KellyN123
New User
I have a foal he is 7months old and 11hh mum is 14.1 and dad is 14.3 I am unsure if he will make this height what do you all think please?
Estimated height of foal
- Thread starter KellyN123
- Start date
AmyMay
Situation normal
He will.
Marigold4
Well-Known Member
I'm wondering about my foal's height too. I read that, at 6 months, a foal will be 80% of its full height. Converting to cms would make the maths easier. Mine's mum is 14.3, dad is 14.2 and she is 12.1 at 4 months!
Glitter's fun
Well-Known Member
Hi Kelly.
I'm afraid no one can do better than guess for you. There was quite a long thread on this topic. Various people had formulas to use. In the end someone more experienced came along & said on the lines of "the only thing you can 100% guarantee is he won't get any smaller" !
The 80% method would make him about 13.3hh. There's a "string method" based on leg length that some people say is useful but I think its designed for TBs.
Also what age he will keep growing until, will vary depending on his breed. Do you have mum and dad?
I'm afraid no one can do better than guess for you. There was quite a long thread on this topic. Various people had formulas to use. In the end someone more experienced came along & said on the lines of "the only thing you can 100% guarantee is he won't get any smaller" !
The 80% method would make him about 13.3hh. There's a "string method" based on leg length that some people say is useful but I think its designed for TBs.
Also what age he will keep growing until, will vary depending on his breed. Do you have mum and dad?
KellyN123
New User
Thank you goodies mum. I don’t have mum and dad unfortunately just gone on what I was told
tda
Well-Known Member
The legs will be 90% of their adult length
SpotsandBays
Well-Known Member
I like the string test, although best done after they’re 1yo
KellyN123
New User
Yes I have done that and it came out at 12.2 but guessing that may not be accurate if best done after a year old
Maesfen
Extremely Old Nag!
A lot can depend on whether it's a first foal; whether the build of both parents is similar or one a cob/heavier, the other being very lightly built; keeping conditions and so on.
The best idea will be from a string test (fetlock to elbow - elbow to above withers is better IMHO than a fetlock to middle knee one) This is best done from their first winter onwards. It is not restricted to TBs, it covers all breeds and I will take your money if you bet against it being within an inch either way of the result. I've never known it fail. I bought back a foal that I had bred but sold the mare before he was born. She was barely 15 hands but very roomy/well built even though a TB, Sire was an ID at 16.2+. The string test came in at 17 hands which I thought was ridiculous. He got to 17.1 I had been hoping to get a nice show cob not a super middleweight hunter that won some championships as well as being a field master's horse! They always surprise you.
The best idea will be from a string test (fetlock to elbow - elbow to above withers is better IMHO than a fetlock to middle knee one) This is best done from their first winter onwards. It is not restricted to TBs, it covers all breeds and I will take your money if you bet against it being within an inch either way of the result. I've never known it fail. I bought back a foal that I had bred but sold the mare before he was born. She was barely 15 hands but very roomy/well built even though a TB, Sire was an ID at 16.2+. The string test came in at 17 hands which I thought was ridiculous. He got to 17.1 I had been hoping to get a nice show cob not a super middleweight hunter that won some championships as well as being a field master's horse! They always surprise you.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
The string test is very accurate, done at any age, on any type of horse. I have used it for decades on nearly 200 foals and yearlings-to-4 year olds. It gave measurements accurate to 2cm on all but four horses, two of whom were taller than indicated, two smaller. The horses were mostly sporthorses, some ponies, some TB's.
millitiger
Well-Known Member
Send it to me, my youngsters always end up being far bigger than their parents, despite minimal feed and always seeing their ribs while they are growing 
In honesty, no stressing about it now anyway, they'll make the height they make and please don't be tempted to pump full of food to increase size
In honesty, no stressing about it now anyway, they'll make the height they make and please don't be tempted to pump full of food to increase size
LadyGascoyne
Well-Known Member
I find that people often over-estimate horses’ heights when you’re asking about their offspring.
A foal I looked at was meant to be by a 15.2hh stallion and out of a 15.3hh mare. When I spoke to the breeder who owned the stallion, she had him at just under 15hh and the person who imported and sold the mare had her at 15hh.
Can you speak to the owners of the dam and sire of yours?
A foal I looked at was meant to be by a 15.2hh stallion and out of a 15.3hh mare. When I spoke to the breeder who owned the stallion, she had him at just under 15hh and the person who imported and sold the mare had her at 15hh.
Can you speak to the owners of the dam and sire of yours?
SpotsandBays
Well-Known Member
Yeah so I believe the cannon bones don’t finish growing until 1-1.5 years old so after then would be more accurate
reynold
Well-Known Member
The string test has been accurate for me except in one case where (with vets permission) I put a 16.2 stallion to a 14.3 mare intending to breed a 15.2ish. The resulting foal grew to 16.3hh..... so ended up far too big for the riding club allrounder market I was aiming for.