Conformation, neck and otherwise: Rule Of Threes

[Marv Walker <Marv@MarvWalker.com>]

At 02:48 PM 7/3/01 -0600, Michelle Fink wrote:
>Hi -
>
>Anyone have a general guideline for determining the optimal length a horse's
>neck would be w/r/t general ideal conformation?  Seems some short-backed
>horses have necks longer than their backs, whereas some horses with slightly
>longer backs have shorter necks so the back and neck are about the same
>length?  My points I'm looking at are from are the core of the loins (the
>little dip a few inches toward the withers from the peak of the croup), the
>center of the withers, and the poll (right behind the ears).  Anyone know
>how the neck length influences movement for a distance horse?  I do have my
>conformation books ordered, but they are not here yet and I'm sooo curious
>about this one.  DSS, if you are out there I'd love to hear your take on
>this issue!

Here is what my partner, Kellie Sharpe, summer1565@aol.com, had to say
about this subject when it came up on my general discussion Horses list
http://MarvWalker.com/horslist.htm .

"When I had my 4-H horse judging group in Conyers, this is what a well-known
and respected local judge taught us about judging:

When you look at a horse, mentally divide him into six sections.
Draw a mental horizontal line right across where his legs meet his body.
Then, draw two vertical lines - one right in front of where the girth would
go, and one at about the spot behind the barrel where the hair grows 'up'.

You should have three roughly equal vertical sections of horse, and two
horizontal sections - six sections in all. The distance from the horizontal
line to the top of the back should be the same as the distance from the
horizontal line to the ground. And the three vertical sections should be
about the same distance, too.

Now, take a haystring, and hold one end at about the point of his withers and
stretch the other end up to his poll. Then, without moving the end that is at
his withers, move the other end from the poll to the tail. The distance
should be about the same.

This is how we were taught to judge proportions. And every time I have taught
this at a clinic, participants were amazed at how much more clearly they were
able to 'see' the horse."

Marv "A horse should look like a horse." Walker
Indiana & Wisconsin Clinic Info: http://MarvWalker.com/clinic.htm