At a first glance the horse should look good, being nicely proportioned and balanced. Rather small heads, ears to match, and big, honest, bright eyes are best. Broad foreheads show intelligence. Wild eyes indicate a bad temper. Shoulders should have a good slope, chests are best broad, backs short, girths deep and quarters nicely rounded. A goose rump (jumper's bump) is said to mean that the horse can jump well. A narrow chest puts the forelegs 'out of one hole', which is very bad. Good legs and feet are very important. Both pairs should match in size and shape. They should neither be too flat or upright. Long pasterns show weakness, short ones may cause strain and also give an uncomfortable ride. Cannon bones should be short, and knees and hocks of flat bones and near to the ground.

Horses must be sound to perform well. Clean wind is important. Lumps and bumps on the legs may cause unsoundness. Bad habits include biting, kicking, rearing, napping (refusing to do as told), persistent bucking, weaving (waving the head from side to side), crib-biting and windsucking.