String test accuracy?

[SouthernYankee]

I have a yearling filly, she’s really 11 1/2 months. She has always been mature looking body wise, is over 14 hands, and has yet to enter an awkward stage. I love how she’s put together.

The vet was out yesterday to do the spring workup and he and his helper were admiring her size and build, and mentioned that she looks more like a 2yo than a yearling. Out of curiosity I asked him how tall he thought she would mature to so he said she was old enough to do the string test, where he finds an area between her point of shoulder and elbow and measures from there down to the bottom of her fetlock, then does a 180 to her withers and says that will be her mature height.

It put her right around 15.2-15.3 hands at maturity. So she only has about 4-5" of growing left to do height wise. Both parents are 16.1 and the mare has thrown another filly that matured over 17 hands when the sire was 16.1 also. This filly is shorter than her sibling was at the same age. The mare has typically thrown tall babies (first matured over 17 hands, second was 15.3 as a 3yo and in a growth spurt when she passed) Her sire tends to throw babies true to his 16.1 hand size…

I’m now concerned that she isn’t going to be as tall as I wanted/expected. She is supposed to be my next eventer and I wanted a solid 16-16.1 hand horse, I know it isn’t very much of a difference height wise but she’s such a tank now that I feel like she needs the height to balance it all out…

Here is a pic of her at 9 1/2 months, her body type and balance hasn’t changed much since then she is just another few inches taller. If it matters her dam is a Trakehner x tb, and her sire is an appendix qh (son of Rugged Lark). The mare lets the sire strongly influence her babies and ChaCha is no exception, she could pass for a full QH easily.

So anyone have any opinions about how accurate the string test is? Am I worrying for nothing? I love everything about ChaCha and will keep her regardless of how big she is but I never thought I’d have to worry about her being short.

[Loopy]

I did it as a ‘just for fun’ experiment on a bunch of horses.

The young ones I will have to wait and see whether their final height tallies with the string test. They were all in the ball park of their expected adult heights.
On the adults, the measurements tallied with the test +/- 1", so pretty good actually.

[SouthernYankee]

Which method of string test did you do? Since there are so many different ways to do them.

[Huntin_Pony]

There are a lot of small statured horses on the stallion’s side. If, as you say, the mare produces “like” the sire, you may have less height than previously. But a tough, stout horse could be a fabulous eventer for you!

[horsetales]

I use the test that measures from the center of the knee to the coronet band. You could do that one and compare the results.

My farrier does the same one as your vet and swears he’s never seen not be within 1"

[SugarAndSpite]

Really hope its not accurate. Did my guy the other day and he tested to 18 hands. :lol: I guess it wouldn’t be the end of the world. sigh

[Loopy]

Ha yeah, one of mine came out at that, i’d rather she stopped short tbh as I’m ‘vertically challenged’ shall we say. But, I tested her a couple of ways and they agreed, and it’s not wildly more than some of her family. She was 15.1 at 14 months. I do actually hope it’s wrong in this case, but the method did seem to tally with the others I measured.

OP I did both the method you mention and horsetales method.

[Appsolute]

I did the string test on my horse when she was a youngster (weanling forward, that part of the leg really doesn’t change in length much).

When she as 6 months old, the string test from center of knee to cornet band said she would be 16.2 and 1/2.

She will be 7 years old in two weeks, and currently, she is 16.2 and 1/2 barefoot

[stoicfish]

Foal out of 17h mare by 16.3 stallion. String said 16 and a bit and that is what happened.
The knee to down is the most accurate at the younger ages.

[Texarkana]

My mare is out of a 15h mare by a 17.3h stallion! :eek: I had no idea what size she’d end up.

String test from ergot to elbow said 16.1h and measuring fetlock to knee said 16.1 1/2h. I think I did it at 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months…

It took her until she was 9 years old, but she’s now just under 16.2h.

I’d say that’s pretty accurate!!! She’s the only foal that I’ve both remembered to string tested at the appropriate times and owned long enough to know the final height!

[SugarAndSpite]

Loopy - my guys is just a hair under 15 hands at 10 months sigh. I’m 5’11", but DAG. 18hh is a little rough!

[Loopy]

5’ 11? I can only dream of being tall and willowy I’m nearly 5ft 4, lol! And I don’t care, I’m keeping her, my favourite horse for a long time this one.

Pics of your guy? Will pm you one of my girl.

[SouthernYankee]

[QUOTE=Huntin’ Pony;7471588]
There are a lot of small statured horses on the stallion’s side. If, as you say, the mare produces “like” the sire, you may have less height than previously. But a tough, stout horse could be a fabulous eventer for you![/QUOTE]

I knew the Rugged Lark line was known for being shorter than the average English horse. He was also a reiner after all… but since the mare tends to throw height I thought it would balance itself out. However I am more than willing to give up a few inches of height to get their great brains and versatility.

@horsetales;7471769

I use the test that measures from the center of the knee to the coronet band. You could do that one and compare the results.

Horsetails I did the mid knee to cornet band a few days ago and got a touch over 16", so that makes me feel better that she will be in the 15.3-16.1 range. I know 15.3 is only one inch difference from 15.2 but I’d like her to be in the 16 hand range. I’m not having my panic attack anymore, she will be perfect no matter how tall she gets. Thankfully I’m not tall and I do have short legs so I can fill out any sized horse. My ‘old faithful’ gelding is 14.1 and my new eventing mare is 15.1, I’m comfortable on horses that size but they just look so tiny next to the other horses.

Babies are so much fun, and this one has been the best yet. It’s hard waiting for her to grow up so I can start to enjoy riding her. If she keeps the same temperament she has now she’s going to be a rockstar eventer. (even if she looks like a short fat reiner )

[camohn]

First eyeball the horse if she looks average/ proportional . If So it is usually accurate + or- an inch. Now if her cannon looks proportionally short it will err on the side of too short and vice versa if she had a long cannon. That is for string test for anterior leg/ cannon.

[camohn]

And always apply common sense! I had an Arab/ wb cross colt I was selling. Had a devil of a time selling him cuz he string tested at 14.2. His Arab half stood 15.1 and the wb half much bigger . Yes Arabs can run small… But he was already 14.2 at the time/ 11 mos old! He had a very short cannon proportionally and odds were not good he would mature at 14.2 if he was already there as a coming yearling! But folks were sooo stuck on that string test it seemed to overrule common sense…,

[Ticker]

I measure the cannon bone on the front legs using the middle of the knee to the middle of the fetlock with my string. I then take the same measurement on the dam, whose height I already know. I compare the two and use that as my estimation. Youngster always falls within smaller than dam, about the same size as dam , larger than dam or MOOSE.