Seven Hacks For Picking A Great Dressage Foal - Hack #5: Look At The Mare’s Movement and Type

When looking at a foal, it requires a sharp eye to see the important moments when the foal shows you its best movement. It requires an attentive eye. But that can be a problem. I’ve often come away from evaluating a foal and realized I didn’t pay enough attention to the mother. What if the foal grew up to be just like his/her mother? Would I still want to ride it or breed a mare to it?

Does this mare have her own greatness? Does she have a presence and good movement? Are you drawn to her? Be careful to make allowances for her current maternal state. For example, she may be thin from producing milk. In most cases the mare won’t be in riding condition. 

Amateurs often make the mistake of being too critical of a mare’s back conformation. The lack of muscling over the loin area changes the aesthetics of the mare’s topline and most amateurs say the mare is “long-in-the back,” when she isn’t. Sometimes mares are kept in training and are ridden, but most are not. Don’t be fooled by this because an unfit mare who is also nursing a foal may not be great to look at. 

You can, however, see certain things in a mare’s movement. Look for an active hind leg, even in the mare’s “normal” trot. Look for freedom in the shoulder, an expressive front leg, and overall uphill movement. 

I love to see a mare walk out of the barn and command attention with her presence. I love to see a mare’s positive attributes in conformation and overall quality align with her pedigree. In other words, you can say something like, “Wow, she really looks like a Jazz daughter!”

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This post is the opinion of Steven Wolgemuth at the time of publication. If you have ideas you'd like to contribute to this article, a question, or even a disagreement, please share them with Steve. Together we make one another better.

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