Heavy horse crosses - when do they stop growing?

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Stormynight

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I'm wondering if anybody has any experiences with heavy crosses, and when on earth they stop growing? :)

My boy is Clydesdale cross (I believe), I'd hazard a guess at the other side being cob. I don't have any breeding history on him, so I don't know how big his sire or dam were, or indeed their breeding. He's 4 years old, standing just over 15.3hh, but looks relatively in proportion and not too gangly. Am I kidding myself in hoping that he won't go over the 16hh mark? :D

Interested to hear any experiences.

Thank you!
 
Our ID x cob is 3yo and standing at 16.1ish, he's still bum high. Lord knows how big he'll get as both breeds tend to be slow to mature. Clydes should have their height by 6/7 and fill out for another year or so. I'd expect him to grow a bit more!
 
Thanks for all the replies :) 8... bu**er. If he goes over 16.1 the shoes are coming off and every last hair removed :D

I do adore the gentle giant temperament though - the rather disgraceful mounting & dismounting is worth it.
 
We have a shire cross, he is now 32yrs. When he was 10yrs old he measured 16.1, then we didn't bother measuring him until a few years ago...and he was 16.3 !!!
 
Hope it’s okay if I re-start this thread as curious what others have to say. Recently purchased a shire x ID yearling colt. He’s currently roughly 14.2hh at 12 months (as per breeder, haven’t measured him myself but looks close). All the online calculators seem to indicate he’ll be about 15.3/16hh. His sire was 17hh and dam 16.3hh.

I assume he just still has lots of growing to do. When do they hit their growth spurt? How tall were your big heavy crosses at 1?
 
My Clydex (guess from looks, no recorded breeding) was 15.0½ at four and a full up 15.3 at eight, barefoot, measured on a stick with a spirit level.
 
Erm guys my shire x Irish cob is a good full up 15 hands he is now just 7 and perfect for me so I hope he will not grow too much more :O) I am just ignoring the fact his dad was an 18 hander and as I don't know his mum she must have been around 13 hands !! lets hope he takes after her side ..................
 
Stormynight said:
I'm wondering if anybody has any experiences with heavy crosses, and when on earth they stop growing? :)

My boy is Clydesdale cross (I believe), I'd hazard a guess at the other side being cob. I don't have any breeding history on him, so I don't know how big his sire or dam were, or indeed their breeding. He's 4 years old, standing just over 15.3hh, but looks relatively in proportion and not too gangly. Am I kidding myself in hoping that he won't go over the 16hh mark? :D

Interested to hear any experiences.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
My ID x stopped growing at 8. He went up two rug sizes in his eighth year.
 
I think the width of the part bred drafts also grows with age - & it isn't all blubber!!

Mine is now 12 and really does have draft horse shoulders. The saddle she had as a 5 yo looks ridiculous now.
 
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