STANDARDS

Recognized as a horse of the Canadian breed, all subjects holding a registration certificate issued, according to the Law on Animal Genealogy, by the Canadian Horse Breeders Association.

HEAD: 

•  Head:  Shorter than longer with overall straight lines; sharp, set quite high on an angle from top to bottom and back to front.

•  Ears:  Set well apart, fine, flexible and rather shorter than longer.

• Eyes:  Set well apart from each other, just out of the head, moderately convex, bright, fluid, kind, and candid.

•  Eyelashes:  Fine, well separated, clean and quick.

•  Nostril:  Large, set apart, and supple.

•  Lips:  Thin, firm, mobile, and covered with a delicate skin.

• Mouth:  Rather small.

• Jaws:  Rather large from top to bottom, set well apart at their lower angle.

• Jaw Cavity:  Wide, sharp and hollow.

• Cheeks:  Well developed, firm but lean.

NECK AND THROAT: 

• Throat:  Medium width across, a throat latch slightly smaller. 

•  Neck:  Fairly arched, fairly broad at its base, narrower at the top, medium length, side view slightly rounded and firmly muscled, elegantly attached to the head and gracefully melded to the shoulders.

• Mane:  A proud mane with an abundance of fine hair.

BODY: 

• Chest:  Broad, deep and well developed at the girth; large breast, well defined and firmly muscled.

• Withers:  Sharp, wide at its base, thin at the top, clean, long, quite predominant, and extending toward the back.

•  Back:  Strong, straight, proportionate, broad and short.

•  Loins:  Wide, well proportioned with the back and well attached to the croup, powerful muscles.

• Belly:  Well supported and melding into the curve of the ribs and with short rounded flanks.

FOREQUARTERS: 

• Shoulders and Forearms:  Long, sloping and well muscled.

• Forearms and Elbows:  Long, properly oriented, covered in firm well-defined muscles. Elbows long, parallel to the axis of the body while being set apart.

•  Knees:  Sharp, long, wide, substantial, clean and with neither an inward nor outward tendency.

• Cannons:  Short, flat, substantial, sharp, clean, and balanced. Well-detached tendons.

• Fetlocks:  Substantial, sharp and clean.

• Pasterns:  Substantial, average length and moderately sloping.

• Feet:  Average size, well balanced, front view following the angle of the pastern, heels open, equal size, down step falls vertical toward the ground, hollow and thick sole; a well-developed frog.

HINDQUARTERS: 

• Hip:  Slightly protruding, symmetrical.

• Croup:  Average fairly broad, slightly inclined and muscled.

•  Tail:  A strong root, attached quite high, carries well, an abundance of fine long hair.

• Buttocks:  Broad, substantial, long, well-developed muscles.

• Stifles:  Clean, close to the belly, turned slightly outward.

• Thighs:  Descending close to hock; thick, full and firm.

• Legs:  Long, wide but well-muscled, well-developed, bowed slightly outward; a large chord well detached from the bone.

• Hocks:   Clean, lean, large, substantial with a smooth surface, in line with the hip joint and very supple.

• Cannons:  Short, large, flat, sharp, clean, balanced; well-defined tendons, big, firm, sharp and clean

•  Fetlocks:  Large, substantial, sharp, and clean.

• Pasterns:  Large, substantial, sharp, clean, and slightly angled.

• Feet:  Same size, having same qualities as front feet but less developed; more oval in shape with higher more spread apart heels.

Evaluation of type:

Height: 14hh to 16hh.  Weight: Proportionate to height.  Outline: Shows power and agility through well-balanced and proportioned good quality body parts.  Quality: Coat soft and shining, mane thick and long, skin soft and elastic, bones dense and clean, joints lean and clean.  Gaits: Free and vigorous movement, hocks, knees, fetlock, pasterns bending well in higher movements, harmonious.  Appearance: Graceful carriage and symmetry of shape, stands squarely on ground.  Temperament: Energetic and spirited without nervousness, calm, docile.  Colors: Black, chestnut, bay, dark brown. The Canadian horse is black, bay or chestnut. The weight of the stallion varies from 1050 to 1350 pounds, the mare from 1000 to 1250 pounds. The characteristics most sought after in the Canadian horse are: a rectangular shaped head, rather short, straight, sharp, and set high with a large flat forehead and nose; large nostrils, and a quick, lively eye; a small mouth, solid jaws, and large but not chubby cheeks. The neck is almost straight, thin in front with well-muscled sides. The mane and tail are long and full, the withers a bit low, the shoulders oblique and long. The breast must be wide and prominent, the chest well developed and an ample abdomen without sagging. The back and loin are of medium width, short, strong and straight. The croup is long, muscled and slightly inclined. The pasterns are of medium length and well inclined. The hooves are very resilient.