Morgan Horse Conformation

MORGAN HORSE COMFORMATION

HORSE PARTS

The horse’s height should be from 14.1 to 15.2 hands with some horses being a bit taller or shorter.
Horses must be serviceably sound. With no lameness, broken wind or complete loss of eyesight.
Stallions 2 years and older must have all the physical developments of a stallion.
Mare must be feminine in a appearance and stallions must be masculine.

HEAD
The head should be expressive and have;
Broad forehead with large prominent eyes
Straight or slightly dished face
Large nostrils
Well rounded jowls with a slightly deeper throatlatch
Ears should be short and shapely.  Mares may have longer ears

Neck
Should come out of well angulated withers that extend into the back.
Be slightly arched an should blend in with the withers.
Have sufficient length and be set high enough to allow for a proper headset.
The top line should be longer than the bottom line.
Stallions should have more of a crest that a mare or gelding although a horse gelded later in life may have more of a crest.
BODY
Compact with a short back
Broad loins
Deep flank
Well sprung ribs
Long and well muscled croup with tail attached high and carried gracefully
Stifle should be placed well forward and low in the flank
Legs
Straight and sound
Short cannons
The forearm should be relativly long in proportion to the cannon
The pasterns should have sufficient angulation to provide a light springy step
The feet should be proportional to the size of the body and be open at the heel with a concave sole an dense hoof structure

Front View
Well developed chest
Front legs perpendicular and closely attached to the body.
Side View
    Top line represents a gentle curve from poll to back giving the impression that the neck is sitting on top of the withers, continuing to a short straight back and a relatively level croup and muscular thigh. The underline should be long and deep though the heart, girth and flank.  Due to the extreme angulation of the shoulder the arm is longer and places the front legs slightly more forward on the body.  The rear cannons should be perpendicular to the ground when the points of hock and buttocks are in the same vertical line.
Rear View
Well rounded croup
Thighs and gaskins well muscled
Gaskin should be relatively long in relation to the cannon.
A good spring of ribs and well rounded buttocks.
Some Faults of the Head
Some Faults of the Withers and Shoulder
Some Faults of the Croup
Some Faults Of The Body
Faults and Unsoundnesses of the Legs
Good Confirmation (Stallion)
Good Confirmation (Gelding)
Good Confirmation (Mare)