# 5 months old and I'm starting to worry!!



## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

Looks like he's going to be reaching 17hh+.
Very cute, what breed is he?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

He is a Belgian x Quarter Horse. I was really hoping that with his Daddy being a regular sized horse, he wouldn't get so big. I was really wanting about 16 or 16.1.  Maybe I just better get used to bigger LOL.


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

He's a lovely chunky monkey, I might have to come and steal him away. It will be interesting to see how big he gets.


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## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

He looks like the size of my 10 month old. He just graduated to a yearling halter. He's a qh mix, his daddy was about 14 something, 15 something.

Could he be growing too fast? Racehorses get fed alot of feed early on so they grown faster and are bigger so they can be raced so early.


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## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

He's a beauty... And I think he's already almost the size of my palomino lol...


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

sillybunny11486 said:


> He looks like the size of my 10 month old. He just graduated to a yearling halter. He's a qh mix, his daddy was about 14 something, 15 something.
> 
> Could he be growing too fast? Racehorses get fed alot of feed early on so they grown faster and are bigger so they can be raced so early.


 
It seems to me like he could be growing too fast, but I am not feeding him anything special. He is still with momma and he has access to the alfalfa that she is being fed but nothing else. I think maybe it seems that way to me because I have never really been around babies much; let alone half draft babies. LOL.


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## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

I would talk to your vet. Maybe you should think about weaning him soon, he'll be a horse in a few more inches.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Oh my goodness.  He's only 2 inches shorter than Lacey.   

But he's adorable! =D


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Yeah, I plan to wean him at 6 months anyway. Though I don't know how I am going to do it short of locking him in a stall, he is a little houdini. I can't even keep him in a pen of 5 foot pipe panels. LOL.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

He's freakin adorable! I love him! Gesh your a bad horse mommy though, look how fat he is!  Just kidding! But he is fat! 

He's taller then my 2yr old Registered QH gelding! LOL He doesn't look too bulky though...well I mean as in comparison to his mom.


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## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

P.S. If he ever gets to big for you...


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL. It's nice to know that he is liked and yeah, I always preferred a fat horse to a skinny one.

Don't worry sillybunny, I think he'll be okay. Though I may have a hard time roping baby calves from a 17.3 hh horse LOL, I think we'll manage. Though if I ever decide to sell, I'll let you know.


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## barnprincess (Dec 17, 2009)

wow hes gorgeous !! im a sucker for the big horses. my one tb mare is 18.1 . my other mares 16.3 its a huge adjustment when i ride them both in the same day haha i have to ride the littler one fist otherwise i feel wierd haha.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

omg he has gotten so big! i remember when he was born 

man does he have a big belly lol!


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## Cheshire (Oct 17, 2009)

Well, I'll tell you one thing -- he is a good looking little guy.


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

awwwhh! Hes so cute!


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## orin (Jul 22, 2009)

he is lovely and how quickly he has grown!!


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## stacieandtheboys (Jan 6, 2009)

I would love to see Lexi and Rafe next to one another. That would be very comical. She will be 9 months this month and is probably around 11 hh. She is on the tightest hole of a yearling halter and it is still a little big. LOL

(sorry for the bad pic, taken with my phone and she was standing funky)


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## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

o my gosh he is so big already! he is super cute.


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

He is SO cute! Such a fuzzy creature! Lol, he is going to be stunning! Id say I'm going to steal him, but I cant, coz Im in South Africa  lol


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## EveningShadows (May 18, 2009)

Oh my freaking GAWD!!! He's massive!!! I can't believe he fits a horse halter already...I have some adult horses that look silly in a horse sized halter! Thinking about switching her back to a yearling one...

Honestly though, I wouldn't get too worried yet...if he's 16hh as a yearling, then maybe yeah have a vet out. My Clydie cross filly was hovering around 14.3 - 15.1 as a yearling. Being new to the breed makes it a little less expected too! How tall is his dam?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I haven't sticked her but I would say that she hovers somewhere around 17.2.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

He'll be way too big to use. Why don't you just send him to me and I'll take him off your hands. Just cause I'm that kinda nice guy.

I don't think he is growing too fast for his breed. Belgians have a large head anyway. Even if he was growing too fast there's not a hell of a lot you can do about it so wean him and watch him grow. Think of him as a very large Chia Pet.


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

If he gets too big for you, I'd be more than happy to take that cutie off of your hands.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Not sure how true it is but it seems to me the foal traits always go the opposite way you want them too ;-) Big mom little dad, you want a little horse, its going to be a monster :lol:
Maybe you need to start him in harness


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

If he is big enough, he may end up matched with Bessie if John outgrows her.

That's so sweet of you Kevin, but I think we'll get by. A very large chia pet indeed, you should see his winter woolies. LOL


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

:shock: he's a tank :shock: what is his cross again? he is going to be beast. Look at the knees on that think, that muscle he has already, waw! 

you've got a good sized beasty on your hands!


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## savvylover112 (Jul 17, 2009)

Ok I will fly over to you and take him off your hands if you think he is too big for you lol


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

M2G, his momma is a Belgian and his daddy is a King Fritz/Doc Quixote quarter horse. LOL.

Savvy, you will have to fight me for him. ;p


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## savvylover112 (Jul 17, 2009)

I will bring my crazy mare and she will attack till I can have him lol oh and my cute pony Patch I will bring him to distract you while you go awww look at him then I will steal him lol Master plan


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

ROLMAO!! Good luck. I may counter with Dobe my attack pony, then distract you with a cute fluffy puppy before stealing your horses . HA-HA-HA-HA!


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## savvylover112 (Jul 17, 2009)

But this will keep you too distracted to counter attack


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Aww, what fuzzy little legs. They look like fur covered fence posts! All his hair covers up the shape LOL. I have to admit, he is darling .


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## savvylover112 (Jul 17, 2009)

Yes a picture has succeeded in making you go aww the real thing will make you drool then you will try to steal him while I steal yours and he will bite you lol he is a brat


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

That's okay, we will have a 1 for 1 exchange as far as nippy brats go. Rafe will chew on anything he can get in his mouth. He grabbed my braid the other day while I was filling the tank LOL. Stinker.


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## savvylover112 (Jul 17, 2009)

Lol eventually you will want rid of him lol He is hard to keep has had laminitis three times just not fun to look after lol I want to teach him how to neck rein  and I want to get a western saddle for him  and learn western riding


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## 3neighs (Jul 15, 2008)

That is one big boy! He reminds me so much of Luna when she was a foal. She's supposed to be haflinger/standarbred, but I'm convinced she has belgian in her somewhere. 










I love seeing pics of your horses. Big John and Dobe are my favorites.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Aw, thank you 3neighs. That means a lot. Luna is adorable. I see she had the big head thing going too LOL.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

If you already think he is too big, maybe you could hold off on gelding him. The testosterone will keep him from shooting up there and becoming too tall, though he would become a lot more massive if left uncut... So you are looking at super tall or a shorter tank lmbo... not much hope eh?

I love him, he is a doll.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I can't decide. I would like him to be muscular but not bulky. But, he is already developing a cresty neck so I don't want to wait too long to get him cut. But I guess he will be quicker on his feet if he isn't so bulky.......hopefully.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Well, if you can't use him you can send him my way  Haha


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

My sixteen month old is still too little for her yearling halter, lol. I put Ricci's full size halter on Gracie, just for kicks, and it fell off. 

He is ridiculously adorable. I just love your horses, smrobs, I think you should make yourself a photo diary of them. =]


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## RusticWildFire (Jul 6, 2008)

Wow, he sure is beautiful! I'm a little bit jealous . I love big horses, and he's adorable!


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## ilovemyPhillip (Apr 4, 2009)

_Whoa. Rename him Hank The Tank. Jeez, He's as big as my pony! Bigger than the Mare! Jeez !! lol_


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## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

> My sixteen month old is still too little for her yearling halter, lol. I put Ricci's full size halter on Gracie, just for kicks, and it fell off.


OMG. Thats funny. My mare can wear a yearling halter now (11 y/o), she must have been a small baby. My weanling is in a yearling halter now, he could probably fit at 7 or 8 months, but I didnt have a chance to get one till now, hes 10 months. I'm really hoping he'll stay cob sized in the face so I dont have to buy a whole new set of tack.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

sillybunny11486 said:


> OMG. Thats funny. My mare can wear a yearling halter now (11 y/o), she must have been a small baby. My weanling is in a yearling halter now, he could probably fit at 7 or 8 months, but I didnt have a chance to get one till now, hes 10 months. I'm really hoping he'll stay cob sized in the face so I dont have to buy a whole new set of tack.


Ha. My friend has a 9 year old Arab/Welsh mix, she's 13.2hh and wears a yearling fly mask, and can fit quite comfortably in my yearling halter.

And if it makes you feel better, my bridle is cob-sized, and I punched a few... well... like five holes in it and it fits my full-sized mare who *almost* fits in warmblood sized tack. =]


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## danastark (Jul 17, 2008)

My PMU gelding was 14.3 at 11 mos. and he has turned out just fine, well, he's about 18 hds. but no OCD joint issues or anything like that. I would assume he was about as tall as Rafe at about the same age. Not quite sure how much draft he has in him but he's at least 1/2, if not more. I have a picture of him at 6 mos. and his legs are as long as his mother's, don't know how tall she was. He was on green pasture in Canada and alfalfa once he was brought to the states. Just get a good start on your ground manners 'cause once they get bigger.......... No, my draftie is a sweetie  Rafe is a doll


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Oh, yeah. Ground manners are a must. He already picks up his feet and holds them like a champ while ground tied. He leads pretty good and I spent some time working with him a month or so ago about stopping when I stop and not walking over the top of me and now he is good about that too. Big horses with crappy ground manners are very intimidating and dangerous and I'm not trying to have him act like that.


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