# Wondering if my 17.1 quarter horse will grow more



## KoraJ (Dec 18, 2014)

So I bought him back in April this year. When I bought him he was 16.3, he has now grown about an inch every 4 months becoming now a 17.1. What I'm wondering is his withers are clearly much lower than the top of his hips. Do you think he will grow more at the withers evening out or do you think it's a conformation defect? He's 8 years old so I figured he would be done by now With concerns me as I use him for barrel racing (yes I know shocking to use a 17.1 hand horse for barrels but he's proved him self winning multiple blue ribbons). Also point out any other conformation flaws I should be aware of. Also if he is still growing is there any kind of supplement I should be giving him to help him along? Keep in mind he is slightly underweight for winter so his topline is less than perfect. Full blooded quarter though, has a great grandma that's TB but that's it.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I would have thought it was very unusual for a quarter horse to grow much in height after it was 4 years old - I don't know much about them but aren't they a fairly fast maturing breed?
He's very straight hocked which wouldn't seem ideal for a barrel horse and he's long backed due to that 'jumpers bump' (possible old sacroiliac injury) he's got which could be a weakness later on in his life but if he's being successful there can't be much wrong with him


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

He doesn't look that uneven to me. Was he really high butted when you got him? The work you do with him will raise his withers a bit, if it is correct, because the shoulders are not connected by bones to the withers.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

Are you sure you are measuring correctly? He doesn't look anywhere near 17.1.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

He doesn't look 17.1 to me. Maybe it is the picture but he looks more like 15.1 to me.

Quarter horses usually grow height wise for about 7 years and then width wise until they are 10, yours looks very narrow to me... should widen out some....


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

I bought a 16hh grade paint when he was 6 years old. He was a little lean but not bad. We fed him and started trail riding. by the time he was 9 he was 17.2. Go figure.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

I know you didn't ask this but I think he could use a little more food and, if possible ,some better muscling in the front end.

I didn't think he was 17.1 either. OP can you post a picture of you standing beside him and give us your height?


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## silverxslinky (Jul 23, 2013)

Bhttp://www.horseforum.com/media/graphics/misc/carrot.pnglue said:


> I bought a 16hh grade paint when he was 6 years old. He was a little lean but not bad. We fed him and started trail riding. by the time he was 9 he was 17.2. Go figure.


How sure are you that that horse was 6? That's really quite odd.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

silverxslinky said:


> How sure are you that that horse was 6? That's really quite odd.


At the vet check we were going by his teeth and the person I bought him from I knew and trusted. Not so odd. Happens often. I grew until I was 27. Had a German Shepherd that grew until he was 7. It happens and can't be predicted.


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## KoraJ (Dec 18, 2014)

He might be on the closer end to 17 hands flat but defiantly nothing in the 16s let alone 15s but there isn't much to scale in the picture so I'll give one from the summer. Keep in mind the girl in the picture is 4'11. Like I said he is a bit underweight for what I'd like for winter so he should widen out in the spring. So do you think working out his top line would improve the uneven wither to hip issue? And glad to hear someone else has a horse that just keeps going up aswell. As for the "jumpers bump" I'm not quite familiar with that other than I know it's a hip injury. How do I fix it? Also here's his butt from summer makes me sad he's lost all his muscle tone...


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## KoraJ (Dec 18, 2014)

And LeRoy was probably 16 hands at 6 as we'll so I'd have to agree it's not too uncommon, and yes the weight is a definite must. I put him on grain recently but it's only been a week. Do you think I should add some weight gain or will the grain be enough?


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## CrossCountry (May 18, 2013)

I definitely don't think this guy is 17 hands.. 

He is so handsome, and I love his color!


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## KoraJ (Dec 18, 2014)

66 inches from the top of his withers to the ground... I was always told a hand is 4 inches... And thank you! I love it when horses sun out there always prettier in summer haha and here's another one to scale. The mare in the picture is 15 hands.


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

17 hands is 68 inches. So your horse is 16.2. 

EDIT: When you divide 66 by 4 you get 16.5 (16 and a half hands) - I think you were mentally converting 16.5 to 17.1 mistakenly.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Height aside
Are you saying that he's had a hip injury in the past?
He does have the dipped topline and set back croup of a horse that's had some injury and on both rear end pics he appears to be tilted on one side


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

jaydee, I agree. Seems a little to the side. OP, did you change his feed during the summer? I'm just curious what caused the weight loss. I don't know where you're located but here in Arizona we have a problem with sand and gravel in the gut. It can cause unexplained weight loss. Personally I don't like to add weight with grain. I'd rather use alfalfa cubes, or rice bran, or beet pulp. 

He's a good looking boy!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Yup. Horse is 17 hands.. (5'6" at the withers).


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Elana said:


> Yup. Horse is 17 hands.. (5'6" at the withers).



Sorry have to agree with shoebox on this 66" is 16.2hh
16hh is 64" +2" =16.2 
Agree KoraJ horse does look tall but not definitely not 17hh type tall. As for growing up till they are 6 yrs yes have seen.For most horses Usually it is just becoming more bodied out, but have seen them grow up too:wink:. Just sold a gelding actually that was 6 yrs old. He was big boy too told people he was 16hh as that was last measure I had taken on him in summer.Saw him everyday so never really thought he grew:-o When had him for sale had some people think he was bigger so we ended up measuring him with a real measure stick with level & he was 16.11/2 hh :wink: {just shy of 16.2}


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

I agree, he's 16.2.

How did he lose all that muscle? 

Is he being fed properly? Have you had him wormed and his teeth checked. I'd be more worried about that than him growing.


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