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Re: [RC] Flat croup ?s - heidiThis came up before when breeders and trainers were discussing the conformation and "no flat croups" issue. However, in Nancy Loving's book, Conformation and Performance, she mentions the flat croup enabling the "long flowing stride" to "cover ground well at the trot because they can easily push back with their hind legs". As the best job for this horse, distance trail riding is recommended. Needing to further understand the issues here, I'm hoping someone will continue my education! Comments/explanations more than welcome!! Nancy's book is by and large a good one, but I'd have to vehemently disagree with that statement! To take a step back, though--a flat CROUP is a cosmetic thing. The problem is when the "hip" (actually the pelvis) is correspondingly flat. Unfortunately many flat-crouped Arabs also have poorly angulated pelvises and insufficient depth of hip. Biomechanically, if the hip is not well-angulated, the legs "push back" all right--but all that does is look flashy. In order to round (to carry weight) and to have a long and efficient stride, the horse must be able to reach FORWARD with his hind legs. It is that reaching forward that gives the horse the stride and the "push"--NOT the distance it flings its leg backward afterwards. The typical movement of the flat-hipped horse doesn't get very far with each stride, and the "rear action" looks like it it out in the next county somewhere. Furthermore, these horses are more predisposed to back problems and to lamenesses, because it IS more difficult for them to round. If you want to see good examples of flat croups that still have good hip angulation, look at Lippizans, as a rule. They tend to have VERY deep hips (they HAVE to, in order to have the strength to perform the movements that they do), and the hip angles away from the croup noticeably. But many Arab breeders got into the "flat croup" thing and bred horses with rear ends that looked like boxes with a tail on the end. Those horses frequently break down in the rear over time as the concussion cannot carry clear up the leg through the body as it does in a rounded horse with self-carriage, and they do NOT have long strides! Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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