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 what you need to know about owning a standardbred |
| Harness Horse Conformation
Head—should be in proportion to the rest of the body, refined and clean-cut with a chiselled appearance. The eyes should be bright, set wide and large. The ears should not be large and set wide on the top of the poll. The muzzle should be small and the mouth shallow with large nostrils. The upper and lower sets of teeth should meet when biting. Neck—should join the head at about a 45° angle, with a distinct space between the jawbone and the neck. The neck should be medium to fairly long in length, with the head carried reasonably high. It should also be arched slightly, lean and muscular. Chest—The chest should be balanced in relation to the overall make up of the horse. There is a direct correlation between the size of the chest and a horse’s speed. Shoulder—should be long and set at an angle of about 45° from the wither down to the point of the shoulder. Should be smooth yet well muscled. Forearm—should be straight, strong boned and have a solid coverage of muscle. It should taper smoothly into the knee; this is where the muscles in a horse’s leg stop. Horses only have bone, tendons and ligaments below the knee joint. Knee—should be clean, flat and face straight ahead. Knees turned in or out generally lead to trouble later in a horse’s career. Symmetry too is crucial.Hoof—neat and not too large, without any marks or ridges. It should have a tough durable appearance and all four hooves be the same in make-up. Wither—should be well-defined, extend well beyond the top of the shoulder and be as high as the top of the hips. Girth—a large girth or barrel is a desirable feature. The larger this area, the more room there is for the heart and lungs. Back—should be strong and slope upwards slightly from the back of the wither. It should be well muscled with loins short and firm. Hindquarter—should be thick, deep and well muscled, carrying this through to the thigh, stifle and gaskin. This is where the main power thrust comes from. Stifle—a strong, flexible area of muscle and tendons that play a big part in generating power in a horse’s stride. A strong prominent stifle is desirable. Hock—large joint subject to much stress so it has to be strong and devoid of any deformities. The hock is integral in releasing the power through to the lower leg. Rib Cage—in association with the girth makes up the housing for the horse’s motor. In harness racing, horses race over long distances at sustained speed, so heart and lung capacity is crucial in a horse’s success. Fetlock—must be strong, tight-knit, and symmetrical. The fetlock is an area that can give horses trouble if it doesn’t have all the right qualities. Cannon Bone—should be straight and strong, flowing into a tight, strong fetlock joint. Pastern—should sit at a 45° angle to the cannon bone when the horse is standing. Should be set at the same angle as the front section of the hoof. Frank Endacott (former Kiwi coach and coach of Wigan) |
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