Breed Guidelines for Miniature
Texas Longhorns
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| Breed Guidelines for Registered Miniature Texas Longhorns | |||
| A. Functional Efficiency | |||
| Characteristics of Miniature Longhorns |
Desirable | Objectionable | Unacceptable† |
| 1. Fertility | Early maturity and longevity Cows - Feminine, regular and early calving Bulls - Masculine, virile, high libido |
Obvious abnormal reproductive organs, sterile animals | |
| 2. Sheath | Retracted prepuce, small orifice, flat small-sized navel flap | Long pendulous sheath, nonretractable prepuce. Excessive navel flap both male & female |
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| 3. Udder and teats | Well attached, balanced | Extra teats, loose udder attachment | |
| 4. Disposition | Mild, tractable | Nervous | |
| 5. Size* | Mature Height (≥ 3 yr): Frame Score ≤ 1 Cows – ≤ 45" Bulls – ≤ 48" |
Mature Height (≥ 3 yr): Frame Score > 1 Cows – > 45" Bulls – > 48" |
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| 6. Hair (dependent on environment) |
Short, straight, slick coat | Long, curly hair | |
| 7. Hide | Vascular, mellow and pliable navel flap | Extra large sheath/navel flap or excessive dewlap | |
| 8. Legs and feet | Squarely set, sound feet and joints | Sickle hocks, "post" legs, extra close, weak hocks | Very short legs, obviously abnormal feet/legs/joints |
| B. Conformation | |||
| Characteristics of Miniature Longhorns |
Desirable | Objectionable | Unacceptable† |
| 1. General type or form | Good length with moderate depth and thickness. Top of hips higher than top of shoulders. Elliptical shaped body for heat adaption. Sound dense bones. Strong legs with free movement; Bulls slightly thicker and heavier muscled than cows. Exhibiting crest development on neck. |
Exhibiting any evidence of other breed type influences | |
| 2. Head | Showing masculinity and femininity according to sex; moderate width with pronounced length from poll to muzzle. Straight profile. |
Short, blocky head. Convex forehead. "Roman Nose" |
Nose extremely "pinched-in" above nostrils showing evidence of dwarfism |
| 3. Ears | Medium to small, short elliptical ears | Overly large, excessively round or pointed ears | |
| 4. Muzzle | Mealy mouthed, pigmented | Wry nose, over shot or undershot jaw |
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| 5. Neck | Trim in cow. Muscular in bull. |
Ewe neck, very long or very short | |
| 6. Shoulders | Free moving, smooth and well muscled | Open on top, sharply dropping down behind shoulders |
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| 7. Brisket | Trim and free from excessive fleshiness | Excessive fat, downward sloping and excessive dewlap | |
| 8. Heart Girth | Elliptical and full | Pinched girth | |
| 9. Back | Strong topline with slope upward from shoulders to hook bones | Excessive "sway back" or evidence of hump / raised muscling over loin region | |
| 10. Loin | Reasonably broad and full | Extremely narrow or low | Evidence of hump or raised muscling |
| 11. Ribs | Moderately well sprung, elliptical | Slab sided | |
| 12. Hooks | Broad, reasonably prominent and sloping slightly downward toward pin bones | Narrowness in hooks | Levelness from hooks to pin bones, hook bones lower than pin bones or excessive slope from hook bones to pin bones |
| 13. Rump | Long, moderately sloping from hooks to pins | Short | Narrow and extremely droopy from hooks to pins or pin bones higher than hook bones |
| 14. Tail / Tail Set | Long with full switch / tail set square with evidence of traditional "fish hook" feature | Very short tail, Wry tail | |
| 15. Hindquarters | Reasonably broad and muscular, moderately wide at pins | Extremely narrow | Double muscling |
| C. Color | |||
| Characteristics of Miniature Longhorns |
Desirable | Objectionable | Unacceptable† |
| 1. Coat | Showing coat color/pattern not found in standard size Registered Texas Longhorn Cattle | ||
| D. Horns | |||
| Characteristics of Miniature Longhorns |
Desirable | Objectionable | Unacceptable† |
| 1. Tip-to-Tip Measurement Only Applicable to Mature Animals (≥ 5 yr) |
Cows: Slender, wide twisted outward; measurement equal to or greater than hip height at maturity Bulls: Horns with longitudinal length and a forward and upward sweep; measurement equal to or greater than hip height at maturity |
Cows: Horns that curve sharply upward. Less than half the hip height at maturity. Bulls: Horns that curve sharply upward. Less than half the hip height at maturity. |
Cows: Horns that curve sharply upward. Less than 1/4 the hip height at maturity. Bulls: Horns that curve sharply upward. Less than 1/4 the hip height at maturity. |
| 2. Total Horn Measurement Only Applicable to Mature Animals (≥ 5 yr) |
Cows: Slender, wide twisted outward; greater than the hip height at maturity Bulls: Horns with longitudinal length and a forward and upward sweep; greater than the hip height at maturity |
Cows: Horns that curve sharply upward. Less than 3/4 the hip height at maturity. Bulls: Horns that curve sharply upward. Less than 3/4 the hip height at maturity. |
Cows: Horns that curve sharply upward. Less than half the hip height at maturity. Bulls: Horns that curve sharply upward. Less than half the hip height at maturity. |
| * Animals ≥ Frame Score of 1 will not be rejected from the MTL registry. † Cause for rejection of MTL reclassification or registration application. |
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