Conformation

I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about a working horse's conformation. I know enough to buy a horse that will move nicely, I know when something is obviously wrong, I know how to check the feet, the legs, the neck, the chest, and I know what a horse should look like and how it should move.

What I don't know is how to tell at a glance -- especially in a young horse -- what traits are good for what sport, and what traits are hindering. I knew I wanted to work cattle, so I figured I wanted a horse with a nice, wide chest and a high, full, powerful back end. I knew I wanted one that stood square, one that was not too leggy but also not too bulldoggy. I knew I wanted one that carried its head low (but not too low) and moved with no problem. Other than that, however, I'm lost. I have no idea what small, minor details in build and bone structure stacked up to make a winning horse. When I bought Kachina, I was going on a hunch, and instinct, and hope.

I asked Granpa what he thought, and he shrugged and said "You can't go wrong with any horse for $500." Not the confirmation I was hoping for. It's a question that's always nested in the back of my mind; Kachina has the will, and the instinct, and a good foundation breeding, but she lacks fresh performance blood, and I had no idea if she was even built right for the job I had in mind for her.

Saturday I took pictures of Kachina down to the cutting horse trainer I've been apprenticing under. He breed cow horses, so he knows the conformation intuitively, and I figured he'd be the best person to ask.

He studied her pictures for a while, asked some questions, and told me that, A) he'd have to see her in person to be fair (of course) and, B) he didn't see anything in her confirmation that he didn't like (except he, personally, only likes sorrel or black paints. Personally, I like her unique color). He told me at this point all I can do is try her and see how she does. He also said not to worry too much about the current bloodlines; that there are a lot of champions who only have foundation blood, some that go back five or six generations.

This eases my mind a lot. Now that I know for sure that she has the build for team penning, and I'm already convinced that she has the will, drive, intelligence and athleticism for the sport, there's nothing to stop us. I'm thinking that, once she's old enough to start, I'll let my grandfather take her for a little while to introduce to cows. Or maybe I'll figure out a way to take her to the ranch.

Either way, I'm fortunate enough to have some seriously good resources.