CONFORMATION
CHECKLIST
HEAD
Muzzle
General size: □ small □
large
Nostrils: □ large □ thin-walled
□ small □
thick-walled
Lips: □ firm/muscular □
weak/loose
Face □
smooth/straight □ Roman □ dished
Ears
□ refined □ thick □ slight arch □ straight
□ active □
droopy □ mule □ lopped
□
close together □ far apart □ below poll
□ size proportional to head
Forehead
□ broad/flat □ narrow □ “bull” head
Eyes
□
bright/alert □
dull/uninterested
□ large □
small (pig-eyed)
□
round/prominent □ bulging
□ dark sclera □
white sclera
□
dark iris □
blue iris
□ “gotch eye” □
crossed eyes
□
widely spaced at corners of forehead
Jaw □
strong/broad □ ample
width at throatlatch
□ parrot mouth □
bulldog mouth
□ adequate jowls □
heavy jowls
General Appearance □ chiseled □ well-defined
□ length adequate for clear nasal passages and strong,
well-placed teeth
□ size proportional to body
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
NECK
Length □ 1/3 of body
length □ short □ long
Size □ slender □ thick □ thin
□ fine throatlatch □
thick throatlatch
Shape □ slightly
convex arched topline □
concave topline
□ straight underline □
concave underline
□ slight crest □
“broken” crest
□ swan neck
Placement □ base set at point of
shoulder □ base set below
point of shoulder
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
WITHERS
Shape □ well-defined,
muscular □ high □ un-defined, low, thick
(mutton)
Placement □ level with croup □ higher □ lower
General Appearance □ smooth slope into back □ no dents/bumps
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
CHEST
Size □ medium
width □
overly wide □ narrow
General Appearance □ well-defined/muscular □ v-shape □ proportional
□
blends into neck □
bosomy □ obese
(excess fat)
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
SHOULDER
Size □ length of
neck poll to withers □ short □ too long
Angulation □ 50˚ slope scapular
spine □ upright □ excessively steep
Muscling □ well-developed □ smooth □ symmetrical
□
over-developed □
under-developed
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
BODY
Back
Size: □ 1/3 length of topline □
long □
short
Loin: □ three fingers width between last rib and point
of hip (short, “well coupled”)
Shape: □ sway □
roach
Barrel
Size: □ deep, wide □
heart girth/height □
narrow
Shape: □ well-arched ribs □
ribs project backward □
large spaces between ribs
□ flat ribs □
ribs project downward □
narrow spacing of ribs
Flank □ high w/good
muscle tone □ high w/poor muscle
tone □ short □ long
□ movements slow/regular □
movements rapid/irregular
□
“tucked-up” (too much waist between belly and flank)
□ “hay
belly” (abdomen drops below chest line)
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
HINDQUARTERS
Rear View □ “square” □ “pear”
shaped □ rounded croup
□ sides symmetrical □ proper muscling
Side View □ croup fairly long □ croup angled □ point of hip before point of
croup
□ croup flat □
croup steep □ lower or
same height of withers
□
point of buttock to low □
“hunter’s bumps”
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
FORELEGS
Upper Arm □ long humerus □
short humerus □
in balance with body
□ almost upright humerus □ horizontal humerus
Elbow □ clean □ in
balance with body
□
moist, blemishes □
too large, too small
□ slight angle outward □
angle too far outward (toed-in) □
tied-in (toed-out)
□ point in front of peak of withers
□
“camped under” □
“camped out”
□ base narrow □
base wide
Forearm □ long □
short
□
“well-directed (straight with knee/cannon”
□ width in balance □
too wide □ too
narrow
□ thick strong muscling □
thin muscling
□ smooth, lengthy □
bunch, short
Knee □ straight,
square on leg □ flattened
front □ deviates from
cannon
□
well-defined, thick wide from side □
overly round
□ excessively large
Front: □ “knock knees” □ “bow legs” □ “bench knees”
Side: □ “calf knees” □ “bucked knees” □ “tied in knees”
□ “cut out under
knees” □ “open knees”
(physitis)
Cannon □ short □ long □ straight □
angled
Side: □ wide (7”/1,000 lbs.) □ tendon away from
cannon □ tendons well-defined
□ narrow □
tendon close to cannon □
tendons under-defined
Front: □ narrow □
wide
Fetlock □ flat, smooth □ wide (blends
with cannon) □rounded □ narrow
□ adequate angle (140˚) □
wide angle □
narrow angle
□ clean, dry □
blemish/scars/moist
Pastern □ ¼ - ½ length of
cannon □ short □
long
□ angle = shoulder angle □
upright
□
slope in line with hoof wall □
“broken forward” □
“broken backward”
General
Front: □ “toed in” □
“toed out”
□
line from point of shoulder to center of foot bisects
knee, cannon, fetlock, hoof wall
Side: □ elbow to fetlock perpendicular to ground
□ line from ground behind foot bisects leg and shoulder
line ends: □ in front of withers or □ ends middle of withers
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
HINDLEGS
Thigh
Side: □ long □
short □ perpendicular to
ground □ angled to ground
Rear: □ inside thigh well-developed/wide □ outside stifle well-developed/wide
□
narrow/atrophied
Stifle □ same height
as elbow □ too low □ too high
□ well forward □
set back
Rear: □ widest part of
hindquarters
Gaskin □ shorter than
thigh, but long □ too
long □ too short
□ well-muscled □
thin
Side: □ wide, Achilles tendon/hock far back
Rear: □ inside straight □ inside slightly curved □ inside bowed
Hock
General: □ adequate size for weight □ proportional to whole body
□ point of hock halfway between stifle and ground
□
“low-set”, short cannons □
“high-set”, longer cannons
Side: □ strong, wide as gaskin □ narrow, thin, weak
□
clean cut, thin skin, bones visible □
round, meaty
Rear: □ straight □ “cow hocked” □ “bow legs” □ “toed in”
Angle: □ moderate angle □
sickle hocked □
straight hocked
□ line from point of buttock to ground touches point of hock
and runs down back of cannon
Cannon □ short, but longer
and wider than foreleg □
well-defined flexor tendons
Fetlock □ well set back □ sturdy □ too forward □ narrow, thin
Pastern □ more upright than
front □ shorter
than front
□ steep angle □
long
Additional Comments/Relationship
to Movement and Performance
Copyright©2005
Success
Is Easy/Melinda Hertel