Height Question:Do you think this colt will go over 38"

[wendyluvsminis]

This is my third year of breeding minis and I have a lot to learn. I have a 37 inch mare, who when I purchased her, was bred to a 37.75-38 inch (I've seen the height posted differantly in differant places) Shetland, now registered as AMHR. The colt is now 32 inches at a week shy of 4 months. I have heard that minis acheive 75% of their height at weanling age, and 90% at yearling? Does this tend to be true? Would weanling age for that saying be 6 months? When born, the colt's legs were as long as his mommy's--so long, I have nicknamed him Spider!

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I would think he is going to go over - I worked the charts found at http://www.lilbeginnings.com/info/misc/ and I have gotten 39.02" give or take 1/2" so unless he slows down I think he would be a good candidate for ASPC. 

Hopefully he will still be an asset and still be registerable.

Good luck!

 

[wendyluvsminis]

If he does go over, he will be part of a 4H mini driving drill team, that accepts them up to 40"! He is very quiet and moves nicely. I just would love to see him at "R" shows, but either way, he will have a good, useful life!

 

[RockRiverTiff]

If he continues growing at that rate, then I would "guess" that he would go over, but there are a lot of other factors to consider. Have you measured his cannon bone? That has been the most effective height predicter for me. Some bloodlines grow differently than others, and yes there are some that get almost all their growth in by the time they are yearlings, but there are others where you will see a horse grow well into its third year. He's not exactly a freak of nature right now--AMHR's Over division accepts weanlings 32" and under (for showing)--but he's definitely pushing it. I hope he ekes under for you, but I'm glad to see that you've got a backup plan for him.

 

[Miniv]

Sounds like you are panicking? BREATHE.

Yes, minis often will grow about 90 percent of their adult height in their first full year.

There are several different height charts available........one or two good ones I think are available here on LB. Hopefully someone can link you to them. (We personally don't use them.)

Before you totally panic.......I recommend that you measure your colt's mother's cannon bone. This is the measurement from the top of hoof line to the middle of the "knee" on her leg. For measuring, you may want to use something that is bendable - not a yardstick........

Then, measure your colt's cannon bone. It the measurement is close to the same, your foal will be about the same height as his dam at maturity. Then, you can gauge if your colt will be taller or shorter from there.......

The reason for doing this? The cannon bone is supposed to never change from birth. If it's shorter than the dam's the colt will obviously be shorter than her.......taller cannon bone? Then, obviously the foal will be taller.........

Ma---

 

[wendyluvsminis]

Hay there,

Not reeeeeally panicking...But I do have two differant friends who want to buy Spider. The first one wants him for AMHR shows. The second for drill team. I am wondering at what point I could sell him as an AMHR show gelding, feeling kinda secure that he won't go over. Should I wait till next spring? Or will I probably not know until he is three, or goes over... His dam is of Boones Little Andy breeding. I don't know if that line is known for growing fast or not? And Dad is the shetland, Jesse James. Thanks for all the replies thus far! I will head out to the barn in the morning and measure cannon bones!

 

[kaykay]

I know my first ASPC/AMHR colt I bought years ago was 36" at a year so everyone said he was definitely going over 38" After that he only grew to 36.5 and hes now almost 6 years old

 

[uwharrie]

Thanks for posting how to measure. I would have measured the actual cannon bone (Mid joint to mid joint) and not included the bone below the fetlock. I see ads stating the length of the cannon on foals ( I assume to indicate how small they will be)

Before you totally panic.......I recommend that you measure your colt's mother's cannon bone. This is the measurement from the top of hoof line to the middle of the "knee" on her leg. For measuring, you may want to use something that is bendable - not a yardstick........

 

[Jill]

I don't think you'll really know until he's full grown. I've had minis, quite a few really, who have not grown hardly at all past 18mos or so. So much depends on the bloodlines and just the individual horse. I think feeding a high protein diet can also make them acheive thier full height earlier (note, I don't mean make them taller in the end, just that they get there faster). If I were to bet, I would bet he'll go over 38", but again, you won't know until he's done. He may stop early as many of mine have done.

 

[wendyluvsminis]

I don't think you'll really know until he's full grown. I've had minis, quite a few really, who have not grown hardly at all past 18mos or so. So much depends on the bloodlines and just the individual horse. I think feeding a high protein diet can also make them acheive thier full height earlier (note, I don't mean make them taller in the end, just that they get there faster). If I were to bet, I would bet he'll go over 38", but again, you won't know until he's done. He may stop early as many of mine have done.

I give my horses a "maintenance" sweet feed. 1 handful a day for non-nursing mares and everybody else. Basically to get them in off the pasture, I give them a little grain. Would a high protein feed be something like a mare & foal feed? How much would you feed a baby? And out of curiousity, what age to you wean? He's a very filled out 4 month old, but I was planning on keeping him with his Mom for another 2-4 weeks. Thanks all!

 

[Jill]

I think some grasses / pastures can be high in protein? Others here may know more about this area. Our horses are on dry lots here.

I've weaned in the past around 4mos or later. This year, we have a January and a March foal that are not weaned (and one handraised one who is). I had been sick and just let myself procrastinate on weaning since the mares were keeping in good weight. Now, I plan to do it around October 1

 

[sheltie]

Someone told me you measure the canon bone and x by 4 but I read somewhere you measure the canon bone x by 4 and add two inches. which is correct?

 

[shorthorsemom]

IMO but I think that there are some that grow quick and stop, and some that just stay tiny and some that grow and grow and grow and are late to mature and grow until they are 5. I have one boy that is still growing at 3 years old and his cannon bone was not overly long at birth, but his line of minis just seem to keep growing longer than most, he still looked like a baby in body type at 2 years old, and in this last year shot up much taller with no significant change in feeding etc. He just finally grew up. Another factor is if they are gelded before they hit puberty on the boys I was told, and I will admit the last growth spurt seemed to coincide with the year following gelding. I think those measuring factors are a good guideline, but not to go to the bank with. The big B minis seem to be great for CDE and driving and have their place too. When I went to a CDE event the competors I spoke to preferred the big B minis. If anybody had tried to guess at one year of age on my one young boy's height based on cannon bone and birth height, they would have been surprised. He does look and move classy with those beautiful long legs.

 

[Annabellarose]

My American Paint Horse gelding continued to grow well into his 6 year old year. I bought his dam bred (with him) and he has had good care and nutrition for his entire life.

 

[Margaret]

I like using the cannon bone measurement system for estimating my foals mature height when it is questionable to determine.

So far it has been pretty reliable .

Yes, take the top of the corenet band ( top of hoof) and measure the distance to the middle of the knee.

Multiply that figure X 4 and add 2.

Let us know what you come up with.

 

[wendyluvsminis]

Spider and his mother, Shania, each have a 9.5 inch cannon bone. I was told Shania is approx. 37 inches. Maybe she is 37.5. She is a rather "wild thang" and wasn't handled much prior to coming to me. I have not sticked her, as I'm not sure what the stastus of my life insurance policy is ! LOL! I had a Shetland mare who was 38 inches, and Shy was a tad smaller than her. So, Shy is smaller than the formula predicts, which would be 40 inches. Maybe one doesn't always add the extra 2 inches? Hmmm.....

 

[Margaret]

Lol, If they both have the same CB measurement then he will most likely get as big as his dam is my guess.

Maybe 38" tops once he is full grown.. Time will tell.

Looks like the CB measurment was pretty close to figuring the dams height too.

 

[wendyluvsminis]

The CB measurement was ok, but not adding the plus 2. Plus 2 would make them both 40 inches, a bit too big! The mare is bred back to my 30.5 inch stallion--it will be fun to see how small this baby will be! I should have named this colt, Controversial--she is a wild colored pinto WITH PAW PRINTS. The dad is a frame overo, and Spider is solid black with one sock! She is bred back to my pinto stallion. If she produces another solid color foal-I will be breeding her to my donkey jack from then on! Pinto foal or mule maker-that's her choice!!! Below is Spider at 1 month-haven't taken pictures lately-note his butt is up! It goes nice and flat, then up again, he grows, it's flat, and up! And Shania is below him. One would think she would throw a colored foal, when bred to an overo!

 

[Minimor]

Don't count on the foal by the 30.5" being very small--it may very well take after the mare and come out very tall!

I once bought a 36" mare that was in foal to a 30.5" stallion--a stallion that normally sired smaller foals. My mare had a colt that was very tall & leggy--I showed him as a yearling & he was kind of the talk of the show--everyone was coming over to have a look at him, because they were amazed that his little sire had such a tall son! He measured right on 36" as a yearling and was about 37.75" when I sent in his permanent papers at age 3. Mind you, he was fairly plump at that time so that would have added a bit of padding to his measurement, but even fit he'd be a tall boy!

Last fall I bought a colt that was right on 32" at weaning (4 mos.)--now as a yearling (even now as a long yearling) he is right on 36"--so I'm hoping that he's going to stay within the required height so that I can show him next year. I usually measure them a bit taller than what the show stewards get them at, so if I can get him at 36" without trying I figure he is safe!

 

[wendyluvsminis]

Don't count on the foal by the 30.5" being very small--it may very well take after the mare and come out very tall!
I once bought a 36" mare that was in foal to a 30.5" stallion--a stallion that normally sired smaller foals. My mare had a colt that was very tall & leggy--I showed him as a yearling & he was kind of the talk of the show--everyone was coming over to have a look at him, because they were amazed that his little sire had such a tall son! He measured right on 36" as a yearling and was about 37.75" when I sent in his permanent papers at age 3. Mind you, he was fairly plump at that time so that would have added a bit of padding to his measurement, but even fit he'd be a tall boy!

Last fall I bought a colt that was right on 32" at weaning (4 mos.)--now as a yearling (even now as a long yearling) he is right on 36"--so I'm hoping that he's going to stay within the required height so that I can show him next year. I usually measure them a bit taller than what the show stewards get them at, so if I can get him at 36" without trying I figure he is safe!

Sounds like you like the big ones too! I also have an experience with tall dam, little sire and the result is pretty tall. I have a 36.5 mare, who was bred to a 31 stallion and the result is a 35.5 inch 3 year old mare, that I also own. And a good friend of mine owns a 35 inch gelding, whose parents are 36 and 27 inches! Well, it will be really fun to see what happens with Shy's next foal!