Runty Little Warmblood Help!!

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Sophskies

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I have owned my dutch warmblood for about a year, he was bought as a 4 year old at 15.3 Due to parentage I was anticipating he would grow to be at least 16.2, however in the last year he has not grown an inch in height! I have done the string test on him and it shoes an extra 2 or so inches. I'm really worried hes going to be a little runt forever! He has put on a bit of condition but no major changes to shape. He is very narrow chest wise too. He is extremely lazy when ridden and it feels as if he's struggling. I do not ask a lot of him, just basic schooling with walk trot and canter transitions but mostly hacking. Even when hacking he is slow and he drags his toes a lot. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this before and has any advice? I'm in no rush to produce him, I just want to do the best for him. Should he be turned away for the summer? Any help on feed / turnout / level of work / growth issues would be greatly appreciated!
 
Warmbloods do tend to mature a lot slower than other horses. A lot of them finish developing around 7-8 years old. Is he lazy in the field while turned out? Have you had his saddle checked recently, as you said he's put on condition. If all ok physio side, I don't see the harm in turning him out for a couple of months over summer.
 
he is very playful in the field and always the furthest away when I go to get him in. He loves bugging his field mates! Saddle back and teeth all regularly checked and fine - sorry should have mentioned that.
 
Why are you worrying about it? A 15.3hh is capable of carrying most riders, and Im sure he will 'chunk up' a bit as he matures. Smaller horses can gallop as fast (Homecoming Queen, Oaks winner was 14.2hh) and jump as high (Stroller 14.2hh won Olympic Silver Medal, Ryans Son was 15.3hh). They are also less likely to make a noise in the wind, or get OCD.
I would hardly call a 15.3hh a 'runt' anyway!! and whatever you do dont overfeed or over supplement. That really will cause problems.....
 
Nope, have no intention of over feeding / supplementing, he has a very high fibre low sugar diet with loads of roughage, excellent grazing and more hay than he can eat overnight. I'm worried as I'm pretty tall so need something that's at least 16.2 and don't want to pony squash.
 
It costs a lot of money to produce a horse .
His size would not worry me but his lethargy would .
I would have a equine vet look at him whose used to working with lack of performance issues .
One call out now might save time and heartache later .

ETA the first horse I bought with my own money was from a well known WB stud he was sold very cheaply because at three he was 15.1 I sold him at seven rising eight he was over seventeen hands yours still has time to get big .
I like small WB though 15.3 to 16.1 is perfect in my book.
 
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will still grow a bit i expect.

mine was about 15.1hh as a 2yo (oct 14) and now stands a solid 16hh (April 15).

he looks reasonably even and in proportion and we initially thought about 16.1hh final height......

.....vet and dentist think ill be lucky if he stops at 16.3hh by 6! so if mine IS going to grow a lot more, i should think yours will too. a 15.3 narrow 4yo id easily expect to make 16.1-16.2hh as a 6/7yo if he still looks immature?

mine looked a real baby until about a month ago and all of a sudden now is like a solid block!
 
WB's mature slowly and the fact he is still runty would make me worry less about his height. I have a 4yo WB who has grown an inch in the last month and is bum high again, but still looks runty. My friends runty 15.3 4yo ended up a strapping 17.3 at 7. Is he different hacking in company? Mine has done almost no schooling and it took her a couple of months hacking to find the go button. Have you had your forage analysed? It might be worth trying a general vitamin sup in case he is missing something.
 
Bought our WB just short of his 4th birthday. He was about 15.2/3. His nickname was "Stumpy". Almost two years on he is 16.2, more chunked up, broader in the chest and a very smart boy. Also gone up 3" in rugs. If I was any good at posting photos I would. Give him time.
 
Think yourself lucky. My rising 4 year old WB is less than 15hh, and I am 5ft 9! She looks pretty mature too, so I doubt she will grow that much. Her dam is 15.3 and her sire is 16.1 so she should have made the height I wanted of over 15.2. I prefer smaller horses so 15.3 would be perfect in my book.
 
I haven't had forage analysed, could put him on a supplement especially through the summer when he will be living out and only having one feed a day, that's a good idea. Encouraging to know about the growth of your friends, I would be made up if he ever got that big :) He is just as placid and laid back in company as he is on his own, if anything he is actually lazier in company! He's a very chilled out soul, it might just be that he's a bit too backwards I suppose.
 
i bought a wb rising 4 who is very weak and needs time to mature. He has been quite lethargic, we wormed him twice when he came. This week we decided to give him 5 day wormer and a vitiam boost that we have to give him once a week for 3 weeks. 6 days later and already see the difference. Wait till the spring grass starts growing then he will too.
 
shugmx said:
i bought a wb rising 4 who is very weak and needs time to mature. He has been quite lethargic, we wormed him twice when he came. This week we decided to give him 5 day wormer and a vitiam boost that we have to give him once a week for 3 weeks. 6 days later and already see the difference. Wait till the spring grass starts growing then he will too.
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Thank you, this is good to hear. What is the name of the 5 day wormer with vitamin boost? I'd like to try that!
 
From your first post, he doesn't sound mature enough yet for ridden work. Add into that the lethargy which could be the energy he's using for ridden work rather than growing and I'd be inclined to leave him another year. He won't forget about his education.
 
9tails said:
From your first post, he doesn't sound mature enough yet for ridden work. Add into that the lethargy which could be the energy he's using for ridden work rather than growing and I'd be inclined to leave him another year. He won't forget about his education.
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I'm inclined to agree with this, especially as his chest is still narrow. He does sound quite immature. I have not broken in my little mare yet because she is so small. She's four in June so will lightly back her this year but not do too much until next year with her.
 
9tails said:
From your first post, he doesn't sound mature enough yet for ridden work. Add into that the lethargy which could be the energy he's using for ridden work rather than growing and I'd be inclined to leave him another year. He won't forget about his education.
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I did wonder this, but was scared to give him a complete break as was worried he'd forget all about everything and I'd be left starting again with tack / rider etc. He's been in work for around 7 months now so if that's long enough I may just give him the summer and this winter to mature.
 
Sophskies said:
I did wonder this, but was scared to give him a complete break as was worried he'd forget all about everything and I'd be left starting again with tack / rider etc. He's been in work for around 7 months now so if that's long enough I may just give him the summer and this winter to mature.
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Trust me he won't forget anything. It'd be best to turn him away and let him mature than carry on riding him and having a dead to the leg horse!
 
hi i got panacur from the vet 60mls x 5 days and 3 pack of vitamins concentrated in drench form, pack called multiplex from feed store. Hope this helps.
 
how easy was he to back? if he was pretty easy i wouldnt worry about a break.

if he was a bit sharp i would carry on putting tack on every other day and even if all you do it get on,walk 5mins and get off, it will stop him going back feral.

mine is 3 and sloooooowly being backed atm as is very sharp.

we are at leaning and walking under tack stage and started a little lunging under tack (literally 2mins each way in walk and trot).

once he's got a rider on, i dont intend to do much at all over the summer bar hack in walk but at least every other day will have the saddle on and walk a few circles as otherwise ill be back to square one!

we started early so we could take weeks working through every stage :)
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
how easy was he to back? if he was pretty easy i wouldnt worry about a break.

if he was a bit sharp i would carry on putting tack on every other day and even if all you do it get on,walk 5mins and get off, it will stop him going back feral.

mine is 3 and sloooooowly being backed atm as is very sharp.

we are at leaning and walking under tack stage and started a little lunging under tack (literally 2mins each way in walk and trot).

once he's got a rider on, i dont intend to do much at all over the summer bar hack in walk but at least every other day will have the saddle on and walk a few circles as otherwise ill be back to square one!

we started early so we could take weeks working through every stage :)
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He is extremely laid back and doesn't even know the meaning of "sharp" so I'm sure he will be fine :)
 
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