"Conformation" not "Halter"

[ArrowHBrand]

Has anyone read the new "Horse & Rider"? In it there is a little article about a new organization being started by 40 halter horse owners, breeders, and trainers from nine states that are going to promote halter horses but also to bring back good conformation regardless of the horses discipline. The group will include all breeds and plans to launch October 17 during the All American Quater Horse Congress. I think this is awesome because most halter horses aren't ridden because they lose weight when ridden. Plus most have muscle on muscle and probable couldn't be ridden anyway. In my opinion this is a step in the right direction for the halter industry.

 

[smart_slider]

i don't know much about the halter industry, but we have some friends who own one of the top money earners. they went to world with a REALLY nice weanling colt. i guess he didn't do too well because the other people used steriods, and the they told us that some of the other people there would lie about their horses age, and doctor their papers, just to win. this story didn't have much to do with your original topic...sorry[/code]

 

[ArrowHBrand]

I don't know too much about the halter industry either, but when I found this article it really made me happy. I have no doubt in my mind there are people out there who think they need to cheat to win. We've always been stomped in halter classes because we don't push our horses as hard. I'd rather have a working or performing three year old than have a burned out ulcered three year old halter horse. I think judges are shifting their opinions also. Last weekend we were at a show and my 3 yr old Paint mare stood second even though she was one of the smallest in her class. She is a tobiano so her color will catch your eye then the judges said she had great conformation and overall pretty mare appearance. It is a shame that the people who are trying to show honesty will usually struggle to win. That is the main reason I like performance classes such as cutting, reining, or games.

 

[smart_slider]

ME too! you know, the horses who are shown in performance classes last 3-5 years in the show arena, and are put out to pasture for breeding. what happens to the obese halter horses after their short run is over? they are bred and such, but i wonder how long they will hold up. just thinkin out loud.

 

[flaboy?]

I don't show my horses I only work them but don't think for a minute the problem is isolated to halter. I bought my last trailer from a person that was into the performance competitions and when I cleaned the front tack room I found about two dozen used needles and some syringes in the cracks and crevices. I know they weren't doing vaccinations. :shock:

 

[smart_slider]

that's not good, Flaboy?

 

[ArrowHBrand]

It's nice that the halter industry is making a turn for the better, but I wish the pleasure industry would too. I hate seeing horses with a rickety unnatural limping "pleasure" trot and their heads so far down they could plow fields with their noses. A nice level topline or slightly lower than level is what I like to see and what we strive for in all of our pleasure horses. On the other hand when I'm sorting cows I want my horses head up and alert to what's going on. Just my opinion.

 

[smart_slider]

i understand, ArrowH. it is nice to have a low headed horse, but not one that drags on the ground.

 

[chippie]

Used to be AQHA horses were shown in halter and performance, and there were individuals that were raced, shown in halter and performance. Now the horses are specialized for each discipline.

Regardless of how the horse is ridden, shown or bred, it should have good conformation. There are bloodlines that naturally have a level head carriage and are slow legged.

We have halter horses that are shown in halter and shown under saddle. Halter horses that win are not obese. They are fit and conditioned. Fitting and conditioning a halter horse is hard work. It requires exercising the horse (many trainers pony their halter horses with golf carts) and lots of elbow grease grooming. It takes about an hour to throughly groom a horse including vacuuming it.

Showing a horse well in a halter class is an art, and it takes practice and skill to do it well. For example, you have about 6 seconds to get your horse set up and posed for the judge. First impressions count.

Granted there is always room for improvement in all aspects of the horse industry, but I get tired when people slam those who don't want to ride but want to enjoy their horse by showing it in halter classes. There is nothing wrong with that. Not everyone wants to ride and there is no law that says every horse has to be ridden.

This our son with his 4 year old APHA mare:

A new blog about showing & conformation:

http://wabbitears.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html

PS. At an Open All Breed Show last month, one of our daughters showed her Impressive / Jackie Bee Bred halter mare in Showmanship (won it), Reg. Mares 4 & under (2nd), Walk/Trot Western Pleasure (won it), Adult Western Pleasure (2nd), Horsemanship (2nd), Cloverleaf Barrels (3rd), Straight Away or Figure 8 Barrels (2nd) and Poles (2nd) and she won the High Point All Around Buckle. So you see Halter horses can get the job done, if the owner chooses to do more than show at halter with it.

 

[sjr725]

I agree with the concept that a "halter" horse should exibit as close as possible the "ideal" conformation for his breed - that would lead you away from the gigantic, fat and post legged horses that all of us have seen in halter classes at one time or another. I think Chippie is right, a horse doesn't have to be ridden to be useful to it's owner, but it should be physically capable of work. I bought a 4 yr old last spring from a lady who, in my opinion has it right - she owns a very nicely bred stallion and he has ROM in Halter and was shown at world several times. She breeds him to a string of really nice cow bred performance mares and then shows the babies weanling, yearling etc at halter - she keeps one gelding every year and shows him in the reining futurities through his 3yr old year. Basically just to demonstrate that her "Halter" stallion can produce babies that excel at halter AND performance, and stay sound and can be productive horses for any discipline. The colt I bought was Illinois State fair reserve champion at Halter his yearling year, and then he placed in the NRHA futurity 5th his 2yr old year and 3rd as a 3 yr old. Now he's just another ranch horse - but he's fun to play with in the arena!

 

[cowgirl580]

i used my mare for halter/showmanship, western equitation, reining, barrels, poles, trail, team penning and cutting. plus whatever i did at home or just goofing off in the hills. she did really well in all of them. i bought her as a 3 yr old off of the race track. she's 15 or 16 now and has horrible arthritis, but she was awesome in top condition.

 

[smart_slider]

i didn't mean all halter horses...sorry, i have a tendency not to specify. i have seen some nice ones, but some look AWFUL! i can't remember the name of the horse, but he is supposed to be a top money earner(in halter). he is VERY fat, and his feet look terrible; but, i didn't see him when he showed. he may have been extremely fit. he is a breeding stallion now, and his baby's are winning.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

One reason why we don't do very well in weanling halter is because we don't push them as hard on feed. I'd rather have a nice performing or working horse at 3 than a fat, bad jointed, ulcered, ex halter horse at 3. Now I know not all halter horses are of that type, but I do like seeing performance horses being shown in halter classes. I think a horse, if it's as close to the breeds ideal horse, being shown in as many classes as possible.

 

[flaboy?]

I don't show but I know some folks that do. They were telling me the other day there is a big push by the AQHA to get back to basics. They are going to put on a concerted effort to get QH's back to looking and carrying themselves like a QH is supposed to.

That's just for what it is worth. I don't have any official sources.

 

[spinandslide]

I agree with the concept that a "halter" horse should exibit as close as possible the "ideal" conformation for his breed - that would lead you away from the gigantic, fat and post legged horses that all of us have seen in halter classes at one time or another. I think Chippie is right, a horse doesn't have to be ridden to be useful to it's owner, but it should be physically capable of work. I bought a 4 yr old last spring from a lady who, in my opinion has it right - she owns a very nicely bred stallion and he has ROM in Halter and was shown at world several times. She breeds him to a string of really nice cow bred performance mares and then shows the babies weanling, yearling etc at halter - she keeps one gelding every year and shows him in the reining futurities through his 3yr old year. Basically just to demonstrate that her "Halter" stallion can produce babies that excel at halter AND performance, and stay sound and can be productive horses for any discipline. The colt I bought was Illinois State fair reserve champion at Halter his yearling year, and then he placed in the NRHA futurity 5th his 2yr old year and 3rd as a 3 yr old. Now he's just another ranch horse - but he's fun to play with in the arena!

Cute horse, but I have to ask, the NRHA Futurity is for three year olds only, the Derby is for 4,5 and 6 year olds..There are NO classes for reining horses that are 2(thank goodness)

I think there are many halter horses who could be ridden. Ive seen some atrocious, post legged, over muscled animals, but Ive also seen well conformed animals, that once the halter weight was gone, COULD be ridden.