Should i be worrying about youngsters height?

[welshied]

I measured him today with a pole so it would be more accurate where the tape came upto and it read 14.1hh and now i am panicking cause i thought he was at 14.21/2hh and i am really wanting him to make 15hh as i am tall. What are your thoughts to how big he should grow he is 2 and his brother is other 15.1hh. I have turned him out 24/7 this week hoping that more grass will help him grow. But now i am really worrying he is going to be too small for me!

 

[Lauraoscardillon]

I wouldn't worry. Youngsters continue to grow until around age 6. Two is quite a young age, and he may have higher hind quarters than front if you've noticed? this would show he still has more to grow, as young horses tend to grow from behind first so this should give you an indication.

But as I said, horses continue to grow until 5, so please try not to worry!

 

[Cliqmo]

In answer to your thread question, no you should not worry- if only because worrying wont help him grow

I'm sure he will beef up plenty yet so stop fretting about things you can't control

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Whether you turn him out with more grass or not will make no difference as to what height he will make. The only thing that excessive grass will do will put on weight & obviously that could cause other problems. Whatever his genes are will decide how tall he will be. I think there is an equasion that can be used to get a rough idea of a horse's final height but I cannot remember it . If you post this in Breeding you may get some better advice.

 

[JoBo]

My cob went from 14’2hh to close to 15’1hh from the age of 3 to 6. So there is hope yet!

 

[Lauraoscardillon]

ah yes, I also forgot to say, as Toby_Zaphod said, feeding him more will not help him grow taller but will cause other harmful diseases. Obviously making sure he has proper nutrition will help him grow healthily, but extra grass than he needs will have detrimental effects! x

 

[welshied]

He isn't overweight at all, as i monitor him well as don't want to put problems onto his joints. Guess all i can do is keep my fingers crossed

 

[trendybraincell]

You can do the string test...if I can explain it properly that is!!

Take a piece of string from the middle of his fetlock take it up to the elbow, then doing a semi circle keep the elbow end in place and take the fetlock end up...this shoud give you a fairly accurate height at maturity.

Does that make sense?

 

[welshied]

Yeah i will try that afraid of what i may find lol
trendybraincell did you get yours as a 2 year old and if so how much did he grow?

 

[zeuscleoharmony]

Hi - when I got mine he was only just 4 and just a tad over 16.0hh and is now just 7 and 16.2 and a half.
xxx

 

[blackcob]

What breed is he? Some keep maturing long beyond what you might expect. My Welsh Cob gained a full inch between the ages of four and six.

 

[welshied]

welsh d

 

[Amaretto]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi - when I got mine he was only just 4 and just a tad over 16.0hh and is now just 7 and 16.2 and a half.
xxx

[/ QUOTE ]

My just 4yo is just about 15.3hh and I want him to grow! So your post has encouraged me - what breed is your neddie?

 

[SpruceRI]

[ QUOTE ]
What breed is he? Some keep maturing long beyond what you might expect. My Welsh Cob gained a full inch between the ages of four and six.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's living in hope that my 4yr old Welsh D will do the same

 

[loulabelle]

I'm the same...my boy was brought at 5 months old with the potential to reach 14.2. His a gypsy cob and I'm 5ft 10 so would have been ok for me as his obviously not a fine breed.
He was 11.1 at 1, 12.2 at 2, 13.2 at 3 and now rising 4 is only 13.3, gutted his only grown a inch in a year! Needless to say Im not a happy bunny but love my boy so much that his going nowhere. Come to the conclusion that I may look at little big on him but he can easily cope with my height and weight. But then i do have 2 other horses who I can ride (have to admit that my ponio is my favourate

)
I have asked on here about it and I'm clinging onto the hope he will grow a little bit more in the next 2 years
Also getting a set of driving shoes on him this weekend so that will gain him nearly an inch lol

 

[Tnavas]

At 2 he's got plenty of growing time yet.

 

[trendybraincell]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah i will try that afraid of what i may find lol
trendybraincell did you get yours as a 2 year old and if so how much did he grow?

[/ QUOTE ]

I got my Welsh Cob when he was rising 3, but I'd never heard of the string test at that point so never did it on him personally. However he was just about 14.1hh when I got him, he turned 7 last week and is now a strapping 15hh I wouldn't worry about yours just yet!!

 

[Fazzie]

I honestly wouldnt worry my Section D is has grown an extra 1 inch this year and he's 6!! x

 

[welshied]

Thanks everyone i asked my vet today and she reckons he should make over 15hh just same as you said that they are slow growers

 

[zeuscleoharmony]

Just to let you know, my boy is a coloured ID x Cob (with a little bit of T/B but not sure which bit - perhaps his ears?)