Thoughts on a yearling....

[Kassie Finley]

This is our 11 month old gelding. He is a gold champagne. Just looking for your thoughts on him. I know the things I like and don't like about him but want to hear others thoughts, it always helps me grow in what I know by getting more experienced input.
I had a hard time getting him to stack up just real good, but I got the best I could.

[horsetrainer89]

Well, I love his color. The first thing that I noticed is that he is a little bent in at the knees. I forgot what that is called right now, maybe some one could help me out. The second thing I noticed was that his butt was a little to high up compared to his shoulders for me. The shoulders seem at a good angle though, so I wouldn't worry about it. I can't tell from the sides if he toes in/out, is base narrow/wide, etc. I do like him though....he is quite cute.

[Kassie Finley]

thanks. I think he is butt high, because he just went through a growth spurt, he even lost a little weight through the spurt. he was level lol. I think he might level out when he is all done growing.

[horsetrainer89]

It may. You never really know for sure. The thing that I love about my colt, is that he always stays in show shape. I can feed him the world and not work him and he would still look like he has been limited on feed and has been worked. It makes life on me a lot easier when it comes to trying to make then look their best for shows that is for sure. For the weight thing, I would definitely up his feed. For youngsters like that, I always like to let them have free choice hay and I like to feed them a little bit of grain just to make sure they are getting everything that they need. Good luck with him! What are you going to do with him?(show wise)

[Kassie Finley]

I plan on showing him in some halter classes for fun and to get him use to the shows this year. Then I want to train him for whatever he seems to have fun doing best. I might try some western pleaaure, or if he has the knack for it cutting but who knows. Time will tell. Both of those are kind of on opposite ends of the court lol. One thing is for sure he is SUPER quite nothing bugs him really. If anything he will make one heck of a great trail horse or ranch horse. My mother wants him when he is older if he is really gentle for a trail horse. He is by no means in show shape though, he needs some weight and then turn it to muscle. But we are going slow just enjoying his youth now.

[horsetrainer89]

The pictures show him as being in pretty good shape, although you are right in the fact that he could use a little more muscle. I saw that in his hind quarters, but hey, he may fill out and yes time will certainly tell. Again, good luck with him. You have a real cutie in your hands.

[nrhareiner]

I would not up his grain. Would give good hay free choise if he is not out on grass but up or giving too much grain to a young horse you are just asking for trouble like apifisitis (SP?) and putting to much waight on joints that can not handle it. He looks like he has a good amount of waight. If you are worried about making sure he has what he needs feed a top quality feed from some one like Pureina or Buckeye feeds or if you feed just grain from the co op like oats add a good supliment not more grain. Keep his legs in good shape for years to come.

As for his comforamtion. He is but high but you can see from his knees to hacks that he will leval out. He is a bit forward at the know but again could be a grouth spert or the way he is standing. His neck is a bit high for my liking and a tad short but over all he is balance fairly well. He has a nice short back but he also looks to be shrot coupled so I hope that is more his age then what he will end up like. His angles are good and match up fairly well. Again as he gets a bit older and levals out you will be able to see more on that. This is an odd age to really try and say one way or the other. However I think he should make a nice riding gelding for you and I am sure you will enjoy him very much.

Heidi
_________________
Double Eagle Performance Horses
"Where Performance Begins With Breeding"
Reining Prospects to finished horses for sale

[horsetrainer89]

[nrhareiner]

I never said you did say that. I stated that upping grain is not a good idea but giving more hay IF they are not out on good pasturte is a good idea. If I had stated to just up feed that could be taken to mean anything and I have found that a lot of people tend to over grain. I never said that you said that.

Untill you have been doing this as long as I have just stay out of what I have to add or say. If the person I am directing my post to has a questions they can ask.

Heidi
_________________
Double Eagle Performance Horses
"Where Performance Begins With Breeding"
Reining Prospects to finished horses for sale

[Kassie Finley]

Thanks for the advice. I do not over grain him, he gets one scoop of grain in the evening and one in the morning. He is on plenty of hay, but the pictures above are of him a little thinner than usual due to the last growth spurt, I try to keep him in a healthy weight, but thanks for the advice and I totally agree not to over grain a young horse, well any horse for that matter lol. Thanks

[nrhareiner]

I am glade you understood what I was saying. LOL

Over all he looks prity decent. When you work him I would do quite a bit of backing. That will help his hip and back. He needs some musling on his back from the looks of the pictures but it could be shadowing too.

Good way to get their back stronger when they can not be ridden it so take a hoof pick or even your finger and rub it along their belly. This will cause them to lift their back and work those muscles.

Enjoy.

Heidi
_________________
Double Eagle Performance Horses
"Where Performance Begins With Breeding"
Reining Prospects to finished horses for sale

[JR]

He really a golden champagne ? His eyes look normal and there's no motteling on his muzzle / eyes. Looks like a normal palomino to me from those shots anyway.

His knees remind me of a horse who is being fed too much protein in efforts to make him grow faster. Bones are growing, tendons not keeping up.
_________________
JR

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It's never the horse, it's the rider.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[horsetrainer89]

[Kassie Finley]

Well he might get to much protein in the alfalfa, but he just gets regular whole grain twice a day. We are actually getting ready to pull him out and put him on free choice Coastal Bermuda and cut back on the amount of Alfalfa he gets, that will help with the protien.

As for his color he is a true champagne, he is registered with the ICHR, it is hard to see his mottled skin because his skin is so HEAVY mottled it almost looks solid, but his sheeth and under his tail is very pink and freckled like all champagnes. His sire was an Amber Champagne and tested negative for the creme gene, and his dam is a Bay. The colt can't be a palomino since neither parents carry the creme gene. At birth he had the typical Bright blue eyes and bright pink skin. He does have a sheen but it does not show up in the pictures for some reason. A lot of the gold champagnes look like normal pallys in pictures, but in person is when you can tell the difference. I would NEVER advertise a horse as a color I knew nothing about, but I am a Champagne nut lol. I have read, studied and even talked with AQHA about the gene, all my champagne horses have the note on their papers that they carry the Champagne dilution in the markings section. We have 5 champagnes total, three Ambers, two golds, and one amber creme, I eventualy want to get a classic, that is my favorite color of the champagnes. Here is Hitch at just a few hours old:

[Kassie Finley]

Oh here is our other two champagne colts. This one is a gold champagne named Shiver at 1 week old:


And at 3 weeks old:


And this is our Amber Creme colt, he carries the champagne gene and the creme gene his name is Timber at just minutes old:



And at one week old: