A horse is said to be in balance when all the parts of the body are in correct proportion to each other, no part is too big or too small in relation to other parts. Balance results in a pleasing, smooth appearance. Smoothness is similar to balance and indicates that all parts of the horses body blend together smoothly, while having adequate muscle definition.

Methods of Determining Balance

Symmetry
When viewing the horse from the front and rear, divide the horse in half down the spinal column and down the middle of each limb. Each half should be a mirror image on the other.

Length=Height
The length of the horse from the point of the Shoulder to the point of the Buttock should be equal to the height of the horse from the top of the Withers to the ground.

Depth of Heartgirth=Length of Foreleg
The length of the foreleg from the ground to the Elbow should be equal to the depth of the heartgirth from the elbow to the top of the withers.

Levelness of Topline
The point of the Croup should be on the same height as or lower than the top of the withers, so that the horse naturally travels "uphill".

Center of the Horse
When the hors eis divided thgough the center of the Back, the forequarters (not including the head and Neck) should be equal in size to the hindquarters.
- Note: The center of gravity is different from the center of the horse. Because of the weight of the head and neck, the center of gravity is just behind the elbow when the horse is standing. When the horse is divided though the middle of the back, approximately 60% of the weight is carried on the front legs because of the additional weight of the head and neck.

Topline to Bottom Line Ratio
A well balanced horse has a shorter topline (from the point of the withers to the point of the hip) in comparison to a longer underline (from the point of the elbow to the Stifle).

Square
You should be able to draw a box around the horse so that the width of the box is equal to the length of the horse from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock and the height is equal to the height of the horse from the top of the withers to the ground. On a well-balanced horse, this box will form a square (all sides are equal).

Divide the Horse in Thirds
You can divide the horse into thirds by dropping lines down from the top of the withers and the point of the hip. The length of each of the three segments should be equal.

Equal Lengths
In a well balanced horse, each of the head, neck, shoulder, topline and hip should all be approxiamtely equal lengths.