So, I heard.....

[Casey0Lee]

..that Mini's don't grow much after their yearling year. True or no?

Do you guys have any good ways to project accurate height on a yearling?

I'm wondering if my guy is going to out grow his A papers.

 

[Minimor]

Not necessary true. I have had them stop at 18 months, and I've had them grow until they were 4, maybe 5 in a few cases.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Some minis don't grow much after they're yearling, some do. No hard and fast rule but it seems to be that certain lines do their growing early others take longer to reach their mature height. If you go to the LB home page I think there is a chart that gives reasonable guesstimates of the likely mature heights based on measurements at certain ages. I have a gelding that I was sure, no doubt at all, was going over because he was very near 34" at around 18months or 2 years. He is (or was last time he was measured) still legal with his A papers at 34" now that he is 6 going on 7.

 

[Casey0Lee]

I will look for the height chart. I need to measure him and see where he is at now. He is still quite a bit shorter than my mare and she is 35.25"

 

[Mona]

Here is a Growth Chart that you can follow as a rough guide to the expected maturity of your mini. http://www.lilbeginnings.com/info/misc/

 

[Debby - LB]

No not true. There are some bloodlines that do mature faster than others but a broad statement like that.. it's just not realistic, so no in my opinion it is not true. The majority of Miniature Horses will continue to grow in height past 12 months.

If you have a yearling that is already well over 30" it won't be under 34" as a 5 year old.

The growth charts are pretty darn close but careful measurement at a day or two old then add 12" will be very close to your mature height too.

One of the best measurements for me is using the back hock to the ground method. Measure it then multiply that by 2 and then add 2.. it is pretty accurate and a good way to check a yearling.

I know from experience that no estimate or written growth chart will give you any guarantee of a final height by a certain age. Also when the mature height occurs has a lot to do with care and nutrition.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

I agree that it depends on the bloodlines but also a great deal on the feeding program. If fed a high quality feed that encourages growth, generally the horse will mature faster, but not always. An example of the differences in the maturing heights and calculating them is I showed a yearling filly at 12 mos old and she measured in at 32.5" and showed that year in the over division....now as a mature mare she is an easy 33.5", measured by an official....according to that particular growth chart posted above she should have matured 36" but she just matured earlier than some. Pretty much my point is to use all the measurement tools as a source but not always fool proof. I generally use them when advertising a horse just to be safe rather than sorry, I have several that according to the charts should have gone over but didnt and some that have followed the charts perfectly, depends on the individual, the pedigree, and the feed/excersise of each individual horse

If you have a yearling that is already well over 30" it won't be under 34" as a 5 year old.

I have to question this statement considering the legal height for yearlings in both AMHA and AMHR is 32", I have trouble believing AMHA in particular would have that the legal yearling height if anything over 30" is likely to go over. We have had several 32" yearlings that have remained AMHA legal at 34" or less as mature horses.....?? Maybe was a typo but just wanted to question this since we all have different experiences with the growth of our small equines

.

 

[Debby - LB]

yeah I figured that would be questioned LOL and 2 y.o.'s can't be over 33 and well you know the max. No was not a typo. I should have specified some exceptions and/or IMO's . It really would depend on the build of the particular horse, a person can generally look at a 32" yearling and tell if it will stop at 2 more inches. I've seen many that tall too but have never personally seen one that was over 32 at 12 months but was still under 34 as a 5 year old.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

LOL... yea we have never had one at 32" (an honest 32") that has ever gone over 34" as a 5yr old. The mare that I mentioned that was over as a yearling was one of several we have had the same way, she is just my only one that I had officially measured since I hardshipped her into AMHA as a mature mare. I do know that it is not that way with all but we do feed a growth formula feed, actually specified to help with growth and maturity, and we attribute that to our early maturing horses. Until mature though, I still advertise the "over" jr horses as over horses until they are mature and they are done growing.

 

[Casey0Lee]

I measured him at roughly 30.5" last night. I forgot to look at his papers and see what month he was born tho. Darnitt. I'm thinking March, but I'm not positive. He is on a good feed (Triple Crown), daily turnout and close to free choice grass hay.

 

[Debby - LB]

I had a stallion once whose foals all matured early and they didn't grow much in height after their 2 year old year, most were done growing as 3 year olds. Reading about your growth formula I can add that I have personal experience with 4 horses who were between the ages of 6 and 11 all permanent registered at well under 34" who after I got them grew from 2 to almost 6 inches more within a year.

There were 3 mares and one stallion, the stallion grew over 3 inches in less than 4 months! he was under 32". None of them were fat, it wasn't fat that measured taller. That's why I said the mature height has a lot to do with care and nutrition, I've seen how older ones will continue to grow..or in my case start growing again. I think even if stunted or starved in prior years, they will reach what should have been their genetic height with proper care.

 

[Debby - LB]

Casey0Lee were you able to measure his legs? He is super cute!! How well conditioned is he under the hair?

 

[Casey0Lee]

Casey0Lee were you able to measure his legs? He is super cute!! How well conditioned is he under the hair?

I didn't measure legs. I forgot all about that last night. I will do that tonight. The breeder said he was the tallest foal they're ever had born there. His sire is 30.75" and dam is 32".

He is lean under the hair, but not thin. I don't like to have my young horses heavy due to joint development. I like to keep them a little lean. Well, honestly, I don't like any of them heavy lol

 

[Casey0Lee]

Foal Photo of him

 

[Casey0Lee]

Photo of him when I got him last fall:

 

[HGFarm]

Ok, on the whole, compared to their growth rate the first year, no they do not grow MUCH after their first year- not like they do from birth to 12 months. But they do still grow and mature. I also have had them stop at 18 months and some grew til they were about 3, but it was a MUCH slower growth rate than that first year.

 

[Casey0Lee]

He's grown approx 3.5" since I've had him.

 

[Mona]

I have also had MANY grow slightly at least until their 5th year. That is why I was always against the taking a permanent height for registering at 3 years of age. When I owned and raised minis, I would take a height measurement on them with each hoof trim until they were about 6 years old, and then once in awhile after that, "just because", but I did find that many would still grow slightly well after their 3rd birthday.

 

[Becky]

I have to agree that height is a combination of both genetics and diet. Horses that are well fed as youngsters grow and mature earlier than those that are not. Here, I feed mine a quality diet starting as foals as I want them to reach their height as early as genetically possible.