Do horses really grow much more after 5 years old?

Mine seem to stop going up at a little more than 2 year olds but do fill out and look a lot bigger as they age so in my experiance no they dont but it does depend on how well done they are when babies
 
Yes Spugs!! My 6yr old ex-racer came to me at 16hh and, once he had had time to wind down and rest his body and then begin gentle work he grew to 16.2hh. The bigger the breed the longer to reach height and mature but I also think it depends how much the body has been stressed during the growing years.
 
Well some do.. some don't. A friend has a 14hh mare that never grew after 4! Expected height was 15h! Mine was 14h at 3.. told by vet he'd never get over 14.2 so was absolutely gutted, and reason why he was bought cheap as old owner wanted 15.2 plus. By 5 he was about 15hh, now hes turned 7 hes about 15.1/15.2 so not a lot, but definitely a inch.
 
Mont was 16.1 at 5 and matured to 17hh. Mum was 15.1 and dad 16hh. He was known as "the little man" by his breeder as his full sister was so much bigger when she was 3 than he was at the same age. She stopped growing at 4 and only made 16.1.
 
G&T said:
I've found lots of people seem to make up their horse's height, I'm sure they believe they're correct - but I've met several people who airily declare their fairly compact TB is 17 hands, when you can see they're 16.1 at a push
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True - mine was sold as 15hh, I'd estimate it's vaguely correct, but I've never actually sticked her.
 
I got my gelding as a 5yo, he was 164cm at the withers at that point. Between him being 5 and 10, he had a growth spurt and is now 170cm.
 
I'm hoping so! 🙈 I measured my (then) 5yo at Christmas before he went on his holidays, 16.1hh on the nose - he came back and everyone (including me) thought he'd gone up at least an inch, maybe two and out about a foot. Finally measured him last week (just turned 6yo) and he was 16.1hh bang on.... amazing what a bit of shoulder and chunk can do to our perception of their height!
 
My mares half brother (same Sire) shot to 17hh in the blink of an eye despite having a smaller Dam. I'll admit, I don't necessarily want her much bigger but my lanky daughter would. I guess we'll just have to wait and see ☺
 
I have no experience of heavies however nothing I have owned has grown upwards after 4 or 5. I also agree that most people will actually have no idea as they estimate (over estimate in my experience) by eye and, even if they do measure, I would doubt accuracy. It isn't easy to measure accurately at all if you are not familiar with doing so.
 
The Beast, measured with a stick, went from 16hh in shoes at 5 to just shy of 16.2hh without shoes at 8 (shoes are back on so she's 16.2hh now. Lol). She also got serious muscles so looks even bigger and went from 6ft6 standard rugs to 6ft9 heavy horse rugs. Lol. She definitely got bigger after 5! But not so much upwards bigger.
 
Tudor grew from 15.1hh on his tiptoes at six to 16hh on the dot by seven (and yes, he was measured with a spirit stick both times). He also went from a 5 ft 9 in rugs to 6 ft 3. That said, I think his (very dramatic) late growth spurt was probably down to the fact he was a rescue, and that he'd experienced serious neglect from birth until two. Poor guy just had a bit of catching up to do!
 
I hope so...I have a 2014 wb and I'm hoping for 1 more inch to reach the magic 16.2. Not holding my breath though, she's filled out loads in the last year so we may well be done. All parentage lines are 16.2-17.2, I also have an ISH who is 15.3 while all her siblings are 16.2/3 so seems I got the runts. Either that or I'm somehow starving them and stunting their growth :D.
 
I also think there is a difference between entire and gelding gelding them seems to add a bit as they are often leggier so the he might but the she is unlikely to
 
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