Ponies A LOT of pictures!

[doubleopi]

So, I've got a bunch of pony pics that I'm going through and evaluating. I am not a particularly experienced conformation critic, kind of coming along, self taught, so, you can give me input (which would be greatly appreciated, particularly if I got something wrong or missed something important!) or you can just enjoy some pony pictures! I will put each of them in a reply. . . Here's the first:

Dakota, ~12-15y/o (I don’t know exact ages on most and for some of them, no one does!), mare, 12.1hh, unknown breeding. All pics taken 9/17/08 and nope, I didn't clean any of the ponies up first! So they are hairy and a bit dusty. And this is the day before the farrier came, so they may look a little long in the feet, but I will point out anyone who has a history of feet troubles. All the ponies live together in a big field, so herd dynamics cause some scuffles, meaning some of them have bite marks.

I may be a bit biased, I love this pony. But I was looking at her picture and I like her build although she looks a bit butt high, also maybe post legged in her rear. Which, if I am correct, is a result of her hip angle being too open. Her head is kind of coarse, for a mare, but her ears are nice and small and she has a cute expression, when she wants to. I, personally, like her very muscular build, short yet sloping pasterns and sort of drafty type neck. She has nice, hard compact feet too. It's just her hind end that isn't perfect (although she is ) Sorry about her buddy's head in the pic! They are inseparable!

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Sundance, ~18-25y/o, Mare, less than 12hh (I’ve only taped a few of the ponies!), probably 11.3ish, unknown breeding, and no, she’s not pregnant. She’s looked pregnant her whole life and never had a baby! She’s also been wormed up the wazzu so I doubt it’s a worm belly. So she’s either cooking up a whopper or she is just built that way. She has slimmed down some since I started working with them a year or so ago. This is Dakota’s buddy.
Ok, I’m prolly biased on this one too, cause I really don’t care for roans at all! I’ve never liked her head, though I’m sure pony enthusiasts would think it’s shapely. Her forehead is too wide for my tastes with a strange bulge above her eyes. Her ears are a nice, proportionate size and shape though. Hmm, I can’t think of how to say this. . . Her should is too thick? Too something for sure. Maybe it’s her neck doesn’t tie in in a flattering way. But her forelegs look to be positioned far enough back to make her look like she’s leaning forward all the time. Obviously, she has a fat belly. She looks more correct in the hind end than Dakota. More angulation in the hip. She definitely toes out with her right fore and in with her left fore. She has very wide, uh. . . flatish feet, very round, like not the typical shape of hooves I have worked with. Her hoof wall always seems to splay out, even right after a farrier visit. And they are HUGE in comparison to Dakota’s considering the size difference. I don’t think she has ever foundered.

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Chief, ~12y/o, Gelding, 12.1ish hh, Unknown breeding. He may have been gelded late, cause he still acts like a spoiled little stud sometimes. He is also a goofball when he’s not being a turd.
I love his head! He does hold his ears funny, but that’s the way he is. I think his head is shapely and proportionate for his size, build and gender. His neck is thick and almost cresty (Cut late?) Not a foundering sort of crest though. His shoulder is strong and his fore legs are set nicer than Sundance’s. He has a pretty long back but nice hind quarters . I need to actually draw the lines cause he’s not standing perfectly squared up but his hip angle looks quite a bit like Dakota’s, meaning too open, possibly making his post legged as well? He definitely toes in on the right fore, out on his left fore and out on both hinds. He has nice, hard feet.

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Casper, 19 (I think), gelding, ~10.2hh, Reg welsh. He looks really dirty! But then, he is almost white! He likes to be “the horse of many colors” and often parades around in shades of pink (some of our fences and painted red), green (hmm, can you guess) and brown(this should be an easy one!).
The first time I saw him, I swore he was a little Arab! A carbon copy of a mare I used to know. His head definitely shows his breeding, being refined and shapely. IMO he is built like an Arab. He’s quite fat in these pictures, so his legs look tiny but I can’t find any faults on this guy. He is a little turd (he will bite and kick and buck with the best of them) but is learning that maybe it’s easier to behave properly. His feet and wonderful; we never have a problem with them.

[doubleopi]

Midnight, Young (7ish?), Mare, over 10hh but not by much, unknown breeding. She came to us last year EXTREMELY underweight and now she’s too fat! She is a spooky booger that’s getting better but still hates the pony eating balloon monsters.
First of all, her feet are way too long in this picture, but, they are generally compact, hard and well conformed. She looks (to me) like a well bred little pony. Her head, though not as breedy as Casper’s shows refinement and class not shared by some of the other ponies! To me, she looks like a little, compact QH, and I can’t point out any faults, but please, point them out!

[doubleopi]

Pepper, 20ish, Mare, right about 10hh, unknown breeding. I believe that she has foundered in the past. She was definitely too fat at the time of the pics. Again, I don’t care for roans, so I’m prolly a bit biased against her. And she’s a grumpy old lady!
Her head, though long, is shapely. Her neck is too short, back too long. Her shoulders. . . I’m not sure if I’m going the right direction, but they are too upright, or flat or something. . . makes her gait very choppy. She’s got a nice butt, I must admit, powerful. Her feet are hard, round (though not like Sundance’s.) Her hocks are too close together. . . Is that cow hocked? I think so. She’s pigeon toed in the front and her right hind points out.

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Bamboo, 12ish, Gelding, 11.2hh?, I believe he’s a reg Welsh too. We are pretty sure he was used as a stud when he was younger. He’s a goofball, sucks on his tongue and lips when bored, very personable, wants to be with his people. Getting to be a top dog in the ranks. He has some sour expressions cause there are other ponies out of sight of the camera and he’s putting them in their places.
While his head is not a pretty as Casper’s, it is shapely and perfectly fit for his build, size and gender. His forelegs seem to be set back too far, making him look like he’s leaning forward all the time. His back is a bit long (IMO) and he toes out in front and in back. Other than that. . . He’s got a bad (arthritic) hip. I’m not sure from what. But he sure is a cutie! He’s the one everyone offers to buy.

[doubleopi]

Grey Pokey, Old, Mare, 11ish hands, unknown breeding. This girl definitely has conformation faults. Never been injured, but limps like it, from a badly built leg!
Her head is too big and coarse, long. Her back. . . hmm, it’s too flat, like not enough curve to it. We have another pony like that that will be later. Her right fore is crooked and it’s her right hind that is atrociously built. Club footed, and I’m pretty sure that it is actually shorter than the other hind.

[doubleopi]

Jerry, maybe 8, gelding, 11.2ish hands, unknown breeding. I’ve always thought he looks like a fell pony, at least the one in one of my books. . .
His head, though plain, has a nice, tapered muzzle, big eye and lots of forelock! His neck (which is decent) ties into straight shoulders. His fetlocks are odd, kind of like the horse I used to know that had suspensory ligament problems and was down at the fetlocks. This fellow doesn’t have soundness issues, yet. So, it’s kind of like his shoulder angle and pastern angle are. . . uh, off. His hind legs are set very close together, he is cow hocked and he toes out all around. His hind legs do interfere with each other at higher speeds and when asked to do moves he doesn’t already know. He feet are good, hard and strong.

[doubleopi]

Candy Bar, 18ish, Mare, 13hh, Grade POA.
Her head is nice, I guess. Since I don’t care for Appys or roans, she’s kinda in double trouble! Anyway, Her ears are a bit big, but her neck is nice. Her right fore definitely has something wrong (she can’t even pick it up all the way for hoof picking. I think she had an injury that left cartilage in her knee.) Her back is long and I think she’s a bit sickle and/or cow hocked. Her feet are good though.

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Misty, ~18y/o, Mare, prolly 11.1ish hands, unknown breeding. Her tail got partially eaten by a donkey baby so that’s why it’s short, not natural. She has a very unusual coat pattern, kind of roany all over, but not overly so. Her daughter (who is next) is a very odd color that I have not been able to decide what to call it!
Her head is a little long and coarse for a mare. Her neck and shoulders look fine to me. Her back seems long. She’s maybe a little club footed in the front, particularly the left foreleg. . . then again, it was time for the farrier to come. She does have chips out of her hind hooves. She is a very upright, choppy mover.

[doubleopi]

Mocha, 11y/o, Mare, 10.3 maybe, Misty’s daughter. She’s a cute little thing, but her conformation has always bothered me. Her color is a grayish sort of chocolate with a very flaxen mane and tail (I’m sure if we bathed her regularly they would be much closer to white). She is not grey though, but in these photos she is much browner than her summer coat.
Her head is very cute and appropriate for a little mare. She is a dainty girl, with too small of legs (IMO). Her shoulder looks good to me, but her back is wrong, kind of like Grey Pokey’s. Too flat. I don’t think it’s an injury related thing either because I know the girl who has known this pony her whole life and she said that Mocha has never been injured. I think it’s her back that makes her hold her hindquarters funny. She, also, pretty much toes out all around. Her feet are pretty flat but otherwise well made.

[doubleopi]

Daisy, 22ish, Mare, 11.3hh prolly, unknown breeding. She is a windsucker, big time. She has VERY flat feet, like to the point she doesn’t really need her feet picked most of the time.
I think her head is long and straight with cute little ears. Her neck is decent, good shoulder and legs, except her left foreleg turns out. Her back is long, but her hind quarters are well formed and her legs are really all pretty straight.

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Chubbs, 5, Gelding, 10hh just about on the dot, I don’t know his breeding but I think he’s pedigreed as something! I love this boy, so I am very biased for him! I just think he’s perfect. He is the first to the gate and follows you all over the place. He is a big goof ball but wants a friend, cause he is BOTTOM of the totem pole, poor guy. He’s my buddy though.
He has a cute, expressive face. He is perfectly proportioned and conformed, although he toes out a bit on his right foreleg and in a bit on the left. I definitely look at him through rose colored glasses, so please if you see something, let me know. It really won’t hurt my feelings or my opinion of him! He has the cutest little heart on his right shoulder too.

[doubleopi]

Trigger, Old, gelding, 11.2ish hands, unknown breeding. I call him the fuzzy old man. He can be a turd but is generally everyone’s favorite.
The halter is way too big for him and does not flatter his face at all, but he has a cute, appropriate head. His neck is nice but he is very upright in the shoulder and all the way down to his pasterns. His back is long and he’s got a bad hip, notice how his right hind leg turns out. . . that’s his bad hip. His left foreleg also turns out quite a bit.