Measuring "bone"?

Kacey88

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 September 2011
Messages
778
Location
Ireland
Visit site
I have found conflicting advice in how to measure a horse's bone and I am now confused! I read somewhere that its measured half way down the cannon bone, but now I have just read that its just below the knee, the widest oart of the cannon bone. These result in way different measurements for my cob! Trying to assess her for show cob potential, please help!

Also, any advice on what else to help me decide if she's a show cob or not greatly appreciated.

Thanks for any help :)
 

onemoretime

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 April 2008
Messages
2,440
Visit site
Just below the knee is the correct place to measure. A horse was always said to be good if it had 4 inches of bone below the knee. That's TB horses, some have a bit more nowadays.
 

TBB

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 October 2010
Messages
475
Visit site
Just below the knee is the correct place to measure. A horse was always said to be good if it had 4 inches of bone below the knee. That's TB horses, some have a bit more nowadays.
We'd consider ours light of bone if they had less than 7 inches, when we are looking at TB stallions to breed sporthorses we'd love to find 9 inches but invariable have to settle on 8 and a half, wouldn't consider one with only 4 inches.
 

Kacey88

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 September 2011
Messages
778
Location
Ireland
Visit site
I have always wondered if splints can distort measurement of bone...

I would assume so, never thought of it though! I was confused because at the slightest part she has 8cms, but just below the knee, or say, 1cm below, she has a good 8.5, maybe a bit more.

So, can I assume she has 8.5?

Thanks for the help everyone :)
 

onemoretime

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 April 2008
Messages
2,440
Visit site
We'd consider ours light of bone if they had less than 7 inches, when we are looking at TB stallions to breed sporthorses we'd love to find 9 inches but invariable have to settle on 8 and a half, wouldn't consider one with only 4 inches.

Sorry dont know what I was thinking of then too much sloe gin I think. yes of course it is around 8.5 to 9 inches of bone. God 4 inches would be a stick insect. Sorry
 

Alphamare

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 February 2010
Messages
869
Visit site
No it wouldn't as there is no muscle below the knee!! Only tendons and ligaments. The legs are the first thing to finish growing in length at about 18months and by 3/4 years they will have reached full thickness.
 

Kacey88

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 September 2011
Messages
778
Location
Ireland
Visit site
No it wouldn't as there is no muscle below the knee!! Only tendons and ligaments. The legs are the first thing to finish growing in length at about 18months and by 3/4 years they will have reached full thickness.

Thanks very much, clearly I have a lot more to learn! :eek:
 

Spiritedly

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 December 2011
Messages
1,602
Visit site
Does that include cobs? only I know a lot of people say they grow slower. The reason I ask is my coblet is about 2 1/2 and when I measured today his bone was 8 1/4 and my 2 yr old Newfies is 8 and I wad curious if it would increase.
 

Meowy Catkin

Meow!
Joined
19 July 2010
Messages
22,635
Visit site
Does that include cobs?

Yes :)

It is a myth that different breeds mature (skeletally) at different rates. The only exception is very large horses which take about 6 months extra for all the growth plates to 'fuse'.
 

Kiristamm

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 January 2012
Messages
410
Location
Surrey
Visit site
That and gelding a horse. My lecturer told us when you remove the testosterone it takes slightly longer for the growth plates to close as the testosterone is a trigger to close them... a slighlty interesting fact for the day!
 

Spiritedly

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 December 2011
Messages
1,602
Visit site
That and gelding a horse. My lecturer told us when you remove the testosterone it takes slightly longer for the growth plates to close as the testosterone is a trigger to close them... a slighlty interesting fact for the day!

I remember reading this before...if I remember correctly it was something like if gelded before 18 months they tend to grow taller but if left later they are stockier?
 

GCC

Active Member
Joined
30 December 2011
Messages
38
Location
North West
Visit site
I remember reading this before...if I remember correctly it was something like if gelded before 18 months they tend to grow taller but if left later they are stockier?

that would make sense i worked with a connie who had been cut the second his testes dropped and he was stood at 16hh as a 4 year old but was as slight as anything took forever to mature. Funny thing was bother parents were 148cm's and he was blood typed and DNA tested... think some form of Irish Sport horse throw back must have been in his lines! sorry that's slightly off topic..

when training for my stages i was taught to measure just below knee and 7-8 was light, 8-9 was medium and 9+ was heavyweight if i remember correctly. But this was never my strong point!
 

Chloe harding

New User
Joined
10 August 2022
Messages
1
Visit site
No it wouldn't as there is no muscle below the knee!! Only tendons and ligaments. The legs are the first thing to finish growing in length at about 18months and by 3/4 years they will have reached full thickness.
Would this be the measurement of height? I did string test on my filly who’s 19 months and it’s 17 and a bit inches. Which was from the top of hood where hairline is to middle of knee
 

holeymoley

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 November 2012
Messages
4,325
Visit site
4 inches! Jeez.

Mine has 8.5" or maybe it's 8", I can't remember. He's a 14hh coloured cob x native pony, so not oodles of bone but substantial enough.
 

Hormonal Filly

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 April 2013
Messages
3,220
Visit site
I remember reading this before...if I remember correctly it was something like if gelded before 18 months they tend to grow taller but if left later they are stockier?

Makes sense why my last horse (Welsh D) who was castrated at 7 months grew to be 15.2 when his parents were only 14-14.2.
 
Top