# predicting the final height of yearlings



## Gomer (8 November 2006)

hi there, 

other than looking to the mare and stallion the horse is from, how would you 'guess' what final height a yearling would be?

For a warmblood type horse to make 16hh or above as an adult, what height would you expect it to have as a minimum when it is 1 1/2 years old? (Or, in other words, how small would it need to be at 1 1/2 for you to start worrying that it won't make 16hh?!)

many thanks in advance for your opinions


----------



## Bananaman (8 November 2006)

Hmm, not sure as they can develop at different rates.

My warmblood yearling, 16months, is about 15.2h now.  Everyone teases me that he's going to be huge!

How tall/small is yours?


----------



## Gomer (8 November 2006)

I am still just looking, waiting for the right thing to come along!

I find it confusing how yearlings ranging between 14h and 15.2h all are presented as 'will mature to 16hh'....! Is it plausible that something around a year and a half, and not more than 14-14.1 will still grow that big??

I also heard a theory that the length of the leg from fetlock to elbow will be the same as that from elbow to the wither when the horse is fully grown - but in my opinion this does not seem reliable..


----------



## ticobay831 (8 November 2006)

Apparantly, if you measure from the centre of the knee to the top of the coranary(??) the measurement in inches is what the horse will make in hands. eg 15.5 is 15.2.
I have used this method on all my horses and it is bang on with all of them.
However, i have a 20 month old gelding that is about 15hh and according to his leg measurement he should make 16.2hh 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 so just have to wait and see with that one.
Debs x


----------



## Gomer (8 November 2006)

where is the coranary, is that top of the front leg? sorry, I'm a bit confused


----------



## Gomer (8 November 2006)

ahhhhh the coranary band. silly me. I was thinking shoulder area...ooops.


----------



## hati (8 November 2006)

Our yearling (May 2005) is proabably about 15.2 and a bit. Hope he makes about 16.2hh


----------



## lisaward (8 November 2006)

what age do you measure them ??
i have a foal 6 months can i do a test on her??


----------



## Gomer (8 November 2006)

I think this is only supposed to work from 1 year onwards. but according to this one of the 1 1/2 year olds I've seen won't grow any more at all and that surely cannot be right?

I've also read that on average foals at 6 months have 84% of mature height.


----------



## sorona (9 November 2006)

A yearling is supposed to be approx 90% of its final height so 90% of 16hh is about 14.2hh so i guess if your youngster is over that, then he should mature to 16hh in theory.  There are ways of measuring leg lenght to body depth etc but i cant remember it offhand.  The 90% rule seems to be working with my 2 1/2 yr olds!


----------



## Amymay (9 November 2006)

The best indicator we've found is the size of dad (in most cases anyway).  For instance:  two brood mares of 15.2hh respectively have never had offspring grow to less than 16.3/17hh - in each case dad's were large.

New broodmare of 16.3 put to 15.2 stallion - foal is going to be at least as big as mum (he's huge, and has massive knees) if not bigger.


----------



## burtie (9 November 2006)

I would be surprised if anything under 14.2 hands at 18 months would make more than 16hh, but it 's not impossible. A breeder friend of mine used to say you can add 6-8 inches onto a horse on it's first birthday and I'd say this covers 95% of young horses, matches the 90% rule too!


----------



## airedale (9 November 2006)

My yearling is 15.2 to 15.3 now at exactly 18 months old

daddy warmblood 16.3
mum 14.1 welsh PB (and her sire was a full up 15.2 with mum 12.3)

Was aiming for a 'ladies' horse about 15.3 but he's going to make full up 16hh if not more

I reckon a horse will grow another 1/2 inch or so between 4 and 5
about 1 inch between 3 and 4
and about 1 to 2 inches between 2 and 3 

esp. if there is warmblood breeding as they mature later than TB types or native X types.


----------



## EnduroGal (9 November 2006)

Well I have a filly who is 18 months old and is standing 16.2hh already! 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Mum is 17.1hh and dad is 16.1hh but the filly looks set outgrow them both by a long way! LOL!


----------



## Amymay (9 November 2006)

[ QUOTE ]
Well I have a filly who is 18 months old and is standing 16.2hh already!   

[/ QUOTE ] 
Oh S**t!!!!


----------

