String test?

[Rachelashleigh]

I noticed someone said they did the string test on their young horse, I presume it was to estimate the height. Could someone please tell me about how to do the string test and does it matter what breed the horse is and is 8 month to young?

Also while I'm asking is there something that you can do to estimate the bine they will have.

Thank you ��

 

[Arizahn]

Elbow to ergot and then reverse the string upwards above the withers to see where the height will level out at. But mine was about eighteen months when I did this.

 

[Rachelashleigh]

Brilliant thank you very much �� my boys around eight months so may wait a little longer.

 

[Sheep]

I did it on a rising 2 year old recently and he is going to be well over 17h by the looks of things, eek!

 

[Rachelashleigh]

My goodness �� I wish my boy would grow that big but I think he will make around 14.1hh, will know more in the morning.

 

[Rachelashleigh]

Well I have just tried the string test, my little lad is 8 months old and currently standing at 8.3hh. I hope the string test is wrong as it says he is only going to make around 9.2hh?!?! Surely this can't be right can it? Should I do it again in a year? ��

 

[Wagtail]

I think the elbow to ergot one is quite accurate. Bit the centre of the knee to coronet band is not as horses differ so much on the proportionate length of their cannon bones. My youngster has very short cannon bones and so do both her parents. I measured her from knee to coronet and it said she would be 14hh. Well she's already 14.3hh. The other string test says she will be 15.1hh. I hope it's right!

 

[twobearsarthur]

The string test is pretty accurate after they are one but not so much before.
This link gives you both types of string test. Have done them both on my filly, both say 16hh and both her parents were 16hh so we shall see.

http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/stringtesting.html

 

[Foxy O]

The string test is pretty accurate after they are one but not so much before.
This link gives you both types of string test. Have done them both on my filly, both say 16hh and both her parents were 16hh so we shall see.

http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/stringtesting.html

When I measured my mare I did it wrong
I measured from ergot to elbow then doubled it from the ground and she showed as reaching 15.1hh which I thought would be great. Looking at the way it's done in the link she will end up being closer to 16hh not so easy to get on from the ground

I thought it was odd that she is only 3 and a half (cob) and she had practicly reached her full height considering I have been told they don't stop growing until they are 8

 

[twobearsarthur]

When I measured my mare I did it wrong
I measured from ergot to elbow then doubled it from the ground and she showed as reaching 15.1hh which I thought would be great. Looking at the way it's done in the link she will end up being closer to 16hh not so easy to get on from the ground

I thought it was odd that she is only 3 and a half (cob) and she had practicly reached her full height considering I have been told they don't stop growing until they are 8

Yep you need to double it then add that little bit to account for the floor to the ergot which I would say would be 4 inches at least.

 

[Cortez]

Yep you need to double it then add that little bit to account for the floor to the ergot which I would say would be 4 inches at least.

No, it's measuring from elbow to ergot, keep the string on the elbow and swing the other end up over the wither; that's the mature height. You can do this at any age - I've records going back 30 years for every foal I ever bred and it's been accurate to within 1/2 an inch, usually 100% accurate.

 

[Rachelashleigh]

I will attempt tomorrow and have some baler twine and tape measure rather than a lead rope ��

 

[Coblover63]

Their legs grow until they are a year old. After that, their height is determined by their body growing and getting deeper so you won't get a true reflection of his height using the string test until after his first birthday I'm afraid.

 

[twobearsarthur]

No, it's measuring from elbow to ergot, keep the string on the elbow and swing the other end up over the wither; that's the mature height. You can do this at any age - I've records going back 30 years for every foal I ever bred and it's been accurate to within 1/2 an inch, usually 100% accurate.

I never said you didn't!!!!
I said exactly that, you measure from ergot to elbow, (the link I included did at least), however if you measure the string after you swing it round, rather that just seeing where the withers will end up, you have to take into account the distance from the floor to the ergot.
Otherwise my horse is going to be 6 inches shorter than she is now when she matures 😄

I'm sure the diagram explains better than I can. You can see on the picture that the distance from the ground to the ergot is included in the final height.

And although you can do it at any age it is more accurate from yearling up.

http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/stringtesting.html

 

[old hand]

String test ergot to point of elbow is reasonably accurate, if their feet have not developed any depth ( less than about eighteen months but varies) add the estimated depth of hoof at maturity less the depth of hoof when measured. usually accurate to within an inch.

 

[nuttychestnut]

I did it with mine at age 5, string showed final height at 16.3hh. He's now 7 and sounding at around 17.2hh with maybe a little more to go! So you may get a few extra or less inches but it's a really good indication.

 

[Arizahn]

I forgot to add on the difference for hoof to ergot when measuring the Camel and got 16.3hh. How much difference can I expect to add?

 

[Foxy O]

Yep you need to double it then add that little bit to account for the floor to the ergot which I would say would be 4 inches at least.

Thanks I will try tonight when I bring her in

 

[Magicmadge]

Did my leopard Appaloosa this morning, who's 5 in March
She is and has always been bum high . About 14.2 at the bum but a hand smaller at the wither . Test said she had approx 4 inches to grow . Could she really grow this much more at 5 . I hope she does even up as she looks like two different ponies stuck together!!!!!!

 

[whiteflower]

just had a go on a 2 year 8 month old boy - hes 32 inches ergot to elbow and 5.5 inches between ergot and floor. this would mean he would make 17.2.
either ive done it wrong or its not going to be accurate as hes currently 15.2 ish at wither and although very babyish in his structure still (warmblood) mum was 16hh dad 17hh so i think highly unlikely !!!

 

[mynutmeg]

No, it's measuring from elbow to ergot, keep the string on the elbow and swing the other end up over the wither; that's the mature height. You can do this at any age - I've records going back 30 years for every foal I ever bred and it's been accurate to within 1/2 an inch, usually 100% accurate.

be interesting to see what the foal I bred turns out as then cause he was testing out about 16'2 when he was 1 - his mom is a 15'1 cob and dad was 15'3 tb

 

[HarmoniSpencer98]

Well I have just tried the string test, my little lad is 8 months old and currently standing at 8.3hh. I hope the string test is wrong as it says he is only going to make around 9.2hh?!?! Surely this can't be right can it? Should I do it again in a year? ��

What did he end up making x