A critque please

[Feather1414]

Yes, I have been creating MANY a topic lately, buts its so much fun to get replies. But this is a serious post...

I am asking for a critque on what to do with Dealer before the show. Nothing more!

Right now I am working on tucking up his belly a little more, as well as adding more muscle-its always a good thing to have. Do you think he needs a necksweat? I would also like to see his throatlatch a little cleaner, but I will work with what I have. I havent been working him so hard that it will clean up.

What else do you think I need to do for him? Keep in mind that I do have until the 16th of this month, he is NOT clipped-only summer coat, and I am still working on his weight. He is a little larger for my liking. Do you think I should clip him? I like him now, but I think he will look even better clipped.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Feather, this is the horse you said you couldnt get to the top right? I have shown national top ten and national champion horses so I am going to critique him based on that. I know you are a teenager and I really dont want to hurt your feelings but you did ask for a critique. From these pics and this is my only basis. His head looks large and his eye small. his neck is a nice length , needs cleaning up underneath including the throat latch. the top of the neck almost looks ewe necked because he has such a high point to his withers. He has a nice shoulder. He has a nice short back good croup and tail set. His overall hip is weak. He looks over in the knee in both pictures but that could be the way he is standing. From these pics, he doesnt look like a national top ten horse. IF he didnt win it would not be because of you, it would be because the competition is soooo tough right now. You all can flame me for giving my honest opinion. This is ONLY my opinion. Im not very popular on the forum because I say what I see, not what makes the owner feel good. I had to have people do this for me over the past 5 years and have made changes accordingly.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Feather1414]

Thank you Lyn, and no hard feelings. I think its really cool the way you do say what you see. I did ask for a critique, and its what I got. I am not very competitive in halter with him because its just not my favorite thing in the world.

I agree with what you say, except for the over at the knees part, and the ewe neck, but these are only pictures, and they can be deceiving. Thank you again for critiquing him. I don't want to sound rude, but I wasn't actually asking for an overall critique, I just wanted to know what people thought I should do for him to get him ready for the show.

And once again, Dealer is a gelding because he is NOT perfect. I have no problems admitting that. I honestly believe that everything should be gelded, except for the true top horses. Dealer is also only a youth horse, and his strong point is performance. He is still my horse and I love him, no matter what he looks like.

 

[Devon]

Exactly the way i feel about my boy though when i get good pics i may ask for a critique just to be surious..hehe but we can't always get compliments!!!

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Without reading any replies the one thing that stands out to me is i would see if you could have some heel taken off. He looks a bit club footed but that is a common issue on minis as most farriers dont take off enough heel I know i have a couple that tend to grow more heel then toe and one who grows all toe

Now that said he is a cute little gelding.. however dont think here is much you can truly do short of clipping him to have him looking much different in 10 days.

I also have a gelding i am working tons he looks heavy in foal sigh... our show is the 15th and 16th and really at this point i cant do much to make him look better so just have to take him - go for it and learn and have fun.

I have heard although my horse is not the right color for this but may try anyway since he is only 29 in.. that if you clip the belly with say a 15 and the body with a 10 or body with 15 and belly with a 30 whatever is you clip the belly shorter then the rest of the horse it helps slightly with the illusion of a more tucked up tummy. Not sure it works though and belive me your guy is in 100 times better shape then mine

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

You already know what I think of him...

Handsome & Cute!

 

[justanothercowgirl]

Overall, I think he is a nice gelding, I see the little bit over at the knee thing too but it could be the shadow along his forearm making it look like that. I would get his heels trimmed down a bit, sweat his neck, clip him up and show!!! Have fun! If he were mine I would use a show halter with a wider noseband on him too.

 

[Feather1414]

Wow, I see how everyone thinks he is over at the knees. These pics have a funky shadow thing going on! Almost looks like a C shape. Here is a pic to show he is NOT over at the kneese!

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]He looks much better in the second pic and more fit. He actually looks thin in some places on the first pic but not the second. His neck looks less muscled on the first pic and that is why it looks a little ewed. His butt looks more muscled in the second pic too.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Feather1414]

Lyn-these pics were taken a week after I got him. This is Dealer on steroids; of course he looks better. He is "enhanced"

I am honestly trying to make him look good NATURALLY. I didn't mean to come across angrily, it just bugs me that his old owners put him on all sorts of drugs. I love this horse, and they hurt him.

But this is MY horse, and I will LOVE him no matter what he looks like. I don't care if he isnt a national caliber halter horse-he is a performance horse and a darn good one too! Some of you will be scared to compete against him when I really get him going!

 

[Feather1414]

Thank you Barnbum. I love his eyes too.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Well if I am right this is a brand new show halter you have on him? I am sorry to say that halter just does not work for him. It looks TOO SMALL on his head and he needs something with a wide noseband since he has a longer head than some.

Keep his neck and throatlatch sweated, keep the weight off him, and he should do fine. Also bring his front legs more foward when you set him up.

 

[Feather1414]

Ok, I would also like to point out to you people my age.

I am 16 years old, and I make $27 a week. I do NOT have the money to go out and buy expensive halters that will compliment my horses head. If you can go out and spend money on something like that, good for you! But I can't. I have to pay for everything for my horses, including the showbill. It gets quite expensive.

And now you are thinking, wow, this girl doesnt have enough money to have horses, they must not be living very well.

THINK AGAIN

My horses are the most spoiled horses on the planet. You cannot imagine how much work I put in to making thier lives perfect.

Also don't tell me that I should stop showing for some stupid reasoning. I firmly beleive that shwoing is a part of the daily care for MY horses.

YES, I am VERY mad. I was simply excited about taking pictures in the brand new halter I just got; and the majority of people who posted simply posted to deflate my "happy bubble"

Congradulations, it popped!

Oh, I would like to point out that I am going to show this horse, in that halter and there is nothing ANY of you can do about.

Flame away, but I don't suggest it!

 

[Sunraye Miniatures]

Ok someone has an attitude

.

If I was short on money I would make sure that I would be getting the correct size show halter.

You did ask for opinions and I don't see one post that should make you angry.

Ok I'll shut up now

 

[Feather1414]

Yes, I DO have an attitude.

This was a topic on what I should be doing to get my horse ready for a show, NOT what is wrong with him, OR what is wrong with my halter.

I would also like to point out that I won that halter in a silent auction. I got it for $30.00 and its going to do me well for what I need to accomplish. I think that it will do JUST FINE for the one or 2 classes he will walk into with that on. Other then that he wears his performance halter which I am not even going to post a pic on here for fear that everyone will bring me down for that!

In other words, leave the halter alone! I realize its not perfect, but its not going anywhere, so once again, DEAL WITH IT!

Also Sunraye, these people are not bringing YOUR horse and halter down. Its all a matter of perspective. If this were someone else's post, I wouldn't see why they were mad either.

 

[Sunraye Miniatures]

Well for one thing I didn't ask for an critique on my horses YOU did. People are just telling you honest things about what you asked for.

I am glad you didn't pay top $$$ for that halter. It all makes since now.

 

[Feather1414]

People are just telling you honest things about what you asked for.

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But this isn't what I asked for. I just wanted to know what people thought I should do before the show.

 

[minih]

I am asking for a critque on what to do with Dealer before the show. Nothing more!

After reading this post I have to agree with Feather on this one, she did just ask at the beginning of this post just for help what to do to him for a show, NOT what is wrong with him physically that can't be changed. Now the halter, is a point that is something you could do, but if that is what you have...... it will do. Go and have fun with your horse, you love him, put your rose colored glasses back on.

 

[Rachel]

I do believe you did ask for a critique. But whether you did or not, I think you should feel lucky getting such good advice from such seasoned show people. I too am a younger member of this forum and would jump at the chance to take advice from the forum members about ANYTHING having to do with my horses. There is something to be learned from everyone here. You've made it clear you love your gelding, who is very cute I might add, no matter what anyone says and that's great. You mentioned how much time and effort you put into getting them ready to show so I don't understand why you wouldn't want them to look their best. I'm referring to the halter issue here. If you want him to look his best, you need a different halter. We are just trying to help you here and help is what you had originally asked for....

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I understand your frustration and your working for your horse is a great thing. I to dont have the best of everything and wing it sometimes in the showring.

However your topic did say A crituque please... you asked you got answers it is a scary thing to ask I realize that.

The bottom line is this.. you seem to know what his flaws are and every horse has them, you want to concentrate on performance and that is great ravens little gelding isnt a top halter horse sometimes he manages to squeak it out sometimes not but she learns every time she goes in the ring and that is what it is about.

I dont think anyone was trying to tear you down. I will use myself for an example in the middle of a crituque phase where people were getting there feelings hurt and some thought i was harsh and asked why didnt i put one of my own up.. i did and belive me ask anyone who knows me i am VERY open about my horses faults in fact i probobly tell others to much about there flaws but I want everyone to know I do see them

anyway she was RIPPED apart by some well bottom line is I love the mare and always have and .. what they didnt know is she already had gotten top 10's in all her OPEN halter classes as a yearling and then.. last year as a SR mare went back after sitting in a pasture all that time and came out with a top 10 in every halter class she was in from ammy to open to youth. Who had the last laugh LOL they made it sound like she was to ugly to be seen and several judges seemed to differ so do the many that have made offers on her everyone sees something different in a horse what is what makes horse shows so fun you are never fully sure of the outcome

Ribbons or not i love that mare. I could have been hurt and angry but I used it to learn and went to look at those others who were giving me pointers i looked at there sites and at there horses.. if they were what I strived for.. i listened asked questions thru email (I still do this) and got some mentors if there horses were not at all what I strive for... it went in one ear and out the other.

Your horses are well cared for, loved and you are learning in the show ring.. part of learning is listening and getting a bit of a thick skin but some of that comes with age to - the thick skin part anyway

SO just keep it in mind no one is trying to hurt you and hey now you know when you can afford a new show halter you know what to look for.