How Accurate Would You Say The String Test Is?

[Arizahn]

Let's say - hypothetically - that the elbow to fetlock string test suggested another 8" of height still to come. On a twenty month old Connemara gelding, who is currently 14.3hh.

How likely would you consider this to be? And to double check my maths, how tall would it actually make him? As my maths suggests 16.3hh. Which has to be impossible for a Connemara, right?

<not pricing stepladders whilst necking gin, honest...>

 

[LilMissy]

When someone says string test I would normally assume the knee to coronet band one - so completely different to yours! Have you tried that one?

 

[Arizahn]

When someone says string test I would normally assume the knee to coronet band one - so completely different to yours! Have you tried that one?

I am now afraid to...what if it agrees? I will try that one too, but if anyone can say that the one I used was completely inaccurate for them and that their horse never grew as tall as expected, that would be appreciated...

There are some very tall TB horses in his lines, several centuries back, so I suppose he could be a throwback? Or the test could be wrong. Or my maths could be wrong. I am only just 5'4" - if he does make it to 16.3hh I will need a stepladder to groom him! He is only twenty months old, he has far too much time left for growing and filling out. I could see him making it. He is just big looking, iyswim? Like a scaled up pony. Very dainty sort of head, but er, big.

Sorry, I'm rambling. It's the shock.

 

[Elsiecat]

I'm not sure.. surely it depends on a horses conformation as well? Surely thats got to be a factor?

 

[dianchi]

I have found it to be accurate on all bar one horse, she should be another 6" taller but isn't.
She is just an odd throw back in breeding, but is perfectly capable and happy to do her job.

14.3 at twenty months is pretty big though!

My 3yo who is due to be 16hh was only 14hh at 2........................

Sorry

 

[Arizahn]

Noooo!

I will love him whatever height he ends up, but am just stunned at the result. Maybe I should have him DNA tested for camel?

 

[Maesfen]

I've used point of fetlock to elbow since I was a child (over 50 years ago and that's being conservative with the truth!) and it's never let me down. They have all ended up within an inch of the result no matter what the breeding, had some surprises too like a TBxID, 14.2 before a yearling, string said 17.3 cue lots of gulping as only out of a 15 hand mare and we had thought 16.2 at a huge push! By the time he was seven he was 17.3 and is now just a hair below 18 hands!

Quite possible your boy will grow bigger if he had TB behind him. Take consolation, they never seem so big when you've had them from babies as you've grown up with them for a while; I find it incredibly hard to gauge sizes of my youngsters, I'm not used to pony sizes when they're foals, far easier once they get over 15 hands for me.

 

[Arizahn]

Maesfen, the first thing I noticed when I viewed him was that he had huge chunky knees. He is growing into them.

Where can I buy a stepladder?

 

[Maesfen]

You don't want a step ladder, you want one you can fold up and take with you like the ones you see Bond using when climbing into a helicopter!

 

[Arizahn]

You don't want a step ladder, you want one you can fold up and take with you like the ones you see Bond using when climbing into a helicopter!

Hmm...can I just have Bond instead? To give me a leg up, obviously. Ahem.

Am picturing myself trying to rug a 16.3hh...it will be comical for others to watch!

 

[ElleSkywalker]

*Wanders in looking sheepish*

I have tried it on my babies but I get all flustered trying to work out where middle of knew should be taken from, & should it follow contours of leg it be a straight line....argh. Could someone maybe post an idiot proof pic showing how its done?

*skulks off, red of face*

 

[rosie-ellie]

Oh well im nervous now. My 10month old is 14.1 withers 15 bum, dam 15.3 sire 16. Waiting till he's one to do string test though. Dealer said he should stop at 16h but i'm thinking now a tad bigger. Like you OP i'm only 5ft 1 so will need to be a flexible thing to get on him

 

[Maesfen]

Lol, Elle. Keep string taut and in a straight line from the middle of the fetlock joint (outside) up to the point of elbow, then keep your finger pressed on the string and elbow joint but bring the end which was on the fetlock upwards so it points to the sky (as in Arizahn's case!) above the withers and where that stops is your adult height. Hope that's simpler.

PS: I've found it's pretty reliable from about eight months onwards as the legs don't grow much except to mature from then onwards, it's the actual body and length that grows.

 

[Arizahn]

Lol, Elle. Keep string taut and in a straight line from the middle of the fetlock joint (outside) up to the point of elbow, then keep your finger pressed on the string and elbow joint but bring the end which was on the fetlock upwards so it points to the sky (as in Arizahn's case!) above the withers and where that stops is your adult height. Hope that's simpler.

Be warned: this is exactly what I did...look how that turned out!

 

[Capriole]

I tried the other string measurement on a bunch of horses of various ages, just for a bit of fun, no expectation of anything particular. The youngsters came out about what I would expect the adult height to be in the region of and the adult horses were surprisingly accurate, to +/- 1".

 

[MissCandy]

I found it pretty accurate too although I've only do it on the one. From the string test he was estimated to make 16.2 and he is 16.1 now as a (almost) 4 year old (Dutch warmblood)

 

[Arizahn]

I think that my plan of showing in hand as a two year old is out...

 

[Maesfen]

I think that my plan of showing in hand as a two year old is out...

Only if he is totally out of proportion but if he's looking well (and correct for his age) no reason to not show him a couple of times, good education for them. It doesn't do any favours if you show something that is either long, short, ewe necked, bum high or any million other stages a youngster goes through on their way to becoming swans; I've lost count of the times we've entered something only for an ugly stage to come along just at that precise moment, I swear they do it on purpose!

 

[Lgd]

Didn't work on my pocket rocket - she string tested at 16 - 16.2hh and is 15.2hh on her tiptoes.
Worked on her dam but she has thrown back to her pony g.gdam. Her rising 4yo brother is already taller than her and I expect him to make around 16hh - he string tests same height but expecting lower end as he is entire.

My rising 2yo (born mid-May) was 15hh at 18 months, expect him to make around 16.2hh, although have never string tested him

 

[Arizahn]

Lol, Maesfen, he will probably pull his best donkey-camel hybrid face! He is handsome when it pleases him though I will try to get him out for the day and just have fun.

 

[Arizahn]

Didn't work on my pocket rocket - she string tested at 16 - 16.2hh and is 15.2hh on her tiptoes.
Worked on her dam but she has thrown back to her pony g.gdam. Her rising 4yo brother is already taller than her and I expect him to make around 16hh - he string tests same height but expecting lower end as he is entire.

My rising 2yo (born mid-May) was 15hh at 18 months, expect him to make around 16.2hh, although have never string tested him

There is hope!

 

[Cortez]

I've done the elbow-to-ergot string test on more than 100 babies (used to be a biggish breeder) and it's been amazingly accurate, all bar one (who never grew into his legs) were accurate or within 3/4 inch of prediction. Make sure you hold the string at the elbow and mould the string around the shoulder when swinging it upwards to above wither, but it is entirely possible that your horse will be a biggun'

 

[Arizahn]

New plan - I shall start eating the same as him!

 

[cblover]

My clyde x cob with parents at 15.1 and 15.2 is heading up and over 16hh and is rising 4 in July. I bought him to make 15.1hh ish, but hey ho......I did the knee to coronet band string test and it came out at 16hh. I didn't believe he'd make that height but I'm eating my words now. He's fab whatever. Good luck whatever height.

 

[Arizahn]

My clyde x cob with parents at 15.1 and 15.2 is heading up and over 16hh and is rising 4 in July. I bought him to make 15.1hh ish, but hey ho......I did the knee to coronet band string test and it came out at 16hh. I didn't believe he'd make that height but I'm eating my words now. He's fab whatever. Good luck whatever height.

Thank you Is it me, or are horses in general getting bigger? Can I blame evolution?

 

[Casey76]

My rising 3yo, is the spitting image of his 16.0 hand dad, despite his mum being only 14.2. I bought him to make 15.1 (155cm) as a fully grown adult, and he is already pushing 15.3.

I string tested him at 2, and it came out about 16.2, but I shook my head in disbelief and decided to completely ignore it