I just don't think she's going to grow :(

[siennamum]

By way of comparison, this is Coco aged 3 and approx. 15.2, how weedy and small is he.

3 years later 16.1 & an absolute heifer.....

 

[Wagtail]

Big difference there Siennamum. He's such a handsome boy. My girl will never be that big but it is good to see how much they can really chunk up.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

He uses L'oreal ..... coz he`s worth it ... (he he he he )

Woweeeee what a stunning boy..!!!!! 😍😍😍😍

 

[moodymare1987]

She is lovely. I think she will grow but aswell so stop worrying

 

[fatpiggy]

Wagtail, I think you are worrying unnecessarily! Anything with warmblood in it will grow and mature much slower than most of the other breeds. The video shows her to be what she is - a baby still. She isn't yet 3 and has plenty of time to grow upwards still. A fit horse is at least half an inch taller than an unfit one of the same height. WBs are often still growing at 7 years old. My friend bought her 7/8 Irish TB as a 3 year old and he was a right weedy thing with a neck like a stick with a big ugly head on the end. 12 months later he was a much more grown up boy with a big muscular neck and a good solid body and a lovely in-proportion head. Whatever happens though please please don't be tempted to feed her to make her grow. The breeders have actually done the right thing by keeping her on a low food intake. WBs are particularly prone to growth plate problems and arthritis. Let her grow at the speed that is right for her and she WILL grow. Nutrients, not calories.

 

[Wagtail]

She is lovely. I think she will grow but aswell so stop worrying

Thank you.

Wagtail, I think you are worrying unnecessarily! Anything with warmblood in it will grow and mature much slower than most of the other breeds. The video shows her to be what she is - a baby still. She isn't yet 3 and has plenty of time to grow upwards still. A fit horse is at least half an inch taller than an unfit one of the same height. WBs are often still growing at 7 years old. My friend bought her 7/8 Irish TB as a 3 year old and he was a right weedy thing with a neck like a stick with a big ugly head on the end. 12 months later he was a much more grown up boy with a big muscular neck and a good solid body and a lovely in-proportion head. Whatever happens though please please don't be tempted to feed her to make her grow. The breeders have actually done the right thing by keeping her on a low food intake. WBs are particularly prone to growth plate problems and arthritis. Let her grow at the speed that is right for her and she WILL grow. Nutrients, not calories.

Thank you. Yes, we made the mistake of feeding the two year old here and he just shot up and got OCD. He had to have an operation on his stifle, poor thing. That was just good quality haylage and Pure Easy once he was weaned. So I agree with the feeding advice.

I wouldn't normally worry if she wasn't so small from knee down to coronet. It is that measurement that has worried me.

 

[Lolo]

If it's any help, Tango came to Al midway through last year aged 5 at just about 16hh looking like he had maturing to do but had done his upward growing... He had the winter off and is now a solid 16.3hh we think!

 

[Wagtail]

If it's any help, Tango came to Al midway through last year aged 5 at just about 16hh looking like he had maturing to do but had done his upward growing... He had the winter off and is now a solid 16.3hh we think!

Gosh, that's a lot of growing after 5! Thank you.

 

[Wagtail]

Just been to look at her sire and dam and am now confident she will make at least 15.1 Her sire is 16.1 and his cannon bones are as short as my filly's. I also saw her two full brothers. Apparently the chestnut colt moves even better than my girl.

 

[Lolo]

Gosh, that's a lot of growing after 5! Thank you.

He's huge! He's generally a solid horse though, even when he was 16hh my sister looked smaller on him than she did on her 17.1hh.

 

[Wagtail]

Just done both string tests on the rising two year old and both say 18 hands! His dam is 16.1 and sire is 16.2. He's already 16.1. I wonder if it is because he was gelded early?

 

[ridefast]

Oh for goodness sake, of course she's going to grow!! Tbs and Wbs are both well known for being late maturing breeds anyway, everyone knows a horse doesn't properly stop growing til 6/7, she's only a baby! Mine has only just stopped growing (I hope!) at 7 and she's a cob, they're not supposed to grow like weeds the way tbs and wbs do. If you're not selling her anyway just chill out about it, she just needs time. Eat some chocolate

 

[Wagtail]

Oh for goodness sake, of course she's going to grow!! Tbs and Wbs are both well known for being late maturing breeds anyway, everyone knows a horse doesn't properly stop growing til 6/7, she's only a baby! Mine has only just stopped growing (I hope!) at 7 and she's a cob, they're not supposed to grow like weeds the way tbs and wbs do. If you're not selling her anyway just chill out about it, she just needs time. Eat some chocolate

Thank you. I just had a bit of a panic the other day when I started this thread because of the string test saying she would only be 14 hands (she has very short cannon bones), and then reading up about some horses stopping growing heightwise at two. However, lots of people have put my mind at rest and after going to see her sire and dam yesterday, I am totally reassured. Her sire has very short cannon bones too and is 16.1. They are no longer than hers are, so if she follows his pattern of growth she should make the height I want.

 

[fatpiggy]

Short cannons are great! Far less likely to give tendon trouble and they usually go with a really good jumper. Be grateful!!!

 

[MiniMilton]

I'm late to the thread. She looks a little bum high to me so I'd expect a few more inches. You won't get an idea until the end of the summer. A 3 yo in march is not much bigger than a 2yo. You need to let her have a few months of nice spring and summer grass before I'd consider her a proper 3yo growth wise.

I was tormented for years by a tiny homebred. It was torture watching him grow (or not as the case was) my head said sell him as I wanted a 15.2 but my heart made me keep him. The first year of riding him, he felt like a tiny pony. Then he developed balance and confidence and now rides bigger and better than plenty of 15.2's I've ridden in the past. He's a whopping 14.3. What's a couple of inches if they ride well?

 

[Wagtail]

Short cannons are great! Far less likely to give tendon trouble and they usually go with a really good jumper. Be grateful!!!

Yes, I always look for short cannons but it was good to see her Dad has really short ones and that she should hopefully follow his growth pattern and grow her forearms a bit.

 

[Wagtail]

I'm late to the thread. She looks a little bum high to me so I'd expect a few more inches. You won't get an idea until the end of the summer. A 3 yo in march is not much bigger than a 2yo. You need to let her have a few months of nice spring and summer grass before I'd consider her a proper 3yo growth wise.

I was tormented for years by a tiny homebred. It was torture watching him grow (or not as the case was) my head said sell him as I wanted a 15.2 but my heart made me keep him. The first year of riding him, he felt like a tiny pony. Then he developed balance and confidence and now rides bigger and better than plenty of 15.2's I've ridden in the past. He's a whopping 14.3. What's a couple of inches if they ride well?

He sounds lovely! I certainly wouldn't be worrying if I was a couple of inches shorter myself. But hey, who cares if I look a little big on her, so long as I'm not too heavy.

 

[Annagain]

I'm late to the thread. She looks a little bum high to me so I'd expect a few more inches. You won't get an idea until the end of the summer. A 3 yo in march is not much bigger than a 2yo. You need to let her have a few months of nice spring and summer grass before I'd consider her a proper 3yo growth wise.

I was tormented for years by a tiny homebred. It was torture watching him grow (or not as the case was) my head said sell him as I wanted a 15.2 but my heart made me keep him. The first year of riding him, he felt like a tiny pony. Then he developed balance and confidence and now rides bigger and better than plenty of 15.2's I've ridden in the past. He's a whopping 14.3. What's a couple of inches if they ride well?

This - So I'm told (he was 13 when I got him) my old Sec D was 14.1 at 2 1/2 and grew to erm......14.1! He just stopped. Boy did he fill out though. I had him when I was a little 5'1" 13 year old and then had a big, late growth spurt to make 5'6.5" by 16/17. I was too tall for him really but he had such huge movement he rode like a 15.2 and was plenty strong enough to carry me. We had great fun until I lost him unexpectedly when we were both 27. I've now got a 16.3 who also rides like a 15.2 (it really feels like I'm riding a pony especially after getting off my big moving 17hh share horse and straight onto him!) so size isn't everything!

 

[noodle_]

my 3.5 year old is meant to make 15.2..... shes currently around 14.2!!


Im 5'7 and currently on a diet so i look like a stick on a pony rather than a larger stick on a pony!.... so dont worry...its not the end of the world is it having a smaller horse??

i did hope mine would grow to 15.1...but she feels bigger when riding her ((read ambling about!!)

 

[Meowy Catkin]

He sounds lovely! I certainly wouldn't be worrying if I was a couple of inches shorter myself. But hey, who cares if I look a little big on her, so long as I'm not too heavy.

It's her body that will do most of the growing now - trust me, you'll soon be buying rugs in the next size up and then she'll outgrow them quickly too, then you'll have a pile of too small rugs just like I do.

 

[Wagtail]

This - So I'm told (he was 13 when I got him) my old Sec D was 14.1 at 2 1/2 and grew to erm......14.1! He just stopped. Boy did he fill out though. I had him when I was a little 5'1" 13 year old and then had a big, late growth spurt to make 5'6.5" by 16/17. I was too tall for him really but he had such huge movement he rode like a 15.2 and was plenty strong enough to carry me. We had great fun until I lost him unexpectedly when we were both 27. I've now got a 16.3 who also rides like a 15.2 (it really feels like I'm riding a pony especially after getting off my big moving 17hh share horse and straight onto him!) so size isn't everything!

We have a 15.1 trakaner here and I could not believe it when I first rode him, his trot was so huge, I found it really difficult at first to ride him. I also don't look too big on him. Your old boy sounds like he was a star. Such a shame we have to lose them in the end.

my 3.5 year old is meant to make 15.2..... shes currently around 14.2!!


Im 5'7 and currently on a diet so i look like a stick on a pony rather than a larger stick on a pony!.... so dont worry...its not the end of the world is it having a smaller horse??

i did hope mine would grow to 15.1...but she feels bigger when riding her ((read ambling about!!)

I think as long as they are loved and cared for and we are not too heavy, it really doesn't matter. I think it's about time the dressage world started to embrace the smaller horse.

 

[ByDesign]

I really should know this but what is the string test? My GeeBot is 3 on Thursday (so cake recipes also desired!!) and is currently just shy of 16'1 (as you may have saw earlier in my previous replies) xx

 

[Wagtail]

I really should know this but what is the string test? My GeeBot is 3 on Thursday (so cake recipes also desired!!) and is currently just shy of 16'1 (as you may have saw earlier in my previous replies) xx

There are two string tests. One is to measure from the centre of the knee to the coronet band in inches, following the bends. Whatever the measurement in inches is, that is the height in hands the horse will be. The other one is to measure from the point of elbow to the ergot, then hold the end at the elbow and pull the other end to the withers. If a horse is still growing there should be some extra tape above the withers which is supposed to equate to the final height of the horse. So if the horse is 14.2hh and the tape is 2 inches above the withers, the horse will be 15hh when it finishes growing.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Elbow to fetlock is much more accurate IME.

 

[Wagtail]

Elbow to fetlock is much more accurate IME.

I hope so, because the knee to coronet makes her 14 hands (two inches smaller than she already is). I just did the elbow to fetlock on her again today and it makes her another 3 inches. Be good if it's right.

 

[Capriole]

I've got a slow grower as well and I'm wondering if she's going to shoot up soon. Shes 3 months or so off her 3rd birthday and she's still 4 1/2" off what I was guessing she'd make. Another couple of inches out of her and she'll be fine anyway though.

 

[Wagtail]

I've got a slow grower as well and I'm wondering if she's going to shoot up soon. Shes 3 months or so off her 3rd birthday and she's still 4 1/2" off what I was guessing she'd make. Another couple of inches out of her and she'll be fine anyway though.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I think the cannon bone one doesn't work as well because the % of total leg length that the cannons are varies from horse to horse, IE some horses have short, some have medium and some have long cannons. I tried the Elbow to fetlock test on my adult horses once and it was accurate to 1/2 an inch in all of them. The one that was the most out (by a whole 1/2 inch) was my old TB who had a big wither, so I thought that accounted for it coming up slightly short.

 

[Wagtail]

I think the cannon bone one doesn't work as well because the % of total leg length that the cannons are varies from horse to horse, IE some horses have short, some have medium and some have long cannons. I tried the Elbow to fetlock test on my adult horses once and it was accurate to 1/2 an inch in all of them. The one that was the most out (by a whole 1/2 inch) was my old TB who had a big wither, so I thought that accounted for it coming up slightly short.

That is a good point regarding the cannon bones. I think there is more of a variation than there is with the other measurement. I guess it all depends on an AVERAGE though. Some horses have very long legs and are not very deep through the chest. Others have short legs and very deep chests, but MOST are pretty much even. I'm certainly a lot happier after having a careful look at both my girl's parents. Both have very short cannon bones in proportion to their forearms.

 

[Capriole]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Cheers If she makes a Small Hunter i'll be fine with that. Not what I expected originally but hey ho