Saturday 14 July 2018

Estimating Pony Height


Growing a Sophie pony = slightly more expensive and labour intensive
With a 13.1hh sire and a 16hh dam, odds are Sophie should end up somewhere in the middle, but who's to say for sure...there are all sorts of examples of foals ending up shorter or taller than both their parents.  Her two full siblings are 14.2 and 14.3hh, which made me feel a little more confident she'd mature in the height range I'm hoping for.
Sophie and her momma


Sibling <3


When Sophie arrived, her vet records and import paperwork said she was 14hh at just about 2 years old. Not true. She was visibly shorter than Midge, and measuring confirmed she was closer to 13.2hh.

4 months later, she measures just over 13.3hh, and is still very leggy and a bit bum high.
Bum is noticeably quite a bit taller than Bridget's...front end, not so much, lol
The statistics say an average 24 month old horse is about 97% of it's mature height. At 24 months, Sophie was 13.2hh, so according to the averages, she'll make just about 14hh.

There's a couple of reasons I'm not sure the average statistics are going to apply in this case. She's still visibly quite immature looking, (still pretty leggy and gangly) and she's of pony and Warmblood breeding...I don't think either type are known for their speedy rate of maturity.

Her bum currently measures 14.1hh, and since both parents are built level to uphill, I'd expect she'll at least even out to that.

I did a string test today and it says she'll be 3-4 inches taller than she is now, so 14.2 to 14.3hh. I think her build is going to be on the leggier side, tho, so who really knows.

For quality control purposes, I string test measured Bridget too, and she needs to subtract 1.5 inches to be proportionate. Poor B :) I did have to laugh before I sadly informed her she's past done growing.
Sophie waiting for her vitamins this morning. Grow pony, grow! :)


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13 comments

  1. y Morgan gelding (my first horse) grew until he was 6 or so. He was 14 hands forever and by the time he was five he was butt high (mildly) and he grew toj just about 15 hands by 6. His sire was 15.2 and his mom was probably 14 on a good day. So dont worry I bet Sophie still grows a bit esp with her warmblood breeding. They take FOREVER to grow up...

    She is adorable. And Bridget of course is the queen ;) I love seeing them together.

    Grow pony grow :)

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    1. I'd love it if she made 15hh, but anything over 14 is fine...I'll just have to diet so I don't squish her, lol

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  2. I believe that warmbloods mature late so she probably will continue. Carmen was growing into her 6th year!

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    1. Bridget didn't grow at all after 4...except for in width, lol

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  3. I’ve also heard of a lot of horses that still grow at 6, tho I think some breeds (like TBs who race at age 2 or 3, for instance) have been developed into maturing faster

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    1. I'm pretty sure that average growth % chart was research with quarter horses and TBs in mind...thinking on it further, I haven't met too many other breeds who are very nearly full grown at 2!

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  4. I did the string test on Henry when he was.. hmmm like 18 months I think, and it was very accurate (but I used a different version of the string test than other people.... can send you my version if you'd like!). He was 15hh at 2 years old and he's now about 16.1hh at 6 years old, so he did the whole slow growing warmblood thing ;)

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    1. Please send me your version, I'd love to try it out! Go Henry, that's some serious growing!

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  5. Opie is five this year and has definitely shot up in height. Hopefully he's done because I kind of like him being a midget...or would at least like him to stop going through growth spurts so his freaking weight would stop bouncing all over the place with them. :P

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    1. The weight fluctuations are the worst! Sophie is going through a lanky phase again...just when I was feeling all proud of having her looking great!

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  6. Most people I've talked to have said warmbloods continue to grow until about 6 or 7.

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    1. That seems to be my experience....even the TB/Perch crosses the eventing barn I ride at breeds seem to grow into their 5th year...I'm curious now as to where that predicted height research was done!

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  7. I just want Dante to be level. haha he prefers being butt high (thankfully doesn't ride like he's a downhill wheel barrow).

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