# Rate of growth in yearlings?



## nic85 (17 August 2010)

Ive just bought my 15 month old filly some rugs for winter ( we are going in prepared) I bought 6'6" and they are a touch too long at the moment.

I was wondering what the rate of growth is in yearlings? Im guessing it would depend on feeding,type of horse(as in good doer etc) and probably breeding....

My filly is Irish TB X DWB, stand approx 15hh+ now, she is 15 months old now and is a fairly good doer. she is out 24/7 and has 1 small feed a day of a handul of apple chaff and a handful of mix ( this will increase as needed and she will get hay in the winter as well as daily turnout)

So do you think she is more than capable of growing 6" in 6 months? Im just interested as she seems to be growing at a rate of knots!

Thanks!


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## Cedars (17 August 2010)

I bought my yearling a 6ft rug, shes currently standing at 5"9. Fingers crossed she'll reach it by winter.


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## nic85 (17 August 2010)

flamehead said:



			I bought my yearling a 6ft rug, shes currently standing at 5"9. Fingers crossed she'll reach it by winter.
		
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Fingers crossed!!

I tried my friends cob 6ft rug on her and that fits now.....im guessing her new ones should ( hopesfully  ) fit by winter time. (im going by Dec/Jan as thats when it got really cold last winter)


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## Cedars (17 August 2010)

Im so confused though...shes currently stood at 14.1, but everyone is telling me she's gonna make 16.2. isnt that alot of growth considering shes already a year old?


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## nic85 (17 August 2010)

flamehead said:



			Im so confused though...shes currently stood at 14.1, but everyone is telling me she's gonna make 16.2. isnt that alot of growth considering shes already a year old?
		
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It would be interesting if someone could actually answer our queries!!

My filly is 15hh+ approx now and is 15 months, she is to make 16.2hh + we have bets on for 17hh. I agree with you though, its alot of growth to do in what, 3-4 years?!


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## Maesfen (17 August 2010)

Get a piece of string.  Hold one end level with her fetlock, swing the other end facing upwards and hold that level with her elbows; then holding that by her elbows, swivel the bit from her fetlock upwards, where that points above her withers will be where she's due to finish up, give or take an inch.  Works on any breed at virtually any age and can give you a shock too because you don't expect the result you get!


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## Flash_28 (17 August 2010)

I would also be very interested in hearing answers to this. My 14 month old colt is standing at 13.2 and a half currently and I was told that he was to make around the 16hh mark. His mum is 16.2 and dad is 16.1. 

The only difference really is that he is a rescue and was very underweight and doubt that he had fed at all when I got him. I am really worried that this may affect his end height. I have had him since May and he was 13.1 when he turned up so we have gone up an inch and a half but that is it so far. I don't want to pump him full of food and then cause him problems as a result though. While you ladies are looking at 6'0 + rugs I am looking at getting diddy 5'6 rugs! He is an ISH, dad an ISH, mum a full TB so he is quite fine and would expect him to come up on a smaller side but comparing him to both your yearlings I'm now quite worried!


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## nic85 (17 August 2010)

Flash_28 said:



			I would also be very interested in hearing answers to this. My 14 month old colt is standing at 13.2 and a half currently and I was told that he was to make around the 16hh mark. His mum is 16.2 and dad is 16.1. 

The only difference really is that he is a rescue and was very underweight and doubt that he had fed at all when I got him. I am really worried that this may affect his end height. I have had him since May and he was 13.1 when he turned up so we have gone up an inch and a half but that is it so far. I don't want to pump him full of food and then cause him problems as a result though. While you ladies are looking at 6'0 + rugs I am looking at getting diddy 5'6 rugs! He is an ISH, dad an ISH, mum a full TB so he is quite fine and would expect him to come up on a smaller side but comparing him to both your yearlings I'm now quite worried!
		
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He may grow in his 2nd year what with having a better diet etc?? 

I got my filly in Feb this year and she was about 14hh....we measured her by standing next to her and marking her withers against us then using a tape messure against that mark and she has only grown to approx 14.2hh, this was may/june time I think. She has since then leveled up then gone bum high and as of yesterday leveled up again..... we dont have a messuring stick you see!

Maesfen....Ill give that a try later today and will get back to you all on that.....she has very long legs!


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## Flash_28 (17 August 2010)

Foaly is very odd as although he has grown to 13.2 and half he has yet to go bum high or level up or anything. He seems to have just gone up all at the same time. Hopefully with the right diet he will grow normally. Thanks for your help.


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## tikino (17 August 2010)

my 16 month filly is standing 15h2/3 and i expect she will make 16h3


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## Navalgem (17 August 2010)

it's a bit strange, I bred a foal from a tb mare who measured 16hh, by a 16.2 stallion. So expected foal to be 16hh+.  At a yearling he was 13.2, at 2 and half he was 14.2/3, (so expected him to mature about 15hh+ then) at 3 years however he was 16hh, he is now 16.2 and was 4 at the beginning of August.


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## nic85 (17 August 2010)

Ok, I did the string test with th help of my glamorous assistant ( my friend  )

We did it wrong first, I held the string at her fetlock joint to her elbow then we turned the string up and her 'adult height' came to 15.2h...lol shes 15hh now!!

We did it on the 2 grown up boys but form the bulb of the heel instead of the fetlock and it was alot more accurate so we went back to my filly to try again..bless she was so patient!

She is going to be the minimum of 16hh, we diod it a few times and it was approx 16.2hh  we messured her anyway and at her withers she is 15hh and at her bum she is 15.1-2hh so I would expect 16.2hh at least. hope that helps some of you


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## odd1 (17 August 2010)

my filly (17mths) is approx 15.1 and in 6' rugs i did another way to check the mature height and got 17hh  - i hope not!!


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## irish_only (17 August 2010)

Groan - I have a yearling that is about 16.1 and a bit. Anyone want a giraffe?


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## Flash_28 (17 August 2010)

I think I will have to have a go at the string test with little Foaly and see what he comes out as!


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## competitiondiva (18 August 2010)

Nic85, our youngsters sound about the same, mine is 16 months old, measures 15.1 and I bought him a 6'6 rug at the end of the winter incase he fit it (it was a bargain!! and if he didn't fit it I thought my mare might!!) anyway as it has a clip and buckle style fastening it is very flexible and will go pretty much from a large 6'3 to a 6'6.

As it happens I put my mare's rambo fly rug on him today and it fit him beautifully, it's a 6'3.

So my rug should be perfect for growth over the winter.  I was told that 6'6 was a bit big to be getting for him, but i'd rather buy a bit big than a bit small!

With regard to adult height, I said all along, my boy should make 16.2 maybe plus a bit?


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## CBFan (18 August 2010)

Put it this way. My boy was no bigger than 15hh (probably more like 14.2/3hh) at 16 months old. At 34 months old (18 months later) he is standing at 16.3hh.

I bought him a 6ft 6 rug in november and by the end of winter he still had splenty of room to grow into it so I am hoiping he will still fit in it this year but not placing any bets! It does no harm to have them a little on the large side as long as they fit round the shoulders nicely and don't slip back over the withers and obv the straps all do up ok (although even they can be knotted to make them shorter  )


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## Flash_28 (18 August 2010)

I bought my boy his 1st rug last night! A 5'6 turnout and I think that will be on the largeish side for him! ha ha He's a tiddler compared to everyone else!


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## Cedars (19 August 2010)

Used that string test thing on my yearling today.

Currently stood at 146cm (14.3).
Going to be (according to the string test!) 164cm (16.1)

However how can it work on all youngsters? Cos surely when they're foals they'll have shorter leg lengths?!


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## wonder (20 August 2010)

Oh I am going to try that as well.  It is a scary thought our yearling is standing 16.1hh his mum is 15.1hh and Dad is 16.1 what size is he going to be.  Not on a lot of hard feed either.


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## LazyS (20 August 2010)

Your question got me wondering too. I have bred two foals from the same mare and stallion - so full sister and brother. The filly was born 19th April 2008. The colt (now gelded) 29th April 2009. I am a boring person and write things down like - horses weights, heights and rug size (with dates) on the walls of my barn! It has become quite useful now (though sad!). 

I did a weigh-tape before worming this week, and noticed the yearling was 323kg which I am pleased about as he did not do well the latter part of the winter (like many others I have noticed) and has been a bit ribby with the lack of good grass this spring/summer (down south). Started him on Stud Balancer about 6 weeks ago and that has helped tremendously. 

Anyway same time last year when I still had his sister I noticed I had written her weight down at the same time of year at 290kg but she never looked poor. Her rug size in her yearling winter was 53 and it looks like this winter in the geldings yearling winter he will be 56  9 ! Also the filly was 13.2hh at 18 months, the gelding hasnt got there yet but when I measured him in July he was 13hh. The filly was a chunky beast, last time I saw her (sold her in Dec 09) but her brother looks quite long (and more like a thoroughbred). They are both American appaloosas (Sire is 15hh, dam 14.3hh). The dam has arabian and throughbred in the latter part of her pedigree (both permitted outcrosses) and these seem to be coming out in him. I am quite intrigued how two related horses could be so different (perhaps I should get a life!). But I think this goes to show that no two horses are the same!


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## Magicmadge (21 August 2010)

My 15 month old filly is just over 13 hands and in a 5.6" rain sheet now. Her mum was 12.1 new forest x, the dad we know nothing about, as  we bought the mare already in foal and she had been rescued by someone else. I'm expecting her to make about 14.2 so dad may have been around the 15hh mark. She was much bigger than we expected her to be even the vet commented on how big she was when born. I think she is beautiful, considering she was out of a fairly plain pony will post some pics later to see if anyone has any thoughts on what dad may have been.


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## Swallow00 (21 August 2010)

I disagree with any horse/pony under 3 years of age wearing rugs plus it is too dangerous for young animals wearing rugs for obvious reasons.  Let the horses grow there woolly coats and this will be suffice.


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## Cedars (21 August 2010)

Thats alright then Swallow00, I'll let her freeze to death in her field.


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## LazyS (21 August 2010)

Swallow00 said:



			I disagree with any horse/pony under 3 years of age wearing rugs plus it is too dangerous for young animals wearing rugs for obvious reasons.  Let the horses grow there woolly coats and this will be suffice.
		
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What absolute rot! I have never had a problem with a rug on a youngster. My last 5 horses I have had all from youngsters (two of which I bred) and their father was a 5 month old weanling when I got him. I have not heard of anyone else having problems (but no doubt someone will come up with a story or two now!). Buy good brand rugs, you get what you pay for, and watch the fitting and growth-rate regularly. I think having rugs on helps them accept everything else later in life. Straps around legs and belly and the weight on their backs plus the daily checking, removing, changing, taking off and putting on - all helps with the education process IMO.


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## Flash_28 (22 August 2010)

As SuenRoux I think it does help them later in life to get used to such things. When I had my ponies as yearlings they had no rugs on when growing up but then they were NF and wild, that would have far too much of a culture shock! Plus they were in a good body condition.

While Swallow may not agree with youngsters wearing rugs I would love to know what they would do in my position with Foaly who is not quite up to weight as a result of him being neglected by his previous owner. Leave him out in all weathers, skinny, underweight, miserable, cold and wet shivering off the last of the weight he does have. He needs to be out as much as possible due to a patella issue. I have no problem in admitting that I have just bought Foaly heavweight rugs with full necks for winter to give him the best possible chance of putting on or keeping to his weight this winter without having to overfeed him and cause potential growth issues. Via la rugs!


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## Cedars (23 August 2010)

Flash_28, don't you know ANYTHING?! Obviously you should let the little bugger freeze to death! A rug might eat him....

In all seriousness, I'm sure accidents do happen with little ones. But they happen with adults too. But my bigger problem is that my yearling is shivering her butt off when she gets soaked through, so like it or not Swallow00 shes going to wear a rug this winter!


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## Flash_28 (23 August 2010)

flamehead said:



			Flash_28, don't you know ANYTHING?! Obviously you should let the little bugger freeze to death! A rug might eat him....

In all seriousness, I'm sure accidents do happen with little ones. But they happen with adults too. But my bigger problem is that my yearling is shivering her butt off when she gets soaked through, so like it or not Swallow00 shes going to wear a rug this winter!
		
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I'm sorry Flamehead! I will ensure that he shivers his little butt off! Being an ISH (by ISH our of pure TB) he shouldn't have any problem learning how to shiver!

Accidents will always happen with anything. But sorry to say I am still a firm member of Viva la rugs clan!


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## MillionDollar (23 August 2010)

My WB filly is 15.1-2 at 14 months old. Her dam was 16hh and sire 17.2, so could be anything, but I'm thinking around 16.3


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