Post by heathera on Jun 6, 2010 10:15:03 GMT -1
Here's Tola showing the shape changes a Dales filly undergoes whilst growing. I'll keep adding pictures as she continues to mature. Larger versions of all of these and heaps more can be seen in the Tola set on Flickr. Skeleton maturity rates are taken from an Equine Studies Institute article . A good image showing and naming the bones of the horse is available on the Meriam-Webster site
Twenty minutes then 6hrs old. Born after a textbook 340 day gestation at 6am. Labour from start to finish was under half an hour.
Four days old. The two bones that form her pasterns will have finished growing at the bottom but will still be growing at the top.
Three weeks
Two months
Three months
Six months
7 months and 11.5 months
14 months. The two bones that form her pasterns will now have finished growing at the top as well as the bottom so her pastern length is now set lengthwise.
Between these pictures and the next ones (15 - 19 months) the upper part of her forearm bones will have matured but they are still growing at the bottom and, at 19 months, her canon bones have finished growing and won't become any longer.
19 months and 23 months.
Between the last pictures and the next ones the active growth plates on her knee bones will have matured and her knee bones are now fully grown. At the same time the lower part of the bone that goes from her point of elbow to her point of shoulder (the humerus) will have finished growing at the bottom but is still actively growing at the top. In her back legs the bone that goes from her hock to her stifle (the tibia) will have reached maturity at the bottom but still be growing at the top. Her hip socket is mature but the rest of her pelvis won't mature until she is 5yrs old (or even more).
24 months.
2yrs 4 months
2yrs 10 months
3yrs
It is only now that the lower part of forearm bones is reaching maturity and stopping growing. During the next six months that will reach its adult length.
Her shoulder blade will also now start to reach maturity at the bottom but will continue to grow at the top.
It is also only NOW that her hock bones will start to mature. Hind limbs mature more slowly than forelimbs. The part of her tibia that joins into the stifle from below is also only now reaching maturity which I think may be why, with ponies with developmental slipping stifles they often start to grow out of it once they reach 3.5 to 4yrs of age. Her femur (which goes from her stifle to point of buttock) may still grow for up to another year yet, not maturing at either end until she is 4yrs old.
4 years
Here she is three weeks before her fourth birthday with me on her for only the third time ever.
You can see she's a little tense but she's working out how to carry her body best.
Her femurs and pelvis are now fully mature but her vertebrae that form the chain making up her spine will still grow for another year or more.
In this next one you can see how she's adopted a bit of a 'braced' and 'parked out' stance as she works out how to balance and cope with having a rider on board. She is much more grown up in her body proportions now though.
If we have a dry and bright day where I can chip the mud off I'll take some pictures over the Christmas break as it's only now, with her at 4.5yrs of age, that she's looking fully grown up and is properly level and balanced in her body.
Next to mum shots for growth rate interest
Birth - 3 weeks The two main bones that form her pastern will have
3 months - 6 months
14 months - 21 months
2.5yrs (Tola on the right) and 3 yrs (mum in the middle)
Twenty minutes then 6hrs old. Born after a textbook 340 day gestation at 6am. Labour from start to finish was under half an hour.
Four days old. The two bones that form her pasterns will have finished growing at the bottom but will still be growing at the top.
Three weeks
Two months
Three months
Six months
7 months and 11.5 months
14 months. The two bones that form her pasterns will now have finished growing at the top as well as the bottom so her pastern length is now set lengthwise.
Between these pictures and the next ones (15 - 19 months) the upper part of her forearm bones will have matured but they are still growing at the bottom and, at 19 months, her canon bones have finished growing and won't become any longer.
19 months and 23 months.
Between the last pictures and the next ones the active growth plates on her knee bones will have matured and her knee bones are now fully grown. At the same time the lower part of the bone that goes from her point of elbow to her point of shoulder (the humerus) will have finished growing at the bottom but is still actively growing at the top. In her back legs the bone that goes from her hock to her stifle (the tibia) will have reached maturity at the bottom but still be growing at the top. Her hip socket is mature but the rest of her pelvis won't mature until she is 5yrs old (or even more).
24 months.
2yrs 4 months
2yrs 10 months
3yrs
It is only now that the lower part of forearm bones is reaching maturity and stopping growing. During the next six months that will reach its adult length.
Her shoulder blade will also now start to reach maturity at the bottom but will continue to grow at the top.
It is also only NOW that her hock bones will start to mature. Hind limbs mature more slowly than forelimbs. The part of her tibia that joins into the stifle from below is also only now reaching maturity which I think may be why, with ponies with developmental slipping stifles they often start to grow out of it once they reach 3.5 to 4yrs of age. Her femur (which goes from her stifle to point of buttock) may still grow for up to another year yet, not maturing at either end until she is 4yrs old.
4 years
Here she is three weeks before her fourth birthday with me on her for only the third time ever.
You can see she's a little tense but she's working out how to carry her body best.
Her femurs and pelvis are now fully mature but her vertebrae that form the chain making up her spine will still grow for another year or more.
In this next one you can see how she's adopted a bit of a 'braced' and 'parked out' stance as she works out how to balance and cope with having a rider on board. She is much more grown up in her body proportions now though.
If we have a dry and bright day where I can chip the mud off I'll take some pictures over the Christmas break as it's only now, with her at 4.5yrs of age, that she's looking fully grown up and is properly level and balanced in her body.
Next to mum shots for growth rate interest
Birth - 3 weeks The two main bones that form her pastern will have
3 months - 6 months
14 months - 21 months
2.5yrs (Tola on the right) and 3 yrs (mum in the middle)
