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at what point do you forgive something conformationally in a breeding horse?


To me, it would be a point where the horse is still a quality animal, well above average in conformation and type, but with a few slight imperfections that don't affect the horse's soundness and athleticism. Angular deviations from correct conformation would not be accepted at any time.

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at what point do you try to improve upon something conformationally in a breeding horse?


At every opportunity. I think we should always try to improve on what we have, while at the same time, striving to meet (or exceed) a breed standard or ideal type.

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Just for example... a little thicker neck or slightly longer loin attachment... something along those lines?


Those would be included in the quest for improvement, yes. A thicker neck - there is a point where a neck is too thick, too short, or set too low at the shoulder and chest area. A thicker throatlatch isn't a fault IMO as long it doesn't hamper airflow. If it's too thin, the horse doesn't have enough air, such as the current trend for the smallest, tightest throatlatch. Many of these things are only aesthetic, rather than actual conformation faults. It depends on what is acceptable to you.

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What kind of pedigree does this type of horse have to have to back it up?


Most of the ancestors of the type of horse you prefer would, as a rule, be of the same type, with similar conformation characteristics. That's a very general question, and there would be many exceptions, depending on the influence certain ancestors in various positions of the pedigree can have. One can be looking at two pedigrees, with the majority of the same ancestors in both pedigrees, yet in different positions, and see two completely different looking horses in the flesh.

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when do you forgive pedigree for a phenotypically stellar horse?


Pretty much always, because a phenotypically stellar horse is going to have a logical explanation for that excellence within the pedigree. The drawback is that a stellar pedigree doesn't always guarantee a stellar horse.

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How much of it's pedigree can be unknown or 'off'?


It would depend on where those "holes" are in the pedigree, and what is represented behind those "holes" (which is usually not known). I've seen some nice horses with about 25% of the pedigree being of unknown heritage. Any more than that and you're probably looking at a lesser quality horse. The reason behind that is responsible, knowledgeable breeders kept decent records, or bred horses with known pedigrees, so the quality of the horses is usually a bit higher. There is usually no excuse for a QH or Paint to have an unknown, up close sire line, for example - not when there has always been plenty of higher quality stallions to breed to. The majority of Paints and QHs have an unknown mare line, usually between the 5th and 8th dams. This is one reason I prefer a horse to have a documented mare line all the way back, because that is where the majority of the influence can come from.

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I have a difficult time analyzing pedigrees. I recognize names and look up performance records, but have trouble putting together what bloodline should cross with what, and where... and why. lol I am much better at recognizing quality and conformation.


That comes with time and a lot of study. You can study the pedigrees of known successful horses and notice the similarities in ancestors and patterns; you can also look at the pedigrees of horses you know are average or below, and notice their common ancestors. That is the simplest way to start building on your knowledge of pedigrees. If you can match the names in a pedigree with photos, even better, especially if you have a good eye for conformation.

There are two methods most breeders use when planning matings. They either breed by pedigree, or breed by phenotype. Both will result in maintaining a particular type. Since breeding by pedigree alone can result in unsuccessful horses with lackluster phenotype (as seen with some performance horses), I don't breed by pedigree.

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Perhaps if these horses were 'a little closer to home', such as horses I know (of), it wouldn't seem so hard?


This is where you can expand your knowledge of all horses within a particular breed. It wouldn't matter where they are. The pedigrees, performance and produce records are there for all of them. It helps even more to study the pedigrees of horses that are outside of your area of interest or type, too. If you're good at recognizing quality and can judge conformation, you already have a huge head start on most people.

Great questions. :)