Youngsters - knowing their approx height.

[Dee1]

advice please - when looking at a youngster to buy does anyone have any advice on making their approx final height? Mainly for cobs, cob x’s, welsh ones and Welsh x’s, heavier breeds etc. For example if some are around 2year old and current around 14hh / 14.2. Will they reach around the 16hh mark that their parents are?
Aware that cobs etc can take longer to become their final height but is there any guidelines to roughly use that can help know that they will get to their predicted final height?
Interested in some ones that are around 2year old, current height 14hh - 14.3 will they reach at least 15.2?
Any advise, guidelines etc that helps know their possible full height when fully grown
Thankyou

 

[Barton Bounty]

I dont have much experience with cobs, my friends little cob I broke for her, had really matured to his full size by 3.5 and has only beefed out, not any bigger in height.

My own tb, i bought as a 3.5 year old in October and he has grown a whole hand he is now 17.1 and he is the biggest out of all his parentage. With more to grow, Im not sure if height will be one of them.

 

[Goldie's mum]

Frankly if you can't manage without 16hh then it will always be a risk buying a youngster.

To begin with, a lot of horses (of all ages) are smaller than their advertised current height. Quite often as much as a whole hand shorter. Never buy unseen. Buy a stick & take it with you.

And then there's the randomness of genetics that means you can't rely on knowing the parents' heights (even if seller is honest about that). My friends 13hh cob had a foal that grew to 16.1 but it works the other way too.

You can estimate by using the string test (good videos on you-tube) but bear in mind it's less reliable with cobs and cross-breeds because it relies on the proportion of legs to body, which isn't standard.

Good luck!

 

[I'm Dun]

Yup, string test, but a good rough guess is two hands from a yearling, one hand from a two year old.