The string test: how accurate was it for your horses?

JJS

JJS

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As the title says, really! Finally got around to string testing Flower today, and it puts her at dead on 16hh at maturity. Going by the 'two hands a year from one' rule, that seems to ring true to me, and it's exactly what I've always estimated her ending up at. It's a fair bit bigger than I'd have liked - somewhere between 14hh and 14.2hh would have been my ideal - but I do think she'll look rather impressive at that size and build, so no real complaints from me. Just makes it even more important that I do a good job of raising a polite and mannerly young lady as opposed to an oversized thug, I guess!

So, for those who've tried it with their own horses, how accurate have you found it?
 
its fairly ok for a guess or indication...........................but if you think she might be slightly to big for you, may i ask for first refusal :)
 
Well I did it on my homebred and it said he was going to be 19hh. I laughed and dismissed it. Guess what...!?
 
It was a waste of time for mine - said she would be about 15.2. She's nearly 16.3 now, which is what was predicted for her without the string test.
 
I have a 2 year old warmblood filly (May baby) and string test says 16.3 she is about 15.1 now and i just cant see her making that height! I really want her to make at least 16.2 so fingers crossed they are accurate!! Her full sister now aged 5 has just made 16hh.
 
I did the string test on all my foals when I was breeding and it was 96% accurate on 200+ horses. It is very important that you measure accurately though; I find a lot of people are not sure where they are to measure. It is from the ergot on the front leg to the point of the elbow, and flip up from there to above the wither - that's the estimated final height. And some, especially the big ones, can keep growing until they are 8.
 
Cortez said:
I did the string test on all my foals when I was breeding and it was 96% accurate on 200+ horses. It is very important that you measure accurately though; I find a lot of people are not sure where they are to measure. It is from the ergot on the front leg to the point of the elbow, and flip up from there to above the wither - that's the estimated final height. And some, especially the big ones, can keep growing until they are 8.
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That's the way I did it, so should be relatively accurate, I think. I found a very useful illustration that made it nice and easy to follow exactly where I should be measuring from and to :)
 
I think when I did it on my mare years ago (she’s now 7) it estimated she’d be 16hh and she turned out to be just shy of 16.2hh. It was an okay indicator but I wouldn’t invest my hopes and dreams into it by any means
 
Some friends bought a youngster and were told he'd make 16h. I did the string test and said nearer 18. They sold him to us when he got to 17, and he finished just under the 18.
 
Mine said 17"2 at 4 but having read Cortez's post I may have measured slightly wrong! He's now 5 and 16"2 (possibly slightly above if you squint), looks like he's got a bit of 'up' left in him and just gone a bit bum high but can't see another hand in there.
 
In the past, I've found it to be an accurate measurement. But I bought an RID yearling filly just over two years ago (coincidentally, I called her Flower), string tested her and then threw the string away. It must be stretchy or something. I was promised by the breeder that she'd finish at 16 - 16.1. She's there, and possibly over, now, at 3. But I'm not looking anymore ;)

You can practice the technique on mature horses and decide for yourself if it works. I now think its bunkum, lol
 
JJS said:
As the title says, really! Finally got around to string testing Flower today, and it puts her at dead on 16hh at maturity. Going by the 'two hands a year from one' rule, that seems to ring true to me, and it's exactly what I've always estimated her ending up at. It's a fair bit bigger than I'd have liked - somewhere between 14hh and 14.2hh would have been my ideal - but I do think she'll look rather impressive at that size and build, so no real complaints from me. Just makes it even more important that I do a good job of raising a polite and mannerly young lady as opposed to an oversized thug, I guess!

So, for those who've tried it with their own horses, how accurate have you found it?
Click to expand...

I wish I'd done this with F when he was 4. He was very leggy although only about the same height as LC (who stopped growing at 4) and is now at least a couple of inches taller and wider. I think the string test was pretty accurate with LC, but I was really really hoping he'd make 16hh and he hasn't. He's the same height as his mum was.
 
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