The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

How big will it grow??

6K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  my2geldings 
#1 ·
My quarterhorse x arab mare is 14.2 hands and she's in foal to a quarterhorse stallion. I don't know his exact height, He'd be around 15 hh.

Do you think the foal will be small like it's dam, or a bit bigger ?? What are the chances it will be smaller than 14.2hh???

Would love some opinions!
 
#2 ·
I really don't have any idea how genetics like this work out. I think it's all a matter of chance, really. It seems to me that the foal shouldn't be much shorter than its dam if any. At the very least, he might be an inch or two less that his dam. At the most, maybe an inch or two taller than his sire. Or, I could be completely wrong and he'll grow to be 17.1 hh... but I sort of doubt it.
 
#4 ·
Kim, I would look back at the linage of both parents. It may be more difficult in your case since your mare is mixed and you don't mention anything about the stud - whether he is registered etc.

We need a lot more information. You need to tell us about 3 generations on both sides and what the stud has produced in the past to get a good guess on overall height of the foal.
 
#5 ·
14.4 and 15 hands are the same thing.

Alot will depend not only on genetics but proper diet as to how tall it will get. Odds are good its not going to be alot different from the sire and dam by 5 years of age but I've seen cases where without proper diet they never get close to their potential height. And I've had a few that because of past generations as iridehorses mentioned can get much larger. I had a stud thats dam was 14.3 and sire 14.2 as a 3 year old he was 14.3 when he was 5 he was up to 15.2. But he had granget that were over 15 hands.
 
#11 ·
Quarter Horses can easily go well over 16h especially if there is TB in their immediate background.
 
#13 ·
Of course they can. You really can't generalize QHs sizes, anymore. ;)
Usually, babies seem to turn out like one parent, or the other--and not really 'inbetween', which some people hope for. They do not usually take after their sires, since that's kind of impossible... genes are a 50/50 deal. :)
 
#16 ·
Who knows. You tend to like to assume that they are going to finish around the parent's height but it is proven over and over again that it not always the case. I know of a few people who I know bought a horse expecting it to be 17+ and never made it passed the 16hh mark. Others I know were expected to be around the 16hh mark and finished nearly 18hh. Happens all the time with ponies. You can only guess.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top