# How tall is your Arabian?



## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Simple question. :wink: I feel like I own an excessively small Arab. She's 14.1, _almost _14.2.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I have one that's 15.3 (Desperado V breeding) and one that's 15.1 (Sundance Kid V breeding). My employer has me work her Arabian mare that's probably around the 14.1/14.2 mark.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Over the past 40 years most of the Arabians I have owned have been 14 to 14.3, maybe one at 15 hands. They aren't giants. : )


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

I've ridden PB Arabs from 14.1hh up through my friend's 15.2hh (maybe 15.1hh) stallion. Mine is right at 14.3hh.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Mine is 14.3
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I have one 14.2 & one 14.3 plus a hair. They are big little horses.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

My quarter horse/arab mare is 14.1


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

I have one that is 15.1, and 2 that are 14.3, and 1 that is 14. 

Nancy


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

mare that is 14 14.1 at withers and about 13 on her back. yep really sway back
gelding cross 14.3 maybe 15 .


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

My current one 14.2 but I had a 15.2 and a 15.3, and a youngster who was almost 16 hands, I was told by the new owner. None of them were narrow, they were all standing in their 4 corners, so to speak. Certainly not dainty;-)


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

We had an old polish arab gelding that was about 16hh


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## Druydess (Jan 25, 2008)

My 11 Arabians range from 14.2 to nearly 15.3. Chevelle is 15.2. My stallion, Dream, is approaching 15.3, and my yearling colt, Psynny, should reach, (or pass), 16HH.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Mare is only 14.2hh and is tiny compared to the 16hh and 17hh tbs she lives with lol.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

I own numerous arabians and half arabians. They range in height from 14 hands to 16.1, an anglo arab mare. My newest addition is 13 months old and 14.3hh. His dam is a true 16 hands and his sire is 15.3. 
We think he will easily reach 16 hands.
Arabians are historically a small breed there is nothing wrong with an arabian that is 14 hands tall. Much taller than that is the exception not the rule. Shalom


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## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

I used to have an Arabian called cabeer. He was 14.3hh.


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

I have an anglo-arab gelding that is 15hh, quite small as he is by a 16.2hh tb stallion! I am guessing that his dam was smaller...


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Breed Standard: 
...........Arabians as standing between 14.1 to 15.1 hands (57 to 61 inches, 145 to 155 cm) tall, "with the occasional individual over or under."[3] Thus, all Arabians, regardless of height, are classified as "horses", even though 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) is the traditional cutoff height between a horse and a pony.[14] A common myth is that Arabians are not strong because they are relatively small and refined. However, the Arabian horse is noted for a greater density of bone than other breeds, short cannons, sound feet, and a broad, short back,[2] all of which give the breed physical strength comparable to many taller animals.[15] Thus, even a smaller Arabian can carry a heavy rider.


So 14.1 is very much within the standard and very normal. I have 3 Purebred Arabians right now, and they range from 14.2 - 15.3.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

they are all advertised at 15.2 15.3,
they all mysteriously shrink to 14.2 in the time it takes me to drive there,
Start an endurance ride and they will all be 17 hands by the last vet check.


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

Koolio is 15'1 and I consider him relatively tall for an Arab. As previously noted, they vary in height.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

My Quarab mare was around 14.2 probably just under.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

15.2 I think. Getting her to stand still on level ground for a measurement is more trouble than it is worth. Our 3/4 Arabian / 1/4 Appy is about 14.3. The Arabian mare we sold was 14.2, I think. I would have kept her and sold the Appy, but the women all voted me down.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I don't have an arab and never have, but I like smaller horses - so those arabs that are around 14hh always appear to be the most beautiful arabs in this beholder's eyes.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

Missy May you make it down to Texas with a horse trailer and I will ensure you own an arabian. I have 3 foals that will make excellent horses. Shalom


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## morganarab94 (May 16, 2013)

I have s ArabxSaddlebred. She's 15.1hh. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

The Arabian I owned topped out at about 14.2, her sister is 15.1. That being said, where I used to board, all the Arabians that one Arab trainer had were 16h or over, and I always thought that was weird and not to breed standard. She said once that anything smaller than 16h wouldn't place in the shows. She did have two supposedly purebred Arabians (never asked to look at papers) that were a true 17h. At the breeding farm where I got my Arabian, all the Arabs were 15.2ish and under.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Once they go significantly over 15.2, they lose overall type, IMO. 
Plus, a smaller horse is MUCH handier;-)


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

this one was 15.3
When he got excited, he turned into a fire breathing 7 foot tall dragon....on a completely lose lead. And NEVER without a reason.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

dbarabians said:


> Missy May you make it down to Texas with a horse trailer and I will ensure you own an arabian. I have 3 foals that will make excellent horses. Shalom


How sweet, db, I would be headed your way _tomorrow_ if I wasn't sure that if I showed up back home w another horse...even one as beautiful as I am sure yours are.... DH would put me out to live w my horses ..._permanently_. I just can't do w/o little luxuries in life, like my bathroom. :wink: Not to mention, my princess of an appyX might actually get so angry at the sight of yet _another _intruder she'd kick me out, too!:lol:


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Joe4d said:


> they are all advertised at 15.2 15.3,
> they all mysteriously shrink to 14.2 in the time it takes me to drive there,
> Start an endurance ride and they will all be 17 hands by the last vet check.


LOL, that's called "being measured with the Arabian stick.", it's got an extra hand on it somewhere.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

"Corporal", (1982-2009, RIP) was 15.1hh
They are built tougher than they look.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Fetyszka was maybe 14.1-2 hh, but when she put up that long neck and started to MOVE.....man, I swear she puffed up to 16 hh easy. She had power like a freight train and when she got moving real good, she looked HUGE.


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## HGEsquire (Feb 21, 2010)

GA E-Vakha ~ almost that's right, almost 14.1hh 



























The others here are 14.2 1/2 to our tallest which is Esquire+ who is 15.2 (ish)

Bigger does not always mean better 

Denise Gainey


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Mine range from 14.2hh to 15.3. I got them in all sizes LOL
I did sell one that was JUST 14hh though.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

somebody local needs to sell me one, getting discouraged, ready to sell everything and buy a dirt bike


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> somebody local needs to sell me one, getting discouraged, ready to sell everything and buy a dirt bike


Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....................


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Joe4d said:


> somebody local needs to sell me one, getting discouraged, ready to sell everything and buy a dirt bike


I have some awesome endurance prospects if you wanna ship... :wink:


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

WSArabians said:


> I have some awesome endurance prospects if you wanna ship... :wink:


The man has a truck and trailer. :lol:


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

not buying anything I cant test drive and vet before money changes hands.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Joe4d said:


> not buying anything I cant test drive and vet before money changes hands.


Being vetted is no issue... The riding part maybe... They're all a little young yet. LOL


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Joe4d said:


> not buying anything I cant test drive and vet before money changes hands.


Here's a few I like:

Very Typey Lewisfiled Magic/AM Garcon g.Daughter Avail!

Endurance, Competative Trail horse for sale in Virginia, United States of America :: HorseClicks

Endurance/Sport Horse Arabian Gelding for sale in Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America :: HorseClicks

Flashy bay Arabian gelding. Don't miss this deal. for sale in Hopewell city, Virginia, United States of America :: HorseClicks


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Joe4d said:


> somebody local needs to sell me one, getting discouraged, ready to sell everything and buy a dirt bike


:shock: Blasphemy.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

The only one of those that I think Joe would like is this one.

Endurance/Sport Horse Arabian Gelding for sale in Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America :: HorseClicks


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Gamer is 14.2, George is 14.2, Sultan is 14.3, and Dream is 15.2.

While I love my mare more than words can express, heaving that saddle up all that way on the last hold of a 100 makes me wish she was 14.1. So does being the spiderweb clearer on trail, even if we aren't in the lead!! :lol:


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

Celeste said:


> The only one of those that I think Joe would like is this one.
> 
> Endurance/Sport Horse Arabian Gelding for sale in Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America :: HorseClicks


10year old with zero experience and only 6 weeks of total under saddle training. Id consider it at 5. but 10 was my absolute max and tht would be for one with some experience. 
Ive looked at all of these, the happy little guy shrunk a hand, the other two are way to small for me.


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## Sweeney Road (Feb 12, 2012)

Two of mine are 14.2, the other is a monster at 15.2. What's odd about my monster is that she looks tiny in photos. In real life she is majestic.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Joe, I know what you are talking about the horses shrinking. I don't see why people can't just give an honest measurement in their ads. Some people prefer smaller horses and they should try to market them to them. Since you are tall, I am sure that you feel more balanced on a bigger horse.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

I am constantly amazed by people who should "have a clue" about measurement and don't.
I have given up on believing what sellers say their horse's height is because it usually isn't anywhere near accurate. My last 15.2 hand horse is really 14.3...which is just fine for me. 
I figure if the horse has most of the qualities I'm looking for I will go look.
In all my years with Arabians I have only seen one 16 hander. He was beautiful and he was huge. And I am not talking about including Arab crosses in this...just purebreds.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Joe4d said:


> somebody local needs to sell me one, getting discouraged, ready to sell everything and buy a dirt bike


Aw nuts - are we going to have to do an intervention?


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## Kamakazi (Jun 10, 2013)

Billy is 15.3, Inde is 15 and Adiel is 16


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Dustbunny said:


> I am constantly amazed by people who should "have a clue" about measurement and don't.
> I have given up on believing what sellers say their horse's height is because it usually isn't anywhere near accurate. My last 15.2 hand horse is really 14.3...which is just fine for me.
> I figure if the horse has most of the qualities I'm looking for I will go look.
> In all my years with Arabians I have only seen one 16 hander. He was beautiful and he was huge. And I am not talking about including Arab crosses in this...just purebreds.


I only have one that comes close to that height - and given her pedigree, I have NO idea where it came from, but she's 15.3. 
The rest are all 14.2-14.3hh. 
If I see a 15hh Arabian advertised and I'm interested, I'm going out there with the assumption it's probably 14.3 at best. LOL

Personally, I prefer my horses on the smaller side, around 14.2, as I find them more athletic and able to get down and dirty as opposed to the 15.3-16hh horses. But, I'm short and do western riding so that suits me.


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## Eole (Apr 19, 2013)

My three arabians: 14.1, 14.3 and 15h.
Just normal arabians, tall enough for me. 

True that horses are advertised bigger than reality. I drove 5 hours when horse hunting for a 2.5yo arabian advertised "over 14h and growing" that really was barely 13h!!!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

welll for me it isnt all the height. its leg bone thickness and strength. Horse I looked at yesterday really was a good 15.1, but was so narrow and shallow heart girth, that when I tried to heal him my heals almost touched underneath him... Had to look down. humm this isnt good. didnt help he pinned his ears as soon as I mounted and basically was just way to green for me. My walker Bo is same height, yet when I tap with my foot I hit horse not my other foot.
LOL..... I'm a mess. My saturday night and I am sitting here on this forum, stead of out and about. Or riding over a mountain some where. I do have to say a helpful forum member told me so, that she didnt like him. ah well


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Joe, that was the grey? Or the chestnut? I liked the chestnut.....


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

the grey egyptian, the chestnut had a club foot.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

That's what I thought. There might be exceptions, but I haven't seen very many SE with enough substance lately. Back in the day they were fully capable of doing endurance. I had a 95% Egyptian 15.2 and an 8 1/2" cannonbone, tough as nails. Born in 87, tho. But that was at the time stallions for breeding had to be licensed and performance tested just like the warmbloods, 100 day tests, against warmbloods. Quite a few were placing way up there or won. Against warmbloods.


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## As You Wish (May 22, 2013)

My one mare is 14.2hh. and the other one is 15hh. My 15hh girl's Sire is noted as 15.2hh but when I went to see him in person, he could not have been more that 14hh


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

A lot of people use a measuring devise for their horses that is as accurate as this one.

Gag Fisherman's Ruler ~ Hand-crafted in the North Woods by Rustic Workbench


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Emmy is a good solid 15hh










Her momma is also a solid 15hh, but her sway back makes her feel a lot smaller










15hh (ish) and a nice solid build is my sort of arab


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Love that saddle, GH


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

deserthorsewoman said:


> Love that saddle, GH


 Me to, it's a Reinsman 
Reinsman - Comfort Fit Trail Saddle - Honey so comfortable


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Thanks, will def look into it!


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## TaraV (Jun 5, 2013)

I have three Arabians and one is 14 hands another 14.3 and one at 15.1. My mare that is 15.1 we are not sure where she got her size from as both her dam and sire where smaller Arabians and she is our biggest baby!


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## SketchyHorse (May 14, 2012)

I've never actually personally measured myself, an old trainer of mine _way _back told me Lily was 14.3hh. Just took it & ran. She could be a bit smaller - sounds about right though.

And she's _solid. _Thick mare, sturdy legs. Polish bred.


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

I measured Mana this spring....14.1 3/4. Haha. I've been calling it 14.2.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

My 27 yr old Polish/Crabbett-bred Arab is 13.3H.

Before the Arab market crashed in 1987, his half sister sold for a record 2.55 million dollars in 1984. I only recently discovered that. They share the same sire. Nh Love Potion Arabian . Streeter is a lot more Arab Royalty than I thought he was

Many years ago I had a Lippet Morgan/Egyptian Arab Cross that was right at 14H.

My sincere apologies to the new model Arabs that are tall but I do not prefer them. I want to see the shorter ones with heavy bone and big hooves.

My little Arab has gorgeous gorgeous big hooves - it's just too bad he had a vertebra injury, when I rescued him 20+ years ago, that would affect him the rest of his life.

I took this of "WallStreeter" a few weeks back. He turned 27 this past April. He's slowly losing muscle, something he never had much of to begin with but his little self is still second-in-command with three big Walking Horses.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

SketchyHorse said:


> I've never actually personally measured myself, an old trainer of mine _way _back told me Lily was 14.3hh. Just took it & ran. She could be a bit smaller - sounds about right though.
> 
> And she's _solid. _Thick mare, sturdy legs. Polish bred.


She looks like she has some nice sized feet too


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## tiffrmcoy (Apr 13, 2012)

My 17yr old Arab is 14.1hh and my 2 yr old is 14hh


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## Inga (Sep 11, 2012)

Many years ago it seemed that 15 hands was a HUGE Arabian and there were more that were under that they that size. Very rare 15.1- 15.2 hand Arabian would show up but again, that was very very rare. Now days I am seeing more and more that are in the 15.2- 15.3 range and even a few 16 hand Arabs, not many of those though.

If they had been taller, they would have likely been my number one favorite breed but I ended up with Saddlebreds for their height. Arabs are still on my top 5 favorite breed list.


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## SketchyHorse (May 14, 2012)

walkinthewalk said:


> She looks like she has some nice sized feet too


She does actually LOL. I just wish they weren't as soft!


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## Bedhead (Aug 4, 2013)

Mine is 16.0 without his shoes, so he's closer to (but not at) 16.1 with them.

Yes, he's purebred.










(There is no explaining this pose. I don't even know; he must have been cantering on the wrong lead.


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## ParaIndy (Sep 10, 2012)

My Arabian is 14.2 and my aunt's is 15.2.


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## Arab Mama (Jun 10, 2012)

I have two Polish geldings: one is 14.3 and the other is 15.2. They are both solid and stout.
My Russian mare is 15.1. She is a bit more refined than the two boys.
My CMK mare is 14.2 and built like a tank.
My Magnum Psyche gelding is 14 and is very refined.
My half paint/half Nariadni is 14.2 much more stout.


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## missaddie (Aug 18, 2013)

When I owned my Arabian she topped out at 14.1. My friend owns three and they are 14.2, 15, and 15.3.


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## Twilight Arabians (Dec 14, 2008)

My current mare is 14.3 but I have seen them anywhere from 13.3H-16H.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

My friend's Arab gelding is 16hh (Bask bred). She used to have a little mare who was all of 14hh. I have another friend with an Arab gelding (unsure of his breeding) that is 15.2hh. I have yet another friend with a 15.1hh gelding, a 15hh mare and a 15.1hh mare (the gelding and 15hh mare are full siblings).
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HGEsquire (Feb 21, 2010)

Our PB double HG Esquire+ colt is currently (as of Saturday 8/17/13) just over 14 hh's










Denise Gainey


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

How tall is HG Esquire? I think you have posted it before, but I forgot what you said.


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## HGEsquire (Feb 21, 2010)

Esquire+ is right at 15.1 hh and a bit  he seems to sire much taller however.....The colt in my previous post mother is right at 14.3 1/2hh while his sire is 15.1 and a bit like Esquire+ 

Denise Gainey


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

The ad that I looked at for Rikki said 15.3. Turned out he was 15 hands. Made me happy. I don't like tall horses.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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