Conformation
The shape and structure of an animal's body, judged against what suits its breed and purpose.
Also: build, type
Conformation describes how an animal is built: the length and depth of its body, the strength of its back, the angle of its legs and feet, and, in dairy cows, the shape and attachment of the udder. Good conformation is not the same as beauty; it means a body suited to the work expected of it, whether giving milk for many years, laying down meat or pulling a plough. Breed societies describe ideal conformation in written standards and in linear scoring systems, where classifiers rate many traits on a numbered scale. Judges at shows weigh conformation heavily, and buyers at fairs often judge it by eye.