Diamonds in the rough
Knowing what to look for in a potential show animal can be a challenge at the best of times. Carolyn Henderson finds out how the experts spot the future superstars, when it may not be so obvious
VERYONE wants to find a diamond in the rough. Whether it’s a show cob disguised as a hairy, overgrown pony, a gawky youngster or even a skin-and-bone merchant with the potential to shape up. They’re out there, but you need a discerning eye to tell whether you’ve found a potential swan or just another duck-in-waiting. It takes patience to wait for a hunch to pay off and nerve to search out your diamond in sometimes difficult settings.
“It’s getting harder, because there are fewer breeders,” says show producer Lynn Russell, who won the maxi cobs at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) last year with Baileys Horse Feeds’ Jovian. Sadly, the seven-year-old died in January from inoperable colon torsion.
“I actually prefer to buy horses in poor condition, because you can see the framework and visualise how you can build on it.
“When you stand back, you should see symmetry; not, for instance, a big front and a weak back end. Even on a thin horse, the hip to hock line should be long enough so that the horse tracks up. The sacroiliac area must be level on both sides. People maintain that if you school more on the weaker rein, it will even up, but that’s not necessarily true and unlevelness can be a sign of previous injury.
“Whatever its type, a show animal must have a quality head. A cob’s head can be plain, but never coarse: you want the head of a duchess and the backside of a cook.
“It must be a proper cob, deep through the girth and relatively short-legged, not a common small hunter or clipped-out vanner.
“A horse who is thick through the jawline can’t flex and will never have true self-carriage. You should be able to fit two fingers into the gullet. A horse won’t necessarily make a noise if you can’t do that, but it’s more likely to be a ‘puffy’ breather.
“Good feet are essential. Look at the condition of the horn — a bad foot will be split, flaky and have no shape, whereas a good foot which needs attention might be long, but won’t be flaky. Avoid a flat foot, which is always down to conformation.
“I always want to see a short cannon bone,
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sufficient bone for the type and correct pastern and shoulder angles. Knee and hock joints must be clean and strong, because weak hocks don’t stand up to work, no matter how careful you are about hard ground.”
LYNDA LODGE, chairman of the British Skewbald and Piebald Association, adheres to the basic premise: “Look at what you can’t change, look at what you can and don’t confuse the two.”
“Movement, feet, limb conformation and the way the head and neck are set on won’t change,” she says. “You can improve neck topline, and quarters that are too sloping can also be improved through correct work and feeding.
“Something slightly narrow through the chest can widen through correct feeding and muscle development, provided it doesn’t structurally have both front legs coming out from the same hole.
“Schooling can improve balance, but if an animal has a choppy stride due to bad limb conformation or an upright shoulder, you won’t change the quality of the movement.”
Attractive markings are a bonus with coloured horses, but don’t be blinded by pretty patches.
“Imagine the horse were bay,” says Lynda. “If it wouldn’t be a good show horse then, it won’t be a good show horse as a piebald or skewbald either.”
Some owners prefer buying early and professionals who have a good relationship with breeders may earmark foals and return when they’re ready to buy and back them.
Show pony and show hunter pony specialist Julie Templeton does this. If a professional