Just how tall will my foal or young horse get?  While it’s only ever an estimate, here are a couple of methods that can give you an idea of approximate mature height.

1.  Elbow to fetlock measurement:

Measure your horse from fetlock to elbow, then apply this measurement from elbow to withers and beyond.  Where the measurement reaches to is your horse’s likely mature height.

2.  Canon bone measurement for foals:

Measure the distance in inches from your foal’s coronet band to the middle of his knee.  The measurement in inches corresponds to his full height e.g if the measurement is 14 ½” he will be around 14.2 hh when fully grown,  if 16 3/4” then 16.3 hh, or if 12 ¼” then 12.1 hh etc

This is apparently most accurate when the measurement is taken on foals 6 months or older.

When considering potential mature height, it is also worth noting that young foals that look more like a scaled down version of a large horse are more likely to be smaller when they are full grown.  The same applies to horses that reach the age of 2 years without having gone through a gangly, awkward looking stage.

It is also worth noting when selecting sires and dams, that the mature height of their offspring is more likely to be between their heights but closer to that of the dam.

Percentage of mature height in relation to age

This is a guide, as smaller ponies will reach their mature height earlier, and some of the very large breeds may take longer to reach mature height.

1   month:               67 to 70%

3    months:            76 to 79%

6     months:           83 to 86%

9    months:            87 to 90%

1       year:               90 to 92%

18    months:           94 to 96%

2       years:              96 to 98%

2 ½     years:            97 to 99%

3         years:             98 to 100%

4         years:             99 to 100%

5         years:             100%