I understand that you don't want to show AQHA/APHA/ApHC. That's fine. But why, why, why does that mean that you breed your horse to have a foal in July or August?! I feel faint every time I see someone's brand new baby pictures...in the middle of a heatwave....in the middle of summer...meaning that the foal will be weaned in December or January. Poor little thing. By the time this adorable little thing will be considered a "weanling" by you, he's a "yearling" by everyone else's standards. This means that he has to show against horses that were born in the Feb./March/April range. This means bigger, badder competition. And you'll wonder why he doesn't place.
Maybe you aren't ever planning on showing Little Paint, but if you plan on selling him, you have to realize that there are some people out there who may be looking for a prospect to show. You want your weanlings, yearlings, and two year olds to be marketable. Why the hell would anyone breed for anything that they couldn't sell if they got in a pinch?
I'm not saying that every single foal born has to be a future show horse, I'm saying that every single foal born should be of value to someone besides his barn blind owner. It can be because he is pretty, it can be because he's thick, stout, and someone wants him as a roping or cowhorse. I am going to say right now to everyone who posts their babies pictures on the internet, when people tell you "Oh how cute!" and that's it....it's usually because there is nothing else to say about it. "Oh how cute!" is a great standby for babies with nuttin' to 'em. "He has a kind eye." is a good one for older horses. No matter how gawd awful the horse is, you can make the owner feel some pride for owning the old boy.
Now, on to talking about prospects. I think a lot of people go out looking for future show horses without a real idea of what to look for. We'll be covering Halter and Performance prospects as well as a guide to looking for them.
The first thing do if you yourself are not familiar with young horses is to find a reliable trainer in your area in the event that you want to break into and build a relationship with them before you begin your search. Find out from them, what they like in a prospect and consider working with this person to help you on your way to the show ring. A lot of people shy away from trainer's and prefer the DIY route, which is fine if you know what you are doing. If you aren't prepared to be able to go in the show ring in 90 days or less, you probably aren't ready to train your own show horse. (We'll do an "Episode" on trainers in the future.)
Don't buy the first horse you see. General rule, right? If you like the horse, talk to the owner. Tell them that you are going to look at some other horses and you are interested but need some time to decide. Be honest. If you decide against buying the horse, call the owner and tell them "Thank you, but I found another horse that fits my needs a little better. Thanks for everythign and I hope you find him a good home!" Don't leave them hanging. Maybe you'll be looking for another horse further down the road, the owner's you turn down may have a horse that you like in the future.
Go to lots of barns. Big names, little names, no names. Check out the horses. Look at the babies out in the pasture and see if one catches your eye. Check him out up close. Consult with your trainer about the horse. Vet check. Consult with your trainer about the horse. Compare to Other horses you have looked at. Yea/Nay. Thank you, come again!
Now let's get to the nitty gritty.
Halter Prospects
Halter babies should be balanced from the get go. Long laid back shoulder, short back, long hip. Wide from the front and rear. Clean, straight legs. Don't rely on "Oh, we can straighten him up later" because you may not be able to. I also like for anything that is being considered as a prospect to have nearly level knees and hocks. This tells you that even though the horse may be butt-high now (and what baby isn't?!), but he will level out at an adult and once he begins to grow at a more steady pace rather than the frantic BUTT! WITHERS! BUTT! WITHERS!
We'll compare two weanling fillies found at random. (I'm not trying to rag on people's horses, I'm trying to show what to look for in babies.)
This filly is one I really like. Sure, she isn't fit all the way to go in the show ring yet, but she will be. Check out her neck! Long, thin, and it ties high into the shoulder. Looking at this filly, there's no doubt that she is a girl. Her shoulder goes clear from here to next week. Long, and pretty. She has a great short, strong back, and a hip that mirrors her shoulder. Yes, she is a little butt high, and her hocks are a tad higher than her knees. However, the high white stockings on her front end will mask that. They give the appearance of height to her front end. If you just glanced at the picture, you probably wouldn't notice it. This is a filly I would love to have in my barn.
While there is a lot that you can appreciate about this filly. There are a couple issues that I don't like. She does have a nice neck, but the second you scroll down to see her front legs, a red flag goes up. This filly is already showing the signs of bucking over at the knee, and when put into training and fitting, her little knees will take the plunge over the edge and out of the ribbons. Her shoulder is of good length, she is butt-high considerably more than the first filly, but I like the length to her hip. She would make a good horse for a 4-Her looking for a prospect. Provided that her knees stay sound, she would make a nice all around prospect. Performance Prospects
Basically, we look for the same thing, a balanced, structurally correct colt. We add one more thing: Movement. Performance is all about how a horse moves, so it is important to see the foal in action out in the pasture so you can see what is naturally there and what you have to work with. Look for a baby that reaches out with his front end while driving off the hind. Look for a flat knee, and for those little hind feet to be hitting far underneath the body. Don't always rely on "I can teach him to carry himself better". You may not be able to. If the horse hasn't naturally "got it" it will be tough and frustrating to teach him. Once again, random horses that fit the bill. Of all the "In Motion" pictures I went through, I couldn't find one that I didn't like or couldn't justify the picture being taken at a weird time/angle to make them look weird.
So for your viewing pleasure, we have two little beauties:
Notice the naturally level topline. Notice the flat knee as it hits the ground. See how far this little guy is driving beneath himself? He's walking in this picture and I'm ready to take him home. Any little horse that can show that much natural style at a walk gets my vote as the next American Idol. He's not bad to look at either. Straight legs, neat little baby muscles. Watch out Performance Halter! 
Geez, Louise! This baby's knee is so flat you could use it as a table. (That's a good thing...) See how this little not even weaned filly stretches out that front leg and has it straight before even hitting the ground? Good news, she's Appendix (and out of one of my favorite Quarter Horse sires) so all you Hunters get your checkbooks ready. This filly naturally elevates her shoulders while staying remarkably level for a baby that's playing. In the right hands, this little lady will go far. If her knee is this good cantering, I'd probably swoon watching her trot.
Hopefully, this gave you guys some pointers for babies. Good luck finding "The One"!
Tune in next time!
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