Wetaskiwin, AB – August 8, 2025 – JW Equine’s Judy Wardrope has launched her long awaited e-book, “Ten Conformation Myths”. The book debunks many commonly held beliefs about what makes a horse perform well in various sports from the race track to the show ring. It goes on to explain what physical traits horses should have in order to easily do well in specific events.
Through decades of studying the best equine athletes in competitive environments, Wardrope has formulated the concept of ‘Functional Conformation’. According to her book, Functional Conformation simply means “structurally suitable for the job – built to function. Those that function well are not only efficient; they have advantages when it comes to soundness and longevity.”
She uses over 190 images, marked to illustrate the points being made in the text. “I want anyone with an interest in horses to be able to understand the concepts easily,” Wardrope said. “The point of this book was to encourage people to re-think their approach to analyzing a horse’s conformation and to question the existing descriptions and definitions.” Results achieved by the horses whose photographs are used demonstrate the validity of her theories.
Those who reviewed pre-release versions of the e-book were enthusiastic in their comments:
“I have encouraged coaches, riders and trainers to purchase this book ever since I saw a pre-release copy. When they ask why, my response is that it will help you select horses based on function instead of myth. I also recommend they attend a clinic,” said Cathy Challack, Equine Canada Certified Coach 2 and English Horsemanship Instructor at Olds College in Alberta.
“The book, Ten Conformation Myths by Judy Wardrope, and the relative revelations for equine form to function, will be an asset to the horse industry for years to come,” said Bill desBarres, Councillor, Breeds & Industry Division, Equine Canada. “I can comfortably recommend that any horse person can gain from the information, and performance horse people should avail themselves of a clinic by Judy at their earliest possible convenience.”
“After having been to a few of Judy’s clinics and presentations, this book really adds to what I have learned and substantiates it,” said Jane Jones, owner and breeder of Warmbloods and Sport Ponies. “It contains practical information in regards to form to function, not just conformation. As a breeder, I need to look at the function of my mares and choose a stallion wisely to compliment the mare. Performance is different from conformation classes, and we breeders, riders, trainers, etc. need to really help our horses excel in what they are built for and not what we would like them to do. There is a difference, and this book puts that into perspective from ‘hind to fore’ with lots of informational pictures that help demonstrate the myths we’ve followed.”
“For anyone who has attended one of Judy Wardrope’s ‘Improving Your Eye for Functional Conformation’ clinics, this book will prove to be an invaluable resource, reminder and frequently used reference. Anyone who hasn’t attended the clinic yet – should – before they even consider buying or breeding another horse!” said Ceci Flanagan-Snow, Equine Journalist, Public Relations Consultant, Level I Equine Canada Certified Coach
Ten Conformation Myths may be ordered through Wardrope’s website: www.jwequine.com It is available as a direct download or to be shipped on CD. It may also be purchased directly at any of Wardrope’s clinics and presentations.
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