Can you tell if a horse is a rough ride based on conformation?

[4horses]

I know of 2 quarter horses that are very rough to ride. Very bouncy trot and the canter is not terribly comfortable either. Both have rather upright shoulders, and are straight through the hind end.

While both are nice horses, I don’t particularly enjoy riding either of them. I had an appaloosa I quickly sold. Something about his trot made my spine twist in a way that was just miserable. His back legs were very straight from the stifle down.

Thoughts? Is this just undesirable conformation? Or is there a reason people are selecting these traits?

[SusanO]

I am not sure of the reason why some Quarter Horses have such upright pasterns, specifically the halter horses that have such a straight hind leg. As a fellow boarder who owned and showed Western Pleasure horses told me " Oh those are halter horses - you don’t ride those things". Not sure what you do with them after the feed and lead classes. So yes - if you have no angulation in the hind leg the gaits will most likely be rough. No shock absorbers.

[Scribbler]

@SusanO

I am not sure of the reason why some Quarter Horses have such upright pasterns, specifically the halter horses that have such a straight hind leg. As a fellow boarder who owned and showed Western Pleasure horses told me " Oh those are halter horses - you don’t ride those things". Not sure what you do with them after the feed and lead classes. So yes - if you have no angulation in the hind leg the gaits will most likely be rough. No shock absorbers.

The only plausible reason I’ve read for the extreme straight hind end on some Halter stock horses is that the were bred to look like cows. It’s not functional for horses.

[jvanrens]

@4horses

Is this just undesirable conformation?

The rougher ride which usually accompanies this type of conformation is the reason it’s undesirable.

[JB]

@4horses

Both have rather upright shoulders, and are straight through the hind end.

this is exactly why they are rough rides, there’s no shock absorption in straight joints So yes, you can get some idea of how they will feel. The more upright the pasterns and hocks and stifles, the rougher the ride, all else equal

@SusanO

I am not sure of the reason why some Quarter Horses have such upright pasterns, specifically the halter horses that have such a straight hind leg.

It’s a bastardization of American QH Halter horse breeding that’s just horrible.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Paso Finos are smooth, right?

I once rode a Paso Fino mare with short, upright pasterns for a few minutes. This mare got my hips BAD, they hurt for a few days afterwards. It hurt me to walk around, it hurt sitting down, and ever since I have refused, when given the opportunity to refuse, to ever get up on a horse with short upright pasterns since that ride. The vast majority of that ride was at the walk.

Lucky for me my lesson stable has several lesson horses available so I have not triggered my hip bursitis since then.

[4horses]

That’s probably an exception to the breed. Most pasos are super smooth! Unless they pace, but they aren’t supposed to pace.

[Jackie_Cochran]

My Paso Fino filly then mare had really nice pasterns of proper length. I had no problems riding her for hours on the trail. My mare was a born pacer, and had a pleasant, smooth normal speed walk. Seasickness might have been a danger when she paced, but not hip bursitis.

I boarded at the barn where she was bred. Her breeder got bent all out of shape because she did not have a 4-beat Paso. He wanted me to put on head gear that did “work” the one time he talked me into trying it, but I then told him I would rather die than ride her with that abusive piece of sh*t thereafter.

Then, using Forward Seat principles of training, listening to my mare, and experimenting with which leg and hand aids would work best I got her to reliably do the 4-beat Paso without any extra gear or other methods of torture.

Her breeder swore I would be unable to get the 4-beat Paso using Forward Seat methods. He was wrong. Yeah, it took a while before I could get her above the speed of a snail but as her muscles got stronger it got easier for her and she only paced if I insisted that she go FASTER RIGHT NOW!!!, probably in reaction to my rudeness.

[RhythmNCruise]

Yeah, my gelding has some conformation flaws…his back is a touch longer than I’d like and he’s a little weak over the lower back/SI area. I do a lot to support these weaknesses in his conformation and it helps him a lot. But the one thing I will say…he’s super comfortable to ride. He’ll jog and that is smooth as glass, but even his long trot is pretty easy to sit. His canter is like a rocking horse…I could ride it all day (he begs to differ, LOL). But he’s got great conformation pretty much everywhere else. Good shoulders and hips, hocks, pasterns, etc. He’s got some halter bloodlines but luckily he took after his western pleasure side. Built for comfort for sure.

[refresh]

I was taught long ago that pastern length is a big factor for how comfortable a horse is. Short pasters = choppy, long pasterns = smooth. Then looking at shoulder angle. Upright shoulder, which generally corresponds to upright pasterns means shorter choppier stride. Also means they will have better jumping form but irrelevant here! Long, sloping shoulder will be a longer more sweeping stride.

[JB]

@refresh

I was taught long ago that pastern length is a big factor for how comfortable a horse is. Short pasters = choppy, long pasterns = smooth.

It’s not just about length, it’s also about slope. Shorter but sloped = fine. Longer but not too sloped = fine too,

@refresh

Upright shoulder, which generally corresponds to upright pasterns means shorter choppier stride.

You have to define “upright” More upright than 55* or so then yes.

But also, there’s more to that structure than the angle of scapule. There’s also the length of the scapula, and the length and angle of the humerus

@refresh

Also means they will have better jumping form but irrelevant here!

See above. Scapula length and angle does influence how far back it can rotate, which is what moves the leg forward and helps give lift to the knees. But, humerus angle is an enormous factor as well, as it helps dictate how much the knees can fold.

[Vyce]

This is an interesting thread. Maybe I’m showing my ignorance but I never thought of conformation affecting gait (though after reading this thread it seems fairly obvious lol). There’s a few barn horses that have absolutely horrible bouncy jackhammer trots that will rattle the teeth out of your skull. Next time I’m at the barn and I see them, I certainly will be paying more attention to their conformation! They’re grade horses barn owner found at auction so their breeding is God only knows, but a few have that big old classic Quarter bootie so maybe some Quarter in them somewhere? That said two of them have lovely tempers and if I could I’d buy them in a heartbeat.

[JB]

Lots of horses have bouncy, rough gates for physical reasons that can be resolved, either poorly balanced feet, chiro issues, muscle issues. poor saddle fit, and more.