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Does Conformation change on Yearling?

I bred this half arabian, half QH and he just turned 1 year old. About a couple months ago, I noticed that he was really post legged. I did not notice this before. Neither parent has this fault and I know some of grandparents and can’t find the fault, so I was wondering if this is a temporary Conformation fault due to the way he is growing?? I know this type of fault is more common in QH than Arabians but I’m so bummed to see this.

By the time they are fully unfolded as a foal, what you see is what you get in terms of LS gap, pillar of support, and neck connection.

You can also get a good idea how the hind legs will mature. You want the younger foals to be camped out in appareance so that there’s room for the whole butt and back to grow into. If they look “balanced” behind as a foal, they will be straight-legged.

A yearling who looks posty is going to get straighter, assuming there’s not some funky body issue causing this to be a stance/posture thing, as opposed to actual conformation.

Do you have a confo-type pic? Do you have any similar pics when he was much younger?

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I do have pictures but don’t know how or where to attach them.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10228725247175891&type=3
Elvis is the foals name. Shows a variety of pictures.

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I like this foal :wink: My daughter would likely be interested in this foal. If you decide to sell let me know but I also have to mention that estimated height at maturity might make a difference (my daughter is much taller than I am - I can ride almost anything from 12.3 to 17+)

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Oh wow he did get his sire’s color! That was unexpected, how neat.

Mom looks a little straight behind, so no surprise baby may have gotten it as well.

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Part of the issue is how butt-high he is currently. That straightens all the hind end things.

I do think he’s going to end up on the straighter side, but not as straight as in that most current photo. His foal pics show he is a bit camped out (which is good), but not AS camped out as you’d like to see

I tried to find a pic of a foal who is more appropriately camped out to compare, but can’t find one. If I do, I’ll post it, or maybe someone else has their own foal pic showing it.

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Yes this is my one mare as a yearling LOL

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Do you have one of her as a suckling or weanling? I’m trying to find a foal pic that shows a well-camped out posture as a result of correct angles and lengths of the hind leg bones that allow the rest of the body to grow into it so that the hind leg still has proper angulation

Thank you for your replies JB. I know what you mean. I probably have some good pictures on my other foal Albums. I feel a little comforted knowing it could possibly be by his growing stages, but I’m realizing he will be straight behind, I just hope not as bad as he is right now. This is my first QH cross and I thought maybe that breed might influence his growth stages.

QH’s do seem to have more, and worse, butt-high stages than other breeds in general. NOT that all do, and not that other breeds don’t have the same. He’s quite butt-high right now, so I definitely don’t take his hind end angles and even his shoulder angles as gospel right now, all of which straighten with that kind of growth phase. Once his front end catches up, and he’s more or less level (for a day at least LOL!) then you can read much more into what you see is what you get, at least from those perspectives. His neck and back will still lengthen so you can’t 'see" those yet. But the angles of things will be what they will pretty much be (excepting pastern angles those will continue to drop a bit as his upper body weight increases)

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