Arabian Horse Conformation:
      Form to Function

The following are articles that have been copied here are from Arabian Finish Line Magazine, November 1997, December 1997, and January 1998 issues; from the monthly column "FROM WHERE I STAND" by Rick Augustine.  No copyright infringement is intended, as this is placed here strictly for educational purposes for all horse owners, free for the viewing. The article, titled "Building A Runner" (from the 11/97 & 12/97 issues) will be presented here as "Part One" and "Part Two".  The third article was a seperate but complimentary article to the previous articles, and is entitled "Getting a Leg Up on the Competition".  It is my hope that you find these articles as helpful and informative as I did...

"Building a Runner" by Rick Augustine
Part One

Having a well-conformed horse with a black type racing pedigree is not a guarantee that it will be a winner.  But since speed is an inherited ability, on the average, horses with good racing ancestry prove to be more successful on the track than those with unproven lineage.  Having horses with outstanding conformation doesn't guarantee success at the track either, but horses with correct structure are easier to keep sound than horses with structural problems and also usually have more athletic ability than incorrect horses, so again your odds of getting winners are increased.  Horses with physical problems are more costly to keep in racing condition.  They often have to be raced less frequent to maintain sound and in spite of the precautions, usually incorrect horses have a shorter racing career.  That is why it makes good sense to seek out correct sound individuals. 

Many Arabian owners are very concerned with the well being of their horses, and at the same time, not knowledgeable about conformation.  This is due in part to the fact that many Arabian owners began their involvement with the breed in the show ring where style and presence can overshadow the importance of balance and structure in the pursuit of blue ribbons.  But if you want to have the best potential for success in racing or any athletic endeavor, knowing conformation is an important factor.  Presence may get a horse noticed in the post parade, but correct structure, athletic ability and heart get a horse over the finish line.

When it comes to correctness of structure, the most important aspect is balance.  Each part of the horse must blend with the other parts to function at maximum efficiency.  Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a horse is only as sound and efficient as its weakest feature.  A powerful shoulder hindered by a poor hindquarter negates the ability of that good shoulder to function as well as it could, just as a strong, driving hindquarter burdened by a straight shoulder is self-defeating.  Each part of the horse either compliments or detracts from the whole.  When you are viewing a horse, look at the overall picture and if something jumps out at you as being of poor quality or not in balance with the rest of the horse, then that feature is very likely going to be the limiting factor in the success of your potential runner regardless how outstanding the rest of the horse might be.

Some people develop an "eye" for a horse while others never become adept at evaluating conformation, but understanding correct structure is something that everyone should learn to the best of their ability.  If you are not well versed at spotting conformational flaws, then have a person who is knowledgeable look at your horses and prospective purchases with you and listen and learn from their opinions.  Don't let your ego get in the way of admitting that you don't know everything, or it will likely cost you time, money and frustration later.  Knowing which horses should not be raced is more valuable than deciding which horses you should race.  Losers cost more than winners, as their training and vet costs are as much, or usually more, and their return on investment less.

Another problem in the Arabian breed is that too many breeders have played the role of the artist, distorting features in their horses to achieve what has come to be termed "Living Art".  That has caused additional problems, because an artist’s creation doesn't usually have to be functional but living horses do.  That doesn't mean every horse should look exactly the same as the next horse to be a good animal.  Some horses are more lean and tall in appearance while others have a stockier look.  There are differences between breeds and among horses within the same breed.  Race winners come in many shapes and sizes, but whatever the conformation represented, the conformation should be functional and balanced for the individual.

Structure of a good horse can be divided into equal parts.  The profile in FIGURE I shows an example of an Arabian horse with basic, good, correct structure.  Look at the symmetry, the placement of the legs, and the other parts with respect to the overall animal.  There is a balance and symmetry when all the parts fit together properly.  Correctness and balance are valuable assets for any horse that needs to function well, but they are of particular importance when your goal is to select or breed for racing prospects.  Basic geometrical divisions can be utilized to understand the parts of a horse and their interaction with each other.

In FIGURE III the horse has been divided into four equal sections from the withers to the ground.  The top of the withers (W) to the point of the chest (C) and buttocks (B) comprises the first quarter.  The point of the chest (C) to the bottom of the chest behind the front leg (F) makes up the second quarter.  The bottom of the chest (F) to the bottom of the knee (N), comprise the third quarter; and the bottom of the knee (N) to the ground, the fourth quarter.  The withers (W) to the underline of the chest (F) equals approximately 50% of the height of the horse and chest to ground the other 50%.  The forearm comprises 50% of the overall height of the front leg and the cannon, pastern, and foot the other 50%.  Many Arabians have purposely been bred with variations in these ratios to achieve the illusion of more height.  That problem, and other distortions and faults will be discussed in the next installment of this article.

FIGURE IV shows the body divided by four vertical lines.  The point of the chest (C) to the front of the withers (W) makes up the first quarter.  The withers to the center of the back (A) define the second quarter.  The center of the back (A) to the point of the croup (K) defines the third quarter.  And the point of the croup (K) to the point of the buttocks (B) is the fourth quarter.  The smaller square seen in FIGURE IV emphasizes the fact that the withers (W) to the bottom of the chest (F) and withers to the point of the croup (K) make up approximately 50% of the overall body height and length.  Any major variations in those ratios will likely affect the mobility of the horse.







In FIGURE V a large diamond has been added to the diagram.  The diamond touches the large square at the point of the chest (C) and the point of the buttocks (B).  The shoulder (S) follows the 45-degree angle of the diamond from the withers (W) to the point of the chest (C).  This is the correct shoulder angle needed to achieve optimum forward reach.  Notice also that the sides of the diamond touch the corners of the small square at the top of the withers (W) and over the point of the croup (K).  On the under pinning of the body, the line of the diamond crosses over the hind leg at approximately the stifle joint and where the back of the front leg (F) meets the chest.

Note that the horizontal line that runs through the knees and the vertical line that bisects the front and rear halves of the horse converge at the bottom point of the diamond (X).  The horizontal line drawn over the center of the body adds another 25% of height above the withers, and converges with the diamond and the center vertical line at point (Z).  The center of the body (A) should be an equal distance form (C, B, Z, and X).


The body has now been divided into essentially equal sections and each part blends with the whole to form a correct usable symmetry.  There will always be variations, but any major deviations in the basic formula will increase the possibility of problems, and the more severe the problems will probably be.  Some horses will still be successful runners in spite of flaws, because enough heart can overcome some problems.  But any part that is weaker than the whole will receive more physical stress, so it only makes sense to begin with good correct individuals as often as possible.  This increases the chances of keeping runners sound, happy, and winning for many years.

An additional aid in helping seeing symmetry in a correctly structured Arabian is using a circle as shown in FIGURE VI.  The center of the body id the radius point, and the radius is equal to 50% of the height of the horse at the withers (W).  If the horse you are evaluating is a balanced individual, the points of the diamond will touch or be very near the circle’s edge, and the contours of the chest and buttocks will flow along the arc of the circle.  If that isn’t the case then there are weaknesses that should be monitored.  When there are problems during training, a weaker area is usually the culprit.  But, sometimes it is a good feature that is over stressed because it must compensate for the weaker part.  But, the weaker feature is still the real culprit, as it forces the horse to overtax a perfectly good part to help the incorrect part.

In the next part of this article, the focus will be on problems that occur when correct structure is altered.  Faults common in Arabians will be shown and their effects on athletic ability discussed.  It is hoped that this information helps people better understand the basic structure of horses.  Obviously you can not go out and draw graphs on live animals, but with practice, you can become more adept at visualizing proportions when looking at horses.  For additional practice, use side views of equine photographs, as on those you can draw the lines and circles shown in this article to help you learn more about symmetry.

Building A Runner by Rick Augustine
Part Two

Horses with a lot of heart may have the ability to overcome some problems and be successful runners, but such horses often overtax themselves, making it harder to keep them sound.  A horse with structural problems is more costly to keep in condition, must be raced less frequently to help sustain its soundness, and usually has a short racing career regardless of all the precautions taken.  Those are good reasons to place emphasis on correct conformation, especially when looking at prospective runners.  Soundness means a longer racing career, less problems and the potential for more racing income.

In the November 1997 Finish Line the structure of a good Arabian (see Figure 1) was created, and the importance of correctness and balance discussed.  The previous article showed a graph where the body of the horse was divided into four equal parts.  However, when looking at live horses, it is easier for the human eye to visualize three areas, not four.  For this article we will use the more common method of horizontally dividing the body of the horse into three equal areas; the neck and shoulder (1), the back (2), and the hindquarters (3).  As in the previous article, areas (4, 5, 6, 7) again divide the body of the horse into four equal vertical areas from the ground to the withers.  The chest should equal about 50% of the height and the legs the other 50%.  The point of the shoulder (C) and point of the buttock (B) equally bisects the chest.

The height at the withers (W) should be the same length as the body when measured from the point of chest (C) to the point of buttock (B).  A large square, as shown in Figure 1, is formed when the correct ratio of body height to body length is present.  A diamond is also formed from the point of chest (C) and the point of buttock (B) when connected to point (X) at the knees and point (Z), which is again, an additional 25% of the horse’s body height above the withers.  This diamond also creates the guidelines for the desired 45-degree angle of the shoulder, and from the point of the croup (K) (measured at the withers height), to the point of the buttock (B).  The angles also indicate approximately where the back of the front legs meet the body and where the stifle joint is located.

The front legs should set well under the body and the center of the front legs (line G) should evenly divide area (1).  The slope of the front pasterns should match the shoulder angle of 45-degrees with the angle of the hind pasterns usually just slightly steeper.  The muscling in the forearms should be wide, deep, and long, and the same basic overall size as the gaskin area.  The cannons should be noticeably shorter than the forearms and the center of the front knees should straddle the line between areas (6) and (7).  The forearm is where all the muscle is located in the leg and the ability to reach originates.  There are only ligaments, tendons and bone below the knees, and the longer they are the less strength they have.  Since the lower leg must withstand a lot of pressure, any lengthening in the cannon area is asking for trouble.

The back should be short and strong to help propel the horse and more easily carry weight.  The point of buttock (B) to the point of hip (M) should be long and well muscled and comprises the final 1/3 of the body.  The back of the hind legs from the hocks to the pasterns (area H) should line up with the point of the buttock (B) when a horse is standing square with its cannons perpendicular to the ground.  The croup should be long and powerful.  It is the power train that drives the horse allowing the front end to lift and reach.  In Arabians the topline is usually more level than in other breeds, which gives a false impression of more length, since Arabians often have less hindquarters than Thoroughbreds or Quarter Horses.  An over level croup can also hinder the ability of the hind legs to reach under the body and achieve efficient stride, especially if the flat croup is because the pelvic bone and/or coupling is positioned too tight.

As the drawings show, equine structure can be divided into simple geometrical forms with each part fitting nicely into the overall frame.  But, when any of the parts are out of proportion, they not only cause problems themselves, but they affect the functioning of other parts.  Look at Figure II and see the problems that are created by rearranging some of the pieces.

This type of build often wins in the show ring, and many think that there is nothing wrong with such structure.  But look closer and problems appear, especially if your goal is to create athletes.  The major fault concerns the point of the shoulder (C), which is set too high.  When the optimum reach for a horse is normally attained, then the angle of the shoulder is about 45-degrees.  Even though the shoulder in Figure II makes the horse look statuesque and posed, the ability of this type of shoulder to efficiently achieve forward reach is hindered.  Because of the higher shoulder position, the point of the shoulder (C) does not evenly bisect the body.  As a result, the skeletal structure is forced to compensate by moving the front legs forward.  This unfortunately straightens the angle of the bones between the shoulder and forearm.  The legs have been forced forward and line (G) now does not evenly bisect the legs.  The result is the ability of the horse to move forward efficiently is restricted.

This type of leg placement is termed terrier fronted as it is seen in most terrier dog breeds.  If you watch such dogs, you will see that they move more stiff-legged with little knee action and do not have a good forward reach.  That may be OK for Fido; it is definitely not a good trait for a racehorse or any athletic horse unless you are only looking for up and down motion.  Often with terrier fronted horses the pasterns are set at a steeper angle and are also usually shorter than they should be to absorb impact properly.  The result is more jarring gaits and an increased propensity for lameness and injury due to a lack of shock absorbing ability in the legs.

In Figure II the point of the buttocks (B) has been distorted to achieve a flat croup by raising the angle of the pelvic bone.  This situation hinders motion and is also a major caused of tipped vulva and wind sucking in mares, which can result in many breeding problems such as infection from fecal matter entering the vulva.  A flatter croup can be achieved by selecting horses with higher set tail bones, but altering the position of the pelvis to achieve that affect adversely alters the whole pelvic area.  Notice that when the diamond is superimposed it must be distorted to follow the angles of the shoulder, legs, and croup of the horse.

In Figure III the horse appears taller, but in reality, it is an optical illusion created not by the legs actually being longer, but because the chest is too shallow.  The chest ties into the legs higher than it should and does not comprise 50% of the height of the horse.  To help hide the deception, the back has been raised, and the point of the croup lowered giving an even flatter and more streamlined appearance.  But the cost of achieving that look is loss of depth of chest, a major handicap for an athlete.  This sausage type streamlined body has become very fashionable in the show ring and although such horses might show speed, their stamina is severely hindered due to the lack of barrel and lung capacity.  Also in most horses the point of the croup is about the same height as the top of the withers.  By compressing the point of the croup to achieve a flatter look, the bones in the pelvic area must alter their positioning to accommodate the change.

When you change the position of the skeleton, it has a domino effect so the hocks (H) have also been forced backward to compensate for the change in the pelvis area.  Now instead of the back of the cannon being in line with the point of the buttocks (B) as it should, the cannons end up in a camped out position.  This is damaging to the ability of a horse to reach under itself and achieve forward thrust with its hindquarters.  Figure III would not only be hindered in its forearm motion but also its hindquarter impulsion.  The underpinning (P) is now also too long as a result of the legs not setting under the body as they should, because the stifle joint was also affected.  Horses with this type of structure may show a lot of up and down motion and animation but would not be as efficient as runners.

The horse in Figure III has overly long cannons, which means it also has shorter forearms and gaskins.  The knee is above the top of area 7, but because the legs appear to be longer due to shallowness in the chest, the cannons give a false impression of being in proportion to an untrained eye.  There is no muscling below the knee; only ligaments, tendon and bone, and cannons take a good deal of stress even when well proportioned, so adding length is asking for trouble.  You can hide a lot of problems in a halter class through the use of “creative showing”, but the racetrack will not allow you to play that game.  If there are problems, the racetrack is a real expert at finding them, and the horse in Figure III would probably have leg problems if put into race training.

Figure III would likely end up with bowed tendons, which take a long time to heal, and often never regain their full pre-injury strength.  A major improvement in diagnosing tendon problems is ultra sounding where interior damage can be easily evaluated on a screen.  This has saved many a horse form returning to the track too soon only to injure their legs again.  If the cannons are too long, then it stands to reason that the forearms and gaskins, where all the muscling is located, would be too short and also weakens the strength of the legs.  Less muscle translates to less lift and reaching, which lessens the length of stride.

In Figure IV a serious problem is the poor angle of the shoulder, again reflected by the distorted shape of the diamond.  The shoulder is too steep and does not set into the body as it should and the line drawn through the center of the withers does not comprise 1/3 of the body length.  A steep shoulder angle does not absorb shock as it should and hinders stride.  The problem is compounded as the shoulder angle worsens.   The withers are placed too far forward due to the straightness of the shoulder and are almost non-existent.  A good withers is the important as most of the muscling from the shoulders attaches there.  The result is again a hindrance to forward motion.  A good withers also helps keep the saddle in place.  The neck appears to be long and elegant but is actually the same length as Figure I.  The difference is that the base of the neck is not as wide or set into the body as it should be and that gives a false impression of more length.

As a result of the shoulder setting too far forward and lack of withers, the back is overly long and would be prone to soreness and fatigue.  Even though the legs are centered under the shoulder, the poor shoulder angle causes the leg to be too far forward, the underpinning is too long because of the legs being to far forward, and as you can see, a domino effect of problems is created.  A straight shoulder is often accompanied by steep short pasterns because as in the hindquarter, the bones try to compensate for their distorted placement

Adding to an already poor set of legs, this horse is badly tied in, which reduces the area where the tendons at the top of the cannons attach to the knee and can severely weaken the cannon area.  Here again is a problem just waiting to happen.  Arabians were prized in their native lands for their soundness, but legs have often taken a back seat to presence and type in the US show ring, where light movement is all that is required of most horses.  That attitude won’t cut it at the track though, where the old axiom “No legs no horse” is proven every day.  On the whole, Arabians have some of the strongest bone in the Equine world, but that will not be true forever unless Arabians are bred to perform their mettle as sound athletes.

Figure IV also shows the condition known as sickle hocks where it is not easy for the horse to stand with its hind cannons perpendicular to the ground.  In pronounced cases this can be a problem, but some argue that it doesn’t hinder horses that only have a slight deviation, and others feel that horses naturally stand under themselves slightly, but can easily stand square if desired, actually have even more ability to reach with their hindquarters.

The poor horse in Figure V is an accident just waiting to happen.  The (#1) and (#3) areas are too short due to a straight shoulder and short weak croup and creates an overly long back.  He is very shallow in the girth and would have poor lung capacity so his stamina would be severely affected.  The loin area is weak and the horse appears to be herring gutted.  The point of the buttocks (B) is set too high causing the pelvic structure to also be distorted.  Figure V has little substance in the forearm and gaskin, giving a deceptive look of longer legs, but actually it is lack of muscling.

The front pasterns are also upright and too short, but even more serious, this horse is back at the knee and does not evenly bisect the leg.  This is a dangerous condition for any horse that is used for physical activity as the joint bends backwards and is very prone to serious injury.  Even if everything else was excellent on this horse, being back at the knee should send up a red flag when looking for racing prospects.  This horse is also too soft in the hind pasterns (coon footed), indicating the pasterns are weak and the back of the pastern may hit the ground when the horse is running.

Because of a short croup and poor bone placement in the hindquarters, the stifle joint is set too high and the angle of the gaskins too steep.  This creates a post legged condition where the back of the cannons set forward of the point of the buttocks.  This horse also has a short under-slung (ewe) neck, common in sheep.  Such a neck offers less flexibility and balance to the horse when running.  This horse isn’t going to be a promising candidate as a racehorse, or much of anything else.

You may think that no one would keep a horse like the one if Figure V, but they do, because a lot of people really don’t know what is good or bad in their horses.  Often the more a horses costs the fewer problems owners see (or are willing to see) too.  I have had to tell people disappointing things about their “perfect racehorse prospects”, but I have also looked at many Arabian horses that could be excellent runners.  It is good to get other opinions too, but be prepared for other people to evaluate your horses very differently.  But it is better to be disappointed emotionally than bearing the costs (emotionally and financially) of trying to campaign a horse that should not be a runner. 

A lot has been said about the importance of good shoulder angles in this article, and to help you learn how to better look at a shoulder, take a look again at Figure I.  Take a straight edge and place it on the line of the diamond connecting the point of the chest (C) to the withers (W).  Then take another straight edge and place it along the line representing the ground and mark where the to lines intersect.  That intersection will give you a pretty good idea of the maximum length of stride the horse would be capable of achieving, barring any other limiting features it might have.  The point of the chest in Figure II looks like it would give a long stride, because of where the straight edge touches the ground.  But a horse’s leg is not long enough to reach that point and touch the ground, and such a shoulder also hinders the forward motion.  If you draw the same lines you will see that the horse in Figure IV will also be hindered in its stride because of too steep an angle in the shoulder.
You can check for correctness of many parts of a horse using rulers and straight edges.  Look at photos in Arabian magazines and measure the ratio of legs to chest, height to length, cannons to forearm and other aspects discussed in this article.  You will find the results interesting.
Racing is one of the most exciting and rewarding things you will ever do as an Arabian owner, but not all horses are meant to be runners, and knowing that difference is important.  Choosing horses with good conformation doesn’t guarantee that you will avoid problems, but your chances of success are far greater when you start with horses that have the structure to stay sound during their racing careers.  If a horse shows lack of ability, poor attitude, or is "always in the shop for repairs", then it is time to think strongly about finding a different prospect.  Putting time and money into poorly structured horses can end up being a major black hole, with few rewards either financially or emotionally.  After all, winning is a lot more fun than losing, and certainly more profitable in racing.

At least that's how I see it, from where I stand.  



***This article is written by Rick Augustine and appeared in his monthly column "From Where I stand", in the Arabian Finish Line Magazine, November 1997 & December 1997 issues.