is 17.3 hh too big for general purpose?

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Janetterose

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Hi, can anyone tell me whether a horse that is 17.3hh is more likely to suffer from medical problems, eg. joints. Obviously it would cost more in food etc but are there any other considerations for a horse of this size other than cost of upkeep? Thanks
 
What breed is the horse? I have a heavy weight 17.3, he needs a bigger than normal stable ( he has a 16ft x 16 ft), he is too big for a trailer and needs a big lorry, tack has to be made to measure and his shoes cost more than "normal" size. He obviously eats more and uses more bedding than a smaller horse. Rugs are quite difficult to find - he takes a 7ft 3in. Saying all the above, he is the most lovable horse in the world and I wouldn't swap him!
 
I LOVE big horses, but it really does depend... I now have a 17.2hh, we do dressage and have no probs, my last two though ranging from 16.3 - 17.2 had many joint probs... it is the luck of the draw sometimes, although IMHO ponies seem to be more robust, but I dont want a pony!! Yes cost is higher and if you want an allrounder maybe you may be better off money wise with a 16.2 ?Joint probs can depend on breed of horse etc..heavyweight horses less so, but warmbloods if fed too much too young can grow too much before bones have developed, or if not enough nutrients can be weak.. but having said that this can be the same for any size horse.... depends on age too, is he young/old? Does he have muscle to support frame? I was told by my vet not to buy a big warmblood because of joint probs, but I did.... !! My last horse had a multitude of joint probs....... My horse at the mo is fine.........???!!!
 
I have a 17.2 I think hes bigger actually but hes fine for general purpose, He doesnt need made to measure tack he fits in 6ft9 rugs. He has cob and full size bridles has a 5.5 size mouth, I am lucky he fits in these as I know a lot of people have trouble with horses his size. But saying that hes not built like a shire but hes not a tb either.

And there are trailers and horseboxes that are big enough for that size of horse.
 
17.3hh isn't too big for general purpose, depends on their build for finding tack, rugs etc. Ifor Williams 510 trailers take two 17.3hh horses easily, so no need for a lorry...
 
I have had about 6 big horses over recent years - ranging from 17.2 to 18.3!
In my experience, if you are talking about a big warmblood type, they are definitely more prone to joint issues.
Noisy breathing is aslso a common problem. I spoke with a few well respected vets who said that once you get above 16.2 the skeletal system starts to get out of proportion . That said, I still love big horses, although they do tend to take much longer to heal if they get shunted or bumped!
Tack wise, Stubben's extra full is massive and woof now do biiiggg boots 4 warmbloods. Hope this helps x
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Course they do they have the iforwilliams 510 trailer for horses up to 17.3 its not the normal bog standard 505 i for williams its the one up, look on their website they have a selection of bigger trailers for bigger horses. You just see the ifor505 being the common ones used so a 17.2 wont fit in that.
 
there is a big difference between a 17.3 trakehner and a 17.3 shire....

I had a 17.2/3 trakenher, fitted into 510 fine, fitted into 7ft rugs. However, we have an 18hh shire x tb at stables, it wouldnt fit into the 510 with another horse as its so much wider...
 
its a long way down
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my lads 17hh & takes a 6" bit, 6'6/6'9 rugs & just fits in a 510, its hard to find affordable nice bridles as he is warm blood/extra full
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