How big are your 3yr olds?

[minniemouse]

Just wondered how tall your 3yr olds are/ were? Kenny is 3yrs and one month old, just measured him yesterday he was a bit fidgity but think he is just under 14hh. I am hoping he will make 14.2 do you think that is realistic?

im not sure how big his sire and dam were! He was bum high when i got him but has levelled out a lot over the last 5 weeks.

[dalesnfellfan]

I don't know about 3 year olds but I had Emerald at 6 years old and she was bum high and has grown a good inch in the last year, she leveled out and then went bum high again and leveled out again, so I should think it isn't impossible that he will make 14.2hh but others more experienced with younsters will no better than me

[valerie n scout]

Tomas only just scraped 14 hands !

[Blackshadow Dales]

I had read somewhere that Dales grow until they are 6 or 7 years old...any truth to this? Most horses around here top out at about 4...maybe 5 years old (non dales).

[tinkerdorisalison]

Jun 28, 2014 18:21:28 GMT -1 Blackshadow Dales said:

I had read somewhere that Dales grow until they are 6 or 7 years old...any truth to this? .

Correct! I wouldn't consider a dales pony at his final height until that age

[dalesnfellfan]

I was told they weren't properly mature until they were eight and could still grow until that age, especially if they had any catching up to do, I think it was Jo Ashby who told me this but I wouldn't like to swear to it.
Em was very immature when I got her at 6 in June last year, she looked more like 3, in fact a lot of 3 year olds look more chunky and mature than she did, she was advertised as 14.2hh and was in fact 13.3hh.
She had grown to 14hh by March and I measured her yesterday with my makeshift stick because I thought she looked bigger as well as more muscled when she came home and she is now a tad under 14.1hh and I think she is now a bit bum high again so she may make a full up 14.1hh yet, her back, neck and shoulder as well as her rump have really muscled up and she now has absolutely no wither. Her saddle no longer fits her and is very much too narrow, she's now in a borrowed Thorowgood until the saddler comes in 2 weeks and she has also  grown out of her 5'9'' rugs and is in 6'.

[minniemouse]

Thanks for the replies. i have been in touch with the lady who had his dad today and she said he was 14.2hh and i have now found out that his mum was 14.1hh so hopefully he will make 14.2 which is what i want him to be as i am quite tall! i have bought him 2 fly rugs both 6ft which are a bit on the big side but didnt want to have to buy new again soon !ha he is probably really a 5ft 9 as well x

[heathera]

Mine are now both 7yrs old but Tola (Dad 15.1hh and mum 13.3hh)
was 14hh and half an inch at the withers and 14.2hh on her bum on her third birthday and has topped out at 14.1 and a half at withers and 14.2hh at bum.

Merlin (both parents 14.1hh or under) was 14.3hh at the front and 14.2hh at the back when 3yrs old and is now 15.1hh at the front and 15hh at the back.

Tola stopped growing when she became sexually mature, Merlin kept going as he was gelded when 18 months old.

[Blackshadow Dales]

Is there truth to if the colt is gelded late he will grow big? Someone had told me this recently, but then someone else told me if they are gelded sooner rather than later they will grow taller...??

[heathera]

They grow taller if gelded earlier as they aren't putting energy into reproduction behaviours and biology, they can use it all for height growth.

[harveydales]

That does make sense, Heather, but Harvey was gelded late (3 1/2) and he is one of the taller dales at just over 15hh.

[heathera]

There's always exceptions