Estimating Pony Height

Growing a Sophie pony = slightly more expensive and labour intensive

With a 13.1hh sire and a 16hh dam, odds are Sophie should end up somewhere in the middle, but who's to say for sure...there are all sorts of examples of foals ending up shorter or taller than both their parents.  Her two full siblings are 14.2 and 14.3hh, which made me feel a little more confident she'd mature in the height range I'm hoping for.

Sophie and her momma

Sibling <3

When Sophie arrived, her vet records and import paperwork said she was 14hh at just about 2 years old. Not true. She was visibly shorter than Midge, and measuring confirmed she was closer to 13.2hh.

4 months later, she measures just over 13.3hh, and is still very leggy and a bit bum high.

Bum is noticeably quite a bit taller than Bridget's...front end, not so much, lol

The statistics say an average 24 month old horse is about 97% of it's mature height. At 24 months, Sophie was 13.2hh, so according to the averages, she'll make just about 14hh.

There's a couple of reasons I'm not sure the average statistics are going to apply in this case. She's still visibly quite immature looking, (still pretty leggy and gangly) and she's of pony and Warmblood breeding...I don't think either type are known for their speedy rate of maturity.

Her bum currently measures 14.1hh, and since both parents are built level to uphill, I'd expect she'll at least even out to that.

I did a string test today and it says she'll be 3-4 inches taller than she is now, so 14.2 to 14.3hh. I think her build is going to be on the leggier side, tho, so who really knows.

For quality control purposes, I string test measured Bridget too, and she needs to subtract 1.5 inches to be proportionate. Poor B :) I did have to laugh before I sadly informed her she's past done growing.

Sophie waiting for her vitamins this morning. Grow pony, grow! :)