# Update of my downhill, 'fugly' yearling



## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

SQUEE 

He looks like he'll make a nice 15hh mule xD


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

DuffyDuck said:


> SQUEE
> 
> He looks like he'll make a nice 15hh mule xD


I'm shaking my fist at you from across the ocean miss!!! I swear he is growing... a bit... or maybe he's like a see-saw, just goes up and down between his rump and withers but never actually gets any taller :lol:
Poor little guy, his friesian friend is 19 months old now and at least 15.3hh, he is huge as it is, but makes Billy look even tinier, all 14.3hh at 14 months of him


----------



## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Hehehe, its just so easy!

He's really filling out now! How long have you had him now???


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Hahaha oh dear this is not good, you've found my weakness already :O If he goes under 16hh I will be devastated!!!!

He is filling out though, and he is still like an old man to work with, just goes 'yeah yeah mum I already know that one'. We learnt how to walk forward to a tap of a dressage whip today. Big step forward from the baby bum rope, though not that he's used that since he was a weanling, he leads so well off the halter anyway! Taped him a couple of times on the first attempt, then twice on second attempt and every time thereafter he walked off as soon as I pointed the whip at his bum, and stopped as soon as I asked him to. Such a smart little cookie!

I've had him since July, but he's only been living close to home for 2 months


----------



## csimkunas6 (Apr 18, 2010)

I think he looks adorable! Def butt high, but if you've seen pics of my yearling, I have no room to talk. Love the shine on him too!!


----------



## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

Awww!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Definately in that funky stage! But I see lots of potential, dispite the wonkey see-saw look xD Beautiful head, and one sexy butt! ;D if you ever decide he's too ugly and short for you I'd be glad to take hiim off your hands...  as a favor, ofcourse.


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Endiku said:


> Beautiful head, and one sexy butt! e.


Just a shame they don't look like they belong on the same horse:hug:

I swear that every youngster should come with a paper bag so you can make them live in it until they achieve their potential.

He's a handsome boy really, I'll send you growth spurt wishes for 2012


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Poor little guy, I hope he evens out again soon or he'll keep falling on his face! His movement looks horrible at the moment, seeing him trot our, he's just so wonky looking with that big butt, I had to go back to his weanling video to remember that he CAN move when he's in proportion 

He may be wonky at the moment, but at least he's got a coat that a showie would be proud of!! 

Endiku, if he doesn't go 16hh, or VERY close to 16hh - I might have to send him your way... though on second thoughts, he is such a super cool yearling that I think I'm going to have too much fun and get too attached to him to let him go. Will just have to cope with a shorty like me!


----------



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

What a cutie!! My minis are going through the awkward yearling phase too right now. I can't share any pictures as they're both under the paper bag for now....;-)


----------



## HorseLovinLady (Jul 18, 2011)

He's lookin good!!


----------



## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Curse the funky stage! I always hated showing in yearling halter classes. No matter how catty wompus the others are, from the point of a critical mother, mine always looked worse D:

He's looking great! Much better than my baby right now.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Billy has the cutest face I have ever seen. That shot of him looking back at the camera . . . might have to paint it.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Photo's are only coming out at the moment because he's got such a lovely summer coat  Once we get to winter next year, you won't see him for 6 months haha!

Tiny, I have so many photo's of him with that expression, let me know if you want any and I can email some through to you if you want to have a play around if you get any time. I'm keen to draw him myself, just don't want a make a botch job of my own horse!


----------



## horse lover 114 (Jul 5, 2011)

Your pony is soo cute Don't give up this little bump in the road will get better... Don't you worry!


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Uh oh don't call him a pony  We're trying to send growing vibes to him 'horse lover 114'.... please send 16hh+ vibes his way  Sire is a whisker off 17hh, dam is 16.1hh but maiden and he's pretty little!!! 

Well once his wither evens out with his quarters again, he'll be over 15hh as a yearling, promising so far!


I can put these up because his big bum is covered - put his first rug on today. Worst he did was try to eat it. What a wild yearling he is 




























Rolkur! Someone call the activists, he knows he's destined to be a dressage horse so getting practice in early, after all, we all train with rolkur


----------



## horse lover 114 (Jul 5, 2011)

Well sry.. He's a beautiful 16hh horse!!


----------



## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

You should see my QH yearling. She is sooooo butt-high. I wish she would make 16 HH but her dam's genetics say otherwise. She was the size of a weanling at 1 during the summer.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

jumanji321 said:


> You should see my QH yearling. She is sooooo butt-high. I wish she would make 16 HH but her dam's genetics say otherwise. She was the size of a weanling at 1 during the summer.


Poor thing, I know how she feels, being the short one!
At least she can get away with being short a little more than my boy, QH's are allowed to be a bit shorter, Hano's are meant to be tall, leggy beasties!


----------



## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Ahh rolkur!! Ur in trouble Missy! Let's hope her evens out! Fingers crossed XXXX


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Yeah I thought I'd start strapping his head to his chest from a young age, you know, to build flexibility and all  
He'll even out eventually, he's like a see-saw at the moment, bum high, then uphill, then even, then bum high, then even... I can't keep up! He's got another few years of growth left in him though, lots of ugly phases to come yet


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Kayty said:


> Uh oh don't call him a pony  We're trying to send growing vibes to him


LOL, pony is just a term of endearment, as I keep telling Benjamin Bunny, who is 17 hh, and looks offended that I call him a pony:lol:

Love this pic.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I know Golden  I go out and call my 16.2h boy pony, unfortunately 'stirring' humour can't be expressed through text so well!


----------



## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

15hh at a year is pretty darn average I'd say. I don't think he'll have any problems reaching 16hh! My 2 year old Paint shot up 3 inches from 14.1hh to 15hh (with a 14hh dam, whew!), and Shay-las Clyde/TB filly went from about 14.2hh as a yearling to 15.3hh as a 4 year old!

He's adorable, I've seen much more awkward! He has such a lovely head!


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Thanks Macabre, you have put my mind at ease a little  He is in with a 19month old friesian that is expected to mature over 17hh, so poor Billy looks tiny next to him. He was also one of the smallest foals of the bunch born in 2010, but in saying that his mum was the only maiden, and the others were by VERY big stallions, Billy's dad doesn't tend to throw too huge. 

He does have a very pretty head for a warmblood, his half sister from this season looks very similar to him even though she is by a different sire, very pretty, quite fine but still solid through the body and her temperament is identical to his. 
I am certainly very happy with my buy, now a few years wait to make him a dressage horse. I'm really hoping that he'll be the one that gets me to the FEI levels, and I would like to get back interstate to compete. So he's got big shoes to fill!!


----------



## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

Kayty said:


> Poor thing, I know how she feels, being the short one!
> At least she can get away with being short a little more than my boy, QH's are allowed to be a bit shorter, Hano's are meant to be tall, leggy beasties!


 
I know. I'm hoping she has some spring and the movement to maybe be a low-level hunter and some sort of western eventer. I would kill to have a hanoverian or some other warmblood.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I think warmbloods in general have some kind of taboo on them, people think that they are so out of reach to purchase and only 'rich' people can afford them. I guess to some extent that is true, a quality hanoverian going under saddle with a few competition results under its belt can fetch a pretty high price, particularly if it was bred through frozen semen with good lines. Hence I purchased Billy at 7 months old, MUCH more affordable to buy directly from a quality breeder. His price tag was still hefty, even though I did get a sizeable discount on him, but so far it has been absolutely worth going through the few months of scraping every last cent together to save for him.

So if you want a warmblood, its absolutely do-able, you just need to want it enough


----------



## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

I know it's do-able, just not right now. I'm in an area where you could easily find TONS of well trained or young warmbloods. I live only 2 and a half hours away from Spruce Meadows. I just lack the time, funds and experience to get one right now. Maybe when I grow up and finish schooling.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Got sent a photo of his dam at work this morning. Uncanny resemblance? He is stamped very much by both his sire AND dam!
Definitely got a 50/50 genetic mix there










And just to convince myself that there IS a nice horse under the awkward yearling stage, the German studbook liked him enough to brand him hanoverian at 3 months old last year... I just need to keep looking at that sexy 'H' and not the rest of him until he is 3


----------



## demonwolfmoon (Oct 31, 2011)

Kayty said:


> So if you want a warmblood, its absolutely do-able, you just need to want it enough


Just for giggles (not in the market lol) I looked this up on horseclicks....it seems like everything from weanlings to IN UTERO :shock: goes for 3500-8k. After that, the sticker price goes up...and up xD

ETS: They are very very nice but at this point in my horseownership I'd be looking WAYYYYYY far ahead to future needs that I might not have if I bought one...but it's tempting lolz


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Yep demon, they are expensive, no doubt about that. Hence I purchased Billy at 7 months and was able to get AU$4k off his asking price. Once they're under saddle you're looking at a much bigger outlay, particularly if they are shaping up to be a competive horse. 
But as I said, if you want it bad enough, it will happen. I saved and saved and saved and saved to get the money together for Billy. 
As for future needs, I am lucky enough to have a very understanding partner, and both of us have secure incomes. I have always been very good at saving money, though my partner sometimes calls me stingey when I only buy things on sale, he gets the benefit out of it when we've got double figures still saved in the bank when most are living pay to pay.


----------



## ThursdayNext (Oct 18, 2011)

Kayty said:


> Some "Squilly" photo's from today - going through a VERY bum high stage at the moment poor love, looked so ridiculous when he trotted in the round yard. Once again, I SWEAR he is an approved, branded, DNA tested hanoverian.... I hope... though when he goes through these growth phases I'm not quite so sure :shock:


Aaaw. He's an ugly duckling! Go look at some photos of yourself Age 11. You'll probably feel better about your boy's prospects right away.  Or, if you were one of those good-looking teens, check out this link. If George Clooney could do it, your Squilly can too. :lol:


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Nope, definitely wasn't a good looking teen, I was actually recently looking back through old photo's of my childhood, and was quite horrified that my parents let me out of the 'cupboard' looking like I did.... At about 13 I went through a stage of plucking the top of my eyebrows, yuck! 
I guess Billy might be as horrified as I am about my youth, when he sees yearling photos of himself haha


----------

