Aged AQHA geldings.

Evaluate and place these aged Quarter Horse geldings. Then see how your choices compare to our expert judge’s.

JUDGING CONFORMATION INCLUDES

the usual evaluation of balance, structural correctness, attractiveness, quality, and muscling, but also individual experiences and opinions. If we all felt the same way about the conformation of horses, we’d need only one judge as we’d always agree on a winner.

I evaluate balance first and foremost. For me, a winner has a long neck, trim throatlatch, deep heartgirth, short back, and a long hip. Eye appeal includes a pretty head that’s feminine for mares and masculine for stallions and geldings. Balance and eye appeal are usually the sign of an athletic horse that I like to reward.

Next, I evaluate structural correctness. Does the horse have a trim neck; long, sloping shoulder; deep heartgirth; short, strong back, and legs and feet free of major deviations? Horses with leg and feet problems go to the bottom of their groupings that were based on the balance and eye appeal. Exaggerated fat doesn’t gain any points for me, but a horse must be well-conditioned.