# How tall will he top out at?



## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Wow...

Either he’s growing again or I’m seeing things... I see my boy almost every day, so he always looks to be on the shorter side to me, even though he’s 15.2 hands at three and a half years old.

Anyway, he never looks taller unless he’s growing again, and I think he is... though he’s not all rangy-looking (legs look too long, neck too short, bum too high, etcetera...) like he usually is when he starts shooting up in height. If anything, he looks more mature and more like a ‘horse’ now and less like a gelding-colt. 

I’m 5”7, so I’m hoping he grows another few inches... His sire is only 15 hands, and his dam is 15.1 hands, but his grandsire on his sires side is almost 17 hands, his grandsire on his dams side was 16.2 hands (I think), his granddam on his dams side was 15.3 hands, and I can’t remember how tall his granddam on his sires side was... Most of his sires get have been between 15.2 and 16.2 hands... his half-brother (who is four and a half) is just a few centimeters shy of 16 hands and thick! The only thing I really don’t like about how my boy is growing is the fact that he’s slim with kinda high withers... like the ‘stereotypical Walker’ (and also like his grandsire on his sires side... not skinny, just tall and slim with prominent withers). I just don’t get it... my boy’s dam could be mistaken for a Quarterhorse when she’s muscled up well (she has been mistaken for one, along with TB-cross, Warmblood, Standardbred, and a few other breeds) and his sire is pretty thick...

I’ll get off my... whatever I’m on... and post pics now... My great grandmother (standing next to my boy in one of the pics) is five feet two inches.

My boy, Dakota














































Dakota’s sire, Bear (age 24)




























Dakota’s dam, Gypsie (age 15)



















Dakota’s grandsire on his sire’s side, Mac (age... in his 30’s)










Dakota’s half-brother through his sire, Sugar Bear (age 4)










I don’t have any pics of his granddams or other grandsire... they’re all dead. I don’t remember much about his granddam on his sires side, either... I wasn’t really into horses a whole lot back when she died. I never met my mares sire and dam, I just know their names (Ramrod Gem & Moonlight Bay), registries (TWHBEA & RHA, though both were Tennessee Walkers), color (chestnut with a hind sock and a blaze & bay roan with no markings), and heights (as mentioned before, 16.2 hands & 15.3 hands).

Every horse on Dakota’s sires side are TWHBEA registered.


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## MaloreyAnimal (Oct 25, 2009)

Quite the lovely family! I'm no help with what you're wondering though.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

You gotta remember that he is still a youngster. Koda took a growth spurt and shot up another 2 inches after I started riding him as a 5 year old. Denny got thicker every year up until he was about 8 or 9. Most horses won't completely stop growing in some form or another (the skeleton stops growing before they stop bulking up on muscle) until they are around 6 or 7 years old. Some grow longer and others reach their full potential younger. He still has plenty of time to get both taller and thicker. His general confo could still change a bit too.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I know... I really, really hope so, too. I want him at least as thick as his sire and a little taller... Lol. I guess this post was really to show off my boy (again, XD) and kinda ''rant-in-a-good-way'' a little about how he's getting taller again yet is staying slim, so he looks kinda... funky... and mature.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

one lady at my barn does the string test...i guess its really accurate...anyone know how ?


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## Appy Luvr (Mar 16, 2009)

My neighbor who has owned/raised/trained horses for the past 75 yrs says they will grow until they are 8 or so.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I've done the string test with my boy and with our two year old filly... it said my boy would grow to be 16.1 hands and the filly would only get to be 14.2 hands (and the filly is already at that height, I think)... so I don't really set much store by it.

I've always head that horses grow upwards (height) until they're 5 and outwards (bulk) until they're 7.


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## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

handsome boy. and nice looking relaives lol. It wouldnt suprise me if he got taller and thicker. He might reach 15.2 or taller, who knows.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Lol... he's already 15.2 hands.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Britt said:


> I've done the string test with my boy and with our two year old filly... it said my boy would grow to be 16.1 hands and the filly would only get to be 14.2 hands (and the filly is already at that height, I think)... so I don't really set much store by it.
> 
> I've always head that horses grow upwards (height) until they're 5 and outwards (bulk) until they're 7.


i dont think we are talking about the same thing....the one im thinking of doesnt give a number. you measure somewhere on their leg, then you hold it from their shoulder area up & see how tall they will get to. im just not sure of the details !


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Yeah... apparently we aren't talking about the same thing. The only string test I know of and have ever heard of is the one where you measure from the back of the hoof to the middle of the knee, see how many inches it is, and then multiply it by four and that's supposed to be the mature height for the horse.

I know people who've done it and their horses/s ended up right on the height it 'said' they would mature to be, but I just don't really believe in it...

But yeah, apparently we were talking about different things with the same name.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Britt said:


> Yeah... apparently we aren't talking about the same thing. The only string test I know of and have ever heard of is the one where you measure from the back of the hoof to the middle of the knee, see how many inches it is, and then multiply it by four and that's supposed to be the mature height for the horse.
> 
> I know people who've done it and their horses/s ended up right on the height it 'said' they would mature to be, but I just don't really believe in it...
> 
> But yeah, apparently we were talking about different things with the same name.


weird ! maybe i will try that with my horse anyways


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## Annaland13 (Oct 28, 2009)

Horses grow until they are 9. He's going to get taller, if he's lucky he'll get to 16h.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I;ve never heard that, like I said, I've always heard until 7 out here, from everyone who owns/breeds/trains horses/owns tack stores/feed stores, and even from the vets...

I hope he gets 16 hands... it's my dream to own a tall horse... My best friend owns a 15.2 hand Quarterhorse who looks much bigger than he is because he's so bulky, and another friend owns a 15.3 hand Quarterhorse who looks much smaller than she is because she's so thin, and another friend owns a 16.1 hand TB that I really like, but he looks kinda funky, like he is two horses put into one... I hope if my boy makes it big, he looks properly put together and isn't thin or a tank. Lol.


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## danastark (Jul 17, 2008)

I did the string test on my guy-fetlock to elbow, the keep the end at the elbow and rotate the fetlock end up over the withers and supposedly that is how tall the horse will be. Forgot to keep track of the original guesstimate!! But, what did work for me was where you measure in inches from the dent in the front of the knee to the coronet band. That in inches is supposedly how tall your horse will get, 17 inches, 17 hds, etc. My guy measured 18 inches and he's basically 18 hds now. Your boy is a cutie


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