Could she still be growing at 7??

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lisa_lou

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My mare is a lightweight irish sport horse, aged 7 and standing at 15.2. She is however still very bum high and noticeably downhill to her wither and she has a low set neck. Just recently she has begun to look very lanky and like she could do with some good grass and feeding up, could she be growing in front to come up to bum height at this age? or is it likely to be a confirmation fault and she will always be downhill.
She has very good breeding so dont know why she would have bad confirmation
 
Generally they stop growing at about 7 but as with humans there's always exceptions to the rule... drafty types being the sort to 'mature later' so she may level up yet... think you'll know by this time next year.
 
Technically an equines growth plates don't fully close until the age of 8 (JMB won't issue a life height certificate under this age) so she could yet level off. It could also be that as you say she looks ribby, she may have just dropped condition over her topline and therefore look more downhill than when she was more rounded. Only time will tell if it's growth! but just ensure she has sufficient grazing/feed incase it is just that she's dropped condition.
 
Yes my boy has been up and down since I got him at age 4, and has now put on another maturity spurt at the age of 7 and a half, but I know he was very backward as a baby, he looked two years old when I got him at age four, I was absolutely sure of his age due to his passport date of issue and details. As long as she is getting a good feed once a day with plenty of vits and minerals, [Fast Fibre] she will come to no harm, but make sure you do not school too hard as she will find it difficult to balance, even though she is of an age when one would expect her to be capable of more.
 
I have a ish mare that's 16.2 she is still a little as you describe at 12 but less than when I got her at 4 - sadly the neck doesn't move!! She's by dock leaf (by wolver hollow) out of ballysorril wood (by knave of hearts who's by king of diamond's). Any similarity in the breeding?!
 
All horses finish growing by 6yrs old - with the hocks and spine being the last joints to close. Many horses though don't mature muscularly until older - so soome look leggy and weak until 7 - 8yrs old.

Some horses do develop bum high - especially those with TB blood in them. Your horse being 7 is unlikely to grow up in front any more but with schooling and working correctly from behind will look higher infront.

This is a link to an excellent article about equine growth rates.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf
 
my ISH only stopped growing a year ago at the age of 9 we bought him at 3 as a 15.3 and he now stands at 17.1hh and a half so hes big now wouldn put it past him to still be growing :o
 
Thanks everyone. Her breeding is grand parents/ great grandparents - clover hill and cavalier royale, also got cor de la bryre in there somewhere. She is a lightweight type was beefing up nicely then suddenly went lanky quickly but this happened after i have started having flatwork lessons and working hard on trying to get her more uphill and in an outline which is going successfully. Her feed and hay havent changed at all but have now put her on calm and condition and dobsen and horrell build up mix also.
 
We bought our boy rising 8 and 16h. He is now 9 and 16.3h after a late growth spurt just before he was 9 - and he did appear a bit bum high for a while. Now nicely evened out.:)
 
Some interesting comments, its funny how they are all so different in the growing process! Many thanks for all replies, there is hope for her yet then!
 
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