SpottedInDixie wrote:
Yes, I think heads are subjective not only in personal taste but from breed to breed. I know many people think our horses don't have pretty heads. There's been many posted on this thread that made me say "Eeewwwwwww, WHY?" but realize for that particular breed, it must be a nice head. I'm the same way with Arabians. I do like your stallion but those heads just aren't my thing. They just aren't normal, in my eyes. Especially those with the extreme dish going on. I have a freind who has straight egyp horses (and no, I really don't know what that means) and spends more money on one horses than most of us make in 5 years and I still tell her I think they are ugly. I can look at everything but the heads and appreciate them. So, please don't take offense to this post. I'm sure you don't like the heads of other breeds, considering what you do like. I just wanted to point out that a thread like this is based on a breed by breed basis.
Sure - I understand - that's why I said I knew my boy's head wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea!

It's funny how 'perfect' for one breed would be downright ugly for another. I read on some breed-standard thing somewhere for Andalusians that one of the worst 'faults' an Andalusian/PRE can have is an Araby-looking head!

I find that if I look at a particular breed for long enough and often enough, and read or listen to the experts on the that breed, I end up appreciating their heads and finding them beautiful even when they are very, very different from the Arab heads that I am accustomed to thinking of as 'perfect'. Even some of the breeds with big, Roman-nosed heads can look wonderfully noble and dignified. I'm sure if I looked at them enough and learned to appreciate them, those long TWH heads would start to look elegant and pleasing.

I still think that serious conformation faults are serious conformation faults, whatever the breed - nothing will convince me that, for example, a huge body on tiny little feet is a good thing! But heads are a matter of taste, and I can see the beauty even in those that are very different from my chosen breed.

But I do totally understand that Tobago's head, which looks beautiful to me and to many show-Arab breeders, may look ugly to people with different tastes.

This is a fascinating thread!