I’m just wondering how other people’s experience is? I’ve always heard a 2 year old is 90% of it’s final size…do you agree?
the add a hand to the 2 yo sizehas worked pretty well for me…so I would say about 17H
I think it totally depends on the horse.
I’ve had 2 year olds who never grew past that point, and I’ve had horses that sprouted up another 2-3" after age 7 (and just about everything in between).
So my answer to your post title would be, “at least 16h” :winkgrin:
(Though as less of a smart ass answer and as an average, I think that the 3-4" on top of the 2yo height probably holds true for a fair number of mine.)
I agree with PNWJumper. I had one that was 16h on her 2 year old birthday and not grow a hair taller after that. On the other hand (no pun intended 
I never used to believe the people who said they had a horse grow a full hand between 4 and 5 until I had it happen.
Generally, I’d say a hand is a decent bet. At least you don’t have to worry about hitting the magic 16h mark though
NO, at least, I say, YOU DONT DO PONIES!!! Yikes, how scary it is for us. Nothing I can add to your post, but I am sure all will be well, and sounds like a BIG horse.
I have one now who just and I mean this past week turned two and is 16 hands. Her 5 year old full sister, born on the same day ironically, is 16.3 and their sire is 17 hands. Their dam? she’s 15.1 and a tank of a WB mare. I have no doubt the 2 year old will get to 17 hands b/c each day I look at her she’s grown.
As a yearling this past winter she took at 74 inch blanket.
My two year old grew like CRAZY during his yearling year and hit 16 hands on his 2 year birth date. He has since stopped growing “up” for now. Phew! I was hoping he’d finish at 16-16.1 tops. I’m thinking when all is said and done he’ll be 16.3. Any bigger and I just won’t be comfortable riding him.
Have you tried the string test? It seems at least decently succesful predictor
I have a mare (a Bolero/ Akzent II granddaughter) who was 15.2 on a good day at age 2. I thought she’d end up around 16-16.1 if we got lucky. At the ripe old age of seven she’s closing in on 17hh!
My 2yo did that as well. She was 15.2 with big joints as a just-turned 2yo. Now she is 5 and she’s a hair off 17 hands without shoes on!
I totally agree with this. It helps to know the family history, but it really does depend on that individual horse. As a rule, I expect them to grow more if they look very unfinished at two than if they are starting to look very harmonious. But, really, you don’t know how tall they will get until they stop growing.:winkgrin:
No way you can just say “another hand”. It is helpful to look at the pedigree and see what the growth pattern is (if in a similar feeding program). I have always heard 90% as a yearling and I find that is pretty accurate.
I have a friend who stands a stallion and they definitely get most of their height in the first year and don’t grow too much more after 2.
Height is also proportional so saying a hand would not hold for both horses in the 15 or so hand range as compared to those in a bigger height range.
Also have seen horses creep up even after 3 or 4 but always creep.
“As a rule, I expect them to grow more if they look very unfinished at two than if they are starting to look very harmonious.”
This has been our most consistent experience.
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When I purchased my SWB mare as a 2 year old she was 16 hands. At 20 years old she is 16.2 1/2 hands.
