> here is the pacieiest horse around, with pacey conformation, with a > back that is rounded, actually his backbone sticks up above the muscle > so dont know what you would call that. is HE round??
The back is not the sole focus of roundness. The conformation of the back is different, of course, for different horses. In regard to pacey-ness, some pacey horses have saggy backs; some pacey horses have backs that are stiff and straight. Some horses have roach backs. Now, say the roach back horse was pacing.... would he be "round"? No, because the points that contribute to roundness, such as the engaged hindquarters), would be lacking. Can horses pace with less of a hollow back than others? Yes. That's a tribute to their conformation and conditioning. Then there are the reasons for pacey-ness.... which can be conformation (boney or musculature), neural wiring, or stiffness, or nervousness. And whether they are pacing with high head and short steps, or pacing in a run where they are extended throughout their body. Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
