Any chance my 4 year old might grow a bit bigger?!

[tobiano1984]

I've got a 4yr 3 month gelding, and I'm hoping he might grow a bit more! He's pretty eclectically bred, out of a welsh/tb type mare and by a shire x tb x traditional stallion. Sire is about 16.2, dam was 14.1 ish. His full and part siblings are pretty big, a couple of the fulls are over 16hh. However my little fat chap is still only 14.3

He was only gelded in March and hadn't really had hard feed (just hay in winter, grass in summer) until this year. I've had him for 6 months, whereas all his siblings were sold as weanlings so I imagine they were fed earlier on.

I'm hoping he'll get a bit bigger (I'm quite tall), what are the chances?! He has a big head and big ears, and is quite bum high still. He's broken in but not doing much intensive work, just hacking and light schooling as I don't think he's phsically mature.

I know shires can mature quite late, so if anyone else out there has one with similar breeding do let me know how they grew!!

This is him -

 

[Bobbly]

I would think he will grow a little with some decent feeding but not as much as his siblings, I think he would already be quite a bit bigger already. He has a Shire shaped bottom and is croup high just now though with work it may round up a bit, and is nice and deep through his girth, if he's broad then your height won't matter as he'll take up your legs. He is very smart and I expect you'll have heaps of fun with him in the future

 

[celia]

He's a good looking chap - beautiful head! I suspect he'll grow another couple of inches over the next year or so. Many horses don't reach their full height until they're at least 5.

 

[tobiano1984]

Thank you - he's a lovely man, has an amazing powerful trot but his canter is like sitting in a boat on rough seas..! I think it may have something to do with him being bum-high. I don't think I'd like him to be 16hh as he's quite a tank, but 15.2 would be perfect. As you say he's broad enough to take up my leg, but I've also got a quite a long back so a bit more height would be good.

 

[JoBo]

My boy is a similar stamp to him, he was measured at 14'2hh at 3 and finished growing at 15'1hh. So I should think you will at least get another inch or so.