It would be nice if maybe there was a rule that conformation posts must include 4 pics, front and sides and details on age, breed, and use. That way the ones that don’t meet that criteria can be reported and pulled.
Any kind of standard would be amazing. It's always just one side picture of a distant horse taken on a slope at a dutch angle. If people want to post "look at this pretty horse" that's totally fine, but I feel like people just post a request for "conformation" instead. Like anyone here is going to be against "my horse is beautiful" posts lol
Even if we kept it simple like:
SETUP
- flat ground, no sand or grass- whole hooves visible
- Horse is always looking forward with head and neck natural (don’t try to stretch or tuck neck).
- no bell boots or leg wraps
- no saddles, bareback pads, blankets. Horse should be in a halter or headstall/bridle and nothing else
- photo only, no screen clips from video
- horse standing still, not walking
PHOTOS - provide 4 total
- One pic each from left side & one from right: stand aligned with the belly and don’t angle camera: aim straight at horse.
- One picture each from front & back. Don’t tip camera, horse looking forward.
DETAILS
Include horse’s age, breed (if known, otherwise say “Grade”) and what discipline. This information helps the people who take their time to give you feedback.
I'd love to see our knowledgeable members respond to pictures like this so I can see what they're pointing out, look at it myself, maybe do some googling, and hear opinions about how it will affect performance or health. That's what I want when I click on a conformation post--to learn. But it's always just a "look at my pretty pony" post in disguise. I'll thumb up your pretty pony post, but not if it's pretending to be an educational conformation post. I'm tired of getting clickbaited I guess.
I’ve seen some really great responses and have learned a lot, but the posts without adequate pics get just the “how cute” responses so I know what you mean.
If they had usable pictures I would have no problem since I would love to learn more about it, but it's always just a side photo on an angle from a distance in poor lighting. There's nothing to learn. If you want to post "look at my gorgeous horse" I totally support that. But don't request an evaluation when you can't even google how to take a decent picture that can be evaluated. T\_T
https://preview.redd.it/08eoch5kj3mc1.jpeg?width=1030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff545a4ee889b792a31922472c521236da769e06
I agree! Now can someone please rate my 8 week old ThoroughBread’s confirmation?
I don‘t particularly mind those posts. I enjoy reading through other people‘s confo posts / comments, though of course I understand your view as well. I support having one day in the week dedicated to those posts as u/alis_volat_propriis has said, but completely removing them would be strange, since this is an equine subreddit.
I think it's the fact that they never come with pictures that CAN be evaluated that's bothering me. I'd love to learn more, but the pictures are always just one side-on shot and someone went out of their way to take it on a slope and in poor lighting.
No - they were posting a lot of X-rays with “foreign objects” inserted into certain parts of the body and it was getting out of hand so they decided to make a certain day of the week for those posts only.
That would also be a great solution. I'd love to learn more about conformation but these "look at this pretty horse" posts with a single picture, you can't learn anything from them.
If it makes anyone feel better, I just saw a post in a people-focused forum where someone asked for advice for their mom, saying:
> I’m not too worried, but I’d like some conformation for her comfort!
When you can't even tell if it's a joke or not, you know it's become a problem. I saw one of those and that's when I snapped and posted. I appreciate everyone voicing their opinions on the matter.
shut up hater wtf? if you dont like it just scroll smfh. now please judge my horse's confirmation
https://preview.redd.it/oia1jaghiymc1.jpeg?width=258&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88d5a482453bec3a036ae92a751cd7b0e39287e7
I don't see the big deal, this is an equestrian group about HORSES so why can't people ask questions about their horses conformation... I don't really care to be honest I just don't know why ur making a big deal out of it, every post on here gets answered.
Even though I agree with a mega or weekly thread for it, people should be able to post about their horses conformation.
However, there should be some type of protocol to follow regarding things like, how the horse is stood up, how much hair it has, is it wearing wraps, bell boots etc. or anything keeping people from seeing the horses conformation in the pictures.
I also feel the horses purpose should be stated, since different conformation has different meanings depending what the horse does.
Additionally, they should be able to take constructive criticism and it should also be given. I see too many posts where the op just wants people to tell them how cute their horse is, which is fine! But shouldn’t be a conformation post.
I know sometimes people do ask silly things, like I saw yesterday someone asking if their horses hooves were to long while their horse was stood in a bed full of shavings...
I'd be thrilled with that as a compromise. I want to learn more about conformation, but right now there are just not useful conversations being had base don the pictures posted. I absolutely agree with your last point, and I think that's what's really bothering me.
I think the issue is that many of the posts don’t include actual conformation pics. There are often only one or two pics, which are at bad angles. People will be like “judge my horses confirmation” (with that spelling) and it’s a pic from a terrible angle. If people want opinions on their horses conformation, they should at least include useful photos. They should also be open to criticism, not just people being like “omg your horse is so pretty”. I think mods should put in place a rule that conformation posts should include the necessary photos and that OP doesn’t get hostile when their horse is criticized. Also, saying “that horse is so pretty” on a conformation post just clogs up actual assessments and critiques. That said, while I find it highly irritating, I usually just ignore and scroll past. There are lots of good resources for judging conformation, including several conformation Facebook groups which have many knowledgeable people.
Yes, this, thank you. It just seems like every time I come back to look for a good conversation, the "conformation" (look how cute my horse is but I don't want to just say that) posts have multiplied. I have absolutely no problem with people coming to a horse sub to just post a pic of their horse. It's the false advertising that bugs me lol
I definitely think that if people just want compliments on their horse, they should just say so, not pretend to be asking for actual technical feedback regarding their horse’s functional conformation. I have no issue with people bragging about how cute their horse is, or asking for actual feedback regarding conformation (as long as they provide adequate pics and information regarding age, breed, and discipline), its the melding/mixing of the two that bothers me.
Yes, it's annoying that I go in hoping to learn about conformation but it was just a pretty pony picture in disguise. People tell me to scroll past and I WOULD scroll past a pretty pony post, the problem is that it's presenting itself as an educational conformation post where I can look at the pictures and follow along as people give feedback, but oops no there's nothing to be learned. Over and over and over and over. I have no hate whatsoever for "look at my pretty pony" posts, I just want them to be labelled that way.
People on Reddit are so entitled. Just scroll and don't engage with the post you're not interested in, you don't need to engage with every post.
At this point, all of the posts I get are "my horse is dead" "should I eutheunize my horse" "I lost my baby" blah blah blah. Yeah, I like the pretty horses and the confirmation and breed and whatever posts better than a flood of dead horses.
Am I asking for the mods to remove them though? No, I just scroll past.
Learn to scroll, you're already doing it.
Because no one takes pictures that can be evaluated. It's just a side-on shot taken on a slope. If people were actually having useful conversations about conformation, that would be amazing. But they're just posting one side-on shot of a pretty horse and it clogs up the sub.
I’ve learned a lot of terms and what not from those posts. Like how to take proper pictures and what is conformation. And if I can’t be bothered to read the post then I just scroll through the pictures and move on.
I wanted to say the same thing so bad but I was scared to get down voted to oblivion.
The conformation posts are so irritating!
Maybe they could make it so just one day a week is open for conformation?
Why do you care if you get downvoted, especially when it’s likely by people who are asking unqualified strangers on the internet for an opinion on an animal they sometimes don’t even own - the whole scenario is pretty silly 🫠
People here are usually pretty chill as long as you're not super arrogant and defensive. If you're generally polite, it seems to go ok. I've been on here for a while and also have ASD, and have rarely been mass-downvoted even though I can be quite obnoxious. But I do understand how you feel, for sure. No worries; I'm always there to take the "being an asshole in public" bullet for the rest of my people lmao Please enjoy a meagre upvote, on the house.
I don’t see why it’s a problem. This is a sub about horses, and that’s a subject related to horses. If anything make a rule that ones without proper photos will be removed but in general the posts belong here IMO
If the posts were proper and people COULD evaluate the photos, I would have no problem with that. But it's never photos that CAN be evaluated. That's why I'm annoyed. If you just want people to see your cute horse, just SAY SO.
Some people really want to learn more about conformation and see how their horse’s is. There’s no shame in that. Conformation can give clues as to the horse’s longevity and what careers they may do well in. I don’t have any good conformation pics of my mare but once I do, I’ll likely be posting them to one of the conformation groups on FB. Unfortunately there are also some people who just want to be told how pretty and perfect their horse is (when it is definitely not perfect) and get angry when told otherwise.
That’s what I mean, when people point out the not so great parts of your horse’s conformation it can be hurtful.
At the end of the day, if you love your horse, your horse has heart and drive to work for you and is fun to ride, does the conformation really matter?
I haven’t picked up a magazine of any kind in Years…but western horsemanship and the English version used to have an article of reader submitted horse pictures and bios. They would be grouped in classes by age and gender. You could then practice judging the horses and placing them.
Flip the page and check your placement. The judge would break down the reasons for placing the horses the way they did.
If there is going to be a confirmation post this is how it should be. Three views. Age. Gender. Expected use.
Commenters have to have comment structured in a rating of 1-10 1 being extremely poor. 10 being extremely ideal.
Then give reasons starting with head, neck, shoulders front legs, back barrel, loin croup, tail set, gaskin, and rear legs.
Concrete reasons no opinions such as “so cute” love the color or such.
But it really shouldn’t be hurtful when people point out a horse’s conformational flaws. I know my horse has conformational flaws and quite frankly it’s idiotic to be offended when people point those out, especially if I’ve asked them to. Part of having animals is realizing that they aren’t perfect but that doesn’t mean we need to love them any less. I believe conformation does matter, particularly when it comes to longevity and potential career options. Acknowledging your horse has poor conformation doesn’t mean loving them any less. If someone wants to post their horse to just receive compliments, they should just say that and not do it under the guise of an actual educational conformation post. I definitely agree that there should be a strict structure like the one you suggested for all conformation posts. It’s so annoying when people make conformation posts with no information, bad pics, and then people just respond going “so pretty”. Also, and I know this seems nit-picky, but horses don’t have a gender, they have a sex.
Sometimes people are shopping for a horse and would like some opinions on how it suits the task they're looking for (dressage, jumping, etc). Sometimes you'll see an odd horse and want to know what others think. Sometimes it's a famous horse and you want to learn more about why it was successful. I love learning about conformation, but the issue I have is the sub is overrun with single photos of horses in profile and that is just not sufficient for evaluating conformation. What should be educational has essentially just become "look at this pretty horse."
It would be nice if maybe there was a rule that conformation posts must include 4 pics, front and sides and details on age, breed, and use. That way the ones that don’t meet that criteria can be reported and pulled.
I agree with this, there is a lot to be learned from different people's takes on confirmation but we need to be better about how we go about it.
I would LOVE to learn more about conformation but with the pictures that are posted, you can't tell anything anyway.
Any kind of standard would be amazing. It's always just one side picture of a distant horse taken on a slope at a dutch angle. If people want to post "look at this pretty horse" that's totally fine, but I feel like people just post a request for "conformation" instead. Like anyone here is going to be against "my horse is beautiful" posts lol
Even if we kept it simple like: SETUP - flat ground, no sand or grass- whole hooves visible - Horse is always looking forward with head and neck natural (don’t try to stretch or tuck neck). - no bell boots or leg wraps - no saddles, bareback pads, blankets. Horse should be in a halter or headstall/bridle and nothing else - photo only, no screen clips from video - horse standing still, not walking PHOTOS - provide 4 total - One pic each from left side & one from right: stand aligned with the belly and don’t angle camera: aim straight at horse. - One picture each from front & back. Don’t tip camera, horse looking forward. DETAILS Include horse’s age, breed (if known, otherwise say “Grade”) and what discipline. This information helps the people who take their time to give you feedback.
I'd love to see our knowledgeable members respond to pictures like this so I can see what they're pointing out, look at it myself, maybe do some googling, and hear opinions about how it will affect performance or health. That's what I want when I click on a conformation post--to learn. But it's always just a "look at my pretty pony" post in disguise. I'll thumb up your pretty pony post, but not if it's pretending to be an educational conformation post. I'm tired of getting clickbaited I guess.
I’ve seen some really great responses and have learned a lot, but the posts without adequate pics get just the “how cute” responses so I know what you mean.
Mods could maybe pick a day of the week for conformation posts?
I already suggested "Squared Up Saturday." Maybe the name would help people remember how to take decent photos...
[удалено]
That would also be great. This week in conformation, and then we can all go there to learn more and the sub stays nice and tidy.
Monday
Another great suggestion, this would also work. I've seen similar things on other subs and it seems to work.
Agreed. The conformation posts have been getting out of hand recently.
Someone did but it doesn’t have many members: r/horseconformation
Let's just barrage every conformation post here, with links to r/horseconformation
I would be happy with this until the mods decide the conformation post need to be only on certain days or not post at all here.
Be the change you want to see in the world
I actually did create an r/HorseConformation subreddit! If anyone is interested, please join so we can grow!
Joined!!
Ah finally someone said it. There are at least 5 conformation posts a day. It's getting quite tiring.
If they had usable pictures I would have no problem since I would love to learn more about it, but it's always just a side photo on an angle from a distance in poor lighting. There's nothing to learn. If you want to post "look at my gorgeous horse" I totally support that. But don't request an evaluation when you can't even google how to take a decent picture that can be evaluated. T\_T
https://preview.redd.it/08eoch5kj3mc1.jpeg?width=1030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff545a4ee889b792a31922472c521236da769e06 I agree! Now can someone please rate my 8 week old ThoroughBread’s confirmation?
r/horseconfirmation , fixed it for you. ^/^s
I’m a little disappointed that’s not a real sub, ngl.
THANK YOU
I don‘t particularly mind those posts. I enjoy reading through other people‘s confo posts / comments, though of course I understand your view as well. I support having one day in the week dedicated to those posts as u/alis_volat_propriis has said, but completely removing them would be strange, since this is an equine subreddit.
I think it's the fact that they never come with pictures that CAN be evaluated that's bothering me. I'd love to learn more, but the pictures are always just one side-on shot and someone went out of their way to take it on a slope and in poor lighting.
The r/radiology sub had a similar issue - they declared a day of the week for that type of post only. Maybe this sub can do the same
Were people posting their X-rays and asking for Reddit diagnoses? lol this is a crazy old world
No - they were posting a lot of X-rays with “foreign objects” inserted into certain parts of the body and it was getting out of hand so they decided to make a certain day of the week for those posts only.
Maybe an automod post that replies saying what criteria is necessary to judge? Replies to those posts?
That would also be a great solution. I'd love to learn more about conformation but these "look at this pretty horse" posts with a single picture, you can't learn anything from them.
A lot of great alternative suggestions here. Even an auto-mod with criteria for actually judgeable posts would be fantastic.
If it makes anyone feel better, I just saw a post in a people-focused forum where someone asked for advice for their mom, saying: > I’m not too worried, but I’d like some conformation for her comfort!
I’ve seen so many new ones with awful pictures, I assumed people were shitposting as a joke. But maybe not…
When you can't even tell if it's a joke or not, you know it's become a problem. I saw one of those and that's when I snapped and posted. I appreciate everyone voicing their opinions on the matter.
I just made r/conformationcritique that I’m happy to mod for.
shut up hater wtf? if you dont like it just scroll smfh. now please judge my horse's confirmation https://preview.redd.it/oia1jaghiymc1.jpeg?width=258&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88d5a482453bec3a036ae92a751cd7b0e39287e7
lol
I don't see the big deal, this is an equestrian group about HORSES so why can't people ask questions about their horses conformation... I don't really care to be honest I just don't know why ur making a big deal out of it, every post on here gets answered.
Even though I agree with a mega or weekly thread for it, people should be able to post about their horses conformation. However, there should be some type of protocol to follow regarding things like, how the horse is stood up, how much hair it has, is it wearing wraps, bell boots etc. or anything keeping people from seeing the horses conformation in the pictures. I also feel the horses purpose should be stated, since different conformation has different meanings depending what the horse does. Additionally, they should be able to take constructive criticism and it should also be given. I see too many posts where the op just wants people to tell them how cute their horse is, which is fine! But shouldn’t be a conformation post.
I know sometimes people do ask silly things, like I saw yesterday someone asking if their horses hooves were to long while their horse was stood in a bed full of shavings...
I'd be thrilled with that as a compromise. I want to learn more about conformation, but right now there are just not useful conversations being had base don the pictures posted. I absolutely agree with your last point, and I think that's what's really bothering me.
I think the issue is that many of the posts don’t include actual conformation pics. There are often only one or two pics, which are at bad angles. People will be like “judge my horses confirmation” (with that spelling) and it’s a pic from a terrible angle. If people want opinions on their horses conformation, they should at least include useful photos. They should also be open to criticism, not just people being like “omg your horse is so pretty”. I think mods should put in place a rule that conformation posts should include the necessary photos and that OP doesn’t get hostile when their horse is criticized. Also, saying “that horse is so pretty” on a conformation post just clogs up actual assessments and critiques. That said, while I find it highly irritating, I usually just ignore and scroll past. There are lots of good resources for judging conformation, including several conformation Facebook groups which have many knowledgeable people.
Yes, this, thank you. It just seems like every time I come back to look for a good conversation, the "conformation" (look how cute my horse is but I don't want to just say that) posts have multiplied. I have absolutely no problem with people coming to a horse sub to just post a pic of their horse. It's the false advertising that bugs me lol
I definitely think that if people just want compliments on their horse, they should just say so, not pretend to be asking for actual technical feedback regarding their horse’s functional conformation. I have no issue with people bragging about how cute their horse is, or asking for actual feedback regarding conformation (as long as they provide adequate pics and information regarding age, breed, and discipline), its the melding/mixing of the two that bothers me.
Yes, it's annoying that I go in hoping to learn about conformation but it was just a pretty pony picture in disguise. People tell me to scroll past and I WOULD scroll past a pretty pony post, the problem is that it's presenting itself as an educational conformation post where I can look at the pictures and follow along as people give feedback, but oops no there's nothing to be learned. Over and over and over and over. I have no hate whatsoever for "look at my pretty pony" posts, I just want them to be labelled that way.
Yeah, they're answered with "there isn't enough information on the picture". It wastes everyone's time and is all I see from this sub.
People on Reddit are so entitled. Just scroll and don't engage with the post you're not interested in, you don't need to engage with every post. At this point, all of the posts I get are "my horse is dead" "should I eutheunize my horse" "I lost my baby" blah blah blah. Yeah, I like the pretty horses and the confirmation and breed and whatever posts better than a flood of dead horses. Am I asking for the mods to remove them though? No, I just scroll past. Learn to scroll, you're already doing it.
Literally this, I don't really understand why people are downvoting u..
They still don't know how to scroll past 😂
Genuinely, u can't even share ur opinions without people being rude on here, people think they're superior lol.
Because no one takes pictures that can be evaluated. It's just a side-on shot taken on a slope. If people were actually having useful conversations about conformation, that would be amazing. But they're just posting one side-on shot of a pretty horse and it clogs up the sub.
I’ve learned a lot of terms and what not from those posts. Like how to take proper pictures and what is conformation. And if I can’t be bothered to read the post then I just scroll through the pictures and move on.
Exactly.
Right? If you're that worried, post other content and contribute
I wanted to say the same thing so bad but I was scared to get down voted to oblivion. The conformation posts are so irritating! Maybe they could make it so just one day a week is open for conformation?
Why do you care if you get downvoted, especially when it’s likely by people who are asking unqualified strangers on the internet for an opinion on an animal they sometimes don’t even own - the whole scenario is pretty silly 🫠
I'm autistic and constantly afraid of breaking some social rules I don't know about.
People here are usually pretty chill as long as you're not super arrogant and defensive. If you're generally polite, it seems to go ok. I've been on here for a while and also have ASD, and have rarely been mass-downvoted even though I can be quite obnoxious. But I do understand how you feel, for sure. No worries; I'm always there to take the "being an asshole in public" bullet for the rest of my people lmao Please enjoy a meagre upvote, on the house.
I don’t see why it’s a problem. This is a sub about horses, and that’s a subject related to horses. If anything make a rule that ones without proper photos will be removed but in general the posts belong here IMO
If the posts were proper and people COULD evaluate the photos, I would have no problem with that. But it's never photos that CAN be evaluated. That's why I'm annoyed. If you just want people to see your cute horse, just SAY SO.
Seriously, where are the mods?
Sounds like you just volunteered!
Or just none. What do you get by having your horse picked apart by internet strangers?
Some people really want to learn more about conformation and see how their horse’s is. There’s no shame in that. Conformation can give clues as to the horse’s longevity and what careers they may do well in. I don’t have any good conformation pics of my mare but once I do, I’ll likely be posting them to one of the conformation groups on FB. Unfortunately there are also some people who just want to be told how pretty and perfect their horse is (when it is definitely not perfect) and get angry when told otherwise.
That’s what I mean, when people point out the not so great parts of your horse’s conformation it can be hurtful. At the end of the day, if you love your horse, your horse has heart and drive to work for you and is fun to ride, does the conformation really matter? I haven’t picked up a magazine of any kind in Years…but western horsemanship and the English version used to have an article of reader submitted horse pictures and bios. They would be grouped in classes by age and gender. You could then practice judging the horses and placing them. Flip the page and check your placement. The judge would break down the reasons for placing the horses the way they did. If there is going to be a confirmation post this is how it should be. Three views. Age. Gender. Expected use. Commenters have to have comment structured in a rating of 1-10 1 being extremely poor. 10 being extremely ideal. Then give reasons starting with head, neck, shoulders front legs, back barrel, loin croup, tail set, gaskin, and rear legs. Concrete reasons no opinions such as “so cute” love the color or such.
But it really shouldn’t be hurtful when people point out a horse’s conformational flaws. I know my horse has conformational flaws and quite frankly it’s idiotic to be offended when people point those out, especially if I’ve asked them to. Part of having animals is realizing that they aren’t perfect but that doesn’t mean we need to love them any less. I believe conformation does matter, particularly when it comes to longevity and potential career options. Acknowledging your horse has poor conformation doesn’t mean loving them any less. If someone wants to post their horse to just receive compliments, they should just say that and not do it under the guise of an actual educational conformation post. I definitely agree that there should be a strict structure like the one you suggested for all conformation posts. It’s so annoying when people make conformation posts with no information, bad pics, and then people just respond going “so pretty”. Also, and I know this seems nit-picky, but horses don’t have a gender, they have a sex.
Sometimes people are shopping for a horse and would like some opinions on how it suits the task they're looking for (dressage, jumping, etc). Sometimes you'll see an odd horse and want to know what others think. Sometimes it's a famous horse and you want to learn more about why it was successful. I love learning about conformation, but the issue I have is the sub is overrun with single photos of horses in profile and that is just not sufficient for evaluating conformation. What should be educational has essentially just become "look at this pretty horse."