anything I should be aware of that may cause problems in the future. And don't be nice. I want to know exactly what I have, but I will love him to death no matter what.

Thank you!

P.S sorry for the photos these are from last summer and he is a bit under muscled. If you need other ones just let me know, and I can go out and take them, he will be just a bit fuzzy, and fat from winter.

I don't care for that cross at all - at least not in his case. His conformation is a bit jumbled up all over the place. That doesn't mean he cannot be a good trail horse, of course - just that his conformation is a bit odd...sort of Appy in front and Paso in the rear. I have a couple of odd ones myself. Out of curiosity, is he gaited?

I wouldn't jump this horse...at least not competitively. Messing around dinking over jumps at home is one thing and any horse can do if, if not do it well.

He's got a long back and, unless he's seriously undermuscled, his back looks to be roached. His hind end is weak and he's very long through the gaskin. I don't like his hind end angles at all. They're very "gaited horse" to me and won't do him any favors when he's trying to jump. His hocks are set high, as well.

Like Face said, it looks they cut each breed in half and stuck one half from each together in the middle.
Posted via Mobile Device

I'm with these two ^. I could see him having a very nice riding gait for trails, but not much with jumping. His long back could make that difficult and could be something you'll want to watch for. Try doing some exercises to lift his back and increase his muscling there, that way he'll be able to take a little more jumping. As the others said, he looks beefy and appy in the front and very paso in the back. In his overall look his neck looks to be a teeny bit short but that may just be because of how he looks like two breeds on opposite halves He is cute nonetheless though. I like his blanket

Thank you guys, I never noticed that he was two different horses smashed together in anything but color. So no jumping for him, I'll jus keep him my trail pony.

@Faceman he is kinda gaited ish when he wants to be, but I haven't figured out how to get him to do it all the time.

@cowgirl928 I'm doing some cavalaties, and hill therapy for his back and butt. Hopefully he will be a bit stronger in his back this year.

Sorry, I haven't figured out how to do the reply thing yet still trying to get the hang of it.

I thought almost exactly what the others did; that he looks like two different horses sewn together. His coloration is really lovely.

I'm sure he will do just fine. My personal riding horse is a conformational train wreck, but he is a go anywhere/do anything guy with a fantastic disposition, and I wouldn't trade him for the best conformed horse in the world...

I have to chuckle, because in his case his coloration makes the front/rear conformation difference sort of jump out at you. I suspect if he were solid or had just a small blanket it wouldn't be quite so apparent...

He is my favorite horse, confo defects and all.

I have a horse that everyone raves about conformation wise, but she falls on her hind foot every once in awhile, and nobody can figure out why. So she can only be ridden at a walk, but this guy has never taken an unsound step in his life. Which is why I wanted to use him as the horse I take jumping lessons on. At least he looks nice even though he is a bit thrown together.