If you want me to go into a long analysis on Barbaro's and Bernardini's strengths and weaknesses in their conformation I will because I have the knowledge to do so, and learned from one of the best in the nation. Carole Moore is a legend in that department. Get ready to pull out a horse judging manual or a veterinary encyclopedia. In fact, I could actually tear both Bernardini and Barbaro apart in that department. They aren't perfectly conformed from a horse show world judging standpoint, but from a horse racing standpoint, they are certainly built to run. Form follows function. Secretariat is definitely not the best physical specimen there is, but he was perfect for racing. Buckpasser is one that comes to mind, but I would have to really look into the Thoroughbred breed to see what I could find. Also, I have found the perfectly conformed horse for another breed...one that stands out about all the rest. One that the horse show world agrees is actually the best. A unanimous champion. His name is Magnum Pysche, and for an Arabian, he is as close to perfect as you get. I cannot find a single fault in him. He has a perfectly flat croup, a perfect shoulder, perfect angles, a perfect head, a perfect back, perfect cannon bones, perfect forearm muscle...perfect everything and the world agrees.
Watch the entire video. He is a legend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkPV-k9Mvbk
Secretariat was not perfectly built but he was certainly very, very good. I find that most of the horse racing conformation analysis experts in the horse racing world aren't really experts in overall conformation analysis to the rest of us. I have actually been quite baffled by some of the "good" conformation horses racing analysis experts have put up because, in truth, the horses had horrible conformation. See, in the horse show world, we actually have hundreds of classes that actually judge conformation. This is what I am good at. They are called halter or model classes.
OH BY THE WAY HERE ARE SOME OF MY CREDENTIALS. GO DOWN TO THE JUDGING PHASE AND YOU WILL SEE ME RIGHT THERE "SECOND TOP YOUTH IN THE NATION" IN 2003. JESSICA HARRAWAY.
http://www.4hroundup.com/results/arc...-hippology.htm
HERE IS THE QUARTER HORSE CONGRESS WEBSITE IN WHICH I WAS OVERALL INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION, YET ANOTHER NATIONAL COMPETITION. EASTERN NATIONALS IS THE ONE THAT COUNTS FOR TOP HONORS THOUGH. I HAVEN'T POSTED THESE PICTURES BECAUSE I WAS HAVING A REALLY BAD HAIR DAY, LOOK HORRIBLE, AND WAS EXHAUSTED. PLUS, YOU ALL WOULD ONLY SAY THAT I WAS ONLY BRAGGING. I'M JUST DEFENDING MY CREDIBILITY. SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE AND YOU WILL SEE MY NAME AT THE TOP OF ALMOST EVERY LIST UNDER THE HIPPOLOGY SECTION.
http://www.oqha.com/CONGRESS/hip03.html
Oh yeah, and I judge all breeds! Prudgery you are right in that pictures are can be very misleading, but video is less so. I learned a lot of what I do know from watching videos.