Back to the OP picture. I just don’t think it’s a good picture. I don’t particularly find her front leg and shoulder conformation suitable either. But it could just be the angle of the photo. Photos can lie. But she would be a pass for me on multiple levels if all I had to go on was that one photo.
Sorry I sometimes get sidetracked into a larger philosophical conversation especially when conformation and breeding and soundness is involved.
i agree its a hard picture that does her no favors. i’d like to see better ones too.
yes – as horses get older, they tend to get straighter behind - that’s why in young stock (foals) you want to see them actually a little camped out - overtime their hind end straights and comes under them better. this is for sports like eventing/jumping anyway - can’t comment on for halter or cutting, i have no business there because i am not very familiar with either discipline.
shoeing will also affect them as well.
Yes I see what you mean and yes definitely true in babies. Suspect it is a product of growth plates in relation to individual long bones and when they close.
Once upon a time, quarter horses could do halter and show their versatility of being able to compete in many different classes for one day at a show. Sadly, this is no longer the case.
AQHA has become so specialized, that it is no longer ‘form to function’. The halter horses have proved to become the laughing stock of the horse world. Huge beef-like horses that just…stand there in the ring, and do nothing else. People watching scratch their heads and ask “What in the hell am I looking at?!”
It doesn’t help that the halter diehards rant on about how halter horses are as fit as racehorses, that’s why they are so obnoxious and need to lead them with lip chains :rolleyes: Halter has come and seen its day, IMO.
Posty hocks, tiny feet, and HYPP seem to be the norm for these horses…it pisses me off. Even though it is in the rule book that these are undesirable traits, the judges still place them. I love the American Quarter Horse, it is my breed of choice. I will be the first to jump to the breed’s defense. But if we love this breed so much, then why are we not trying to eradicate these traits that are the downfall of these horses???
In the photo of the horse you provided, I’m not too keen on her, personally. She is posty behind, and I don’t know if she just needs to be set up better in front. However, she would probably be ok for a leisurely amount of riding on the trails and showing that you are wanting to do.
Also, food for thought: Halter bred horses are tough to sell as riding horses. I know a well-respected AQHA judge in my area that has a barn full of halter bred QH’s, that gets them broke under saddle after they are done showing them. They seem to have a tough time getting these horses sold. Unfortunately, when you have a horse bred for a specific purpose, it’s hard to sway people’s minds to purchase that horse for a totally different discipline, especially when you know that halter horse lines struggle with soundness issues.
Don’t know much about confirmation so will leave those comments to others -but I did ride across MI 250 miles in 14 days with a woman who rode a halter bred QH who looked the part --well, not all fat and beefy, he was done with that, but had the kind of build that won more than a few halter classes —anyway, for 14 days he walked, trotted, and cantered just like my roping-bred bulldog QH --can’t say me bulldog QH was any better at things than the halter-bred horse. Best horse probably would have been a cutting horse–all flat and catty. But we rode what we had, had fun, and neither horse was ever lame or sore. Just did their jobs like good QH. But do agree that it is ideal to buy a horse suited to what you plan to do. Right now I’m trying to train a cutting/sorting horse to jump --he’s getting the idea but at 14.2 hh and a downhill forehand, he’s never going to look the part --however, he’s going to rock the hunt field when we have to dodge trees and hounds --I’ll just have to stay with him. That’s his winter job. In summer, he does mounted archery and literally, can’t be beat (well, he can if I’m the one shooting off him because I suck, but put an international champion on him --and he’s unstoppable.)
Update:
I decided to go ahead and take a chance on her. The owners are selling out of the horse business and are eager to get rid of all their young stock, so I got a good price on her. Worse comes to worse and she ends up being unsound, she can just live out the rest of her days on the family horse farm back home as a pretty pasture ornament. I’d sooner see her there than at an auction because she wasn’t sound to ride. She’s just too good-natured for that.
And if the best does happen and she ends up being an ugly duckling that grows up sound, well that would be pretty cool too 
Good luck with her!
My halter bred Impressive gelding was an amazing hunter but could collect up and score high in dressage if slow down and have an amazing jog. It all depends on the individual horse.
as for the OPs photo - if it’s a true representation of how the horse looks then that’s a fugly little creature and I would pass. Not a prime example of quality halter breeding. The front legs/hooves give me the willies and not so happy about the back end either.
Congratulations on your new horse! Hope it all works out well for both of you.
I have seen it go both ways. First, it is really hard to evaluate a yearling, even more so if you are not very familiar with the breed and age.
Had a co-boarder who bought a halter bred Paint. Horse looked like a tank on teacups. He had been shown halter pretty heavily and I suspect given some “supplements” to aid in muscle mass. When I knew him he had difficulty staying sound in light work, especially in his feet. When working, he had a tiny stride and trouble getting off his forehand.
OTOH, another had a halter bred QH who was never shown in halter as he didn’t measure up and mostly sat around his first few years. Owner got him as a green 4 year old. He turned out to be an awesome all-around horse with a terrific mind and no more problems than any other horse.
A couple of related thoughts from years ago when I was on an intercollegiate horse judging team: When we went to a contest at the QH Congress the organizers often used a performance horse for the bottom-placed horse! Most of the top horses did nothing but halter. At that point, at least, they looked very different. And when we were prepping for contests we were presented with a horse and asked to critique. The horse looked like he was put together by committee of mismatched parts. His legs were crooked and had bumps where there shouldn’t be. We, somewhat gleefully pointed out flaws. Then they moved him and we were somewhat surprised that he moved better than he looked like he could. Finally they read off his list of accomplishments - he was a highly decorated performance horse who had been sound virtually all his active life. 
I know OP has already decided on the horse but I can’t resist linking to this study, which found that a mere 1-degree increase in hock angle (i.e., straighter hocks) corresponds to a 12% increase in risk of proximal suspensory desmitis: https://thehorse.com/148171/research…traight-hocks/. And the straighter the hocks, the less likely horses with PSD are to respond well to surgery (which is often the best chance of recovery, as rest alone rarely resolves PSD).
(Not criticizing you, OP! I think you’re wonderful to take her on with no expectations rather than risking her going to auction.)
the old barn I went to had a halter horse that competed in mostly halter and driving but i rode her in ranch and trail classes as well as just going on a trail ride down to the lake and going swimming! there was another horse also owned by the owner of the barn that did rein/cutting and LOTS of halters, we found that because she did the reining/cutting work that she had a whole lot more natural muscle and in the end looked way more muscular and fit than the others.
UPDATE:
I’ve had the halter-bred filly about a month now, where we’ve let her settle in and now had both my vet and farrier out to take a look at her and get her on a good program.
As expected thanks to her low weight, filly has a high egg count for strongyles so we’ll be deworming for that. She got her fall shots. My vet believes she has OCD, due to some knobby knees and a slight off-ness in her gait coming from the shoulder. I expected some sort of developmental disease due to the nutrition program her last owners had her on, so no surprise there.
Personality-wise, I’m completely in love with her. She’s a lovely horse to work with, smart but still sassy enough to keep it interesting. She rapidly became the barn favorite for how personable and curious she is. She’s practically bombproof already - nothing gets to her. She whinnies every time she sees me, and whinnies and power-walks over to me every time she watches me pick up her halter because that means we get to do something fun. It’s a shame she might never be sound for riding because her brain is so good, but if nothing else she’ll make a very sweet pasture puff and companion for the other horses when she grows up.
May be worth getting her evaluated by one of those specialists that can tell you exactly what is there.
There may be something that can be done for her OCD, if she has some, that would make her sound.
Ask in your area who the serious competitors go for those special lameness exams when their horses need more than a guess.
I could tell you in our area, but I am sure you have those where you are also.
Maybe even your vet may know where to go with her.
Glad that she is such a sweetheart, that makes life so much more interesting.
An update for the beginning of 2019!
My halter-bred filly, Andi (Andromeda) has been filling out and growing up! Taking care of the worms and giving her the right feeds has done wonders for her, and her attitude is as excellent as ever! She’ll be turning two in April.
Her soundness got bad from mid-October to mid-November, where she was hobbling even at the walk. That’s when the vet came out, said he figured she probably had some OCD lesions, but recommended we feed very conservatively and just wait and see what happens. I’m hoping luck is on our side, as she has been rather sound since December. Any rough steps she takes now she seems to work out of as she plays in turnout.
Everyone at the barn still dotes on her, and the children absolutely ADORE her. Here’s to hoping she’ll have a wonderful 2019!
So happy to hear this update OP! She is a lucky girl. If nothing else maybe she can teach the little ones to groom, love on, teach leading, and maybe be a leadline pet. Her face says it all!
Ahhh she is just the cutest thing! You know, even if she would happen to not be sound enough for serious riding, if she’s got the “it” personality where anyone can ride her, she just might be worth her weight in gold.
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