Breed Standards
SIZE OF MINIATURE HEREFORD
No animal larger than a frame score 2, will be accepted as a Miniature Hereford by the Australian Miniature Hereford Cattle Association. There is no official minimum frame size.
CONFORMATION
Rear view
Feet set straight forward with the toes not pointing in or out – legs set well apart with the hock joints not turned in or out, thus forming parallel lines with the lines of the sides – the length of bone from hoof to hock joint is to be short in proportion to the depth of body above – that depth of body will show in the crotch which should be as near to the hock joints as possible – broad at the stifle joint area with the same thickness carrying upward to the hip joints and that width showing across the top – fullness around the tail head, not sloping off on the sides – top width carrying forward through the loin area, narrowing only slightly at the shoulders.
Side view
From rear to front – back legs: straight but not post legged, showing a slight bend at the hock joint, standing on short toes and not coon footed – lower leg muscles protruding to the rear just above the hock joint showing depth of quarter and heavy muscle – the rear vertical line of this muscle when carried upward should be perpendicular with the ground – the top and bottom line should parallel – the bottom line being below the stifle and elbow joints showing depth of body – the top line should not show the tail head protruding up or sloping down but may show a slight rise in the loin area and definitely not show to be low in the loin or sag behind the shoulders – front legs: standing on a short hoof and again not coon footed – straight legs not bowing forward or backward at knee joint with the length from the foot to the knee being very short compared to total height – shoulder height may be slightly lower than hip height on younger animals, being more near the same height in older animals – brisket deep between front legs becoming trim under throat – neck short blending well into the shoulder with shoulder point not protruding – a slight hump on top of a short neck is permitted on older bulls – the top of a short head should be held slightly higher than the top of shoulder – no undershot of lower jaw permitted.
Front view
Head broad and short, broad muzzle and broad between the eyes – eyes near the front but on side of head, not sunken in or overly protruding, but prominent – horn tips on older animals below level of the top of the head – standing straight on front feet with the toes not pointing either in or out – feet set well apart with a well filled brisket.
IN GENERAL
Chunky in appearance – close to the ground, expressed with short legs (from the knee and hock to the ground) – entire animal well balanced and well proportioned, not appearing too heavy or too light in front or rear but slightly heavier in rear – the bone structure not too small or too large but slightly heavier than light, giving ample surface for muscle attachment – head not too large or too small, but smaller than large, and showing masculine or feminine appearance – the visible reproduction organs to be well developed for age.
MARKINGS
The entire face, white, with some pigment around the eyes but not in excess – white under the chin continuing down under the brisket continuing underneath the belly all the way back through the rear flank area with white showing slightly from each side in the fore and aft flanks – white from the feet up on all four legs, stopping before the knee and hock joints are reached – the ears and in between show pigment with a strip of white starting just behind the ears proceeding back on top of the neck to the shoulder point area – only the tail bush is white -the balance of body marking and the mentioned pigmented areas may vary from light, but not pale,to dark, but not black – the entire scrotum should show pigment.
Note: Many of the above conformation statements are not in accord with those used to judge the modern standard sized Herefords or other breeds. For this reason, it would be beneficial to make a copy of the above available to anyone who is to judge Miniature Herefords.