For purposes of this article, an assumption of purchase is made. However, much of this advice applies to choosing a horse to rent. Just as most humans are impressed with good-looking people, your first impression of a horse is looks. However, sleek and shiny should not be the first order of the day. Rather, start by looking at a horse's confirmation or the structure and form of the animal's body.
Conformation directly affects weight and how that weight is distributed on the animal's legs.
A horse needs good legs. Bad conformation may result in stress on joints and future break-down. That may only translate into an uncomfortable ride but it could result in lameness. A blemish, such as an unsightly scar, does not affect the usefulness of the horse. This term describes a horse with some problem which should not make the animal unacceptable to the rider.