Measurement question

[slv]

Today we wormed, trimmed hooves and measured our yearlings. Two of them were foaled in March and April 2008. One was 31.5 and the other was 31.75. They have been on free feed and hay since they were weaned. They have also been wormed once a month so they haven't missed a thing. My question is, do you think they will go over? Tails are nearly all the way to the ground.

Forgot to add that both dams are 33.75 and the sire is 31.75.

 

[albahurst]

Have you measured their canon bones?

Peggy

 

[Riverdance]

Tails all the way to the ground is an old wives tale. Not a way to measure if the horse is almost finished growing.

As for the height of your yearlings. You will have to wait and see. As long as they are 32" and under for the year, they should be fine. Many Mini's grow very fast their first year, then all of the sudden stop growing. I have one that was 34" in January of her 2nd year. she is now 5 and still 34". I have two others that were 34" this past fall as yearlings. Neither parent is over or even that close, but I expect they will go over, we will see this year.

Even when a parent is under, you have to see what its parents and grandparents are in height. Often if the ancestors are tall, it is a good chance that the resulting foal could be tall.

A 34" horse bred down from 36" and 37" is most likely to produce a tall baby, or grandbaby.