I have a 2 1/2 yr old qh mare. Mom and dad were 15.1/15.2. She’s very small. She had lice as a weanling before I bought her. I heard this can stunt growth. This is my first baby so I’m nervous of how big she will get. Any insight? She’s probably just shy of 14h now. I haven’t backed her yet as I was hoping to wait for her 3 yr old year so she would be bigger
Several things can stunt the growth of a growing horse, but I don’t think lice is one of them. However, poor/no feeding, feeding the wrong thing, low quality hay or no pasture and poor management of a young horse can effect growth rate. But I’d also point out that just because both parents are 15.1+, doesn’t necessarily mean this filly will also be 15.1+.
What is her diet now? What are you feeding her? There are a number of knowledgeable folks here that rear babies and can give great advise on feeding a growing youngster.
1 Like
She’s been on juvenile feed for the past year and a half as per my nutritionist (Purina) and on all grass pasture
You’ve had her since she was a yearling then? If she was malnourished before she came to you, which if she had lice seems like a possibility (neglect/mismanagement), she may be “stunted”.
As 4LC said, she may just be smaller than her sire and dam. Are you feeding hay to supplement the pasture?
1 Like
Oh, and it is compulsory to post a photo of your filly. All threads about ponies/minis/youngsters are required to have a photo. :winkgrin:
6 Likes
Yes she gets hay daily. I got her at 9 months
Do the string test and see what that tells you.
That test relies on the proportions of horse front legs when very young and growing to what they will be once finished growing.
Put the end of a string on the point of her elbow and let it hang to the middle of her ankle.
Turn the string up, keeping the end on the point of the elbow and see where the string as measured is above her withers.
Within 1", that should be where she will end once fully mature.
We had one coming four year old gelding measured in February at the vet clinic and he was 14.3 hands.
Using the string test, it indicated he would grow another 3-4".
Vet and us didn’t believe that, he was chunky and not apt to grow much more.
What do you know, he kept growing and looking more lean and leggy and when we measured him back at the vet last of June, he was a solid 15.2 hands and still grew a bit more before ending up at 15.3" a year later.
See what the string test tells you on your filly.
Will be fun to know how much more she may grow.
As for pedigrees, you can’t always go by the parents.
Genes for height are known to jump generations easily.
She may have taken after some short grand or great-grandparent.
1 Like
I’ve never had anything close to an accurate height off a string test, so I wouldn’t put much faith in that. Height of parents is also not much to go on. Was this the first foal for that mare? They are often smaller than subsequent foals. I have full siblings that are 2 hands different in height; one is much smaller than both parents and one is much taller.
In my experience they reliably gain 3-4"from their two year old height. Ones that look very balanced and mature at that age can sometimes end up smaller than the awkward looking ones but not always. If she was 13.3 or so at 2 she will probably be 14.2-14.3 as an adult.
1 Like
I have actually had pretty good luck with string testing. Three string tests that are fun to try. 1) measure from coronet in front of leg to middle of knee soft spot. Length in inches is approximately finished height 2) most accurate string test for me- measure from point of ergot along back of leg to point of elbow. Keeping that length, pivot on elbow and measure straight up towards withers, following bend of body. Note additional inches over withers for expected height to grow still. 3) measure from back of knee to front point of shoulder. Keeping length, swivel from point of shoulder to withers, following contour of body and measure expected remaining growth.
1 Like
All my string tests, and most of my friends’ tests, have been really close if not dead on.
Roughly, add 1h to the 24 month height, if you know what that was.
2 Likes
There was a TB trainer that measured over 200 TB foals and followed most of them thru adulthood.
He said that every one came within that 1" of what the string test indicated they would be.
He was thinking that 1" difference was because some were gelded before puberty and those the joints didn’t close as early as the ones still stallions.
That extra half a year growth could possibly be one reason some geldings did grow a bit taller than they would have if still stallions around their two year when most of the long leg bones quit growing.
That was reported in a book by Tesio, but not sure he himself was the trainer that did the measuring.
That was almost 100 years ago.
Maybe today horses and their growth is more varied than the horses he was measuring then?
Thanks for this! I was wondering how to do the string tests… watch out filly here I come (she is 4 months old).
2 Likes
Every foal I have raised has either matched or exceeded the height of the parents. I have also had a few that had a major growth spurt after turning 3. I fed good hay, minimal grain and they were out 24/7 .
Hmm how late can you do the string test? Does it have to be 2 year old or before?
The string test is based on the lower leg bones being finished growing in length. This means anytime from 12 months on.
3 Likes
