conformation
A horse should have a long, sloping shoulder (ideal slope is about 45 degrees), short cannon bones and back, sloping pasterns (about the same angle as the shoulder), straight legs, and a short topline (it should be half the length of the underline; a good method to judge this on your own horse is to find a picture of the horse standing squarely, without a rider, and draw a trapezoid around the midsection, drawing lines from the point of the shoulder to the point of the withers, the point of the withers to the point of the croup, the point of the croup to the base of the stifle, and base of the stifle to the tailhead. This should reveal an underline twice as long as the topline, and long and well-sloped hips and shoulders.). The horse's withers should be higher than the hips. If the withers are lower than the hips, then the horse is called downhill. If you have a young horse who is downhill, don't worry, because as he or she matures, your horse will probably develop a more desirable topline. The hocks should be low-set and slightly angulated. The horse should have eye appeal and balance. A pretty head is a nice addition. HINT: If you are judging horses, evaluate them like you are going to ride them. Some judges only look at the overall appearance and the bulk. Not a good idea!