A Progression in ZB

You know what we haven't done in a while? 

dun dun dun

A progression post! 

When I met ZB, she was a loveable 4 year old with an impossibly smooshy nose that seemed almost too large for her rather-slender body. She was 15.2 on a tall day and had the best lil attitude about absolutely everything. 

Summer 2017 - 4 years old
(layover at her Auntie's house)

Everyone warned me that drafties grow until they're 8 so it worked out that my whole life fell apart shortly thereafter. I mean it didn't work out for me for a long time (tho it did eventually), but this is a REALLY NICE PHOTO that ZB's other auntie took the next summer annnnnnd yeah you can see that her dimensions have changed a lot. 

Summer 2018 - 5 years old
(it's two zbs!)

I was going to post a summer vs winter picture for each year but 1) apparently I don't take a lot of winter conformation shots without tack on and 2) uhhhhhh let's just agree that some of those winter growth phases DO NOT need to be more documented haha. Instead, let's look at summer 2019 when the pieces actually started to come together for my little lady. 

You'll have to use some imagination on this one--I have a habit of not living in state in the summer (or at all SOB) so this was my best conformation shot in like 4 months. Whoops.

Summer 2019 - 6 years old
Looking like a little powerhouse

I now realize I probably should have been more diligent about documenting her growth--I think she's about 15.3 in front and 16.0 behind now. My logic is that I can get on her from the ground so she can't be that big. SOME PEOPLE are fond of pointing out that if your horse is roughly the same diameter as your couch, it keeps your hips more mobile. Whatever her height, she's the right size for me. 

She does seem to have leveled out the exponential growth at least--her balance is more consistent and hey, she looks like this:

Summer 2020 - 7 years old
All sport-horsey and cute

We're going into her 7 year old winter now feeling fit and sassy. We both like variety and adventures, so we're spending time learning to neck rein and do a western jog but also working hard on the canter (and omg transitions) in her english tack with plenty of trail rides and jump days thrown in. She is coming together SO nicely and I can never emphasize enough just how lovely she's been to work with for the entire process. 

She has a fantastic back end, a natural over track at the walk, solid bone, and an amazing brain. I could talk about how her conformation impacts her athleticism or how her breeding informs her dimensions, but you know what's most important? 

She's just so much fun.  

See The Change--OTTB Conformation Update

For almost a year there, I barely posted an progress pictures. Then I did one last week and now I'm like RAWR CANT STOP ME NOW, so here you go. Conformation progress, one shot per calendar year.

This is Courage on July 26, 2013. It's the night before he left the track and two weeks after his last race.

This is spring of 2014. Courage had a good chunk of the winter off and was just starting to come back into work. We were still attempting jumpers/eventing with mixed success (my code phrase "mostly failing").

Summer of 2015. Courage has been at the dressage barn about eight months and was successfully competing in training level dressage.

Summer 2016. We've putting putting in the long, slow, methodical miles in the sandbox. We're about 6 weeks from celebrating the three year anniversary of Courage coming off the racetrack.

Huh. Pretty cool to see it laid out like that.

PS I know it's not kosher to take conformation shots with wraps on but I like wraps and he's not for sale, so y'all will just have to deal. His lower legs are no more or less ugly than they were on the track.

HAWKWARD: mystery of the missing conformation shots

You may (hopefully not) have noticed how I really don't share conformation shots of Courage anymore. It's not that I don't take them--I obsessively photograph pretty much everything this horse does.

It's just that he's only now starting to come out of a months-long ugly phase. You doubt?

July 2013

 Courage was a sexy beast on the track. I mean yeah, he's racing fit and all wrong for a sport horse, but I loved looking at him. So balanced.

October 2014

 We're going to skip the whole first year off the track because this post is about this year. And also--he wasn't very attractive. Part of the rebuilding process. This is a great shot by a fab photographer, annnnnnd yeah. Courage looks kind of tight and strange. His body is letting go and rebuilding, but it's not pretty.

November 2014

 Totally cheated on his neck here, but we had moments of looking kind of pretty. There's a good body balance going on.

January 2015

 Then we had winter break/start dressage annnnnnd. It's not pretty. This isn't a true conformation shot, but you can see that Courage is just sort of ick and muscles in weird places and slack in worse places and not very attractive at any point here. Yay star?

April 2015

 The positive here is that Courage's body is changing and I do like this photo better than the last one. The downside is that he's all long and lean with a big underneck muscle and no topline. He looks kind of tight all over.

May 2015

 Again, not a true conformation shot because I'm pretty sure I deleted everything from this time period. You really don't have to see the whole horse to get the picture though. Look how tight his walk stride is and how he holds himself. Even with the "optimal" pose, he just doesn't look... good? I mean. He's a 16.1 hand horse. His walk stride should be more than 2" long. It's not.

July 2015

 Another conformation shot by a really solid photographer and even white wraps and sparkle bell boots can't class it up. You can start to see Courage's body developing, but it's sort of gappy. He's building a butt and shoulders, but doesn't really have abs and his neck is sad--both short and upside down. He'd look a little better if he was fat, but this is an awkward stage, no two ways about it.

August 2015

 This picture starts to give me hope. You can see Courage is putting some weight on and his neck is less severely upside down. His whole topline looks looser and he looks pretty comfortable in his own skin.

October 2015

I took this picture to show off Courage's cute clip, and that's about what it does. You can see his whole body is looser and his neck isn't quite as skinny. He's definitely putting on some weight, which he needed. Again he looks comfortable, but not really attractive. It's a good thing his face is so cute, right?

November 2015

And then the other day, Courage was like "what if I tried looking like a dressage horse?" and decided to start eating every scrap of hay that was ever put in his stall. I think it's funny how fast his body can change, because it's obviously taken quite a long time to get to this point. I don't usually post pictures of a dirty horse standing in his stall, but all of a sudden we have muscle definition and abs and neck muscles and a real ass and he's just so sexy and curvy everywhere. I mean yeah. Lots of things need to keep improving, but he looks like a horse someone might want to own finally.

CAN I GET AN AMEN

November 2015

 In case my walk picture didn't make sense earlier, here it is now. Notice the sexy curves and the way Courage is moving. His feet can actually leave the ground. His stride is longer. His coat is gleaming and his body can actually move. His neck is starting to have some nice dressage muscle and I really like looking at this picture.

 

excessive satin ftw

 This is the closest I have to a conformation shot right now, but just look at the difference. His neck still isn't 100% correct, but it's filling in. Because he doesn't have (as much) of the overly-pronounced under neck muscle, it's starting to relax down and look longer. His whole body is filling in and he can stand in balance without looking tight or uncomfortable.

We haven't "arrived" yet, but I'm sanguine that we're pulling out of the year-long (plus) ugly phase. I have to keep reminding myself that we're completely rebuilding a body that spent 6 years doing the opposite of what I'm asking for now. Courage has made HUGE strides forward in his training this fall, and I'm really excited to share what he looks like in the spring. :-) (Hopefully.)

OTTBs, Conformation, and Progress Posts

Maybe I'm the only person on the ENTIRE PLANET who feels like she's constantly behind the OTTB curve. Seems like every other OTTB owner is like "HELLZ YEAH DOING STUFF" when I'm just over here working away at training level. Maybe I really am that far behind the curve. 

But in case I'm not, I want to show you something. (Or maybe prove something to myself.) Regardless. Here we go.

July 2013

You all know this picture. It's Courage, the night before he left the track and maybe two weeks after his last race. He's 8 years old and very, very fit. Conformationally, he is a lovely thing (which we can see because there's no fat getting in our way.) You can also see his upside down neck which is a part of his uber-short topline and the way his front legs are a bit inclined under his body. That can be just how a horse is posed (good conformation shots are an art form, yo), but in this case, I think it also speaks to his general body soreness and the type of fitness he has.

October 2013

90 days later is a lot less attractive. Let's be real. Courage's fall coat is coming in, which explains the coat color difference. His handquarters look so sexy and symmetrical and he's put on a lot of weight through his underline, but his whole topline still just looks tight and uncomfortable. You can still see how his front legs are set a bit under his body. He's lost most of the racing muscle, but he hasn't gotten to the pretty phase yet.

March 2014

A winter off made a world of difference for Courage. I know it's super sexy to be like "6 weeks from racing to BN", but while that might work for some horses, I don't think it's a good idea (AT ALL) for others--I mean, from this progression, it took Courage ~9 months to really get back to square one in terms of being physically ready to start real training. Courage is growing in a spring coat after body clipping, which account for the unattractive color, but he looks so much more comfortable in his own skin. His neck has started to drop a little. His topline doesn't have that almost "pinched" look to it. There isn't a lot of muscling going on, but it's definitely an improvement.

October 2014

This is a gorgeous photo, but it's not my favorite shot ever of Courage. Again, he looks comfortable in his own skin and much more relaxed. He has put some muscle on after a summer of work. I like that his lines are all kind of longer and more filled in. I basically haven't changed his neck at all, but it's not worse, so that's good. There is more muscle in his hindquarters and abs (do people talk about horse abs?). There is definite improvement, but it doesn't have that "WOW" factor of his racetrack shot.

July 2015

And then today. We're closing right in on two years off the track, and to me, Courage is starting to look really good. (Noted: conformation shots should be taken without wraps, but we're not dealing with a PPE or lower leg blemishes, so whatever.) (Also noted: I should have asked Courage to drop his head some, but eh. He's beautiful.)

Here I'm finally seeing what Courage can look like after months of correct work. There is some lovely definition in his shoulder and his neck is starting to fill in. Honestly, this picture shows his neck the least well, but trust me when I say it's deeper and thicker and getting more attractive. I'm already coveting more hind end development and a bigger, thicker  neck, but if this sequence shows anything, it's that progress comes with slow, correct work and lots of time.

PS Note how he's in a different head collar for every single shot.

PPS Check out that kick ass tail development!

Friday Fun Fotos

October 2013

October 2014

 Conformation a year apart. To me, he looks like a fat racehorse in 2013, but he's turning in to a fancy sporthorse in 2014. :-)

Fancy Friday

Ellie came out to play with Courage yesterday and caught an updated conformation/condition shot. For review:

July 2013 at the tack

October 2013 going in to his winter off

March 2014 coming back into work

Conformation of the Event Horse: Thoroughbred Edition

I've been mulling this idea over for a while, and I think I now have a pretty cool progression to show as far as Cuna's conformation, how it affects him competitively, and how he's changed while with me. However, because I am an average student of conformation, I thought that I would include a perspective from one of my favorite experts, who also happens to be my favorite photographer, the wonderful EllieA. (All shots by EllieA.)

In order to illustrate how conformation and muscle structure relate to athletic output in performance, I've included a trotting and cantering shot taken the same day as each conformation shot. While Ellie is a smashing photographer who makes us look awesome, I'd say that the pictures were representative of where we were at in our training at the time.






Basic stats:
Hakuna Matata (Cuna)
17 years old
Thoroughbred (OTTB)
Career eventer

MARCH

March 20, 2012

TSB: At this point, I'd had Cuna about a month and in all fairness to him, he'd been out of work all winter and the month he'd spent with me was not terribly intense. I was building confidence over low fences on the flat and he was toting me around. As an out of shape, unbalanced adult ammy, I was not the picture of balanced perfection.

EA: In this photo, Cuna looks like a horse just getting back into regular work. His overall structure is good, if a bit unbalanced front to rear. Ideally, the structure of a performance animal should be balanced, with equal angulation in the front and hindquarters. In layman’s terms, I'd like to see the shoulder angle (from the wither to point of shoulder to the elbow) match the rear angle (from the point of hip to stifle to hock). A horse built this way is generally a more stable athlete, less prone to injuries, and has an easier time with collection.

Cuna is built nicely uphill. He is straighter in the hind end (notice the straight line between stifle and hock), but has a nicely sloping croup. He has a decent shoulder, and is long bodied with a lovely long (some might say giraffe) neck. He is ever-so-slightly over at the knee. You can see the beginnings of muscle development in the shoulders and hindquarter, but his neck and topline aren’t quite there yet. I don’t like how his neck ties into his shoulder/withers in this photo… it looks abrupt and awkwardly set. You can tell he isn’t completely comfortable.

March trot

TSB: I probably never posted this picture before because it's not the most stellar trotting shot ever, but it's how we were working. Loose rein, in an arena, going forward. I was determined to learn everything I could from Cuna, so I neglected fitness work in favor of jumping small things several times a week.

March canter

EA: Much of what I discussed in the conformation shot holds true in motion. At this point, he hasn’t developed the muscle tone and condition to carry himself properly. In the trot photo, he is moving downhill, and not tracking under as well as he does in later photos.. His neck is kind of hanging there awkwardly and his topline appears underdeveloped. He has more reach in front than drive in the rear, and if you were to draw triangles between his front and rear legs, you’d find the rear triangle to be smaller. At the canter, he looks a little better, but you can still see the imbalance and his discomfort at being asked to be light in the front and track up in the rear. This is partially due to structure, and partially due to condition.

MAY

May 20, 2012

TSB: The next set of shots is from May, a mere 60 days later. I have to say, the first thing I notice is just how much I love Cuna's summer coat. He is fit and shiny, with ribs well covered in flesh. Cuna and I had progressed from putzing around the arena 5 days a week to trotting and galloping in the hills for fitness regularly.

EA: The change in muscle tone between this picture and the last one is dramatic. Everything looks “tighter” and more defined. Cuna looks much more comfortable in his own skin, and has a much softer and pleasant expression than the last photo. His shoulder and hindquarters have continued to develop and strengthen. However, his neck and topline are perhaps the most strikingly different part of him. His neck is well muscled—especially along the top—which helps it to tie into his shoulder/withers more smoothly. His topline shows obvious muscling from withers to croup. Even his abdominal muscles are showing definition, and his belly is tighter and more athletic looking. Really, his whole “framework” appears much stronger. All of these improvements will make dressage/flat work much easier and more comfortable for him, because he now has the physical ability to lift his front end and have it be supported through the topline and hindquarters.

May trot

TSB: I was addressing confidence issues over fences, so Cuna was coming off our first cross country schooling together (hot mess) and a two week jumping intensive to address issues raised. We were still a new partnership, but with consistent lessons and five or six days a week under saddle, we were starting to really do well together. Because the root of my issues was jumping, he and I spent lots of time with the sticks and did little-to-no dressage work in the proper sense of the word.

May canter

EA: Cuna is moving in a much better and more attractive frame at the trot. His whole front end looks smooth and efficient, and he is tracking up better in the rear, although not perfectly. He appears a bit stiff in the hocks, which would make sense knowing his age and work level at this point in time. His topline looks lovely, and he appears relaxed, happy, and workmanlike. At the canter, he looks much smoother and lighter in the front. His neck and topline are beautiful, and you can see the muscle development in his chest, also. He is in beautiful condition with a lovely, shiny coat.

NOVEMBER

November 12, 2012

TSB: As much as we loved our last barn, we moved with our trainer to a new place in a flatter locale at the end of October. We have taken several dressage lessons and worked hard on improving connection and engagement. That said, all of our trails are now flat, so that steady hill work that was a major part of our workload four days a week is no longer a regular thing.

EA: In this photo, Cuna’s condition tells me that he has experienced a change in the type of work he is getting. While he still has fairly even muscle tone, he has lost some of the dramatic muscling on his neck and topline. You can tell this by the way his neck and back tie into his withers, as well as the increase in slope from croup to tail. He seems to have kept similar muscling in the hind end, but perhaps lost some in his shoulder. His abdominal muscles appear even tighter than the last photo, though… this tells me that he has been doing a lot of work involving that area. He still has a pleasant, kind expression and seems like a very happy guy.



TSB: We are constantly improving--I can feel changes in how Cuna and I work together from week to week. It's exciting, and now it's documentable. We do spend more time in the arena now, working on connection (that elusive outside rein) and we've even developed some baby lateral motion. Cuna is not the most supple horse in the world, but the more we work, the better he is.







 
EA: Cuna is noticeably lighter in the front end than in any of the previous shots. At the trot, he shows marked improvement in rear flexibility and drive. He shows lovely engagement and is tracking up in the hind end very well for a horse of his conformation. I would bet you that if the photo was a straight side view, the triangles between his legs would be about even, front to rear. That is great. At the canter, he is using his front end well but doesn’t seem as strong looking as he does in May’s canter photo. At both the trot and canter, he is carrying himself in a decent frame, and looks much more comfortable using his body like this—something that is much changed from the March photos.

WRAP UP

TSB: Working with Cuna has been a fun adventure. I didn't realize just how much he'd changed until I put all these shots side by side. Many thanks to EllieA for her insights!! Also, check out her blog for a post on our last photo session together. Super fun stuff. :-)


EA: It was very interesting to see how different types of work influenced Cuna’s muscle development, quality of gaits, and attitude. Generally, what I noticed in the conformation shots held true in the movement photos. Overall, I feel that the May photos show Cuna at his most fit. However, the November photos present a picture of a more supple horse that has an easier time staying collected and engaged. I am intrigued to continue following their progress!

Second Lesson

As usually happens, Izzy pretended she had no idea how to trot in our lesson. It was really a little humorous. When I ride by myself, she's pretty responsive. Introduce and instructor, though, and the training goes out the window.

In her defense, we were making her think a bit harder than normal and she was pretty good. She tried to turn in again on the lunge line, but we just kept our circle small and worked through it. I tried not to make and issue of it, and just led her back to the center and started again. I guess that worked ok... so long as she understands that she does have to keep working.

In the lesson itself, we worked on keeping a steady contact with both reins, but especially the outside, as well as getting her to listen to my seat instead of just leaning on my hands and bracing against them. In addition, Cathy wants us to start riding to points in the arena, instead of just wandering around. It will make us more focused and teach her to listen. Oh, and I need to look up. I get nervous, so I stare at her ears and watch that they don't fix on to anything that might cause her to spook. It's silly of me, really. I know that I can ride her when she spooks now. She even spooked once in the lesson, and I stayed on with no trouble. I didn't even grab the neckstrap.

All in all, I'd say we're making progress. After we were done riding, I washed Izzy's tail and braided it. I don't like dirty, matted tails. Also, I want to get her gussied up and do pictures again. I'm going to try to submit a photo to a magazine for a conformation analysis, just to see if we get in... I'm bad at trying to figure that out on my own.