Understanding Conformation for Buying a Racehorse
Buying a racehorse is no small decision. A racehorse for sale with an outstanding track record can cost millions of dollars, with the most expensive racehorse ever sold going for 70 million. The costs of buying a racehorse are just the beginning. Costs to consider include:
stable and board
training
transportation
farrier
veterinary bills
insurance
Although purchasing a racehorse is costly, a successful horse can bring in millions of dollars for their owners. Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee a horse’s success. But, there are factors to consider to make a wise decision:
pedigree and bloodline
age
place of purchase
earnings
You may be unable to determine these factors for every horse on the market, especially when they are too young to have yet proven themselves on the track. Additionally, some factors, such as pedigree, can cause a horse to be much more expensive, their initial cost outweighing their eventual earnings.
But, for every horse for sale, you can evaluate their conformation.
Analyzing Conformation in a Racehorse for Sale
Conformation refers to the physical structure and build of the horse, and it can significantly influence the horse's performance on the racetrack.
The key elements of conformation are:
balance
correct limb alignment
angulation
feet
back and neck
muscle tone
girth and chest
head and expression
movement
temperament
Horses with poor conformation are more injury-prone, may be more challenging to train, and run higher risks of lameness – all things that can cause your investment to quickly turn into piles of bills and a drain of your resources.
When viewing a racehorse for sale, you’ll want to analyze the conformation of every part of the horse’s body with some basic rules in mind.
The Head and Neck
The horse’s head and neck should be balanced, with the neck measuring one and a half times the length of the head.
The horse should have wide-set, shining eyes, substantial nostrils, and an unobstructed throatlatch.
The horse’s neck should be proportionate to the rest of its body and be level with the point of the shoulder.
The Body
When evaluating the horse’s body between its neck and hindquarters, its back should be shorter than its underline.
The angle of the shoulder determines the length of the horse’s stride and should be about 40 degrees.
A broad chest leads to better stamina.
The horse’s front legs carry most of their weight and are most prone to injury. Carefully evaluate the front legs and ensure that:
The forearm is longer than the cannon bone.
The knee is not back or too far forward.
The legs appear straight from the front.
Issues with the front legs can lead to poor performance and a higher risk of injury, potentially ending even the best horse’s racing career.
The horse’s hooves and pasterns are equally important for soundness and performance. The pasterns should have about the same angle as the shoulder when viewed from the side. The pastern length should be, at maximum, two times the length of the hoof.
The Hind End
The hind end drives the horse around the track. When viewing a horse standing still from the side, the hindquarters should look like a triangle, with the corners being the hip, butt, and stifle.
The triangle should follow these specifications:
The line from the hip to the butt and the line from the hip to the stifle should be equal in length.
Each line should be equal in length to the horse’s back.
The length of the gaskin, which runs from the stifle to the hock, should be slightly longer than the hind cannon bone.
Although the hind legs carry much less weight than the front legs, they are no less critical in determining the future racing success of a horse. You’ll want to avoid purchasing a horse whose hind legs are crooked, too straight, or sickle-hocked, meaning they are set at too much of an angle.
To ascertain a proper angle, you’ll look for two imaginary lines.
The line from the gaskin to the point of the hip should be straight.
The line from the cannon bone should run straight to the point of the butt.
When evaluating a racehorse for sale, you should view them from every angle. From behind, the hindquarters should be symmetrical and muscular. The horse’s hips should be just slightly narrower than their ribcage. The horse’s hocks should appear vertical, neither turning in nor out.
The Overall Picture
There are a lot of details to consider when evaluating the conformation of a racehorse for sale.
Every horse is different, and the rules above don’t guarantee your new horse will win millions of dollars. A conformation evaluation completed as early as the foal stage can help you understand the horse’s physical condition and decide accordingly, helping you to invest in a racehorse that is less likely to get injured and more likely to be successful on the track.
Some overall qualities you’ll want to seek in a racehorse for sale are:
Bone structure. The horse’s overall bone structure looks proportionate from every angle.
Muscle tone. The horse’s muscle tone is appropriate for its age and development.
Balance. The horse’s body parts are proportionate to one another, with no part being too large or small.
The horse’s appearance. A shiny coat indicates a healthy horse.
Movement. The type of sale will determine how you see the horse move, but a quality racehorse should move well, whether walking, trotting, or galloping at full speed.
Temperament. A calm, focused, and alert horse will likely perform better on the track than one burning off excess energy resisting its handlers.
Employing an expert in buying a racehorse can allow for better analysis of a horse’s conformation and other factors affecting their future racing success. A bloodstock agent with years of experience who has seen thousands of horses and how their builds affect their performance will be able to determine if a horse is built for success more clearly.
Employing an expert to help you decide on such a significant financial investment will help ensure your investment will pay off in the long run. Pun intended!
Help is Available
While solid conformation is an essential determinant of a racehorse’s future success, it is not the only factor. A good bloodstock agent can adequately analyze the conformation of a racehorse for sale while also considering other factors, such as age, pedigree, and cost, to offer you the best advice.
The right bloodstock agent will understand the many nuances of buying a racehorse. It takes many years to develop an eye for horses and properly evaluate the makeup of an optimal thoroughbred.
Nicoma Bloodstock, Mill Ridge Farm's consulting arm, has advised the most successful thoroughbred owners and breeders for 45 years. Headley Bell, the primary bloodstock agent of Nicoma Bloodstock, assisted with mating multiple Kentucky Derby, Breeders Cup, and Horse of the Year winners. With his expertise and his team's expertise, you can improve your chances of success in an industry that requires a bit of luck and a lot of experience and knowledge.
Call Nicoma Bloodstock today to learn about their various services and receive expert help evaluating conformation when buying a racehorse.