how do my gelding look?

She said a "big" square bale. One flake off my "big" square bales (4x4x8) feeds multiple horses. The 3x3x8 bales where I board a flake is usually about 1 1/2 horses per flake.

Flakes are a really poor way to measure hay because bales are different sizes/weights. Even if you use all small bales, if the baler isn't set correctly, you can end up with 50lb bales and 90lb bales.

Gotcha..Our's are usually 50-60lbs.

Curious way of looking at development as 'conformational issues'. IME horses have *generally* done the vast majority of their 'growing up' by 5yo, but not always.

The majority of young horses experience a rise in the height of the hip joint prior to the withers growing to meet them. Some call this growth pattern stair stepping, we have always called it "teetering", perhaps it is a regional reference. However, I did not make it up. My vets actually gave me the term and while I have been involved for more than 35+ years in the training, breeding and showing of multiple breeds in multiple disciplines (my family currently have 19 equines representing 5 different horse breeds) I learn something new everyday. 7 of the 19 are Paint horses and 1 is a Thoroughbred. The thoroughbred looks more like an Appendix Quarter horse and 1 of the Paints looks like a very big Thoroughbred with spots. One thing I'm sure of I will fall far short of knowing everything there is to know about horses before I leave this earth.

Being British I'm not that familiar with the 'Paint Horse' , more with British native horses such as Welsh cobs.

My 3 year old Welsh Cob is currently 'Butt High' or 'Bum High' as we call it and I certainly won't worry about this as he will change considerably until he is 7 or 8 as our native breeds tend to be slow to mature.
As i've said I'm not that familiar with 'paints' but would have thought that there is still a little time for maturing and evening out there.

Gorgeous markings there by the way

He has a high withers these are pictures from today not the best but better I got him as even as he would let me without a halter.. the second picture his my QH(bay) in front and him behind him to show height differents but also more of his back..

It's only really a conformation issue if they horse settles into itself with that flaw. Paints/QHs/TBs stop growing between 5 and 6, by this time they are usually grown as tall as they're going to get but will still bulk up a little, not big changes.

I've never heard of teetering..Stair stepping, yes..The most used term here is just growth spurts.. The part I was referring to was that the OP's horse (5) would do more growing to even out the top line and butt.hip.. He's just not going to change that much, if at all. He'll always be butt high.

I guess eveyone has and is entitled to their own opinion. The OP stated that this horse grew 4" in the last year. I consider that a significant not a minor change. We also have Paints, 7 to be exact. Two are just six this year, both are teetering again. The palamino Paint was 14.3 when we acquired him at four, he is 15.3 and growing. He will bulk significantly, teeter, then his wither will grow up and he levels out. I have had Morgans who did not stop growing until they were eight, they tend to mature late. First picture was the day he came home. The next ones are from today.

Harleywood, the new pictures seem to indicate he has very high wither, short back, long hip and shoulder, nice pasterns with good slope and length, and short front cannons. Personally I would work on building up and strengthing his back, this will help to compensate for his conformational shortcomings. Of course, preferred conformation is dictated by discipline. What works for a draft or carriage horse is not what you prefer in a reining or gymkana horse. Educating yourself is the best way to acheive success in your goals. Best Wishes.

Your horse is just pure beautiful.. he looks amazing, keep up with whatever you're doing. And he might be dropping some weight due to being switched and maybe weather. (too hot.. ect.)