minimum height for Dutch mare

[rodawn]

[QUOTE=Royal Monaco;6050127]
Your Dauphin mare is stunning. Congratulation.

My mare was 15h2 at 3.5 y.o and now she is almost 16h1 at 4.5 y.o. She is a bit too tall for my taste. I would have loved her to top at 15h3.

They can mature really slowly.[/QUOTE]

I would agree. I was rather shocked and surprised that my Han/TB gelding decided to throw another 1/2 in height in his 7-year-old year. I had him officially measured by the vet for his passport as a 6 year old at 16.2 1/2 done when he was freshly trimmed/shod. His saddle and bridle both stopped fitting in the latter of his 6-year-old and rising 7th year, so I had him re-measured the same day the farrier trimmed and shod him and… 16.3 and a wee bit so we rounded down to plain 16.3. I think it was wither height, not length through the leg. For a boy everyone thought would top out at refined 16.1 and thus a good size for me - grew into a burly 16.3 hand 1600 pound mass of solid muscle and bone, and much too big for me. Thankfully, his rideability was good.

[Oakstable]

I posted a photo of my petite Dutch filly in my blog. This is her at age 3, 15.1H.

[Dune]

@Oakstable;6050933

I posted a photo of my petite Dutch filly in my blog. This is her at age 3, 15.1H.

All the girls are gorgeous and I’d take any one of them, but wow what a face on this one!!! Wanna trade for a fancy, well-trained large pony mare? :winkgrin: Very pretty!!! :yes:

[buschkn]

I recently sold an Indoctro x Nimmerdor KWPN mare. I bought her as a yearling at 15-15.1h. When I sold her this fall at 5yo, she was 15.2h. I didn’t ever have her inspected because I didn’t intend to breed her. I imagine her new owner will though.

Judy, BEAUTIFUL mare, btw!

[CrotchetyDQ]

Do not underestimate the later growth. I bought a 15.3 4yo gelding many years ago who finished out at 16.3! You might not get that big of a growth spurt, but I bet you get another inch or two.

[Dutch_Lovin_Dressage]

Genetics can be a crap shoot. My 15.2 studbook mare and her 15.3 full sibling brother have 16.1 and 16.3 parents. Both stopped growing taller at 4 and are now turning 7 and 8.

Next year bred same 16.1 mare to different 16.3 stallion. Result is turning 6 last measured 16.3 weighing over 1500.

Next year used 3rd 16.3 stallion on 16.1 mare. Result tested to finish 18.1, was 16.3 at 18 months.
Same 3rd 16.3 stallion also produced 15.2 and 16.3 on 15.2 and 16.3 mares. Both are turning 4. 15.2 tested to 15.3. 16.3 tested to 17.2.

The size of the hooves when young can often help indicate if horse will grow to be big or small. The ones I’ve had with huge feet grew to be huge horses. The ones with tiny feet became tiny horses. All turned out proportional thankfully.

[Oakstable]

Interesting observation about the feet. My little girl has smallish feet and her mom has big platters.

[Dune]

Kinda like puppies? :lol:

[Oakstable]

My little girl is bred similarly to this stallion.

http://www.hanshorn.nl/nl/hengsten/ustinov/video/

Ustinov has 5 sons in the second round of the stallion testing.