Sound horse-buying and breeding decisions require accurate
judgment of confirmation, based on an understanding of the
principals of horse construction and action. Those who are about to
buy their first horse need to know these principals at least as much
as a experienced horseman: “ LET THE BUYER BEWARE “ still
prevails in the horse business in the United States where government
regulations are still lacking. However you the consumer cannot
demand good horses if you don’t know how they move or how they
are built.
Confirmation is a term taken from the vocabulary of stock judging;
(How the body is put together). The confirmation of an individual
horse largely depends upon his bone structure. The remainder
depends upon the muscle type he has, the amount of body fat he is
carrying and how fit he is.
Even if the horse of your dreams has a pedigree as long as your arm,
when signing a breeding contract, you are not buying his breed.
Instead, you are buying the individual horse in front of you. If his
structure or movement aren’t any good, (no amount of blue blood)
will improve them.
If you are a beginner, make sure you take along someone of
knowledge and always get a vet check, the cost of a vet check is
small compared to the thousand you might through away if the horse
is unsound.
