How big were your foals at 9 months?

[NicoleandRosy]

I was recently bought a young filly as a Christmas present. She is a gorgeous little thing, standing around 12.3hh roughly. I traced her breeder who told me she is to make 15.2hh. She was born 1/4/2014 and has only just recently turned 9 months. However, her bum is getting higher every time I seem to look. Her bum is already past my mare's thigh and up her flank, and she stands at 16.2hh! She hasn't had the best start, and we've only had her since the 19th December 2014, and prior she had no idea what hard feed was. She's now on a stud balancer, Alfa A and speedibeet under recommendation, with ad lib haylage. Which she's doing brill on.

What we know, she's supposedly an Irish Cob, but whether there's anything other in the mix, god knows. No idea of parents heights. I bought her out of sympathy as had been passed about, dumped into the sales, bought and then being flogged off again..

Any idea what she could make?

I know from experience at 2 my mare was 15.2hh but know nothing more of what she was as a yearling, but she's an ISH. so would be curious to know other's experiences.

 

[TheMule]

My 9 month old filly is about 13hh currently and is expected to make about 15.3hh so I'd say yours is on track for similar. They do a lot of growing in the first year!

 

[Charmin]

My 9 month old is currently standing around 13.2hh, his bum's not far off my 14.2's so I'm guessing he's a pretty big lad! I'm hoping for above 15.2hh which I think he should make.

My mare was 13.2hh as a yearling and only grew to 14.2hh. But her mother was small and pony so I think that's pony genes.

 

[NicoleandRosy]

Thank you both! We have no clue what her parents were. Her breeder said they were fairly big but she sold up. Supposedly she bred her specifically to her parents and to expect her between 15.2hh - 16hh. That I'm unsure of. But I'm 5'4" and she's standing bum high just under my shoulder! So god knows x

 

[dianchi]

Personally i would be cutting that feed down, last thing you want is joint issues.
Lots of good quality forage and time will work wonders!

 

[Kacey88]

My filly is 13.2hh at 9 months. Mum is 15hh, dad is 16.2. Have you done the string test? I did it when my filly was a week old, it said she'd make 15.2. Did it the other day again, still says 15.2!

Totally agree with dianchi about feed. The last thing you want is a lot of growth all of a sudden, which is quite possible especially if her bad start has delayed her at all. Cobs need very little anyway, believe me. Mine is on a handful of speedi beet to disguise her minerals (land lacks copper) and she is growing very fast.

Best of luck with her

 

[Spring Feather]

I don't know what my 9 month olds are at the moment but they all measured at around 14.2hh back in November. Mine should all make around 16.2hh or thereabouts.

 

[NicoleandRosy]

She's on very little. But completely lacks in everything. We had her with her spine vertebrae clearly seen. She came untouched and nervous. Her hips protruding, and the amount of coat that she has is unreal, but covered up a lot of issues. She still has clumps of fur coming out with what we believe is weatherbeet.

She is now growing at a stupid rate but filling out equally. She's not being over fed, but with limited turnout due to her handling ability, and refusing to eat a lot of haylage, she needs her feed a day. X

 

[immybrookstud]

i would carry on feeding her, what you already. most of what you are feeding is fibre based feeds, and balancer gives her all the vits an mins etc she needs to grow correctly, nothing there to cause problems with her joints

 

[tomspride]

so were you recently bought the filly as a Christmas present or did you buy her out of sympathy?? Sorry but your story doesn't add up

 

[Nudibranch]

Perhaps OP bought the filly as in chose her, but someone else paid, e.g. OH. My last 3 were all paid for by my OH so I sometimes say I bought them, or I sometimes say they were presents.

OP my current youngster stood 13.1 at 6 months, then had a growth spurt between 1 and 2 and is now over 17hh. He will be 4 this year so will probably grow a little more. Dam was 16.3, sire 16.2. Please do watch the diet. Suregrow is a good catch all. Will she eat hay? My mega beast is under vet investigation due to possible patella issues. I doubt it was a dietary issue as I was very careful, knowing he'd make a big horse, but we will probably never be 100% sure.

 

[angrovestud]

Our 2013 homebred filly was 14.2hh she is now 15.3hh and not yet two ! her mum is 15.3hh dad 15.1hh