# Small Quarter horse?



## racheld90 (Dec 14, 2011)

I am not sure if this is the right place too post this:lol:

I have a 18 month old Quarter horse she is 12 hands. Her mom was 14h and her had was 14.3. She is on a round bale 24/7 and gets grain once a day. She is stalled only if it's snowing or raining. She shares her land with 5 mini donkeys, 3 mini horses and a boat load of goats!! 

I wanted a trail horse but if she dosnt at least reach 14 hands she is too small for me!! I have had her since she was 4 months so of course she will stay here even if she is too tiny too ride :wink: Are they any supplements too give her? Will she still grow? I am trying too add pics but not sure if it will work or not! lol


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## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

She is cute and yes she will still grown. She will grow until she is 5 but her main growth will happen during the next year. If she is 12 hands now she could easily make 14 2" so dont worry. Talk to your vet on the phone about feed and just make sure she is getting adequate protein for growth and do make sure she is wormed etc. Welcome to the forum!


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

You can measure her front leg and tell how tall she will get. If she has not received much protein in her diet, she could grow taller than that measurement but she will grow AT LEAST that tall.

Take a piece of cord or thin rope -- something that isn't too 'stretchy'.

Place One end on the round knobby part of her elbow (right in front of her girth).

Extend the cord down her front leg to the very center of her fetlock joint. Hold that spot carefully on the cord.

Then reverse the cord -- still holding the one end on her elbow.

The end that you are holding that was at the center of her fetlock joint should extend a good bit above her present withers.

She will grow AT LEAST that much. 

Two year olds and older horses will only grow more than that if they did not receive adequate nutrition as weanlings and yearlings.

If you doubt this method or have a question of exactly where you measure from, go out and measure all of the mature horses you can find. About 99% of them will be exactly that height when you hold the cord at the center of both the elbow and the fetlock joints. 

It works for leggy horses and short legged 'dumpy ones alike. It does NOT work for mules. I did a three year project on this and measured over 600 horses from age 1 1/2 to 6. I went back and remeasured the ones I could find. It was over 99% accurate for the ones still growing. The ones that showed they would not grow more, didn't. They were mostly well fed 2 and 3 year olds. 

I did not measure any 'minis' because they were not around back when I did this. I do not know how it works on them. I measured mostly horses that were going to mature in the 14 hand to 17 hand range. I only measured a few drafts, but it worked pretty well for them, too. It worked very well for the QHs, TBs, Arabians and other saddle horse breeds and types. 

Measure this filly and let us know how much she is supposed to grow.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I agree with the string measurement. At least it gave me almost precise height for both of my mares (although some people say string measurement is incorrect).

I doubt she'll make it tall though. Sorry. I got mine at 18 months (they were both undersize and underweight). 13'1 hands made it to 14'3, 13'2 made it to 15'1. I doubt yours will make more than 14 (if so). BUT we are all guessing here anyway... 

Very cute filly, BTW!


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

Good Luck!

I have a 17 month old Arab/Quarter horse that hasn't reached 13 hands yet. His **** was 15.3 and his Sire was 15.1. I was really hoping he'd hit 15 hands at least. I have done the string test, it shows he'll get close to it so we will see. Now it's the waiting game :> I hope I'm pleasently surprised.


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## csimkunas6 (Apr 18, 2010)

Id say do the string test as well. One that my farrier did for me was measuring from the coronet band to the middle of his knee, and how many inches that was, was how tall he was going to be. The measurement came out to 15.3in, therefore, according to the this string test theory, Rodeo will mature at 15.3hh.

At the moment, he is 20months old, 15h at the hip, and 14.2-14.3h at the withers. Good Luck! She looks like a cutie ;D


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Agreed with the test people have mentioned. There is also horses called Quarter Ponies, Quarter Horses but they are ponies, but I think your horse will get taller.


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## racheld90 (Dec 14, 2011)

I will do the test this weekend and let ya all know! I would be good with 14h! Im 5'3 and 145 lbs so she needs too grow  I have a 17.3h percheron cross, but he is not broke for anything yet lol


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## littrella (Aug 28, 2010)

Hey, maybe I'm not the only one out there with a QH pony!!!


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## racheld90 (Dec 14, 2011)

I did the test she measured too be be JUST 14.1! Im 100% ok with that hight. Now i hope its true!!


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

If you are feeding her correctly, don't worry about it too much. Indie grew 3 hands between her 2ened and 5th birthday. She was only 12 something when I got her at 2 and a half! 

So give it some time, keep on a growing diet and don't work her too hard (as to not to damage her growing body!), and I'm sure she'll reach at least another hand before she is at a riding age of three.


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## racheld90 (Dec 14, 2011)

Tianimalz said:


> If you are feeding her correctly, don't worry about it too much. Indie grew 3 hands between her 2ened and 5th birthday. She was only 12 something when I got her at 2 and a half!
> 
> So give it some time, keep on a growing diet and don't work her too hard (as to not to damage her growing body!), and I'm sure she'll reach at least another hand before she is at a riding age of three.


 







I would love for her too hit 14.3, but 14.1 is fine by me! I would really like her too be a barrel horse! Lol she needs too be worked more if anything! I just wanted her to have a nice childhood lol. She is halter trained, picks up all for feet, i can tie her anywhere, she has just started lunging and i have just got her over her fear of plastic!!


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

racheld90 said:


> I would love for her too hit 14.3, but 14.1 is fine by me! I would really like her too be a barrel horse! Lol she needs too be worked more if anything! I just wanted her to have a nice childhood lol. She is halter trained, picks up all for feet, i can tie her anywhere, she has just started lunging and i have just got her over her fear of plastic!!


It sounds like you really care for her  That makes me happy, I love seeing youngsters really prosper by having someone that understands them, and enjoys just letting them be young for a little bit! 

Be careful lunging too much, that is hard on their young joints. Keep it to a minimal, if you want to exercise her, then desensitizing training is great!! Set up little obstacle courses that you can walk her through, this is a great window to start introducing all those "scary" things she will need to be used too in life. 

And again don't worry, I can almost guarantee she will hit at LEAST 14 hands by the time she's done growing (as others have said, around the age 5.).


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## CecilliaB (Jan 21, 2010)

Have you seen these two threads? Several of us did updates on our babies growth 

Sonata was 13hh @ 11 months old. Today I measured her and to my absolute SHOCK she has hit the 15hh mark at 2 years 10 months. 

I bet your baby makes it to 14-14.2! What a cutie you have!

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/tracking-babies-growth-47772/
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/tracking-babies-growth-2-new-year-78775/


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