HOW TO MEASURE TO ESTIMATE ADULT HEIGHT

[Spyda]

Okay, this might sound a daft question but I read on here about measuring from behind the knee to the coronet band in inches to gauge appx adult height in hands. Fun and easy I though.....

Anyway, last night I took my fabric measuring tape and attempted to measure my 10 month old. For those of you who've tried this, where exactly do you meaure from and to?

I put the top of the tape behind her knee (just at the dip at the top of her cannon) but wasnt sure how to run the tape downwards.... Duh, I know!!!

But if I ran it straight down the back of her leg the fetlock interferred with the measurement, and when I held the tape to the back of the knee and ran it down the side of her cannon, I was left unsure whether to measure to her coronet at the heel (which gave a longer measurement) or pull the tape more towards the front of her foot and measure to the coronet there.

Maybe I'm just doing it all wrong....Can anyone clear up my confusion in this seemingly simple process?! Thanks

 

[Kat1e]

Measure elbow to ergot, which should be about the same as the distance from elbow to withers will be when fully grown. So adult height should be 2 x elbow to ergot distance, plus the distance from ergot to floor...not a very good explanation, sorry!

 

[christine48]

[ QUOTE ]
Measure elbow to ergot, which should be about the same as the distance from elbow to withers will be when fully grown. So adult height should be 2 x elbow to ergot distance, plus the distance from ergot to floor...not a very good explanation, sorry!

[/ QUOTE ]
Would the legs be fully grown at 10 months? I thought this theory applied after around 2 yrs

 

[Kat1e]

Hmm I'm not sure what age you can apply it from tbh. I've not had one younger than 3 so have never needed to check. I'm sure I once heard a foals legs are 90% of adult length anyway though, may not be true, I've never checked! But if that were the case it shouldn't be too much out anyway.

 

[Spyda]

Aaaah, interesting. Knew I'd heard about it but not at what age it could be applied.

Can anyone confirm the date at which this 'guestimate' can be applied. I'm sure some have suggested it for yearlings.

 

[pinktiger]

i always thought they did 90% of adult height growing in the first year???

 

[christine48]

i think the cannon bones are fully grown hight wise at birth as my new born foal's knees and hocks are the same hight as it's dam's. The forearms seem to be shorter so is it that portion which does the majority of growing in the early years?
mine have been about 14.1hh-14.2hh at 12 months and have made 16.2hh-16.3hh.
Elbow to ergot x2 worked on them after the age of 2yrs

 

[Spyda]

Thought the 90% figure related to fast growing TB's, though. Mine's half Polish WB which kinda puts a spanner in the works, in that respect.

 

[Spyda]

What breed were your youngsters? Mine's 14.2hh at the moment age 10 months. A WB ex TB.