Structural Relationships: More On Equine Topography

[About this time back in 2015, I wrote the "Mapping Out Success" post. Since then though, I've learned some new tricks I'd like to share with you. However, it seems I can't go back to edit that original post so let's just have a do-over!]

Introduction

It's easy to understand how equine anatomy helps create convincing realistic sculpture. But aside from the technical know-how it provides, it also offers anatomical landmarks to use as guides. This is because these landmarks identify the dimensions, orientations, and placement of the bones and fleshy bits themselves, letting us better visualize and so translate anatomy into our clay. So an understanding of anatomy doesn't just provide the brass tacks for sculpting, it also gives us the means to put it all together. In this sense then, these landmarks can be likened to a kind of anatomical map, or “equine topography," that gifts us with some handy benefits for sculpture. 

For starters, we get fixed points to measure proportion and gauge biomechanics regardless of the pose. We can then approach sculpting like a connect-the-dots, and because these landmarks universally apply, we can tackle anything we wish. Even more, fixed points promote structural symmetry, a welcomed benefit because—as just about any sculptor will tell you—symmetry is a tricky nut to crack! Going further, equine topography helps us decipher references and life study more accurately, making our process that much easier and clarifying our knowledge base. And because it's the blueprint for Equus, it's consistent across ages, genders, individuals, breeds, types, and species, letting us capture these variations more authentically. Put all that together and equine topography becomes a powerful tool that takes our work to the next level. 

There are two layers to equine topography—the skeletal and fleshy. The subcutaneous, easily-palpated bone serves as the skeletal landmarks while muscle group configurations and cartilaginous formations form the fleshy landmarks. We shouldn’t rely on just one though since each informs the other. 

In order to use these landmarks, however, we need a few tricks up our sleeve. First, good proportional calipers are essential; they're truly a sculptor’s best friend. For that, I recommend the Prospek® proportional calipers (Figure 1). Second, a lockable compass is very handy for quick measuring. Third, a protractor, preferably one made of clear plastic with a pivoting ruler (Figure 2) measures angles such as for the shoulder, hip, pasterns, and hooves. Fourth, develop a pretty good idea of how the skeleton is constructed and where the joints are located because we need to find all this in life study, our references, and our sculpture regardless of movement. Fifth, form a working idea of the muscle layers and major muscle groups to better interpret what’s happening under the skin. Sixth, a set of good illustrations or charts showing these landmarks, and bodyworking resources are great for this. And seventh, cultivating the habit of checking all these landmarks throughout the sculpting process, start to finish. It's easy for things to go awry when we're so deeply immersed in sculpting. Plus, the actual physicality of sculpting can smoosh fixed points off the mark, so our rule of thumb is: Check often, sculpt, and then check again.

Skeletal Landmarks

Learning the skeletal landmarks isn’t difficult. The best way is to gently palpate them on real horses, visualizing the whole skeleton as we go. For this, it's also a good idea to have an anatomy chart and some landmark illustrations on hand to quickly orient comparisons. But if up close and personal isn't possible, gaining access to a real equine skeleton or a well-done sculpture of an equine skeleton can be useful, too (such as found in Zahourek Systems EQUIKENTM)). I also highly recommend the anatomy classes taught by Lynn A. Fraley. Also catch the live streams by Morgen Kilbourn on her Facebook studio page. Nonetheless, anatomical illustrations are immensely helpful as well, specifically equine bodyworking sources which are often full of landmark charts and those that show the orientation of the muscles to the skeleton. And sometimes we can find helpful how-to videos on YouTube, too, such as this one. Some other resources and books are also super helpful in this department as well such as Horses Inside Out and Anatomy In Motion (and their materials), Equinology and Anatomy In Clay classes, and others. (Just a caveat though with anatomical features painted onto the skin: Horse skin is tacked down onto the underlying flesh rather loosely in many areas and so it's not always a totally accurate indicator of what those underlying areas are actually doing. However, this technique is great as a basic start for further investigation!)

Then it's time to hone our eye by practicing, working to recognize these landmarks to find the whole skeleton inside regardless of pose, breed, type, age, species, etc. It's also important to See the landmarks in any media or format so working to visualize the skeleton in a ceramic sculpture, a Zbrush sculpture, a felted sculpture, or in a photo, on a computer screen, or in video, for instance, is incredibly useful. And consider drawing on printed out images to further train our Eye because once we can see “into” horses, we can see “into” our sculpture. To that end, here are some basic skeletal landmarks to get started: 

Fleshy Landmarks

Muscles, cartilages, and other fleshy components of the body attach to the skeleton in certain configurations, allowing many of their groupings to serve as landmarks for sculpting. So it’s important these fleshy features are oriented correctly on our sculpture since one askew feature can cause other things to shift out of place. Every little thing on our sculpture warrants our absolute attention (which is one of the reasons why this art form can be mentally exhausting at times by asking for a high degree of sustained focus). This is another reason why rechecking often is so critical: We want to catch our inevitable moments of distraction.

Fleshy Alignments

The magenta dots are the basic joints* and the blue dots are the most basic bony landmarks. The magenta line indicates the location of the cartilaginous joints of the ribs** (not the bottom of the ribs). The muscles groups are very simplified to clarify how the skeleton relates to them. It's also important to know how each joint articulates because they don't all move the same, but that's another blog post for another time. (*Each rib is also articulated with two adjoining thoracic vertebrae and with cartilaginous joints with the sternum, but I thought it would all be too confusing to show.) (**There's no cartilage connecting the ribs like that, but I thought a line just showing where the joints are located would be less confusing than a series of floating dots.)

Now this may sound like a rather daunting task, but it’s actually a fortunate correlation because once we can see the skeleton inside our sculpture, laying on the fleshy parts is that much easier. It works in reverse, too! In and of themselves, the muscle groups can help us tease out the skeleton since their origins, insertions, and arrangements are clues to the underlying bony counterparts. 

Proportions

How the dimensions of the body parts relate to each other is a foundation of realistic sculpture. Well, truth be told, it could easily be argued that everything boils down to proportion alone. Think about it: Can't everything we do actually be expressed in terms of proportional relationships? It even helps to distinguish between the age groups, genders, species, types, and the breeds. It's so fundamental, in fact, that a single misstep can instantly compromise our illusion outright, or depict a technical, age, gender, type, breed, species, or conformation flaw. And there's no compensation for a proportional flaw either—once it's made, it can only be fixed. For instance, if we've made the head too big, there's no making the tail bigger to balance it out. Or if we've made one cannon bone longer than the other, there's no making the forearm shorter to make up the difference.

Yet measuring proportion can be a mystifying process that can lead to some problematic assumptions. For example, some may simply go by "eye" and hope for the best. Now this can work to some degree, but it's often better to rely on more objective means in a technical art form. On the other hand, some may search for a magic formula that will churn out the needed measurements as though nature could be expressed by a single, simple equation. Or some may come to the conclusion that certain breeds have a cookie-cutter set of dimensions that should apply to all individuals of that breed. Or going further, some even insist that their preferred proportional measurements should be applied across the board regardless of individual, breed, species, age, or gender variations. It all boils down to this: In the face of so much confusion, a very simple system that removes it is desired, and that's perfectly understandable. We just have to be careful we don't simplify things so much that we're actually removing critical information from our process.

Because the truth is that proportion is complicated and is best learned through practice, study, and experience. There's also no equation, no formula, or even One True System. However, it does require a goodly understanding of anatomy and that can be a rather daunting prospect. Complicating matters, proportion is highly variable, being more like a lottery of measurements than a formulaic equation, and that can be really overwhelming. Put all this together then and measuring proportion can prove itself to be quite intimidating.

But the other truth is this: Proportion really isn't so hard once we recognize the landmarks, making it more easily decipherable, learnable, customizable, and buildable. So if we do our homework and pay attention, we'll develop that bigger knowledge base for finessing judgement calls, nuances, and diversities. And we can develop our own system and take as many measurements as we wish to help us along, too. And that's a key point: The methods for gauging proportion are as individualistic as the artists themselves—what may work for one won’t for another. For instance, I’ve tried numerical measurements but I simply cannot make this method work for me though it works beautifully for others. So it’s a good idea to experiment with many different approaches to find one we don't "fight" because, absolutely, the last thing we want is to be at odds with our own methods! 

Even so, it still holds true that effectively measuring proportion is best done with reliable tools like calipers. Creating realistic equine sculpture isn't like painting a landscape that can be fudged, but instead requires technicality and precision. And we have to be able to translate standing proportions to moving ones with relative ease. Moreover, having a measuring system that's quickly adaptable is handy to customize or make adjustments on the fly. The system should also be sensitive enough to account for the individuality of the subject along with the breed, type, gender, age, and species, and all their nuances. On the other hand, if we're sculpting an iconic archetype, the system should also be able to dampen individual components to favor an amalgam of individuals as a generic specimen. In other words, it should be able to average results. There's this, too: Certain features are vulnerable to problematic fads like the penchant for abnormally heavy muscling, really short heads, long, spindly cannons, small joints, tiny muzzles, or small feet that have been bred into some breeds. So a proportional system that can recognize that and compensate where we want is useful to have in our toolbox as well.

So for what it's worth, the method for measuring proportion presented here fits all this criteria, being one I've developed and used for years—perhaps you'll find it to your liking, too. It’s quick and easy, it accounts for individuality, it’s readily adaptable and customizable, it applies to any position, it can be averaged out with ease, it can quickly recognize fad-based changes, it's easily translated from resources, and it utilizes, even amplifies over time, our natural penchant for visual evaluation. But it does rely on a good understanding of equine topography, and the better our understanding, the more effective this system.

I've used a "baseline horse" here (above), an English Thoroughbred mare. This breed makes a great "basic horse" with its classic lines and timeless proportions. Just please note that certain proportions here reflect mare-ish tendencies such as the slightly longer back and bigger ears. Mares can also have finer necks and sometimes shallower jaws, or at least, less robust jowl musculature. Mare hooves should also be a good size to bear the weight of pregnancy well.

Now the pink dot on the shoulder is the point of shoulder (which is actually the cranial external tuberosity of the humerus) which establishes the length of the shoulder (which really is a bit of an arbitrary measurement since the actual end of the scapula is just above that tuberosity). However, please know that the little blue portion at the top of that red shoulder line denotes the space between the top of the scapula and the wither, i.e. that's not actually scapula right there. The yellow dot on the neck is the base of the neck, where the last cervical vertebra connects to the first thoracic vertebra, establishing the length of the neck. The orange dot on the hindquarter is the big knob on the femur right behind the joint to establish the length of the femur (or we can measure from the joint if we wish). The black dots on the legs represent the actual joints, first the one between the humerus and the radius, and the second between the tibia and the tarsus.

Now please caveat here: It's what measurements are taken, how they're taken, and where they're taken that's the system here, not the actual depicted lengths. That's to say each of these lengths is highly variable based on individual, age, gender, breed, type, or species tendencies so please don't interpret hers as dogma that applies to every equine. Instead, these specific lengths apply to this specific mare. What's more, the system here is basic so add more measurements as needed.

Also note that measurements are based mostly on the bones rather than the fleshy "outline." This is because flesh changes with conditioning, movement, individuality, breed, age, even gender, which means standard measurements based on them only apply when standing, right? Once movement begins, those fleshy measurements go out the window. This is why the measurements from the Ellenberger book (or those like them), for example, can get us into trouble rather quickly. However, bony dimensions don't change so if they're our fixed measurements, chances are good we'll be okay no matter the pose. Even so, we should know how the joints function—individually, regionally, and holistically—to understand how some things can appear to comparatively lengthen or shorten due to folding or bending, which can appear to happen in certain movements. (That being said though, if we're sculpting a direct portrait or directly from a photo, we'll need to take a lot more measurements than those depicted here, even those that account for those fleshy proportions.)

But how this system works is simple: Structural relationships are standardized into four measurements based on one standard measurement, the head (measured from the poll to the end of the muzzle). The three other measurements are 1/2 the head, 1/3 the head, and the femur length (which varies a lot, which is why it's a separate measurement). So this is where a lockable compass comes in handy—once that head measurement is taken, it’s locked, making it a simple task to apply it throughout the sculpting process. But, wait—it gets better! Take a piece of paper and draw out the head, 1/2 head, 1/3 head, and femur lengths, then with the proportional calipers we can now use those measurements to quickly apply them with ease. And we can arbitrarily make the head any length we want, automatically scaling the others in turn. So, in practice, I create a proportional reference chart for my sculpture based on my preferred reference photo. I print it out and then use that paper to keep those lengths so everything is in one place. Very handy!

Here, for example, is the primary proportional guide I'm using for Guaperas, my "yelling" Criollo stallion (I have one other to provide more options). You can see the four measurements I'm using in the black box, but the actual ones I'll be using are penciled in at the bottom. This way I can use my calipers to quickly apply them to my sculpture of him. Note how different his proportions are compared to the Thoroughbred mare? Proportion is a critical factor in breed type since a breed can have a very distinct set of proportional tendencies that define its look. By the way, I'm using other references for his head because I don't want to be sculpting this specific individual—I just need an idea of the basics for the breed.

And this is the proportional guide I'm using for Sage, the piece based off my feral mare medallion. Note how I've doubled up on the leg measurements between the one-half and femur measurements. It's okay to do that since a little bit more information never hurts. And again, notice how her measurements are very different from Guaperas who was different from that Thoroughbred mare? Try to come to things with an open mind since we may learn something if we're lucky! And, really, if I tried to pigeon-hole Sage into those TB mare measurements, she'd totally lose her distinctiveness and authenticity. But like with Guaperas, I'm going to tweak her head a bit so I can sculpt it more like my medallion.

Use this method over time and it actually starts to train the Eye to key in on proportional relationships and even errors rather quickly. A method that actually refines our Eye! Also note that we can take many more smaller incremental measurements against the head as we need such as for the eye, the cannons, the muzzle, etc. In other words, simply making things a fraction of the head measurement turns the process into a relatively easy and highly adaptable one. 

Also note that I haven't provided measurements for the width of things from the front or back, as in the breadth of the brow, neck, chest, or hindquarter. These actually do better with eyeballing and specific reference, at least for me, since they're highly variable due to conditioning, nutrition, age, breed, or individual variation (as is the case with the brow). So use good specific references in these cases. For example, the width of the Atlas bone, the first cervical vertebra that attaches to the head, varies between individuals and breeds. (However, a neutral baseline to make needed adjustments is this: An Atlas breadth about as wide as the brow.) Or the brow is also variable with individual and breed characteristics with some breeds having a tendency towards narrow brows (and heads) whereas others having wide brows (and sometimes corresponding crowns). Foals also have their own unique tendencies in brow width. The chest also tends to vary a lot since the scapula, being attached only by flesh, also has muscles underneath it that can be bigger with conditioning, nutrition, or genetics, effectively widening the chest. This is one of the reasons why many chunky drafters and stocky Quarter Horses have such wide chests: There's a lot of muscle bulk not only above but also below their scapulae. But it's also one of the reasons why Big Lick TWHs have such wide chests: Those weighted packages muscle everything up. Conversely, it's why malnourished horses are so narrow since their subscapular musculature is shrunken. This is similar to why foals can be so narrow because they haven't yet developed the muscle bulk to help "pooch out" their scapulae.

The head itself also has some measurements we can take, in my case I like to mostly go off a 1/3 head measurement. Just keep in mind that the head is highly variable so feel free to tweak or add measurements as needed—it's all customizable. Again, however, remember that what measurements are taken, how they're taken, and where they're taken is the system here. The actual proportions themselves belong to this specific mare. (Also note that ear length can be a function of breed type such as native British ponies who usually have proportionally small ears. Stallions also tend to have smaller ears.)

Symmetry

Symmetry applies to the bilateral halves of the animal, and so each paired feature should be as closely matched as possible. For example, eyes should be matched and level, leg bones should be of equal paired dimensions, muscle development should be consistent, the pelvic "box" should be perfect, zygomatic arches should match, ears should mirror each other, etc. But we also have to consider that, like us, horses have slight asymmetries, too, which is perfectly fine in a sculpture given it lies within the bounds of what would be acceptable in life. But beyond this, there’s rarely a more effective way to obliterate our sculpture than looking head-on at flounder-like eyes or having asymmetrical legs with one cannon quite shorter than the other, for instance.

But while bilateral symmetry is important, it’s not the easiest thing to achieve. Indeed, it's often the bane of a sculptor's existence! I took a WizardCon sculpting workshop and the instructor and I got to chatting about the challenges with symmetry, and he admitted he loved sculpting zombies because that was never a concern! And let’s face it, too—every artist has their “good side” and “bad side” of working (perhaps because of handedness) so it’s understandable that many dread having to match the other side once the preferred one is done. But there's some good news: Once we grasp equine topography, we're one step closer to making this painstaking process easier because rechecking the landmarks tends to naturally guide us to symmetry. Really, if we get the landmarks right on both sides, we definitely have a better shot at matching them. But be sure to check symmetry from all angles. For instance, we may get the zygomatics symmetrical from side views, but look at them from above and we see one is significantly protruding farther away from the skull than the other. Symmetry is a tricky thing.

We can also run into symmetry problems with our ability to flip images in our heads—some people can do it and some can't. Either way, if we want to check ourselves, a handy trick is to snap a photo on our phone of both sides, get them into a photo editing program and, with one slightly transparent, overlay them to see where they line up or where they diverge. Do this enough times and we can actually train our Eye to refine this ability pretty closely by itself.

Now here's a handy tool I got years ago from Mountain View Studios, Inc. (below), but I don't think they make them anymore. It came in two sizes: Large and small (I got both). Maybe you can make one for yourself since it's just a rigid metal rod with 90˚ resin cube-shaped cross bars. The top bar is fixed, but the bottom bar slides, tight enough to grab. But what you do is simple: Place it down the center of the sculpture's face in the front and use the crossbars to evaluate how level the features are to each other on either side. Easy and handy! 

Visual Tricks

Nonetheless, equine topography also incorporates artistic visualization tricks that make deciphering it a little bit easier. For example:

• The knee and the hock, from the front, can be a bit trapezoidal.
• The hindquarter, from the side, can be a bit diamond-shaped.
• The nostril is like a reversed 6 on the left side and a 6 on the right.
• The muscles on the forearm form a "W," as do that of the gaskin a bit, too.
• The barrel is a bit canoe-shaped with a narrow keel between the forelegs and a broad, flat-bottomed stern.
• The cheek muscling on the head forms a "W."
• The "salt cellar" of the zygomatics form a "U."
• A basic head alignment follows a line below the bulb of the ear to the "button" of the zygomatics to the bottom of the nostril (and sometimes the bottom of the eye though it can be above that line with many equines). The line of the mouth can somewhat parallel this at times as can the line of the teardrop bone a little bit, too. However, keep in mind that this linear alignment diverges with individuals, breeds, and species. For instance, horses with some convex or some concave heads will diverge from this straight line, sometimes markedly so. Therefore, this alignment is only a springboard baseline for needed adjustments—we have to start somewhere!
• The "button" of the zygomatics aligns with the back of the jaw (since it sits right over the jaw joint).
• The points of hip, the points of buttock, the femoral joints, and the tips of the Ilium (tuber sacrale) form a perfect symmetrical "box," because that box, the pelvic girdle, doesn't articulate internally.
• The wing of the Atlas (first cervical vertebra) is about a hand's width away from the back of the jaw.
• The simplified musculature of the neck (well conditioned) often forms a basic "M" with a hook that veers up to the wing of the Atlas bone.

Now all of these are just basic ideas, and there are plenty more, but the point is this: Try to distill things down into easy-to-grasp shapes and alignments to use as baselines for comparisons and adjustments. When we deconstruct and simplify things, we can start to demystify equine topography, making it easier to decipher our references and sculptures. Now then pair this with proportion and symmetry, and we're well on our way to a successful sculpture! (Then add in placement and planes and we're essentially set, so stay tuned for the next blog post on The Three Ps for more discussion on them.)

As just a bit of curiosity, it's interesting to notice how the equine is built on a kind of mirror image (below). Just like how each bone is moved by sets of antagonistic muscles, so the body plan is built on a "reflection" of itself. This may seem like a rather obvious observation, but it's curious how many art works, especially animated works, get this wrong. Perhaps the Pushmi-Pullyu really does exist after all!

Some Proportions That May Surprise Us

So once we familiarize ourselves with this system, or whatever system we choose, it's time to start exploring and investigating the similarities and the options. They're there! Gather a bunch of photos then and just start noting the tendencies and differences within any given grouping. And be sure to study different groupings! Indeed, "10 year old Arabian stallion" can go into age, gender, and species groups, not just breed. And don't forget about old photos! If we can make comparisons against older archetypes of a breed, for instance, we gain some perspective. Make all this a regular exercise and we'll start to amass a mental library of the possibilities. Now here's the thing—we don't have to remember all the different lengths. That's not the point of the exercise. The point is this: To beat into our noggins that variability is the rule, that tendencies are what's typical, that what's acceptable is a bubble, a spectrum. So trying to cram all this diversity into a cookie-cutter opinion of "The Only Right Measurement" will likely cause problems. That's to say this exercise should quickly chip away at our own dogma about what "should be" and instead present what can be. And that's a great thing, yes? It now means we have so much more possibility to play with in our clay, and our expectations have likewise been loosened up a bit to appreciate them more. Being able to See and appreciate more equine awesomeness? Sign me up! Indeed, many breeds, for example, are characterized by variability of type so to insist that only one of them is the "real" version unfairly dismisses perfectly good representatives. As artists we have the opportunity to celebrate all of horsedom, and all horses are worthy our admiration and respect. Any which way, we make a habit out of exercise, and we'll not only train our Eye, but also gain a better footing to make more balanced judgement calls while still picking out those esoteric nuances for flair.

Comparing proportional measurements with these landmarks may also gift us with some surprising revelations. Truly, the divergence of what the mind thinks it sees and what’s actually there is interesting! The stylized depiction of equines is a rather common thing in art, too, and so many have become conditioned to favor certain stylized proportions that aren't necessarily consistent to reality. For example, unnaturally short backs, exceedingly short heads, or abnormally large eyes (perhaps as a function of neonatal characteristics) can be relatively common stylistic distortions. Yet nature created the horse’s back, for example, to be a certain length to accommodate the necessary viscera to breathe, digest grasses, or to gestate foals. The more the back is shortened, the more these things are compromised. This isn’t to say that a long back is a good idea, but that there's a normal spectrum optimal for the animal’s biology, but we only learn that through a lot of proportional comparison. However, we often find that this normal spectrum can be considered “too long” by those otherwise conditioned. Or if we have a particularly long and sloping shoulder, that can also create the illusion of a "longer back" for those not familiar with proportional measurements. Likewise, a long hip can make the torso appear "too long" as well. Then add those two together and...well...it can throw off the unfamiliar eye. Yet it's only through a good grasp of equine topography that we can weed through all this to nitty gritty what's really going on.

Conversely, we may find that some sculptures have necks that are unnaturally long. But the more the neck is lengthened, the more the cervical bones are lengthened which stresses the ligaments and tendons that hold the chain of cervical vertebrae together along with the nerves that govern movement. This is why those horses bred with really super long necks have a tendency for subluxations, muscle issues, uncoordinated motion, and nerve damage. Yet only in art can we find this extreme made even more so, and one wonders if a firmer grasp of topography may have mediated this. It's understandable though as the neck is one of the hardest features to sculpt due to its biomechanics that seem to make it "shorten" or "lengthen" in motion. Truly, if any feature more needed a grounding in topography, it would be the neck!

Then when we begin to measure in smaller increments, we'll find that the horse's eye isn't as big as some sculptures depict. Gosh—some have orbits so big, one wonders how the cranium could accommodate! We'll also find that ears are variable in size (and shape) as are nostrils and muzzles. Even the width between the jaw bars varies, too. Some proportions also touch on conformation concerns like cannons and joints that are a bit too small, or tailbones that are too skinny (or anatomically too long or too short).

Now interestingly, science has established a more objective formula for determining the preferred size of the hoof—an actual equation:

Scaled down, we can apply this ratio by estimating how many "inches" our sculpted coronets are in circumference and then estimating the "living weight" of our sculpture then plugging those numbers into the equation. Pretty soon then we'll develop a mental library of hoof sizes that fit inside this spectrum for a short cut. (We also come to learn that hoof size isn't gauged by the length of the hoof wall, but by the circumference of the coronet band.)

Conclusion

Absolutely, understanding equine topography not only makes our process easier and more accurate, it also frees us to design sculptures from our own vision rather than being enslaved to specific photos all the time. Just as much, too, we can objectively study how real flesh morphs and the living body behaves, something which no static anatomical chart can illustrate. This means we're now able to use our Voice in full confidence to express all the wonder of the equine world we discover or imagine. In essence, we gain a better hold on the technical aspects of this art form so we can better express our artistry.

Even more though, understanding equine topography keeps us curious by propping those proverbial doors open to the possibilities out there. When we start adopting rigid expectations, we shut out a lot of the equine world from our clay and that's a shame. There's so much to explore and love out there, and armed with a practical topographical understanding, we have a great toolbox to express it.

Yet perhaps most importantly, equine topography reveals that all equines are individuals, blessed with infinite variations on the blueprint, which can only serve to inspire creativity and deepen our appreciation for this remarkable creature. It's so easy to be lured into habitual objectification in the pursuit of "perfection" or what is "correct." So quickly we fall too much in love with our opinions, but equine topography lets us peer into a world fuller and richer than our expectations. Letting the equine guide us, with his road map in hand, won't only steer us to our fuller potential, but reveal just how much potential wonderfulness there is out there to enjoy! Truly, equine topography represents the keys and the doors to explore all of equidom, so snatch them up, bust 'em open, and happy trails!

"Geographers never get lost. They just do accidental field work."

~Nicholas Chrisman

(Go here to download my 2020 Anatomical Reference Listing. New additions are in red, and in particular, scroll towards the end of the listing for "Device Apps," a new category with some great resources for you!)

Structural Relationships: More On Equine Topography

A Leg To Stand On: The Most Common Conformation Flaws in Realistic Equine Sculpture

Introduction

"Conformation" is a ubiquitous concept in the horse industry and so it is with equine collectibles, influencing everything from buying decisions to placings to aesthetics. Yet it has many variables, each a sphere of fascinating study. In overview, it helps to determine function and usability according to the horse's discipline. Each discipline then often commands its own points of conformation, sometimes specifically so. Conformation also factors into our personal taste, those things that tickle our fancies...or not. What's more, each breed, sub-type, region, and family line can have its own particular conformation, making it distinctive and consistent. Adding to this, the different genders can have their own secondary sex characteristics that can differentiate one from another. Conformation can also differ between individual horses, entailing those quirks that make each one unique. Going further, the different ages can introduce their own effects as the body matures. Horsemanship, conditioning and management all have their effect, too, by changing the nature of the muscle condition and even some alignments. All in all then, the issue of conformation is a complex one full of nuance and detail. For these reasons, the better we grasp the concepts, the more informed choices we can make. 

But a few points beg mentioning. First, it's important to understand that conformation isn't the same as anatomy. They are two different subjects. For example, an Arabian and a Clydesdale both have the same anatomically structured cannon bone, but it's conformation that makes them different. Or a Saddlebred may have a different slope to the hip than a Quarter Horse conformationally, but the pelvic girdle is the same anatomically. Or a Lusitano can have a more convex skull and a Thoroughbred a straight skull conformationally, but both those skulls are anatomically consistent. Essentially then, anatomy is the blueprint of the species and conformation entails the superficial variations of that blueprint, often generated by selective breeding. In this sense, anatomy relates to what's realistic whereas conformation largely deals with what's preferred. So an error in anatomy is to make an error in realism whereas an error in conformation is to create an error in perfection. As such, a sculpture can be conformationally perfect but anatomically flawed, rendering it unrealistic. On the flip side, a sculpture can be anatomically close to correct (no sculpture is 100% accurate as only nature can do that) and be conformationally flawed, but still be realistic. What does this mean? Well, it's not a bad idea to remain open to the possibility that perhaps the artist chose to infuse some conformational issues or physical quirks into their piece for their own creative reasons. How that affects our own sensibilities is our own prerogative, but it's something to consider.

Second, everyone has their own opinion of what's conformationally "perfect" and that's okay! But it does put an artist in a precarious position since it seems there will always be someone out there disapproving of their piece. Complicating the issue is that breed type can be folded into conformation, and how "right" that is can be highly subjective to taste, even fads or fashion. More still, some breeds have or are morphing into new forms to adapt to changing times, creating a bit of friction over what's considered authentic. This means that the idea of perfection is more a bubble than an X-marks-the-spot, and that's okay too because a bubble allows for more variation to appeal to different tastes. It also helps to hedge the bet towards genetic diversity, an overriding concern for any breed with closed books.

Third, it can be useful to categorize conformation into a hierarchical order for evaluation. For this, we can break it down into three specific categories, in order of importance:

1. Functional conformation: Structures consistent to the equine blueprint that ensure well–being and soundness according to the target discipline. In a sense then, it's "biologically practical." 
2. Type conformation: The bubble of characteristics that differentiate breeds or types, often referred to as "points of type." It also incorporates gender, regional, or familial differences. 
3. Aesthetic conformation: The structures that define our own tastes. It may also relate to individual variations, trends, fads, or fancies, making it the most subjective factor. 

Functional conformation is the foundation of "using" structure. It bears mentioning, however, that exceptions always exist as there are plenty of hardworking, sound horses with what could be considered flaws by some. Moreover, usability can also depend on the nature of horsemanship, management, and conditioning so those should be considered as well. Above all though, it's good to remember that the horse is biologically based first on function and perhaps it's best our evaluations are as well. As for type conformation, it definitely plays an important role in what's desirable, creating the recognizable "outline" of a breed. Think of it as "brand identity." At its most basic, it's what separates an Arabian from a Quarter Horse from a Clydesdale from an Exmoor. More refined, it's what differentiates the *Morafic family from the *Bask family of Arabians, for instance. We should understand however that type conformation is best when balanced with functional conformation, avoiding exaggerations that compromise function. Lastly, aesthetic conformation entails all those little touches that add "flavor" to appeal to different tastes. For example, some people like dainty heads on their Quarter Horses whereas others prefer the more robust type of head. 

But all in all, let's discuss a little bit of functional conformation since it tends to be more objective. In this, let's explore some of the most common conformation hiccups in realistic equine sculpture so we can learn from them.

Back Too Short

When we discover how to measure proportion effectively using bony landmarks, it becomes evident pretty quickly that the equine back is normally longer than we may believe. This is perhaps because many of the collectibles we grew up with were stylistically very short-backed, some unnaturally so, conditioning us to favor it. Yet nature needs the equine back to be a normal length for biomechanics and to accommodate the organs, and in particular for mares, to gestate foals. Now this isn't to say a long back is the ideal alternative as it can be significantly weaker for riding. It's to say that the equine back should fit within an average spectrum of what's normal. That said, however, we know that certain breeds have backs on the shorter end of the spectrum. The Arabian, and some of its derivatives, can indeed have one less vertebra on occasion, for example. Yet this is perfectly fine if not overly exaggerated like it can be in art. But more still, every individual, type, and breed has its own distinct spectrum, so it's important to pay close attention to the back length when designing a sculpture. Stallions and mares can differ as well on occasion, helping to make mares appear "lower to the ground." Even different ages can have their own distinctions since the spinal column is among the last to solidify its growth plates. Foals are a good example of a really distinct type of back length compared to the rest of the body, for instance.

Here's a basic guide for proportions where everything is easily based off the head length. However, please understand this is just a guide and not applicable across the board. (Also understand that the horse depicted is believed to be a mare.) Each breed, type, family line, gender, age, and individual has their own specific set of proportions. This guide is just a baseline to gauge those variations. It's a springboard, not dogma.

Calf Knees

This is a particularly common error perhaps because there's some confusion as to what constitutes a "straight leg." Even conformation books can get it wrong in illustrations.

Functionally, a correct, straight foreleg has a radius meeting the carpus at more of a 90˚ angle thereabouts. Therefore, a plumb line will bisect the radius and bony column to emerge at the bottom of the bisected cannon bone and behind the coffin bone, onto the frog. 

However, this alignment can appear over-at-the-knee to the uninitiated, and many conformation books depict calf knees as correct as a result. Yet a calf knee is a significant fault as it weakens the forelimb and can even be prone to bone chips in the carpus or tendon injuries in the lower leg. Now it's not to be confused with a foreleg under stress such as we sometimes see with the planted forelimbs of racehorses in that support phase of the gallop. A proper foreleg will usually withstand these pressures whereas a calf-knee generally won't, resulting in injury.

On the other hand, genuine over-at-the-knee structure is usually an injury to the foreleg’s tendinous check system causing the carpus to project forwards without adequate support. 

Literal Straight Forelegs

Another aspect of evaluating straight forelegs is from the front. Here the correct anatomical alignment is a slightly knock-kneed stance just like our own femur with our tibia. In other words, the equine cannon and radius shouldn't be aligned straight up and down like a rod, but angled inwards a little bit at the knee, towards the median. It's a subtle alignment, but perfectly natural. In fact, if a straight line between the cannon and radius does exist, the horse can be bow-legged in front. 

Literal Straight Hindlegs

Similarly, the idea of a “straight” hindlimb has been interpreted to mean literal straightness when viewed from behind, an error quite common in conformation books. It's no surprise then why we'd find this hiccup in sculpture. By "literal straightness" we find that the plane of the hindlimb is straight forwards from stifle to toe, meaning that the toe points forwards when standing square. Yet this is actually a form of bowleggedness.

In their natural configuration from behind, the hindlimbs are oriented on a slight outward plane from stifle to toe, with all the bones aligned on the same plane when standing square. That means hind hooves typically point a bit outwards at the toe because, biomechanically, the stifles must clear the broad posterior portion of the belly. This isn’t to be confused with cow-hocks in which the hindcannons angle away from each other. Correctly planed hindlimbs have parallel hindcannons. Now it should be mentioned that as the hindlimb is extended backwards more, it tends to straighten out as the stifle is drawn away from the belly, even rotating a bit inward in extreme extension sometimes. But life is full of exceptions, of course, so pay attention to reference photos. 

Here's Ellie demonstrating that outward plane of the hind leg.

Crooked Hindlegs

A good rule of thumb for hindlimb alignment is measured from the side in a plumbline from the point of hip, to the point of hock, and down the back of the cannon. This plumb line is often consistent whether the hind limb is planted forwards or backwards when standing. Keep in mind, however, that balance shifts can influence these articulations away from the plumbline. 

Post-legs occur when the hindleg is placed in front of the plumbline whereas camped-out occurs when the hindleg is placed behind it. Sickle-hocks occur with too much angulation at the hock, orienting the hindcannon away from the plumbline. Post-legs don’t have much reach and are prone to involuntarily locking the stifle which can injure the stifle joint. On the other hand, camped-out legs can be more unstable and wobbly, often prone to spavins.

However, because they move primarily in non-suspended gaits, it's claimed that some gaited breeds can be regarded a little bit differently. Specifically, some believe that acceptable angulation lies within a range from the ideal plumbline to one that touches the front of the hindcannon. Nevertheless the hindlegs shouldn’t be more angled than this or be sickle-hocked. (On a side note, post-legs in gaited horses are a significant fault because this can lead to ESAD over time.)

Now inspecting from behind, the hind cannons should be parallel to each other. If they divert away they're cow-hocks and if they converge at the hoof, they're bow-legged. What's more, some draft breeds should be "close-hocked" which shouldn't be confused with cow-hocks. Instead, "close hocks" are when the cannons are properly parallel to each other, but are situated very close to each other, sometimes even touching. The Clydesdale is a good example. It's believed this places the feet neater into crop furrows.

ESAD and DSLD

We also have to consider two crippling conditions: ESAD and DSLD. ESAD (Equine Suspensory Apparatus Dysfunction) is a term for a problem in the suspensory apparatus, which inhibits the horse from properly supporting himself through the lower leg. It appears to be caused by several things ranging from injury, overstress, peculiar conformation to genetics. It can be associated with coon-footedness, and so often presents as very sloping pasterns with a broken axis at the coronet when standing square. Similarly, DSLD (Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis) is a painful, bilateral degenerative condition of the suspensory ligaments, usually in the hindlegs, which hinders their supportive properties. As DSLD progresses, the fetlocks sink increasingly downwards, causing the pasterns to become progressively parallel to the ground while straightening the stifle and hock. Think of a post-legged horse with sloping hindpasterns when standing square. The causes of DSLD are also suspected to be genetically based, but can be brought on by overstress or peculiar conformation as well. Unfortunately, however, some sculptures exhibit ESAD and DSLD perhaps because the artists didn't know what these conditions were. 

Shoulders and Hips Too Short

When it comes to motion, a long shoulder and hip are ideal with many breeds. In this, the shoulder from the tip of the wither to the point of the shoulder should be about one head length while the point of the hip to the point of the buttock should also be about one head length. The long shoulder provides scope to the forelegs while the long hip helps to provide that necessary rear drive powerhouse. However, these can vary sometimes so pay attention to references.

It should be mentioned that the slopes of the shoulder and hip are also important but differ according to breed and discipline as it influences motion quite a bit. For this reason, it's important to pay attention to them in references. 

Puffy Joints

Another common problem with sculpture, puffy leg joints that resemble "balloons" can indicate injury or pathology. In life, the knee, hock, and fetlocks should be crisp and "clean," displaying the distinct, characteristic bony landmarks and bony shapes consistent to their anatomy. At times some of the ligamentous and tendinous features can be seen as well. The same could be said for the cannons and pasterns though they tend have this issue to a lesser degree.

Balance Inconsistent to Breed Type or Discipline

The "uphill" or "downhill" balance of the body is a function of performance and therefore often of breed type. For example, those breeds classically bred for riding such as the Arabian, Morgan, Iberian, and Saddlebred have level or even slightly "uphill balance." Think of a sedan. Many breeds meant for jumping and eventing can be of a slightly more uphill balance. In contrast, those breeds destined for bursts of speed tend to have "downhill" balance such as many Quarter Horses and some Thoroughbreds. Think of a drag racer. 

What is uphill or downhill balance? Well, it's the relation of the base of the neck (where the neck connects to the torso) to the LS-joint (the hinge joint between the last lumbar and the sacrum that curls the pelvic girdle under the body) when standing. If the base of the neck is more or less level with the LS-joint, the horse is level-balanced. If the neck base veers higher, then the horse is "uphill." And, predictably, if the neck base veers downwards, the horse has downhill balance.

Yet some sculptures don't factor this in which can be a problem. For example, a downhill Saddlebred or an uphill foundation QH can both be considered off-type.

Too Skinny or Too Thick a Tailbone

The size of the tailbone is an extension of the spine, so at the root it implies the size of the spine itself and should, therefore, be in anatomical scale to the sculpture. However, many sculptures have tailbones that are too skinny indicating a weak spine. In contrast, others have tailbones that are far too big and out of scale.

Pathological Hooves

Finding a good foot can be difficult in sculpture because what constitutes a quality foot may not be understood. Indeed, many references or conformation books actually depict problem hooves so it's important to have an independent knowledge base. Even so, its exact qualities are still being discovered and debated in science and it'll be fascinating to see where it all pans out. The subject is quite complex though as science is revealing just how nuanced horse feet truly are. Curiously, it seems there's no "one size fits all" kind of good foot but a spectrum since the foot molds itself to the horse's lifestyle. I wrote an extensive series on the foot already in Steppin' Out: Hooves From An Artistic Perspective (a 12-part series) so please refer there for a comprehensive look. (Now admittedly, I need to update it according to some recent studies, but all in all, it gives a pretty good basic idea of many of the issues involved.) In particular, this segment, this one, this one, and this one give an overview of the possibilities within the bubble of "good foot."

Specifically though, many sculpted hooves have problematic relative proportions, contracted heels, are club-footed, have ringbone, have a broken axis, or are long toed-low heeled. Some are imbalanced, too, even sweeping off to either side. Others have dishes or bulges while some are too small. Undulating coronets tend to pop up, too, and many sculpted feet lack medial-lateral and dorsal-palmar balance as well. Misshapen or small frogs also crop up sometimes. Or some hooves are "mechanical sinkers" in which the hooves have particularly long hoof capsules which may have been a desire to make the hoof larger. Yet the size of the equine foot isn't measured by the length of the hoof capsule but by the breadth of the coronet. A scientifically arrived equation for evaluating hoof size can be found in my post here. 

Please note with (B) that this alignment shouldn't be confused when the foot is positioned backwards and the joints have to flex to keep the hoof connected to the ground. These alignments only apply to a horse standing square.

Ending Thoughts

Conformation is an important issue with horse people and so it is with equine artists. It encapsulates so much of what the public keys in on, what many consider to be a "good sculpture." Being so, it ensures that our pieces will be authentic in a way that most people recognize. Through conformation we can also help to depict horses in a way that advocates for their wellbeing and even promote those structures important to us like breed type. So there's just no way to artistically capture the animal without also having to consider it on some level. 

Yet its power isn't necessary expressed by following conformation tenets doggedly, but understanding them well enough to weigh them in context to our piece. What's necessary? What's optional? What's harmful? What's neutral? With a deeper understanding then, we can create work closer to our vision while still ringing true in the show ring. We might also begin to appreciate each horse more as an individual perhaps, delighting in their quirks as "flavor" rather than as flaws. 

Studying conformation also opens the door to a whole new horizon of understanding this graceful creature though all its myriad forms and functions. It's neat to learn about the differences between a racing Quarter Horse, a cutting Quarter Horse, a reining Quarter Horse, a WP Quarter Horse, a Hunter Quarter Horse, and a halter Quarter Horse! So many options! We can gain more appreciation for this critter, too, as we explore what his body is capable of doing with just a few tweaks here and there. It can also be helpful to realize that conformational variety within a breed can be a good thing by accommodating versatility and appealing to many tastes. 

Put it all together and the subject of conformation infuses a whole new level of fascination and possibility into our work. It definitely ensures we'll never run out of new things to sculpt! So have fun exploring the wonderful world of conformation! It's fun, not hard to learn, and adds so much dimension to our creative adventures!

"Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design." — Charles Eames

A Leg To Stand On: The Most Common Conformation Flaws in Realistic Equine Sculpture

Action Jackson

Learn to love questions and helping others find more!

Creating equine realism definitely isn't easy and the learned skillsets take years to develop—and sometimes we need help. Happily for that, help can come from anywhere, even in genres not related to ours! I can't tell you how much I've learned from monster design to special effects make up to prosthetics to collage to graphic design, for example. 

To that end, becoming and staying a pro-active learner is a great thing because it keeps us hungry and our work evolving. Wonderfully, all we have to do is reach for that new information enthusiastically, translating into research, attending classes, workshops and seminars, reading peer-reviewed papers, lots of comparative study, artistic exercises, watching videos, amassing references and analyzing them, blog reading, forum discussion, and on and on—always asking questions, staying curious. Luckily, too, the Internet is a wealth of information from how-tos to presentations to analysis on color genetics, anatomy, conformation, and biomechanics, artistic technique and creative philosophy. It's all out there at our fingertips just waiting to be mined!  

Being so, it's a good idea to indulge these avenues first before vetting assistance, especially from a working artist. Doing our homework first is critical because remember who you're sourcing and their limitations—a working artist. And all a working artist has is time—that's it, their most critical and limited resource. It's the single factor that lets them refine their art, do their own research, produce their art, and make their art in the first place to earn a living. Yet assisting someone who hasn't done any homework at all can be inordinately time consuming, and that can be a serious time sink. 

Now this isn't to say that helping someone shouldn't be done. Absolutely not! It's also not to say that seeking assistance is inherently inappropriate. Definitely not! And it's not to say that helping rote beginners isn't a good idea either. Nope! Sometimes, helping them can be some of the most satisfying ways to spend one's time, especially when they're earnest and invested. I also believe that helping others is our obligation, that we should "pay it forward" when we can. The more artists who reach their potential elevates all our efforts since the more brains that work a problem means more solutions. 

But it does suggest that there's a necessity to come to the assistance with a better idea of what's involved than absolutely, utterly nothing. Why? Well, "a damp sponge absorbs more than a dry one." In other words, if we don't know some degree of what's involved, whether through study or observation, most of what's going to be shared may not be fully understandable, if at all. It can go right over our head! And the more advanced the lesson, the more this is the case. Additionally, much of our help can only come online and that has its own limitations. Also, talking at a beginner level can be tricky for a seasoned artist since so much can be inadvertently taken for granted. However, to be fair, it can be a good lesson for them to do just that from time to time to clarify ideas and processes and, perhaps in doing so, refine these things further. The best way to learn how to perfect something is to teach it! Plus, beginners often come to the problem with totally fresh ideas, making learning symbiotic. What a wonderful thing!

Keep in mind, however, that each potential teacher is different as is each learner. Everyone comes to the table with different artistic styles, personality traits, motivations, and expectations—and sometimes we may not be a good match. Yet it's important that each party be simpatico in order to foster a good working relationship. So if that match isn't suitable, it's okay to give thanks and move onto someone else who may be a better fit. Put another way, forcing a bad fit can antagonize both parties, making the likelihood of help less forthcoming.

Put all this altogether and in congeals into a pretty good rule of thumb: Try not to present uniformed questions to working artists and try not to force the situation. Truly, a basic working knowledge of the issues at hand will gain the most out of the experience and make the most of everyone's time. Also, be highly specific, and the more advanced the issue, the more specific the question. For example, don’t ask something like, “How do I sculpt a head?” That's far too general and big an issue, often an enormous undertaking to even address. Sure, the teacher can dole out a few simple, starter suggestions which can work great, but that has its limitations, too. So often the better tactic is to take what you already know from your homework, and just do it in order to figure out what specifications you need the most guidance on. Because it's usually better to ask questions that beg quicker, more concise, more helpful answers. For instance, “What are some alignments of the head I can use as guides?” Or, "what tools are best for sculpting the head?" "What shapes are best visualized for sculpting an eye or nostril?" "I'm having this x-problem with my heads...do you recommend some trouble shooting?" Or, "what clay and solvent to you recommend for x-kind of work?" Or "How do you achieve more symmetry?" The more specific the question, the more practical the answer, and the more likely we'll get an answer and quickly. 

On that note, it's not a good idea to impose too much on a working artist's time and energy. They're usually very busy running their studios and have done their own hard work to earn their skills—and it’s important we do the same. Really, only when we truly get stuck or confused or overwhelmed is their advice best applied. That means continual questions that eat up more and more of their clock is a surefire way to create friction. But this isn't due to vindictiveness, it's out of necessity. A working artist simply cannot afford to help so often. This is usually the reason why some artists, being so busy, tend to be rather succinct in their help, simply offering useful links, books, lists, or articles for our own edification. It's just a reality with their limited time resources. Yet this is also why many artists have already compiled lists, articles, books, or blog posts on common subjects that would answer many of our questions. To tell the truth as well, it's important for learners to struggle and work things out on their own. It encourages pro-active learning, experimentation, and valuable lessons on arting. There's value in having knowledge earned rather than just handed out. This isn't to say we should let learners struggle needlessly though. It's to acknowledge it can be worthwhile to wrestle with our skills every so often, and that goes for seasoned artists, too.

Above all though, try to avoid assuming a seasoned artist is being unfair, hostile, secretive, or mean if they opt out of helping. The reality of that working artist may mean their resources are already stretched quite thin so offering help simply isn't in the cards. Everyone has their reason and assuming the worst isn't only unfair, it can poison the well. 

Again, let me repeat that I believe we're obligated to help others in their arts. It's good for them, good for us, and good for the community by advancing our arts and building cohesion and commonality between us. It's just that we need to approach it with a bit of investment on our part in a way that works with the limitations of the situation. That being so, helping others and seeking help can also be a terrific way to build relationships, personal and professional, which can be immensely rewarding all 'round on many levels. And in this rebirth of the DIYer, helping others is even more critical than ever! The next generation of artists are our future and we cannot let them wither on the vine if we hope for all this to flourish. In this spirit then, it's all the more reason to better understand what's involved when seeking that help so that more beginners are less intimidated asking for it and more seasoned artists are prone to providing it. 

One of the great things about this genre is its propensity to share information. Truly, it would be wonderful to see this even formalized into annual artist retreats or workshop events to balance out the competitive-heavy theme of our social gatherings. I dream of a day when such things will happen in equal measure as shows. Not saying competition is a bad thing! But it would be nice to have another facet of participation, and one that coincidentally happens to facilitate participation in that competition at the same time.

That said, a mentor program is a completely different situation to all this, one which I'm not speaking to. Mentorship is a wonderful avenue for helping others that's often much more time-rich than cold-calling a working artist. For that, Mares In Black has a terrific mentorship program that may be of interest to you.

Anyway, there you have it. Hopefully some useful advice for getting advice. My best advice in all this? Stay curious. It encourages enthusiasm, fun in learning, exploration, and fresh thinking —always positive things. Seek, stretch, ponder, and rethink. And apply what's learned from others and make it your own. Don't be afraid to put your own spin on things! And pay it forward whenever possible. Consider this too—one of the best ways to learn is to teach! Want to know where your knowledge gaps are? Teach. Want to know where you can improve your process and Eye? Teach. Want to learn current theory and new hypothesis? Teach. Want to bump your work to the next level? Teach. Want to truly fathom a subject on deeper levels? Teach. So whoever said "those who can, does; he who cannot, teaches" was so very very very horribly wrong! Instead, I prefer Aristotle's wiser take, who said, "those who know do, those who understand, teach." So beginners, don't be afraid to seek help! Just frame it in a way that'll best cultivate the situation. And seasoned artists? Do what you can to further the efforts of others. It's rewarding in its own right as well as for you. Collective learning is what people do best and fostering it enriches our community in countless ways, planting seeds that will grow and spread deep roots that will blossom a nicer garden for us all. 

"True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own." ~Nikos Kazantzakis

Action Jackson