The Lipizzaners will be evaluated as follows:
1. Conformation: total score to be divided in half, and horses will be scored out of 10 for each of the following points: head/neck, shoulders/withers, front legs, back/loins, hind legs, frame/top line
2. Breed type (foals and geldings excluded): score to be divided in half, and horses will be scored out of 10 for each of the following points: breed and type, masculinity/femininity
3. Correctness of paces: horses will be scored out of 10 on walk in hand, trot in hand and free, canter free
4. Impulsion and elasticity: score out of 10
5. Temperament/obedience: score out of 10 ***(See paragraph below)
6. Overall impression: score out of 10.
A random draw will decide numbers 3-5 to some extent (read on for more detail), but all horses should be able to get approved for breeding. If a model was disapproved it would be rather unfair, and as the model world has no particular governing body, there would be nothing to stop the owner breeding there horse. For this reason, I intend to make sure every registered horse can be approved. If a horse was very unsuitable in breed type for a Lipizzan, it’s registration would not be approved, rather than it being disapproved only when the time came for evaluation. (For example, if a “Lipizzaner” was a Shetland pony mould, this association would not register it.)
Please note: if your horse has dressage scores of any kind, please submit them before it is evaluated because I could base the “Impulsion and elasticity” score on them. For example, say a horse has 3 dressage scores: 58%, 67.981% and 82.08%, I would add them together: 208.061%, and divide them by three: 69 (rounded off), and, as the original scoring was out of 100, I need to divide by 10 to get the score, but I guess I’d better round it 10 the nearest 10 first. The horse now has a score of 7, but there will be a random draw as well. The number drawn will be added to the score from dressage tests, 7 in this case, and divided by two. Keep in mind that if your horse has an average score of under 50%, submitting their dressage scores would be of no benefit. If your horse’s dressage scores are not in percentages, then please either convert them to that or let me know what they were being marked out of. The reason for doing this with dressage scores is that the impulsion and elasticity of the model will fit with its performances. It would not make sense if I horse scored 6 in “Impulsion and elasticity” always scored in the 80 percents in dressage tests!
1. Conformation: total score to be divided in half, and horses will be scored out of 10 for each of the following points: head/neck, shoulders/withers, front legs, back/loins, hind legs, frame/top line
2. Breed type (foals and geldings excluded): score to be divided in half, and horses will be scored out of 10 for each of the following points: breed and type, masculinity/femininity
3. Correctness of paces: horses will be scored out of 10 on walk in hand, trot in hand and free, canter free
4. Impulsion and elasticity: score out of 10
5. Temperament/obedience: score out of 10 ***(See paragraph below)
6. Overall impression: score out of 10.
A random draw will decide numbers 3-5 to some extent (read on for more detail), but all horses should be able to get approved for breeding. If a model was disapproved it would be rather unfair, and as the model world has no particular governing body, there would be nothing to stop the owner breeding there horse. For this reason, I intend to make sure every registered horse can be approved. If a horse was very unsuitable in breed type for a Lipizzan, it’s registration would not be approved, rather than it being disapproved only when the time came for evaluation. (For example, if a “Lipizzaner” was a Shetland pony mould, this association would not register it.)
Please note: if your horse has dressage scores of any kind, please submit them before it is evaluated because I could base the “Impulsion and elasticity” score on them. For example, say a horse has 3 dressage scores: 58%, 67.981% and 82.08%, I would add them together: 208.061%, and divide them by three: 69 (rounded off), and, as the original scoring was out of 100, I need to divide by 10 to get the score, but I guess I’d better round it 10 the nearest 10 first. The horse now has a score of 7, but there will be a random draw as well. The number drawn will be added to the score from dressage tests, 7 in this case, and divided by two. Keep in mind that if your horse has an average score of under 50%, submitting their dressage scores would be of no benefit. If your horse’s dressage scores are not in percentages, then please either convert them to that or let me know what they were being marked out of. The reason for doing this with dressage scores is that the impulsion and elasticity of the model will fit with its performances. It would not make sense if I horse scored 6 in “Impulsion and elasticity” always scored in the 80 percents in dressage tests!
1. Conformation
This is self-explanatory. I will need a photo taken straight from the side of the horse. If either the forehand or hindquarters are slightly closer to the photo, it will distort the horse's proportions as I evaluate (I will be measuring to get certain percentages).
2. Breed type
This one, too, is fairly obvious.
3. Correctness of paces
This is partly a random draw, with some exceptions. In some cases the horse's conformation will affect it's paces. Therefore, if a horse has a shoulder angle (the angle formed by the scapula and humerus bone) of less than 90 degrees, its stride will be too short in front. For example, this might mean the horse now may not score more than nine. Post-leggedness and over angulation of the hind legs will also limit the score the horse can receive. Standing to far under itself will not, because that is usually due to hoof pain, not genetics. In addition, horses with perfect angulation of the hindleg and a good shoulder angle will not be able to score ridiculously low. Another thing that will affect paces is the length of the tibia in relation to the femur. If the femur is longer, the horse will have a shorter stride with the hind legs. This is ideal for racing and draft work, but not for riding horses.This too, will be taken into account. If a horse hand perfect riding conformation in all these areas and scored a 6, or had terrible conformation in these areas and scored a 9, it would be quite unrealistic.
4. Impulsion and Elasticity
This will be judges in a similar way to "Correctness of paces." In addition, see what I wrote regarding dressage scores above. Regarding conformation and its effects on impulsion and elasticity, an upright shoulder does not create short, choppy strides as is generally believed, however, a shoulder slope of around 60 degrees can result in less elasticity, so for this reason a horse with that slope will not be able to score a ten out of ten in this area.
5. Temperament/obedience
I will not be including this after all, although it is a factor in real-life Lipizzan grading. To start with, less than ideal temperaments (e.g. aggression or dullness) are not due to genetics, but the way the horse is handled and kept. Why then, should this be included in an evaluation? It is true mares can affect foals by their examples, but then the breeder should make sure the mare is handled and kept properly, and has gotten over whatever issues she had before she is bred from. In addition, if the foal is handled and kept properly and allowed turnout with horses that have grown up in a group, it should learn good manners. Regarding obedience, this is mainly due to training. In that case, why should it be relevant in an evaluation? To show how easily the horse can be trained? That relies largely on the trainer's skill and the way the horse is handled and kept. Furthermore, with the exception of medical and emergency situations, why should the horse be obedient? For our pleasure and/or convenience? Is that fair? Horses do not think in terms of obedience. They don't have dominance hierarchies (Google Equitation science leadership), and so the concept of obedience would not arise. The horse that acts "dominant" around other horses is actually the bully, no the one the other horses chose to follow. So all points considered, Temperament.obedience will not be included in the evaluation.
6. Overall impression
This too, is self-explanatory.