Posted 2008-05-17 9:59 AM (#84119) Subject: Growing after 4?
Regular
Posts: 74 Location: IN
Hi, how much taller do quarter horses grow after they turn 4? Is another inch a possibility? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but thanks for any input!
Posted 2008-05-17 10:16 PM (#84145 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
Most growth plates in the legs have sealed over by 4. So you are not going to see any growth in the length of the legs after this happens.
But horse can build muscle and put weight on their body after 4. I have a 5 year old MFT that has grown at elast an inch in this last year. but I'm pretty sure it has all come from muscling up as I 've started to work him. He has just filled out. If your particular horse is on the thin side as a 4 year. A late bloomer lets say. You may see some growth as he fills in.
Posted 2008-05-19 8:39 PM (#84255 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Dunagain, you can have a vet or your farrier feel the knees. If they are closed I'd say you are at or very near your max height on that QH. Any really experienced horse person can do this for you but vets and farriers deal with legs and feet so often usually they can tell you anything you'd need to know with a quick glance.
Posted 2008-05-22 12:10 AM (#84435 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 610 Location: Northern CA
I bought a Standardbred mare at the age of 3. She was 15.3h. at 4, she had another growth spurt. I measured her at 6 years at 16.1h now. I "pray" for her to not grow any taller! I am only 5'2"!!!!
Posted 2008-05-22 7:06 AM (#84442 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
We have a Throughbred she stopped growing last year at 17 hands, we also have a paint he is still growing - he is 5 years. We thought he would be on the small size but we were wrong. We now are considering at 15, 15.5 hands - you can go by the mother and the father sometimes. We have not seen his parents so we keep guessing.
Posted 2008-05-23 8:03 AM (#84544 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350 Location: Newton, NJ
A short time ago, someone posted about how to measure from the coronary band to the knee and then multiply by something and you can get a good idea of the "finished size" of your animal... sorry I can't remember the exact formula, but I know it worked for me. My Hollywood Dunnit grandson was supposed to be small - I thought maybe 14'3" or 15' - the trainer measured him as a 3 yr old and told me he would hit 15'3" or 16'. The trainer was right, he's 15'3 1/2".
I also have found that gelding will promote optimum growth in a colt.
Posted 2008-05-23 8:21 AM (#84549 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
Measure from the hairline on the cornet ban to the center of the knee(front).Soft tape or flexible metal tape.Follow contour reasonably well.The corresponding inches/tenths give you your height. We have a 2 y.o. Walking horse colt that as a yearling measured 16 to 16.1 inches.Depended on how much he moved.Just now turned 2 and he still measures 16 to 16.1 inches.By using a level on his wither and measuring to the ground he is 15.1.Will he make 16 or 16.1 hands mature? I think so.We'll see.He was gelded middle of fall last year.I want him to make at least 16hhs.He is a dark dappled palomino colt.Will make a stunning trail mount.FOR SALE.
Posted 2008-05-23 9:23 AM (#84558 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Member
Posts: 28 Location: Pennsylvania
I have a QH gelding who is now 8 years old. Raised him from a baby and was hauling him everywhere in my 2H straight load. In the Spring of his 6 year old year, I loaded him up, or rather tried to load him up. He wouldn't load! This has NEVER happened - I hauled him since he was a baby. When I finally convinced him to load, I found out why. He grew that much, I couldn't hook up the butt bar! His length increased considerably between his 5th and 6th years. Went trailer shopping. Now he is loading up again, no problems. This wasn't a small trailer - I hauled his 16 hand mother in it for years. He just grew!
Posted 2008-05-26 8:14 PM (#84685 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Veteran
Posts: 164 Location: Delaware
We just had this same conversation at the League this weekend. My friend has a mare that she raised from birth. She sold the mare at 3 and got her back at 6 yrs old and 15.1H. Between 6 and 7 this mare grew to 16.1H. Both parents were under 15.2. She was in good shape when she got her back so it wasn't muscling that gave her the 4 inches. One of the members said they bought a 5 yo QH supposedly gelding. He started having issues and they found out he had retained a testicle. After he was properly gelded he shot up another hand. Mustangs are like Arabians in that they are late bloomers. They usually grow until 5-6 yrs old.
Posted 2008-05-26 8:47 PM (#84691 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 362 Location: Allegan, Michigan
Frankie, I would love to see a 15.5 hh horse! lol... couldn't resist. I think you meant. 15.2 hh (as there are only 4 inches in a hand.)
As for the question,there is no dumb question when it comes to horses, yes a horse could possibly grow another inch or two after 4 yrs of age, but probably they are pretty well done growing except for filling out.
Posted 2008-05-26 9:56 PM (#84698 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
I don't know what to say about the magazine report. I know for a fact I sent an Mare off at 3 for training. Went to visit her about 4 weeks later and like to have feel over she grew so much. To this day my wife still gives me trouble about it because I had not seem momma before we purchased her. My comment was, " she's aweful small, do ya think she'll grow?" Wife still laughs about it. She's 16.2 last time I measured 2 years ago. Don't think a leg measurement would of changed since then. Maybe I'll go remeasure next weekend for the heck of it. Got one horse "Priss" that is a steady grower. Leg measurement says 16.0 hands and she is five but she is not there yet. She has at least 1 more hand to grow. 2 good days of riding this weekend and one to rest on. Very good weekend.
Posted 2008-05-27 7:35 AM (#84718 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 376 Location: Missouri
Quote:"I read a article in EQQUS magazine that he late bloomer thing is a myth.That all horses grow at a fairly consistent rate. "
I believe the article is more of a myth. Horses grow like people. In spurts, and according to how they are fed(or not fed as the case may be).
I've seen many a horse that was under fed until they were 3+, then with proper nutrition have major growth. I have a, just turned 3 yr old, that was under fed until we got him. Last winter he grow 3 1/2 inches(from Oct to Feb)
Posted 2008-05-27 8:03 AM (#84720 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
Spooler.Priss was almost or was 15hhs when you bought her how many years ago.Nickers was a tad shorter.The only growth spurts I have seen in the horses I've owned and raised including Walkers,Arabs,Qtrs is in width and weight.But by age 4 99% of the height is in place.This includes some that never were fed anything but pasture after weaned.
Posted 2008-05-27 5:36 PM (#84768 - in reply to #84720) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
Originally written by hounddog on 2008-05-27 12:03 PM
Spooler.Priss was almost or was 15hhs when you bought her how many years ago.Nickers was a tad shorter.The only growth spurts I have seen in the horses I've owned and raised including Walkers,Arabs,Qtrs is in width and weight.But by age 4 99% of the height is in place.This includes some that never were fed anything but pasture after weaned.
You may be right. As you know I have one big galute Walker mare. She could be throwing me off as far as comparison. My leg mesurement said 16.2 hands and I was conservative. You got me wondering if I measured right. I am 5'9" and my eyes are about level with the top of her withers. Kinda hard to judge with her around.
Posted 2008-05-31 11:00 PM (#84954 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
Well, I remeasured leg measurements today several times. Big mare is 16.2 hands and younger is 16.0 hands. Checked the wifes gelding and he is 16.0 hands. Younger mare still has a ways to go or she is flat out not gonna get there. Oh well, makes no difference to me if she makes that height or not. She's a good horse.
Posted 2008-06-01 8:29 AM (#84964 - in reply to #84119) Subject: RE: Growing after 4?
Veteran
Posts: 192 Location: Hutto, TX
I did that measurement on a young colt a few years ago and blew it off because he was supposed to reach 17.2 hh or so and both parents were 16.2 or 3. Well, he is 17.2 hh as an adult. The colt I have now, parents 16.2/3 hh is supposed to be 16 hh or maybe 16.1. hope so, but we will see. It's probably a pretty close estimate assuming that the bone ratios are close to average. But, like people, they are not all average. I have very short lower leg bones in comparison to the rest of me. Maybe Quarter Horses are like that sometimes (shorter canon bones) and end up shorter than the measurement would suggest? But, my QH gelding grew (mostly chest and shoulder muscle) through his sixth year. It was like a late growth spurt.
Growing after 4?
