When do horses stop growing?

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Raych

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Just wondering, at what age do horses stop growing?
I know it varies from horse to horse, But what age do horses stop growing and filling out?


Thanks in advance :) xx


PS: if there was a a 4yo 14.2hh gelding? How tall do you reckon he would grow?
 
depends on loads of factors...

The start the horse has had, breed etc etc

If the horse looks filled out and isn't bum high then it probably won't grow.
 
No, you are wrong. The equine skeleton stops growing when the horse is 6 years old. This is when the last of the growth plates on the bones fuse. This happens at the same age regardless of the sex or breed of horse.
 
It depends whether you mean visually stop growing, or actually. Faracat is right that horses don't actually stop growing until around 6-7 whatever the size, breed etc. Some breeds have been bred to look fully grown earlier though (e.g. quarter horses) so they stop getting taller and filling out at a younger age.

Take a look at this: http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf (if your not interested in racing, the most interesting stuff starts at page 6).

As galaxy23 said, if the 4yo isn't bum high and doesn't look babyish then he probably won't get much taller.
 
That's totally what I meant Laura. There are some breeds and types and other factors which means you will hardly see any height growth from the age of 4, others grow slower and keep going till later.

I know the growth plates don't fuse till 6 ish, but that doesn't mean they will grow in height up until that age.
 
I hear what people are saying about growth plates, but it just doesn't always go by the book.
I bought a 6/7 year old pony who was 12.3hh at the time of buying her, she was measured more than once and by the vet who also confirmed her age.

At age 11 I sold her, she was 13.2hh, and unrecognisable from the pony I had bought, she'd visually changed from a welsh section B type pony to a C and grown a whole 3 inches.

But generally I'd say most of the growing is done by 4, some creep up a further inch or two between 4 and 6.

My gypsey cob is 4 1/2 now and has just gone butt high, so he's obviously still growing, but he wasn't but high a few months ago, but was quite gangly when I bought him and clearly had growing to do x
 
Have heard the term "bum high" alot. in relation to growth. Please explain, is it just as it sounds. I have a 4 year heavy cob with a big bum in the air. I just thought he wasn't balanced yet.
 
Beat me to it Laura_nash. lol The Ranger piece gave me lots of food for thought when I first read it. Made me think especially of dressage horses on the continent started at two... bang, bump, bang on their backs (sitting trot.). I also wonder whether early starting of horses is a factor in kissing spine. Sorry OP I digress.
 
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