Let us look at some conformational faults...

I'd like to take this opportunity to mention some conformational faults in the stock horse.

For the thinking-impaired, I'll provide a few links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_conformation

http://equisearch.com/horses_care/health/anatomy/conformation061597/

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/anatomy/conformationfaults110299a/

http://www.equiworld.net/uk/horsecare/anatomy/index.htm

These links also provide overviews about what faults lead to what performance/lameness issues.

The most commonly overlooked faults seem to be long backs, short necks and being too far out behind or standing too far under themselves.

Here are some horses that have overly-long backs.

http://tinyurl.com/2bg5l2

http://tinyurl.com/2co6mn

And this horse shows what can and does happen to horses with longer-than-desireable backs:

http://tinyurl.com/yr93zv

(taken verbatim from Wikipedia's Equine Conformation) "The horse's ability to engage [its] back depends on its ability to elevate the back and loins, requiring strong back and abdominal muscles. A long back is flexible, but harder for [the] horse to stiffen and straighten [its] spine to develop speed or coil loins to collect and engage the hindquarters to thrust rear limbs forward. This then affects upper level dressage, cutting, reining, barrel racing, and polo: sports that require rapid engagement of the hindquarters. Reduced flexion forces the horse to jump flatter with less bascule."

Next time, short necks.