How to Calculate a Foal's Height

A foal has a lot of growing to do between birth and the age of seven, when it is considered full-grown. You may find it difficult to envision just how large your horse will be when it reaches that age. However, you can use a few fairly accurate methods to determine just how tall your horse will be when it reaches that age.

Things You'll Need

  • Horse measuring stick
  • Three and a half feet of string
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Instructions

  1. By Lineage

    • 1

      Measure the height of the foal's dam, or mother.

    • 2

      Measure the height of the foal's sire, or father.

    • 3

      Add the two figures together, and then divide by two to get an average, which will give you a likely future height for your foal.

    By Chart

    • 4

      Take the horse's age and use the chart provided by the Cross Timbers Arabians and Pintos site (see Resources) to determine how much your foal has grown as a percentage of mature height.

    • 5

      Measure the foal's current height.

    • 6

      Divide that height by the percentage, and then multiply that figure by 100 to get the projected mature height.

    By Measurements

    • 7

      Get someone to hold the foal for you as you take the measurements.

    • 8

      Place one end of the string on the front leg elbow of the foal, and stretch the string to the ground.

    • 9

      Mark the string by tying a knot at the horse's fetlock, the joint just above the hoof.

    • 10

      Place one end of the string on the elbow again, but this time stretch the string stright up over the foal's back. The knot marks approximately where the horse's withers, or the ridge between the shoulder blades, will be when the foal is fully grown.