Critique My Horses Confo? :)

Can someone please critique my horse, Paradise's, conformation? He is a 4(5 in April) year old off-the-track-Thoroughbred gelding. He has been off the track for about 90 days and has been ridden about 2-3x a week for about a month. BTW, I am really lame when it comes to confo terms, so could you please explain what his conformation faults/bonuses mean? If these aren't good pictures/you need others, I can get more this weekend. Thanks! :)

Cons:
He's high withered. Not a major problem, just makes saddle fitting a bit tricker. He looks a wee bit sickle-hocked, but it could just be how he's standing.
Sickle hocked explanation here:
http://www.dancinghorses.com/images/...ndlegsSide.jpg
Looks straight shouldered, but not too big of a deal, fairly common in fact. He just won't make it in life as a peanut roller

Pros:
I LOVE THAT NECK. It doesn't go straight into the chest (he actually has a chest! I love it!). Just need muscling, of course. His front legs look pretty clean, he doesn't seem to have upright pasterns. Overall, I like his topline and he has nice rump (IMO) for his build.

I think with more work, especially muscle-building exercises to work off that Buddha belly (mine have 'em too ) and build strength in the neck and hindquarters, he'll look better then ever.

Kudos for getting one off the track! He looks like he'll have a nice long career ahead of him :)

Thanks :). He is pretty weak in the hindquarters right now but once I get a saddle and start working on the collection with him hopefully he will gain neck and handquarter muscles :). Do you think he will grow much more? He is 16.3 hh and turns 5 in April. Hmm...

You really never know! My little colt Red seems to have squeezed out another inch out, I think he turns five in....March? I'll have to double check his papers. He's a LOT smaller then your guy though! I'd guesstimate...15hh? Maybbeee 15.1hh?

Last I checked he was just barely 14.2hh (around 3 years old), seems he's managed to eek out one last growth spurt before his birthday and is finally done growing. You could always tell when he was having another tiny spurt, he'd be all fat and sleek and handsome. Then poof! All the weight on his topline vanished and he looked terribly scraggly again. Then he'd put it back on for a little while....poof! There it went again. This time it's STAYING!

He's a cutie! I like bays!

Most everything was covered, but I wanted to mention that the lower halves of his back legs are really, really long!

^^

I agree, his back legs look really posty (straight, rather than a nice bend at the hocks). His pasterns, though not upright, seem pretty weak/long to me... seems pretty typical in ottbs.

Over all though he is super cute! He looks in great condition for only being 90 days off too! :) Hill work will also help with a weak hind end.

Thanks :) Bays are my favorite :)


Eliz-Your right, I just realized that about his hocks. Hmmm. I am going to be taking him out on the trail pretty soon, once all this stupid snow melts and it warms up! We have lots of hills so I will definitely take him over lots of those :)

He's a cutie, but then I'm a sucker for dark bay OTTBs. He'll muscle up nicely once you can get him out on the trails. Just take is slow. He'll muscle up to fast it'll make you sick. I like his pasterns. Great angle but not too hideously long.

Has he been wormed lately? He looks a bit wormy in the first few pics

^^Nope, he needs to be dewormed again