Update: sat a Stubben Ascend on her today and that looks like it might be the ticket (at least to try).
Where are you shopping for used saddles these days? Already tried Highline/Fineline and Facebook.
There is much more, I agree. There are some horses with dubious SI conformation or other obvious conformation faults that make it to the highest level of FEI jumping, which the OP aspires to do with her horse. I think itās a cute horse. However, horses that have conformation faults, especially in the hindquarters, that compete in the 1.6m jumpers and stay sound, are outliers.
We can all refer to the Baloubet du Rouet types that make it to that level, but they are the exception to the good functional conformation rule and are/were brought along by experienced professionals who have trained and jumped at that level.
I believe that most experienced people who have actually jumped even close to the 1.60m level know, when they are buying a horse with an eye to the highest level of jumping, to take functional conformation as well as breeding, very seriously.
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If you can predict whether or not a horse can jump the 1.6m or not from the limited, off center photos OP has posted you should go get a 7 figure consulting job picking them out at auction.
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I agree, which is what I also stated. But you have to look at the fault, is it 1 or 4, and to what degree does it/do they deviate from ideal?
However, a peaked croup in and of itself isnāt a deal-breaker. Thereās just much more that goes into the functionality of the hind end.
Whereās the LS Gap? That greatly influences the ability of the hind end to curl under itself. In that picture (the one you linked to) it appears to be decent, not perfect as it appears to be a bit behind the point of the hips (ideal is right over) but nothing terrible.
She (?) has long gaskins which promote power - akin to the long achilles tendon of people who run fast and jump high. Her hind end angles are good
Her pillar of support - where front legs are relative to withers - is excellent, legs well out in front. This means a light front end which allows for more and better transference of power to the hind end, and the ability to lift the front end out of the way.
Her neck comes out well above the point of her shoulder, and ties in well to her withers, which gives her the ability to her use her neck well for leverage and balance.
The peak in her croup and the slightly less than ideal LS gap are small faults compared to how good the rest is. Itās really not ādubiousā, itās just less than ideal
Thatās what I mean when you canāt just look at a single part and declare the horse unsuitable for X, unless maybe that fault is so extreme - extreme sickle hocks, post-legged behind, front legs right under the withers, ewe neck (conformational, not muscling), etc
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The flaws could be what is making this horse horse sore at an young age. I agree build isnāt everything but build + soreness in the area makes you same hmmm.
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Thereās so much more that makes a horse sore than 1 flaw. What do the feet look like? Well-balanced? Thin soles? A pasture mis-step that nobody has managed to find yet? A saddle that doesnāt quite fit? Riding that isnāt quite right for that horse at that stage of growth and fitness? A young horse still growing can absolutely have some growing pains, and the hind end can get a bit sore just from being butt-high
Do we even know the horse linked to, is the same as the OP horse? The OP horse doesnāt appear to have that peaked croup, but the angles also arenāt quite right to say yes or no. I wish the post the image is from had been linked to, rather than just the image
Yes, same horse. Photo in question, a month after I got her:
A month after the above photo:
6 months later:
Photo angles and growth make a big difference.
@JB thanks for your kind words about her - I think sheās pretty special, and as with every young horse, time will tell how she does
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Or being a baby horse and running and doing airs above the ground every day and just growing, which is what the professionals who have had their hands on my horse have said the soreness is caused by. As I mentioned above:
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Thanks, and definitely a big difference in her posture which absolutely affects how angles look
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Now that I can see her whole selfā¦ if the Stubben doesnāt work, definitely try to lay hands on an Amerigo Vesuvio.
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Thanks!
The fitter came out and we put a 31cm on her and it looked pretty good - she suggested finding a 32. I didnāt get on her because she has only just walked around a little bit under saddle so I didnāt think it would give us a good gauge. I sat in it on one of my other horses and I loved it for myself which is pretty rare, so Iām going to try to find one used that I can get on a trial and then ride her in it a few times to see how she feels.
You posted the "crap " (your words) picture of your horse on a public forum where experienced people discuss horses. Why did you do that, if you didnāt want anyone to express an opinion about it, or are opinions only acceptable to you if people tell you what you want to hear?
I wish you well in your journey to learn to jump at that level. It will be an experience that by necessity will take you out of schooling shows and into the national level via USEF, and the international level, via the FEI. If you are aspiring to ride your horse or have someone ride the horse for you in the the 1.60m jumping, either way you will still have to join the governing bodies.
Iām donāt mean to put the kibosh on your dreams, only to bring a bit of reality to the equation.
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Honestly, it would help if youād link to the post, not just a picture without any context.
And clearly, the picture there is not the āsameā horse as in this thread. Posture affects how we see what looks like conformation. A tilted pelvis changes the whole look of the hind end. You brought in 1 picture, with no context, no information, only what you think you see, into this discussion and assumed what you saw was reality, and made a blanket statement on what this horse is and isnāt capable of. That was unfair
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Eh, the mare has some conformation faults (as many horses do), but Iāve also seen some horses at the upper levels that arenāt picture perfect and theyāre holding up to the job. My own dressage horse has some faults, but heās sound until heās not. Like any horse. Iāve seen some really nicely put together horses not hold up or reach their full potential. Sure, you can stack some odds in your favor, and shouldnāt get something completely unsuitable, but horses are always a gamble. Thatās not what the OP came here asking though.
If the Stubben works, then go with that. Iāve seen some up to 34 cm, so they do go quite wide. I did come here to suggest Amerigo, but Iām not so familiar with their current jump models. Black Country saddles are very comfortable in the seat, IMO. They have a nice cushion to them.
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