>>> That makes a point that I think can't be stressed enough - no animal >>> (including humans) is conformationally perfect and even the most >>> gorgeous horse's picture could be posted and "fault" could be found.
One other point I meant to mention is the other side of that - a horse (or any animal) can appear virtually perfect, but there are aspects, such as joint spacing, etc., that aren't visible to the naked eye, or that might not even show up early on x-rays. Still, I think it's good to be informed and go with the odds whenever we can. As far as Vinnie goes - I'll carefully monitor how he grows up, because another possibility is that he may have conformation that allows him to easily do certain things (like rollbacks, spins, whatever) that might not be in his best interest long-term to encourage because of other conformational faults. We'll just play it by ear - he's a hoot and is going to be fun to play with, even if there's never any riding involved. :) Karen Thomas, NC
