The Talkative Tidbit

I just finished my page on basic horse conformation, but I want to get into some more cosmetic conformation. In particular, the face. Some of this will be, of course, my own tastes, but some of it you might notice is what people generally look for or what people commonly avoid. As far as I know, unlike the basic conformation, this stuff won't affect the horse's life or soundness or experiences in riding/competition. So look to the sections that interest you about facial conformation.

Eyes

Pig eye. This trait is more common among appaloosas, though it can be in any breed. It's just where the horse's eye is much smaller than average, and, in my opinion, looks too small for the size of the head.Many people think this gives the horse a mean look.

Wall eye. An eye that is either partially or entirely blue. There are many myths that surround this involving blindness or increased rate of spooking, but they're false. I personally feel that the majority of wall eyed horses have a startled look, though some do look quite magnificent.

Wide-set eye. It's more common in American bred Arabians (I distinguish between American Arabians and Arabian Arabians for a reason. Look at the old, pure lines of Arabia. Those animals are amazing!), though is possible in any breed. Some say it means the horse is more knowledgeable and even tempered, but I say it looks silly. It's entirely up to personal taste though, but at all of the 4H shows I've been to, it's generally not the wide-set eyed horses that are winning halter.

Muzzle

Parrot mouth. The upper jaw extends over the lower jaw. Sometimes it can just be due to poor dental health, but sometimes its poorly set bone structure. Supposedly it makes it more difficult for a horse to graze, but it's also not a popular trait in the show ring.

Sow mouth. Opposite of a parrot mouth, so the lower jaw extends past upper in an under bite. It's far less common and usually harder to see, but again if your horse has it, and its teeth haven't been checked in a very long time, you might be able to have it fixed by an equine dentist.

Face

Roman nose. This is where the curvature of the horse's face is convex. It's widely seen in draft horses and often in baroque type horses. It's entirely a cosmetic thing as to whether or not you like it. Some people think it makes a horse look more intelligent, I say it depends on the rest of the face.

Moose nose. This is similar to the roman nose, but rather than the entire face being convex, the profile is straight until no more than halfway down the face (sometimes it's straight the whole way until the muzzle) where it then bumps out in a convex curve. Again, it's just a cosmetic thing and is commonly seen in draft horses. I think it's cute on large horses.

Dish face. This is where the face dips down in a concave bend. It's generally seen in Arabians, although it can be more rarely seen in other breeds as well. It is also a purely cosmetic thing.