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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
  
| And what method do you use?
Looked at a 4 year old colt last night. He was a stud colt running on pasture until this past June. Cute little dude - but emphasis on the little. He’s between 14.2-14.3 right now. We found a version of the string test measuring from ergot to elbow and doubling it - that had him finishing at 15.1 or so. That would be perfect really. He does have an immature look about him and his legs look a bit long for his body...
Just wondering how accurate these things really are? We don’t have any idea how tall the sire/dam are. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Actually, pretty accurate! If you try it on your fully matured horses, it's usually right on.
I raised my eyebrow on my grey colt a couple of years ago, the string test indicated he had another 6" at the shoulder to go, I figured no way. Well...he had another 6" to go! |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Awesome! I had planned to double check on our mature horses to see how accurate it was. He has a ton of bone in his legs and his body just seems underwhelming in comparison so he at least has some serious bulking out to do. |
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  Champ
Posts: 19623
 
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | I've never heard of doing the way you described. I have measured from the coronet to the middle of the knee with a tape measure and that has been very accurate unless the horse is out of balance with themselves i.e. too much lower leg for their size. Only one horse I've measured has ever not been right. The number of inches is the hands, the parts of an inch equals the parts of a hand. Example: 15-1/2 inches is 15.2 hands.
Edited by OregonBR 2017-10-16 10:51 AM
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| OregonBR - 2017-10-16 10:50 AM
I've never heard of doing the way you described. I have measured from the coronet to the middle of the knee with a tape measure and that has been very accurate unless the horse is out of balance with themselves i.e. too much lower leg for their size. Only one horse I've measured has ever not been right. The number of inches is the hands, the parts of an inch equals the parts of a hand. Example: 15-1/2 inches is 15.2 hands.
I hadn’t heard of it either! I was googling to find the method you use which I’d heard of but was unsure of the points to use. This method popped up so we went with it.
He’s coming home tonight on a week trial so we’ll do some more measuring. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1520
Location: Illinois | I've tested it on my mature horses and they've come out even. I did my 2 year old after he turned 2 and it said he was going to get to 16h and at 2 he was 14.1 so I'm not sure he'll be accurate. I gave him away a couple months ago, so I'm not sure how he'll turn out, but he went to a friend's aunt so I can keep tabs on him. Everyone I asked about it said theirs have always grown up to be within an inch of the string test. My 3 year old strings at 16 and she's 15.3 at the wither and 16 at the hip, so I think her's will be right. |
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Expert
Posts: 1280
Location: Texas | OregonBR - 2017-10-16 10:50 AM I've never heard of doing the way you described. I have measured from the coronet to the middle of the knee with a tape measure and that has been very accurate unless the horse is out of balance with themselves i.e. too much lower leg for their size. Only one horse I've measured has ever not been right. The number of inches is the hands, the parts of an inch equals the parts of a hand. Example: 15-1/2 inches is 15.2 hands.
^^^This is the method that I used on my horse at 12 mo. of age. He string tested to 15.2 or 15.3. He is now 15.3 as a 4 yr. old. I am a believer! |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | OhMax - 2017-10-16 6:27 AM And what method do you use? Looked at a 4 year old colt last night. He was a stud colt running on pasture until this past June. Cute little dude - but emphasis on the little. He’s between 14.2-14.3 right now. We found a version of the string test measuring from ergot to elbow and doubling it - that had him finishing at 15.1 or so. That would be perfect really. He does have an immature look about him and his legs look a bit long for his body... Just wondering how accurate these things really are? We don’t have any idea how tall the sire/dam are.
the hunter under saddle usually measure from mid knee to the hairline at the coronet band. What you have in inches is what they will mature to in hands. Pretty dang accurate from yearlings. Not sure about babies or 2's. |
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 To the Left
Posts: 1865
Location: Florida | I have done it on several yearlings and it has been accurate.
Edited by Vickie 2017-10-17 6:55 AM
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| So I see a lot of folks saying they find it accurate as a yearling...what about on a 4 year old?
He looks bigger than he seems when you stand next to him, so there’s that. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 670
Location: Running my kids somewhere. | I have a gelding that looked like a short fat range pony until he turned 9 yr old. He grew 2 inches (15'1"), filled out and looked like an adult horse. |
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 Ms Bling Bling Sleeze Kitty
Posts: 20917
Location: LouLouVille, OK | OregonBR - 2017-10-16 10:50 AM I've never heard of doing the way you described. I have measured from the coronet to the middle of the knee with a tape measure and that has been very accurate unless the horse is out of balance with themselves i.e. too much lower leg for their size. Only one horse I've measured has ever not been right. The number of inches is the hands, the parts of an inch equals the parts of a hand. Example: 15-1/2 inches is 15.2 hands.
Thats how I always do it and it's dead on
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | cindyt - 2017-10-19 8:27 AM
OregonBR - 2017-10-16 10:50 AM I've never heard of doing the way you described. I have measured from the coronet to the middle of the knee with a tape measure and that has been very accurate unless the horse is out of balance with themselves i.e. too much lower leg for their size. Only one horse I've measured has ever not been right. The number of inches is the hands, the parts of an inch equals the parts of a hand. Example: 15-1/2 inches is 15.2 hands.
Thats how I always do it and it's dead on
As for accuracy my big guy string tested to 17.1 and is 6 now and just a tad under 17. That's accurate enough for me. He did grow 1/4 inch last year but I think he's done now. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | It works for most horses. I have a mare with freakishly short cannons and freakishly long forearms/gaskins and it didn’t work on her. |
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How accurate do you find string testing for height?