Taking proper conformation photos

I seriously doubt she'll ever be considered "pretty", but if she's functional, that's all that matters.

I have to share a funny baby comparison.
1 year, 6 months:


2 years:


WHERES MY UGLY FUR BALL AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER? Lol

I've started skipping over threads asking for a critique of young horses (under three-years-old) and that contain the phrase "I know these aren't the best pics..." If you know they aren't good pics to critique from, why waste the time putting them up?

As for Talyn, I honestly think given proper food and time to grow, she'll turn into a lovely mare. I know Aires has had his "quick-stuff-him-in-a-box" phases, but now, as a coming 4yo, he's really coming into his own. He still has that same ridiculously huge head of his, but he's really turning out quite nicely.

If you had told me two years ago when I bought him that this (taken the day I bought him):

Would turn into this (taken last summer and the best pic I've got until he sheds out lol):


I would have said you had just earned yourself a one-way ticket to the funny farm.
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Just to give a basic idea of how a horse can change in a year while young, my appy filly. She also has an amazing mind, but I sure thought she was ugly when I got her. First is one year old, second almost exactly a year later.

I wish I had more youngster pics of Squiggy....
But here's like... a months difference.

Conformational nightmare:


Pretty:

At least you guy's horses are going through fugly stages as yearlings or so. My gelding is in the middle of one right now. He's three and a half.

He was looking pretty nice last spring/early summer but it's been downhill since then. LOL. I hope he comes out of it soon!

As a yearling.


Last spring. Looking good, right?


And right now. Not so nice...

OK here I go! Critiquing the first filly. I am BY NO MEANS a conformation expert or even amateur. Trying to learn so correct me if Im wrong. I wont catch everything but this is what I see. Also I realize she's young and these things could change.
Obvious ewe neck.
Neck ties in pretty high (not sure if good or bad?)
Very... strange withers (not sure how to name those..)
Not bad back length but pretty sure this has to do with strange withers
Steep croup angle
Club foot back left? Could just be picture
Not bad length of cannons
Pasterns could be a tad shorter?
Is camped out
Cowhocked

Okay that's all I've got.. don't go to harsh on me, Im learning ;) input is appreciated
Also, if I put a ?, that means Im not 100%

Very good .

You are correct except for the club foot, that must have just been the picture. I was wondering if anyone would spot the strangeness of her withers. I don't know what to call that either as I've never seen it before...that they run so far back into her back. I hope saddle fitting on her isn't a nightmare.

Everything else was spot on. Also, one thing that many folks may not realize (I just started really thinking about it recently) is that camped out on the back and sickle hocks can often be the result of the same fault, depending on how the horse is standing. So, if I had posted different pictures, you could have called her sickle hocked instead of camped out and still been correct about the base fault. In her case, it is a long gaskin coupled with a steeply angled, short croup.

Just for an example, this is how she stands at other times...

I think her withers are exactly where they need to be. :) I think it's lack of conditioning in the top of her neck. If you look back on all the youngins posted in this thread, they all have the same problem, but not to your girl's degree. Henny has it but it's a bit difficult to see with the coloring and braid. It just looks like the neck doesn't tie in to the withers well enough, but it should come around and look normal once they grow and fill out.

If you look past the neck and malnutrition, I think she's actually rather well balanced. Her neck ties in a little too low on her chest. She's got a good back length and nice big shoulder, even if it is maybe a bit too steep. She's got nice thick, strong looking legs. Her pasterns might be a touch long, NOW, but babies always seem to have loooong pasterns and then grow into them as they age. She is a little sickle hocked in the back and toed out, but as she fills out she may straighten up. I really like her. :) I'd love to see her again slicked out in the summer with more condition on. She'd look great then.

Yay thank you! :) I've been trying to get better! And yeah I now see the sickle hocks, but I didn't know about that relationship between the two, very interesting. Thank you for that