Irish horses - how much do they grow?

[Birker2020]

Probably another 'how long is a piece of string?' question but how much do you reckon a 16.2hh five year old Irish horse grow, i.e. tall?

Seen a nice one but not sure as I'm looking for at least 17hh but willing to compromise until it grows. TIA

Any PM help welcome but going home in 15 mins!

 

[Antw23uk]

Just buy him, he's gorgeous, hahaaa

If he has any recorded breeding look at their stats?

 

[Nasicus]

Probably another 'how long is a piece of string?' question but how much do you reckon a 16.2hh five year old Irish horse grow, i.e. tall?

Seen a nice one but not sure as I'm looking for at least 17hh but willing to compromise until it grows. TIA

Any PM help welcome but going home in 15 mins!

Irish what? Sports Horse? Draft? Cob? Connemara?!

 

[Birker2020]

Irish what? Sports Horse? Draft? Cob? Connemara?!

Sorry it was just described in the advert as Irish so I can't be more precise.

 

[ycbm]

Stop worrying about 2 inches at the wither B, if he's big enough to carry you he's big enough to carry you.

It's what he does with it that counts, not how big it is, didn't anyone ever tell you ??

I own a little guy who might only make 15.2 but he's always going to be capable of carrying a big adult weight wise.
.

 

[PapaverFollis]

My 5yr old draft type went from 16hh to pushing 16.2hh and from gawky to brick outhouse solid at the same time, so seems bigger than she is height wise.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Is there much difference between 16.2hh and 17hh if the horse is solid build anyway?

Especially if you like it.

 

[HeyMich]

I bought a scrawny 16.1 ISH as a 7yr old and within 2 years of good grass and regular work she was pushing 16.3. She's now 11 and also much broader than she was at 7 (but definitely not fat, just wide). So yes, I'd easily expect another growth spurt from a 5 yr old.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Gawky gawks. 16hh. At 5.


Rhino tank. 16.2hh almost. At 8 or 9? Can't remember.

 

[LegOn]

If its got Irish Draught in it - they are knowing for not finishing growing until about 8 & turning into tanks!

 

[Leandy]

Depends how it is bred, how mature it looks now etc etc. Like all 5 year olds it will certainly fill out but personally I would never assume a 5 year old would put on any height. It might but it might not. It is unlikely to be a significant amount of height ie more than say 1/2 inch if it is looking reasonably mature now. "Irish" could mean a multitude of types and breeds although if it was anything specific I'd expect the advert to say.

 

[Birker2020]

Is there much difference between 16.2hh and 17hh if the horse is solid build anyway?

Especially if you like it.

Everyone says that but it's weird as i had a 16.3hh and compared to my 17.1hh he felt very much smaller, the 17.1hh was a WB XTB and the 16.3hh a ISH, so yes i could defintely tell the difference. Mikki felt soooo small but i don't know if he got bigger as i lost him at the age of 6.

16.2hh when I'm 5ft 10 seems just a tad too small.

Dunno maybe I'm overthinking things as usual. I'm getting a little stressed at this horse hunting game.

I have noticed the influx of new horses on Horsequest suddenly seem sensibly priced so maybe things will calm down price wise.

 

[ester]

That's not necessarily height though, I know 3 Frank lookalikes, one rides bigger, one way smaller and he's in the middle. They are all 14.2 chestnut welsh Ds ?

 

[Birker2020]

Depends how it is bred, how mature it looks now etc etc. Like all 5 year olds it will certainly fill out but personally I would never assume a 5 year old would put on any height. It might but it might not. It is unlikely to be a significant amount of height ie more than say 1/2 inch if it is looking reasonably mature now. "Irish" could mean a multitude of types and breeds although if it was anything specific I'd expect the advert to say.

It was this one, he looks really nice, I'm sure my friend said as a rule Irish horses will grow normally at least 2 maybe 3 inches.http://www.horsequest.co.uk/advertisment/258656 but please no critique of said horse as not fair.

 

[Birker2020]

Gawky gawks. 16hh. At 5.
View attachment 77530

Rhino tank. 16.2hh almost. At 8 or 9? Can't remember.
View attachment 77531

Blimey! 2 inches. Nice horse, although i prefer dapple grey, if only they could stay like that forever eh?

 

[Bernster]

Mine didn’t grow up that much from 5, maybe from 16 to 16.1 but he did fill out plenty! When it’s the difference between say 16.2 to 17h, I think it’s more about how you feel on them, how they take up your leg.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Blimey! 2 inches.

2 foot sideways ? slightly shy of 2 inches upwards. The filling out made her a bigger horse rather than the upwards.

 

[Birker2020]

Bernster you are probably right. I've always just bought exactly what i wanted before so never had to worry too much. When i was 14 and at the riding school helping out in return for the odd lesson i always wanted to ride the 16.3/17hh horses, especially the naughtier ones. I guess i just feel more comfortable on that type.

Lovely horse by the way and you have exactly the same type of stables as us!

 

[ester]

He doesn't look the type that is going to ride small to me

 

[spacefaer]

A lot of"Irish" horses are part or mostly warmblood. They'll mature just as any 5 yr old does - maybe up an inch but mostly maturing by adding muscle and substance.
An Irish draught generally doesn't finish til they're around 8. I had a 5 yr old at 16.3 who finished at 17.3 aged 8.

It also depends how well they've been produced, up until that point.

My current baby draught has spent 98% of his life in a field, with only hay . He was nearly 17.2 when we bought him 4 months ago. With work and feed, not only has he grown an inch, he's now croup high ?? he's 5.

 

[Birker2020]

He doesn't look the type that is going to ride small to me

Its a nightmare. I'm actually hoping to see a really nice 5yr old 17hh on Saturday if he's not sold by then hence some peoples comments. They know I'm rather keen on that one , don't you guys lol?

 

[Birker2020]

A lot of"Irish" horses are part or mostly warmblood. They'll mature just as any 5 yr old does - maybe up an inch but mostly maturing by adding muscle and substance.
An Irish draught generally doesn't finish til they're around 8. I had a 5 yr old at 16.3 who finished at 17.3 aged 8.

It also depends how well they've been produced, up until that point.

My current baby draught has spent 98% of his life in a field, with only hay . He was nearly 17.2 when we bought him 4 months ago. With work and feed, not only has he grown an inch, he's now croup high ?? he's 5.

I didn't know about the WB element. The thought of a 17hh ending up at 18hh scares me though.

Its not just the cost of a new wardrobe, trailer and towing vehicle its the feed, hay, bedding and medication that all costs more too! And of course it's further to fall off

 

[Tiddlypom]

The ones that you do want to grow, don't grow.

The ones that you don't want to grow, do grow.

'Tis the law of s0d as experienced by me .

 

[Birker2020]

The ones that you do want to grow, don't grow.

The ones that you don't want to grow, do grow.

'Tis the law of s0d as experienced by me .

I shall pray that if i am lucky enough to get a sniff at this horse on Saturday that it doesn't gain more than an inch.

I know what you mean though. Wanting what you can have is always more appealing though!

 

[Annagain]

These two photos shoe Charlie at 6 and 7, exactly a year apart (I plan on taking the same photo every August 1st to mark our anniversary. It's not a great photo but it shows what I want to compare). If you look at the lines in the breeze blocks behind his wither you can see how much he's grown. He's not the easiest to get a stick on but he was advertised as 16.1 (I suspect he was slightly bigger but not much) and I think he's easily pushing 17 now.

 

[The Irish Draft 2022]

It’s depends on what breed the horse is if he/ she has a lot of Irish draft then it could get a little bigger maybe a inch or so . If he/ she is not than Irish draft then they will stop at 4 or 5

 

[ycbm]

It’s depends on what breed the horse is if he/ she has a lot of Irish draft then it could get a little bigger maybe a inch or so . If he/ she is not than Irish draft then they will stop at 4 or 5

I have a registered standardbred crossed with an Appaloosa and he is still growing at 6 and doesn't look like he's stopping quite yet.

I had an unregistered cob who looked clydesdale cross who grew 2 inches between 5 and 8, (3 between 4 and 8) I measured him regularly.
.

 

[only_me]

My ISH (IDxTB) was 173cm at 4 and stayed the same height!
He did fill out his frame and had a high wither to start off with though. 6”6 rugs until age 10 when he started needing 6”9 in some brands!

suspect his height staying the same is a rarity though lol

 

[PoniesRock]

I bought a 5yr old bog pony - apparently half new forest pony. Potentially half cow ?‍ She’s now 8 and has out grown her turnout rug and has considerably bulked out.

 

[I'm Dun]

I've only ever had one grow upwards after 5 and she went up an inch at her wither. That was more through correct work than actual growth though. It would be complete madness to buy a 5yr old and expect it to grow. It might, but it also might not. Not a risk you want to take if its important to you.