Understanding Horse Conformation with Ken McNabb: Balance, Strength & Structure in Horses & Humans

Today we’re talking about balance in our horses—specifically, understanding conformation and determining whether your horse is balanced conformationally. What is correct balance? What makes a horse functional, not just good-looking? That’s what we’ll break down in today’s video. There are two kinds of conformation: eye appeal and functional conformation. For example, if you’re a hunter/jumper, the kind of horse you’re drawn to will look very different than what a reiner prefers. A cutter doesn’t want the same horse as a racehorse trainer. But regardless of the discipline, every horse needs to function correctly—and balance is at the heart of that. That’s the conformation we’re talking about today. Eye appeal is subjective. It changes with trends, disciplines, and personal preference. But whether or not a horse is balanced as an individual—that’s something measurable. I like to use baling twine (or any kind of string) with a small weight tied to one end. I’ll start at the throatlatch, just behind the poll, and wrap the string like a throatlatch would lay—without choking the horse. This gives me the first neck measurement. Next, I’ll take that same length and measure from the poll to the withers—again, that’s a neck measurement. Without adjusting my hand, I’ll then measure from the withers down to the heart girth. Ideally, all three measurements should be equal. If the heart girth is deeper, that’s even better—it means your horse has room for lung capacity and heart function. If the heart girth is shallower, it’s not a desirable trait. Then, I’ll take the same string and measure from the withers across the topline to the point between the hips. On this particular horse, the string is just a little long across the back, which I’m okay with. It tells me this horse has a slightly shorter back than neck—and that’s often a good thing. A short-backed horse tends to be stronger, more athletic, and more capable of bringing their hind end underneath themselves. Longer-backed horses may move smoother but are typically weaker and more prone to soreness. Now, using that same string, I’ll measure from the same point on the back down the hip to the gaskin muscle. On this horse, the string falls short—which is good! That means the horse has a longer hip than neck. A long, strong hip means drive, power, and balance—all things we’re looking for. Now let’s talk about legs. Starting with the front legs: take your string and drop it from the point of the shoulder straight to the ground. Ideally, it should pass through the center of the knee, the cannon bone, the pastern, and then land in the center of the foot. To find the center of the foot, feel where the tendons meet around the fetlock—they form a “V” at the back of the pastern that points directly into the center of the hoof. There’s also often a little “dimple” at the hairline—this is a good marker for center. If that dimple is to the outside, your horse is splay-footed. If it’s to the inside, your horse is pigeon-toed. This horse is pretty well-centered. If a horse toes in slightly (pigeon-toed), it’s not ideal—but it’s usually manageable. However, if a horse is splay-footed, they tend to be weaker through the limbs and are more susceptible to bowed tendons or torn ligaments. In general, we want legs as straight and centered as possible—for balance, soundness, and longevity. Now for the hind legs: make sure your horse is standing square, then drop your string from the point of the hip muscle down to the ground. Ideally, you want that line to split the gaskin and hock evenly. On this horse, the string shows just a bit more leg on the outside—this is what we call cow-hocked, and that’s actually okay. A slightly cow-hocked horse will spread their feet apart in a sliding stop, and their hocks will get up underneath them better. You’ll just need to shoe them straight. It’s the next best thing to being perfectly straight. However, if all the leg is to the outside of the string and the horse is bowlegged, that’s a problem. A bowlegged horse struggles to engage the hindquarters properly and will likely have long-term soundness issues. Now, once we’ve taken our horse apart piece by piece—evaluating what we like and don’t like—it’s time to put them back together. Ask yourself: Is there more good than bad? Because no horse is perfect, but balance and function are key. And here’s the bigger picture: This same process applies to life. We do this with people and situations too. Scripture tells us we will know people by their fruit. Sometimes we have to ask: Does this person bear more good than bad? God gave us intuition. Use it. Trust your judgment. Build a life you enjoy—whether that’s by choosing a well-balanced horse or surrounding yourself with people who help you grow. If there’s more good than bad, that’s something to hold on to. If not, it’s time to let them move on down the road.