Has anyones youngster not grown big enough?

Leo Walker said:
Im always surprised by how many people say horses have grown lots after 4. I just never see it. not in my own or others i've worked with or seen on yards. They fill out and generally mature and do look bigger, but I honestly dont think I've ever seen anything thats actually grown significantly. But then everyone seems to think their 16 hand horse is an enormous 17 hand beast anyway so I'm a bit suspicious of horse heights generally!

Mine is 14.1hh. She was 14.1hh when i got her. She looks dramatically bigger now. Shes lost a lot of belly and gained a lot of muscle, she stands taller. The overall impression is that she has grown. Even I thought she had. She hasnt. Ny friend was adanant shes 15hands. The only way shes 15hands is if you measure halfway up her neck
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Yes, I'd agree with you there. My friend is adamant that the mare I bought a year ago has grown "lots"; we measured her yesterday and nope: still 15.2 1/2, but very much more muscled and filled out from 6 to 7yrs and gone up a rug size.
 
Leo Walker said:
Im always surprised by how many people say horses have grown lots after 4. I just never see it. not in my own or others i've worked with or seen on yards. They fill out and generally mature and do look bigger, but I honestly dont think I've ever seen anything thats actually grown significantly. But then everyone seems to think their 16 hand horse is an enormous 17 hand beast anyway so I'm a bit suspicious of horse heights generally!
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lol, this one was definitely 16.2 at 4 when I sold him. He DID go go Exmoor 9where silly growth seems to be the norm.) He sure isn't that height now - he IS 18.2 at 8River Rising.jpg
 
So..... the answer is... send the horse to Exmoor for the summer! It would be an investment.

Charlie Horse was defo only just 16hh when we bought him, we measured him as he was a scrawny thing and didn't even look 16hh. I also measured him a few years later, he was over 16.3 but under the 17hh I thought he was.
 
I’ve had a three geldings really grow on.

One was 15.3hh at late 3, turned away over winter, came in at 4 as 16.2hh and matured to 16.3hh.

I bought a very poor 5yo at 16.1hh which finished a good 16.3hh by 8,

We had a 16.1 ish 5yo go out for winter break come in as a 6yo a decent 16.3hh.

I’m hoping my midget follows in these footsteps!
 
Red-1 said:
So..... the answer is... send the horse to Exmoor for the summer! It would be an investment.
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lol, almost certainly. The one who grew even bigger than the one above went to Exmoor as a 2yo. His biggest full sibling - 17hh - him - 18.3. The same owner is shortly collecting a weanling filly - whose only full sibling to date is 17.3 (and he didn't go to Exmoor.)
 
JanetGeorge said:
lol, almost certainly. The one who grew even bigger than the one above went to Exmoor as a 2yo. His biggest full sibling - 17hh - him - 18.3. The same owner is shortly collecting a weanling filly - whose only full sibling to date is 17.3 (and he didn't go to Exmoor.)
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been musing on this, i'm from the west country and it wasn't until i moved up northwards i realised people shrunk in height, i'm now in the midlands and half the time i feel like the jolly green giant, at home i am average and in fact tend to look up at people in the pub.

something in the air maybe, or the effects of radon..........low level radiation makes plants growth bigger
 
Finally did the string test today, if its right she's got about 4 inches more to grow! I'd be over the moon if that was the case but cant really see it tbh. Heres hopig we get 2 :p
 
Leo Walker said:
Im always surprised by how many people say horses have grown lots after 4. I just never see it. not in my own or others i've worked with or seen on yards. They fill out and generally mature and do look bigger, but I honestly dont think I've ever seen anything thats actually grown significantly. But then everyone seems to think their 16 hand horse is an enormous 17 hand beast anyway so I'm a bit suspicious of horse heights generally!

Mine is 14.1hh. She was 14.1hh when i got her. She looks dramatically bigger now. Shes lost a lot of belly and gained a lot of muscle, she stands taller. The overall impression is that she has grown. Even I thought she had. She hasnt. Ny friend was adanant shes 15hands. The only way shes 15hands is if you measure halfway up her neck
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We bought a 4 year old Selle Francais mare in France at the end of the november of her 4 year old year. Our main concern was that the mare was too small for our requirements as she was only just over 16 hands. Fabulous breeding, beautiful balance and jump, but too small. However we managed to get a good deal so we bought her. She ended up at 17 hands!! Oh yes and a Grrade A international jumper who bred me 3 foals as well but very definately 17 hands from just over 16 hands at the end of her 4 year old year! It really does happen and I do not think that the mare had been starved as a youngster either.
 
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