Is my Welsh Cob D likely to grow anymore - he is 4 1/2yrs old

TheSlades

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I bought a Welsh Cob Section D at 2 1/2yrs old and he was just under 14hands.

I have since backed and ridden him on in the last 12 months and decided to give him a rest of about 6 weeks now. Measured him recently and he is only just under 14.1h.h with shoes on!!

He appears bigger than that and just wondered if he is likely to grow anymore as i feel a little disappointed. I know its a bit of a crystal ball job!

His Sire is Mitcheltroy Diplomat and Dam is Soden Machlud who are both 14.3h.h. Trehewyd Prince (G.Sire) and has Rhystyd Prince in his lines, together with Nebo, Parc and Derwen.

Do you think its because i have been riding him for the last 12 months, albeit gentle hacking?

I have tried measuring from the middle of the knee down to the coronet band and he`s 14.2 or 14.3" in length. How accurate is this anyway?!!

Any advice would be lovely please?! Many thanks.
 
I bought mine at 4.5 yrs in January & he's grown 2 inches since then. Before him my last 2 grew an inch between 5 & 6 so yours could still grow.

Not sure you can always tell from the parents though - the sire and dam of my current boy were 14.3. He's 15.3 at the moment......
 
Almost definitely. I bought mine at 5yo as 15.1. By rising eight she had grown to be 15.3 and bulked out enormously too. I think with most horses it is unwise to assume they have stopped growing until at least 6 years old - and with cobs, probably quite a bit longer.
 
I have a Welsh Section D who was 4 years old this year. I bought him as 14.2hh but I think now he's more than this and grown. I will expect him to shoot up again in the spring 2014 - and then possibly a little more in the following year.

When you measure from the middle of the knee down to the coronet band, is this done down the front of the leg or on the side? I will do this on mine and see what it comes out as.
 
Yup, my lad is still growing at nearly seven (dales/gypsy cob). Mostly filling out now (in six months he's gone from a 5'9 rug to over 6'0). I think it's the Topspec I'm feeding him now..made a big difference.
 
My 12 year old section D came here nearly two years ago and she is an inch bigger now. She was in poor condition though so I think with her it was generally improved health and putting on fat and muscle that has made her bigger. Ds can take a while to mature, I would expect yours to grow a bit more at that age.
 
Well there's hope for mine yet! Bought him two years ago and he was 14.2hh. He's now 4 1/2 and is...... 14.2hh !! Filled out loads but still waiting for the vertical rising!
 
This is very interesting. I would have said that they would grow upwards til about age 5 and then go outwards. WIth maybe a slight increase in height until age 7 but majority of growing by age 5. I have a 4yr old welsh D and measured him last month and 15.2 but he has a LOT of maturing and filling out to do in terms of muscle (still has a foal-like tail). So will be interesting to see how much more he grows as hadn't really anticipated him getting much bigger height-wise, just width!
 
I have a Welsh Section D who was 4 years old this year. I bought him as 14.2hh but I think now he's more than this and grown. I will expect him to shoot up again in the spring 2014 - and then possibly a little more in the following year.

When you measure from the middle of the knee down to the coronet band, is this done down the front of the leg or on the side? I will do this on mine and see what it comes out as.

Big Thanks for all your replies! You are supposed to measure from the front of the knee down to the coronet. It would be very interesting to find out what yours measures too?! Let me know? There maybe hope for mine yet, anyway! Many thanks to all of you for cheering me up and living with hope!!! He does still look quite immature in body as still has to muscle up more even now. He is wearing a 6ft rug this winter, whereas last year he was in a 5`9" so obviously he`s got longer but not up!
 
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To hijack slightly, I did the string test on my 3.5 year-old sec D tonight, and it came out as 15.7 inches. I know that the result in inches is the height in hh, but what would that be? (as 15.7hh doesn't exist!)

She's currently standing at 15.2hh at the bum and 15hh at wither, think I'm going to be need a parachute soon!
 
Hi Mydogisanidiot!! So you`re horse would be nearly 15.2h.h then as you count the 1/4" as .1hh. So 1/2" would be 15.2hh, or 15 and 3/4" would be 15.3h.h. get it? So when yours is 15.7", he`s nearly 15 1/2" making him nearly 15.2h.h!! So hopefully he wont be much out!
 
Just to be awkward, I got a 2 year 4 month old Fell who was less than 1/4" under 13hh. He is now 24 and still hasn't made 13 hands. He is twice as wide as he was at 2 though :D
 
I bought my cob as a 5yr old she was 14.2, she is now 12 and still 14.2 but just filled out. I measured my nearly 8mth old warm blood x draft knee to coronet and he measured at 15.10 inches I know I have to wait till he's 1 to be more accurate but this thread go me interfered in his height :-)
 
I bought my Welsh D at 14.1hh at just turned 4 years old, he's now 17 years old and still 14.1hh!! Not sure if it makes a difference, but he came from a stud and was well fed/looked after from birth? He does look a big 14.1 but the measure stick, still says 14.1 He has filled out from when i got him, but he's also not a particularly stocky welsh either.
 
I think D's are quite late maturing aren't they? I have a 2 and a half year old who is around about 14.2 at the wither but a good 15hh at the back end! I string tested him and it says he should make 15.2! We shall see!
 
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