My young (3 in mid october) Cob gelding is 14hh. Will he grow in height much more when fully mature, or is that his mature height now? His mother is 14.3hh, his father is 14.2hh. your thoughts.

Shane

My friend, who breeds Connemara Ponies, recently brought home a 3-year-old who was in jumper training with someone else, training for entry into fall shows. He had grown in the preceding spring/summer months and is now 1/4-inch too tall for the class. So it can happen. I think some breeds, especially drafts (don't know about a Cob) keep on growing until 4 or 5 years of age. I suggested my friend have her pony's feet trimmed shorter but, of course, said it with a smile. She is not a happy camper!

It is highly likely that he will mature considerably until he is five or even older. Bone elongation will be minimal, but increases in mass and volume may be considerable. His current height will more than likely increase somewhat, but I am hesitant to suggest how much. There are many factors that may influence his growth and development, genetics, health and condition, nutritional care, exercise and more.

Could you specify his breed please, Shane? There are several breeds that use a Cob designation plus the generic 'cob' in English horsemanship.

In general geldings fill out until age 7. So as he develops more neck and muscles around the rump he could appear a few inches bigger.

This cannot really be answered. I've had horses that had a growth spurt at 3-4 years and horses that didn't do anything but get wider from 2 years on. I've seen horses that grew in height even till 6 years. They're kinda like kids. But the norm is that he could grow 2 more inchs by 4 and maybe another 1 inch by 5.

A 3 year old in jumper training? Isn't that asking for trouble down the road, if not sooner?

Hi Randle, he is an Australian bred Gypsy Cob. Many thanks to all the others for the comments.

Shane

While standing on the leg. Use a string and measure from the center of the knee joint to the correnet band, following the contuor of the front of the leg. Then convert that measurement to hands.
Example: 14 1/2" will convert to 14 2 hh.
This section of an animals leg changes very little throughout its life. I've found it to be very accurate for both horses and mules.