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Which halter stance is more flattering to her conformation?

3K views 24 replies 16 participants last post by  CloudsMystique 
#1 ·
In a breed show she would be parked out, but I'm showing in an APHA/PtHA show where I'm going to be about the only non-Paint in the arena... so I have a choice between parking her out and squaring her up. So I'm going to do whichever is more flattering...









One thing I have a problem with is her tail. I cut it so it would grow back nicer, and at the moment it stops at an awkward place at her hocks... making her hind legs look funky at first glance. Am I imagining that?

What do you guys think?
 
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#3 ·
Squared... to me it just doesn't look right for a stock horse to be parked out.
 
#6 ·
She isn't a stock horse, haha. She's gaited. I have to park her out at breed shows.



Except that's she's not a stock horse, she's a Fox Trotter. :)

I think she looks better squared up, BUT, you don't want the judge to judge her as a stock horse, so if you think the judge may not know what breed she is (do they have that info. in front of them?) then I might choose to park her out so she won't be confused with the stock horses. Especially since she has the lovely blue eyes and they may think she is a Paint.
Well, she is going to be wearing a MFT show halter (I was borrowing the one in the picture from a QH with a much bigger head, haha)...

Her halter will be like this, except baby blue instead of white:

 
#4 ·
Except that's she's not a stock horse, she's a Fox Trotter. :)

I think she looks better squared up, BUT, you don't want the judge to judge her as a stock horse, so if you think the judge may not know what breed she is (do they have that info. in front of them?) then I might choose to park her out so she won't be confused with the stock horses. Especially since she has the lovely blue eyes and they may think she is a Paint.
 
#5 ·
huh, you didn't say what she was, and I saw APHA/PtHA and assumed she had some stock in her. Sorry, I'm tired, it's been a long day.

If that's what her breed is than I'd park her out.
 
#13 ·
Square her up...I would try bringing her hind legs a bit further under her as well, rather than up to/slightly behind her dock...that will take some of that 'odd' visual you are seeing.
 
#18 ·
I like her both ways and think she would do well in the show either way. I do think that squaring her up makes her look very much like a stock horse, whereas parking her out makes her look like her true breed. I guess it just depends on what you like. I show a National Show Horse so I know all about the parking out and such, the mare I show parks out to the point of a rocking horse.
 
#21 ·
I have never thought that a parked out horse was in a very flattering position. It makes their hocks look posty and their loins look weak, even if they aren't. I would definitely square her up but try to get her to stand with her hind feet a little farther under her and a little farther apart if you can. If the judge is not accustomed to judging gaited horses at halter, he will likely see her much the way I did.
 
#24 ·
If you are going to square her up, keep the western halter on her. If you are going to park her out, put on her gaited halter or bridle. I think what is throwing you off is that the halter stays the same. She looks great in either pose but if you keep the western halter on her, you look like you don't know what you're doing with her. :)
 
#25 ·
Oops... Sorry for the huge delay. I was never going to use the western halter. That was just for practice.



Here are pictures from the show...






There were only two of us in breeding stock halter... The other competitor being a girl from my barn with a giant Warmblood. I got second, to everybody's surprise... I mean, the Warmblood isn't at all ugly but she does have a big potbelly and wasn't even remotely squared up, haha.
 
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