What do you think of this one?

This is my 2 year old gelding, Hickory. Please let me know what you think of him. Don't hold back, I'd rather hear an honest opinion than a sugar coated one. I know he's small, but keep in mind that he is cow bred and that his dam is only 14.1 and his sire is about 14.3. He is just over 14, if we measured him correctly.

Well hes a chubby little man isnt he!
Plenty of bone! For his job, Id like to see more lengh to his neck and lower in the croup, quarters need more of a lower tie to the gaskin. He's alittle posty in the hocks. Which is great for halter, might have to have them injected later on depending on his work load, Good slope to his shoulder.

I'd like to start out saying that he's a pretty horse Has a real gentle eye to him. For a cow horse though, as TJ said, his hocks are kind of posty which would be a big concern, even more so because he's a little sickle hocked, I'd like to see his back legs a little more underneath him. He'll never have the best of the best slide because of that. Compared to the rest of his body, his neck is a little on the short side. But, what's his personality like? Have you started saddling him yet? Take all of that into consideration and then ask yourself if you want to spend the next two years consistently riding him when you already have nice horses to ride (lol, that's what I have to keep asking myself.)

I dont see sickle hocked... Sickle-hocked or too much set=Sickle hocks are quite common and are serious because of the stress placed on the hocks in performance and the many unsoundnesses that are associated with them. Am I missing something here..

Can you explain a little of what you mean by posty? I have a general idea. Normally he stands with his back legs a little less straight. Poor Brennen spent ages trying to set him up.
I've saddled and bridled him. Super easy to work with. I won't likely sell him, as he's a bit parrot mouthed and if he went to the wrong place, he might just end up on a plate in France. I started working on him as a baby and he was so quiet and easy to handle that he quickly became a favorite. Then his teeth started to go wonky.

He is missing that nice dish from the rump to the hock... I would also like to see a little more muscle to his overall hip he looks a little weak. Still would make a nice all around 4 H type horse or trail horse esp if he has a good personality. Never count out a good minded gelding.

As a 2yr old I would not expect to see any muscle definition on him unless he has been working and eating more then grass. Until he goes to work and gets on a feed program for a working horse he will not fill out.

As far as sickle hock you cannot see that unless you have a rear view. As for the posty hock the second photo does not show his hind legs as being posty. The word post is just what it is. Straight up and down. The second shot shows his hind legs a little more under him then the others..

I think his neck is plenty long enough.. As far as how tall he is. Well, he will not finish growing until he is 5yrs old and can fool all of you.. A working horse should not be real tall anyway.

Ok, here is what I think. He has a major grass belly.. Does not look wormy.. Just tubby in the tummy from eating that grass and taking life easy. Nice grass by the way.. This happens to any horse that does what he has been doing. Yes, even our halter horses.. That is why we feed alfalfa and not hay or pasture. His coat looks good..

I think he is fine for what you want to do and worth getting him going. Not my kind of horse.. But, then what I like many of you do not..

Also, if you want to get real shots of the horse do not try to set him up. Those shots never look good and can make a horse look bad. The best shots I get are of them out and moving. Then you see what they really are..

I thought you were down sizing

Even out in pasture playing you should be able to see some defination to the muscle structure esp in the hips my 2 yr old is out on brome and you can still see where each of the muscles start and stop.. not to say he is a better colt just to say that is my preference and as a colt bred for the same thing as this one that would be something I would look for a colt, something for the muscles to build upon if you want a cow horse you have to have a very strong hind end and a very low and deep hock.

I raised this guy, not one I planned on selling, cause I don't have a saddle gelding. I generally ride a mare, but I hate packing colts around. You have periods where you can't ride due to pregnancy and foaling, so I try to ride the open ones, but they don't always stay open.
I don't think he looks very posty to me when he's standing naturally, but I could be wrong. I'd like him to be my trail horse, pony colts, that kind of stuff. Plus maybe be Taegan's 4-H horse in a few years, if we can get her off Tom. If he can do more, great.
Hickory is kept in a small pen. Getting 1st cut hay. Some alfalfa in it, but mostly timothy. He does look gutty. Definately not wormy, or shouldn't be. He was just wormed on the 6th. I will be starting an exercise program for him, hopefully tomorrow. I put him out into the bigger pen with some grass today and he went nuts, running and bucking. Must have been tired of the pen, but the grass just started growing here, we were pretty dry.
The grass in the pic is on the side of our laneway. I only wish our pastures were as long.

Sorry, I meant to say that he looked a little camped out to me, his back end just doesn't look very up and under him. This might just be because he was being set though, it happens a lot. And even if he is, he isn't a bad case of it, I would just like to see him up under himself a little more.

And bluejay, sickle hocked is actually something most easily identifiable from the side, not from behind.

If he has a good mind and you like him a bunch, then honestly, who cares how he's built? You're going to keep him and make a heck of a gelding out of him ;-) And he's chunky, oh well lol. I'd rather see them looking chunky and healthy that skinny and sick. I wish you the best of luck with him and I hope you keep us updated when you start riding him.

You cannot tell by those shots and sickle hock is seen from the back. Just as posty hock is seen from the side. Camped is the way the horse is standing..

A horse that is not trained or handled by someone who knows how to set them can look anyway. A horse that is not correct can be set to look perfect by someone who knows what they are doing. You cannot make judgements about a horse that is not set properly.

Same thing goes for muscle definition. This horse is fat and who knows what he will look like when he is in good shape..

When talking about muscle definition in the hind end, do you mean more like this? The second shot is not as good, but is it that line you want to see that shows each of the muscle groups?

He looks like he belongs in my pasture. Everyone thinks I keep mine a bit to chubby. But you know their happy. If he has a good personality then that right there makes him worth a million bucks. In my eyes anyway. I think Brennan will do great with him.

My horses are all on the chubby side too. That is how I like them. They are still balanced just not trim. Should I say chubby all over.. I call them hippo's..

There is not much definition in those shots.. Might just be the horse is out of shape.. When we talk about muscle tone you can see cuts in the muscles and see the definition in them. Does this make sense?

Keep in mind this shot is a joke. Someone played around on the computer making it. This is very exteme.. Pretty funny too.. But, this is an exagerated shot of muscle definition and no horse looks like this. But, you can get an idea of where you might see the cuts I am talking about..



This is my horse. He is not fit and just dropped about 100lb. He has pretty good definition that is natural to him.



I hope this helps a little so you can see what we are talking about.. Your horse is not bred this way and does not need to look like this. But, some of those ripples would help. That comes with feed and excersize.. Neither of these horse are bred like yous.. Mine does go back to Major Bonanza.. The other like I said is a joke and a pretty funny one I think.. But, it does show you where you might want to see those cut ins for definition.. Don't laugh too hard..

THIS IS MY HORSE...

So are you talking about the chestnut or the sorrel! Hee Hee

That's just too funny. Yuck.
My barrel horse prospect shows good muscle definition, but then she's in regular work, not just a bit on lunging or ponying a day. She's also alot thinner than my 2 year old. I know my guy is fat, but when I think how much I worried about his teeth and whether I could keep weight on him or not, I see him in that condition and I am thankful.

once again must agree to disagree.. she asked for an opinion and got several take what you like and go with it. I still say with those specific genetics that colt should have more muscle defination JUST MY OPINION.

Yes, Lynn she did ask for an opionion. She also asked what was meant by definition when you mentioned it.. Maybe you can post a shot of the horse you own that you were comparing him to since you breed the working class horse and explain what you mean by that? Point it out and that will help her know what she should be looking for.. We have all been there. I have a guy who talks about legs all the time. I have him point out what he means so I can spot it and understand.. Course, he does not realize there is no such thing as perfect..