How Much Did Your Youngsters Change Between Two & Fully Mature?

[legyield]

It's a constant worry of mine that my filly won't grow big enough for me, both in height and in stature. She's 2 years and almost 4 months (1st October) and stands at about 14hh/14.1hh, slightly higher at the bum. She's a Heinz 57 that came feral and totally unhandled as a foal off Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, and somehow made her way up to me in Yorkshire. All I know for certain is that she's cob cross, and her mum was about 14.2hh. I can only guess that she was crossed with a Thorougbred, from what I've been told.
Anyway all I see are mature two year olds and it makes me worry. She's still gangley legged, narrow shouldered and definitely very pony-ish. I genuinely drive myself crazy thinking about it, plus the fact that she doesn't seem to have done a huge amount of growing in the last few months doesn't help.
How did your youngsters change between two and fully mature? Pictures would be brill so I could see the difference.

This is her a couple of weeks ago

And today

 

[horseandshoes77]

well the only 2 youngsters iv hd...my dales he was 13hh at 2 years....he was 14hh at 4 years the now at 12 years hes a full up 15.1 he was a slow grower lol

my heinz 57 lol...tbx/ wbx well shes always had long legs and short coupled..she ws 14.3 at 20 months but then went slow grow... and at 3 was oly 15hh...now at 4 shes full up 15.2 at withers and 15.3 bum so i reckon 16hh at maturity hoping for bit more but who knows !!

 

[hobo]

Can not answer your question as mine is only 2 as well and in a class of 3 the same age and simular breeding mine looked like a pony but she won the class so no complaints from me.

In your last photo she looks good and her little field mate is adorable.

 

[catkin]

She's got another 5 years of growing to go yet. They don't just grow upwards but they fill out as well, so height is not the only criteria in how big they ride.

My welshie looked quite lanky at 2 (as will most youngsters) and is a totally different shape now at 8. Heightwise she's grown a couple of inches but to give you an idea of how much she's furnished up she had a 5'6 rug at 2, she's in 6'3 now.

 

[Kallibear]

My little cob was about 13.3hh at 2.5yrs old. He's now 14.3hh at 5yrs old and not going to grow much more.

This is him at a little over 2.5yrs old

And him at 5yrs old

He's grown a couple of inches and really filled out across the chest.

I'd expect your girl to end up maybe a little over 15hh and not massively cobbier than she is. If anything I'd think she'll get more 'horse' like.

Doesn't bode well for my other baby though. He's 2.5yrs at the moment and meant to mature to about 16.1. He's already 16.1hh, legs go on for every and his joints are massive

 

[noodle_]

i have the same thing - mines a cob xfriesian warmblood - shes two and approx 14hh - she wasmeant to make 13.3-16hh..... as if.

her dads 14.2 her mum i have no idea...

if she makes a 14.2 bomb round pony i will be happy!! im 5'7 so will have to ride short as shes not going anywhere

 

[Vickijay]

I think one of mine was about 14.2 at 2 and is now about 15-15.1ish. Too small for me to ride so huge diet started and I'm now 5 stone lighter. It was/is hard work but worth it!

My 2 year old at the moment is already 16.1....think she's going to be a big girlie!

 

[Wheels]

What height did you expect her to make op?

 

[Klix]

My (what is now a 5yo mare) was very leggy and slight when she was 2 and stood at about 15.3hh, around 16hh/16.2 when she was 3 and she has just finished growing into her legs and filling out (hopefully!!) at 5 where she measured just last week at a fingertip over 17hh!!

 

[Crosshill Pacers]

Hi there. I had a 2yo last year who was standing at 15.2hh, really strong in the chest and rear end and quite honestly looking as she if had finished growing. She went to be trained to race in February this year as a 3yo and I went to see her a month after she'd arrived there and she'd been measured the previous week at 16.2hh! She'd absolutely shot up, but that was the height she remained at for the rest of the summer up until we sold her.

My 4yo was 15.2hh at 2, and has probably only grown about half an inch since. They two fillies were full sisters and appear to have been early developers.

 

[rowy]

My boy was 14.1hh at 2.5 years.
He is now 5 and around 15hh.
His growing is slowing up now so I expect him to mature at 15.1hh.

 

[Alyth]

Regardless of the breeding the difference between 2 and 4 is AMAZING and the difference between 2 and 6 is INCREDIBLE!!!! Horses go through so many "camel" stages that it is amazing that any of them reach maturity at all!!! I despaired of all my youngsters many times!! Just hang in there and wait patiently!!!! Lovely photos by the way, of lovely horses!!! All of them!!

 

[lyndsayberesford]

my 17.2hh 6 yr old warmblood was a proper ugly duckling at 2 yrs old! Didnt even stand at 16hh then either! Big head, big ears and then he just kept on growing! Filled out beautifully now and still perhaps a little more to grow at the wither now! not much though!

 

[lyndsayberesford]

Regardless of the breeding the difference between 2 and 4 is AMAZING and the difference between 2 and 6 is INCREDIBLE!!!! Horses go through so many "camel" stages that it is amazing that any of them reach maturity at all!!! I despaired of all my youngsters many times!! Just hang in there and wait patiently!!!! Lovely photos by the way, of lovely horses!!! All of them!!

Couldnt agree more!

 

[Charla]

At 2 years 6 months my warmblood was 14.3hh. At 5 he's now 15.3hh and chunked out loads so looks huge to me! (I'm only tiny!) I don't think he has finished maturing yet though x

 

[Elfen]

At two mine was about 16.1/2 and very gangly and skinny (I like my babies lean) at 3 (June baby) he's aporox 17.2 still gangly and lean!!

 

[Moody-Mare]

This was my 2 year old back in june, his coat didnt come through very well and was at a very ugly stage, since moving yard his coats brightened up! Hes about 15hh and his mothers 15.2hh hunter type, dont know what his dad was (BOGOF)
Vx

 

[legyield]

Some very interesting responses, thanks all.
I'm not sure how big she'll make, I did hope for 15hh, as she hasn't got LOADS of bone for a cob cross I couldn't risk going much smaller! Perhaps I'll just have to make her into a driving pony instead, if I do still end up too big for her LOL.

 

[Tnavas]

When you see them everyday they rarely look as if they've done any growing.

At yearling I usually wnder why I bought them or what the hell have I bred as they seem to go through an ugly duckling stage

At two the bum is up and they look like there are two horse disguised as one

Same at three - then suddenly at 4 the front end catches up and they actually look like a horse - then they start to fill out and become broader as the muscles develop more and they stop growing upwards.

She's very sweet and has plenty of time to grow still

Heres a great article that is full of info aboout growth and maturity

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

 

[wildcard]

here is mine at just over 3 years old big gangerlly looking creature july last year

this is her been broken in winter last year after a good summer on some good grass

and this was her at her first show this summer as a 4 year old

she seems to change coloures from very dark almost black in winter to very light bay in summer (i prefer this)

but this is all within the space of a year. shes also started out at 16hh and is now 16.3 and considerably chunkier and much more attitude, forgot to say shes WB x TB

 

[Allie5]

At his first show as a 2 yr old


this was him about two weeks ago at exactly 3 years and 2 months

 

[Allie5]

Forgot to say mine is 3/4tb 1/4 trakh. In the winter between 2-3 he put down lots of bone as well as growing taller. He looked very fine as a 2yr old but has properly chunked up now. Which is fab as he's bred for eventing and his little pencil legs would not have stood up to years of serious xc! He's 15.1 just now advertised as making 15.2hh but he's still bum high so I think he has another few inches in him.

 

[kerrieberry2]

My 2yr old has grown 4 inches from feb til now! He was supposed to make 15.2 but is 16'1 at the bum already :s. I'm worried he's going to make 17hh at this rate. He came from a 14'2 dad and 15'3 mum. I saw pic of his 4yr old half sis yesterday who's onlu 13'2 :s. Haha

 

[xRobyn]

Height wise, he was pretty much 15hh at 18 months and didn't get much taller, but sure did fill out

Pretty sure he was about 18 months old here, but not 100% sure, he was definitely younger than 2!

And now aged 12

But just to compare, this is him aged 9;

And aged 12

 

[TheHairyOne]

WB x Something Irish.

He's just 2 in this pic...abouit 14.1/14.2hh

6 month's later and 2 inches taller, but bigger frame as well!

May this year as a 3.5 year old and about 15.2hh, but even more solid!

September as just turned 4, edging up towards just shy of 16hh. We hope he'll finish a solid full up 16.1/2 as his bums grown a little bit again!

 

[cblover]

I worry about heights too which is why I bought a clyde x cob baby 2 yrs ago. I was hoping for a mature height of 15.2hh but he's already 15.1hh and he was 2 in July. Teddy is an example of what you would describe as a mature horse....he's so chunky and his back end is really powerful. Can't wait to see what he'll be like as a grown up neddy! Here's a pic of him at 7 weeks old and couple from shows this year as a 2 yr old.

To be honest, he's changing all the time. The picture of him tied to the trailer as from June but the difference in him in the picture at the show is amazing. He's langy, slimmer and more of an old fashioned hunter type. He's gonna be a big lad whatever! lol How big to you think he'll be? Mam is a roomy 15.2hh mare and dad a 15.1hh cob.

 

[Tnavas]

Serenity as a yearling

At 2yrs old

At 3yrs old

At 4yrs old

At 6yrs old