# How Tall Was Your Warmblood Three-Year Old?



## etrnlflame (Oct 24, 2013)

Hey everyone, I'm trying to gather the average height of a warmblood three-year-old, and what height they finished at?

I have a mare who I bought strictly because my forever horse turned out too short (15.2hh, despite string testing to 16.2hh). She's three this year (birth date is in May) and is about 15.2hh. From what I read, that seems pretty average for a warmblood who will mature 16.2hh+ (she string tests to 16.2hh).

Also, if you have any extra knowledge of twins and if their growth gets stunted from being a twin, that would help too.

Thank you!


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

By three a horse should be at 98% or more of finished height. For drafts it would be closer to 96%. A mix somewhere between the two depending on the genes they inherited. Height at any age though can be influenced by hoof growth and muscle development as well as fat layer. I'd expect closer to 15.3 or 16 at that age for a warmblood to reach 16.2 but 15.2 isn't far off and I'd say she should get close. How tall are you?


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## Kay Armstrong (Jun 28, 2015)

Have a long yearling (21 months) who I measured today at 15.3h. Not sure how big she'll be in another year, but don't think she'll be a short one.


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## etrnlflame (Oct 24, 2013)

I'm 5'6, but I already have a horse who didn't grow past 15.2hh, I can't keep another one, haha... I got the second one so that I would feel more confident getting to the 1.20m long-term.

From what I hear, three-year-olds who reach around 16.2hh often don't reach the 16hh mark until the end of the three-year-old year, so I'm hoping that because she's only JUST three she'll reach 16hh by the time she's a fully-fledged 36+ month-old.

Thank you for the feedback!


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## IndiesaurusRex (Feb 23, 2011)

Honestly, she could shoot up, but I would expect closer to 16hh.

I know Warmbloods are known as being late maturing, but in my experience, past 3 to 3 1/2, they mostly fill out, rather than go up. We bred several WBs and WBxTBs where I used to work, and most of them probably grew no more than 2-3 inches UP after three, and spent ages 3 through 6 filling out with padding and muscle, sending them from a gangly legs eleven teenager to a proper grown up horse.

There are exceptions to every rule, however. We had three foals from the same pairing, a 16.1 Trakehner stallion to a 16.2 TB mare. The oldest gelding matured to 16.1, pretty mid-weight WB type; the middle gelding ended up a 16.3 monster of a horse, all height and angles and traditional hunter/XC type, and the youngest filly was sold at 5, didn't hit taller than 15.3, little waif of a horse.


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## etrnlflame (Oct 24, 2013)

2-3" Is more than fine for me! I just need another 2, hah. I guess only time will tell.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I had a draft cross, looked at him in spring as a 3yr old and he was only 14.2h. Too small so walked away. Breeder called me in the fall, said he was looking bigger and she needed $$ so if I was interested...

I drove down to look at him again and sticked him at 15h. He was too cheap to pass up and his uncle was doing really good work so I took him home. 

As a 4yr old he was 15.2h and stayed there all year so I thought he was done. 5yr old still 15.2h. I was sure he was done. 

A friend insisted I stick him again the summer after he turned six...and he was just over 16h. Could not believe he grew that much so late!


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## Dehda01 (Jul 25, 2013)

It depends. Some lines grow very quickly and are done putting height on at 3.5-4yrs. Many lines are slower. I have had a gelding grow until he was 9!!! But he was a rare case.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

WB's tend to be rather like Irish Draught sport horses in shooting up a few inches from 3 to 5 years. I worked for someone who bred WB's and they all went up at least 2 inches in that time and they were shown 'in hand' so were in good weight
The IDSH I used to ride went from 15.2 at 3 years to 17.2 by age 5. The one I currently have did much the same as she looked like a pony on the photos I was given of her when she was younger


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## etrnlflame (Oct 24, 2013)

This is great, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts ^_^


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