Slow developing warmbloods

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bounce

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I’m just wondering if anyone has experience of very slow developing warmbloods.

I bought a 4 year old last year who seemed weak and gangly, just been backed so not in any real work so I wasn’t expecting much strength. He is now just turning 5 and although has gained a little muscle and strength he still seems a million miles away from other 5 year olds in terms of strength and top line.
He is still growing a little and is gradually growing into his long legs and looking better but I’m just not used to such a gangly youngster.

I have had a lot of bad luck with horses over the last couple of years, losing an 8 year old to psd and a 5 year old to wobblers so I’m utterly paranoid that there may be something wrong with this one!

He is getting plenty of hill work and I’m just upping his feed as my grazing is rubbish this year and he has dropped some weight. He’s on ease and excel, linseed and grass pellets plus good quality hay.

I just expected a bit more progress by now with his muscular development. Have I just picked a slow developer? Does anyone else have one that has taken a longer than normal time to develop and fill out?
 
I have a 17.2hh WB (to be honest, it's entirely possible that he's bigger but I stopped measuring when he hit 17.2!) who was only backed at 5 and a half. He's now just turned 8 and is only just starting to become a little less gangly and goofy.

He's been a slow developer and should be further on than he is now (competing Elementary and jumping 110/120) but none of my instructors have ever seen it as a problem.

He still sometimes falls over when trotting loose, for instance.

He was always quite big though - never narrow in the chest or anything. A friend has one who is as you describe and always lacked muscle tone and condition. He is only starting to fill out now at rising 8 and look like a real horse rather than a lanky teenager.
 
It might just be his bloodline I know someone who breeds mainly warmblood horses, I know one sire she used on a few of her mares always threw narrow gangly babies and they looked like that until they were 7 and 8, one particular chestnut gelding looked like her 2 year olds at 4 but I saw him at 8 and he looked completely different, she always used to say it was the geldings that used to have to catch up compared to her fillies and the few she kept entire.
 
My little warmblood mare is 10 now and only finished growing 2 years ago. I thought she was "finished" at about 6, but she went from 15.1hh to almost 16hh since then, going through a horribly gangly phase in between. I bred her myself and she's now outgrown both parents, quite unexpectedly.

(I only know of one adult warmblood who "finished" looking dreadful and babyish and long legs ... and he has dire breeding AND a serious pelvis injury in his past so the fates were against him)
 
He is by Royaldik and is very narrow. I’m so used to much more solid types.

Last year as a 4 year old he very much looked more like a 3 year old. But I wouldn’t say there has been much improvement now he is 5.

Glad to hear others have been slower to mature. I’ll just have to be patient and stop worrying that he has something wrong.
 
Warmbloods these days come in all shapes and sizes, they are essentially purpose bred mongrels after all. Royaldik is over half TB as I’m sure you know.

All horses keep growing maturing until 6/7/8, irrespective of breed. Obviously the changes in some are more drastic than others.

There is nothing you can really do now except for what all 4/5 year olds need - correct feeding and systematic training and a good dollop of luck!
 
I have ridden a load of half siblings all from the same mother but different sires. The 17.2hh one which I broke as a 4yo was competing as a 5yo and just amazing from day one. She is now 7yo and is just an amazing horse.

Her half sister who is 16.3hh was broken as a 3yo, turned away then came back in at 4. Did a very light year as a 4yo and managed one walk and trot test in December and is now 5yo. Even now she couldnt do a prelim test and is jumping maybe 2'6 at the max out of trot. She has taken years to wait for. I have two others and no time so its been easy just to leave her to get on with maturing. Now I just need to put some time into her which is the hard bit!
 
Thank goodness for this thread I have a 3.5 broke gently at three long reined and hacked in walk and trot for six months now given four months off ready to restart at four in Oct. 15.2 all sibling made 17 I want 16! Just filling out now looks great for size but so wobbly to ride in walk and trot.

I’m not pushing he has four months off then will re start but I was worried he was way behind others but I have time so don’t want to push he is a nice sort
 
my 23 year old selle francais is still changing shape and getting stronger. i know it seems unlikely but it is absolutely true. he has very regular physio/reiki and has never looked better. he is very fit, in full work and going out at least twice a week to school. he looks a totally different horse now to the one i bought as a nine year old.
 
Mine has just turned 8 and I think he’s pretty much finished growing (certainly up, maybe not out). At 5 he was about 16hh, he’s now just shy of 17hh and twice the horse he was 3 years ago.
 
I have a slow developing five year old who is half standardbred trotter and half unregistered appaloosa, it's not limited to warmbloods. Mine is lanky and also far too stretchy. I'm just taking things slowly until he has the strength to hold himself together. He hasn't competed yet but will start at prelim when the lockdown eases.

.
 
I have an 8yo WB. I’ve known him since he was about 4. He has a chequered past which has held him back a little, but this last couple of years he has really developed the power that you might expect of his type. He still needs a lot of help balancing and directing all the oomph that he generates.
 
I bought my retired horse as a 5 year old, he's WB Hanoverian x TB, but has a lot of Selle Francais bloodline too. He didn't mature until about 7/8 years old, both mentally and physically. He was tall and skinny with a long back, then filled out to match and looked fine.
 
Thanks for everyone's input. Its really useful hearing from others experiences. His training is coming along nicely at the moment and he is definitely progressing along the right lines. Just more slowly than the other youngsters I have brought on.
 
bounce said:
I’m just wondering if anyone has experience of very slow developing warmbloods.

I bought a 4 year old last year who seemed weak and gangly, just been backed so not in any real work so I wasn’t expecting much strength. He is now just turning 5 and although has gained a little muscle and strength he still seems a million miles away from other 5 year olds in terms of strength and top line.
He is still growing a little and is gradually growing into his long legs and looking better but I’m just not used to such a gangly youngster.

I have had a lot of bad luck with horses over the last couple of years, losing an 8 year old to psd and a 5 year old to wobblers so I’m utterly paranoid that there may be something wrong with this one!

He is getting plenty of hill work and I’m just upping his feed as my grazing is rubbish this year and he has dropped some weight. He’s on ease and excel, linseed and grass pellets plus good quality hay.

I just expected a bit more progress by now with his muscular development. Have I just picked a slow developer? Does anyone else have one that has taken a longer than normal time to develop and fill out?
Click to expand...

None of my warmblood stopped growing until they were nine

They all had a young/bouncy/optimistic outlook on life their whole lives so far, all aged 8 - 25
 
bounce said:
He is by Royaldik and is very narrow. I’m so used to much more solid types.

Last year as a 4 year old he very much looked more like a 3 year old. But I wouldn’t say there has been much improvement now he is 5.

Glad to hear others have been slower to mature. I’ll just have to be patient and stop worrying that he has something wrong.
Click to expand...

My mare is by Royaldik, as 4 /5 year old she looked very much like a TB, it wasnt until she was 7 that she actually filled out. He mum is 3/4ID, i had often wondered where the ID had gone, but i can finally see it !! a friend who had seen her as 4/5 yo but hadnt seen her for a couple of years couldnt believe the difference. ive managed to attach some photos, ( sorry for size) top one as a 7 year old, and bottom as a 4 yo .So, id say its just a matter of time.
ariajumphome.jpgariabole4.jpg
 
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Asha said:
My mare is by Royaldik, as 4 /5 year old she looked very much like a TB, it wasnt until she was 7 that she actually filled out. He mum is 3/4ID, i had often wondered where the ID had gone, but i can finally see it !! a friend who had seen her as 4/5 yo but hadnt seen her for a couple of years couldnt believe the difference. ive managed to attach some photos, ( sorry for size) top one as a 7 year old, and bottom as a 4 yo .So, id say its just a matter of time.
View attachment 50193View attachment 50194
Click to expand...
Thank you. Mine looks similar to yours as a 4 year old. One of my instructors saw him today for the first time in 3 months and was amazed how much stronger he looked so I guess he is improving but as I see him daily I don’t notice the difference so much.
 
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