Conformation Station

Today's is going to be a little tricky, I'll admit. No picture in this set is perfect, but hopefully you guys can figure something out from it and give informed opinions on the matter. I will say because of this, I'm going to give out more information than I did last time. Hopefully this will help when you look at her a bit more.

 

Spare pictures can be found at these links:

Trot

Standing w/ head turned

Walking away

Profile shot

The horse in this case is a Morgan, and I encourage you to take a gander at all the pictures JIC they will help you. Next time I have some color stuff lined up for you guys, since somebody brought it up and reminded me I had been wanting to do it.

If you want to have your horse used for the next Conformation Station blog, please link pictures and info here: Sign Ups!

Time To...

Put up a news story since I'm gonna be really busy for a bit. Conformation Station should be the next issue out for the blog. So bear with me while I deal with life in the meantime. I'm going to link to the full story in the blog, but quote specific pieces that I think is worth discussing. Please read the article, it's a happy one. Plus it relates to horses, so there you go.

Courageous Comet named 2009 Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse of the Year

"Courageous Comet, a stakes-placed winner of moderate success in New York, left the racetrack in 2000 to begin a new career as sport horse. After initial training and use in fox hunting, Courageous Comet was sold to Becky Holder, an Olympic rider with a known reputation for turning ex-racehorses into top eventers. Courageous Comet excelled in his new career and helped Holder earn a spot on the U.S. team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics."

Here's the first of them. While great athletes can be found anywhere in the horse world, it takes luck and skill in order to find those who are able to do so. Becky is a well known rider who demonstrated the highest level of riding skill that most people in the world don't ever achieve. On top of that, she had a knack for taking somethng that most people don't know what to do with, and turning it into something that people can enjoy (even if it is just watching.)

That being said, do you think that this horse would have had the same fate if not left in her hands? What if he ended up with the average joe trainer who knows how to retrain race horses, but cannot make them top level competitors? Would he have eventually found his way to anywhere near than he is now?

""While some Thoroughbreds are raised specifically to be sport horses, others are finding greater success in their second careers as sport horses than they did in races. Through this award, we hope to decrease the number of unwanted horses in the U.S. by demonstrating their value in these non-racing disciplines.""

I'm not going to comment much on this one, but do you think this is true? Not just for TB's but for horses in general?

Anyways, hope that gives you something to mull over the weekend and then some with. I always enjoy reading your comments, even if I don't say much.

A Bookmark of Sorts

Because sometimes others put it a lot better than I do. Take a read through everything and it will pretty well sum up what everyone has been thinking. I would place it all up at once here to read, but there is just too much to sift through. Also, some people may not know of the links or of their existence so I am  putting them here. Removal will come if you stoop to their level.

ROM = Breeding Quality?

"There are tons of geldings out there with ROMS, Superiors, World champion titles, etc. and they are obviously not breeding. They lack testicles. But how in the hell can anyone think that just because a stallion earned an ROM he's going to be the next best thing since sliced bread?"

Breeding Halter Horses

"Since QH's, and QH stallions, are a dime a dozen, chances are there is another AQHA stallion who easily outshines yours."

FHOTD's Twitter

If you don't want to read FHOTD, 140 letters worth of gripin' and moanin' out to do it for you.

Cedar Hill's Facebook

I really really wish I had known they were in Tulsa on the 5th. I could have attended quite easily and had so much to give you guys. I'm livid at myself, really. 

Cedar Hill's Homepage

Fair warning. This is the most unprofessional homepage for a trainer that speaks highly of themselves. Anyone remember geocities? Yeah, it's kinda like that.

The next PtHA show that is on the trainer's website is Sept. 16-19. While the site itself doesn't say where, the even more horrible website that has the information for it (though the names of the shows aren't lining up.) You can look at what other shows are being hosted by the same area here. You have been warned about the bad website. Just know that. I digress, I have no clue if BYC is showing up, but considering all the other shows he's been in, he just may be. If anyone lives in the area and wants to take a stroll on down that would be very fabulous. Better yet, if you know more about it that we do, do tell.

In case any of you missed it in the comments section, there is a 30 second preview video of BYC up. It isn't the best angles or the most perfect video, but it does hammer the nail on the mediocre coffin a little more. I also have a question to you guys...

Why are they so far out from the rail? One part they look as if they are passing, but in the other it just seems like they don't take deep corners. I was always taught to use the corners of the arena, so it's a little foreign for me to see.

Video of BYC

The best photo of BYC that we will probably ever see.

If any of you also happened to miss his pedigree, you can see it here. If anyone has more knowledge of the QH lines, please leave your opinions and comments in the blog. I've only heard of Boston Mac on the most recent of family members After that it's the general, "Who hasn't heard of them?" horses who pretty much were a foundation for a lot of horses in the breed today.

His Two Oops Foals

In better news, the girl in the video throwing puppies was located. She is apparently from Bosnia, and between 4-Chan and animal groups they found her rather quickly, thankfully.