Hello. I am new to this forum. I recently purchased a 2 1/2 year old 1/2 friesian, 1/2 paint gelding. His sire is a 16.1 hand friesian, dam is 15.something (not sure of exact measurement) paint. I purchased him sight unseen other than pictures/video. My heart went out to this guy, as he's a lovely mover - but has never had much attention, nor human friendship. I love working with young horses - especially those in need of extra attention & confidence building! Here's my problem: Instead of the "a little over 15.1 hands" I was told he measured at, he's actually more like 14.2. I suspect he hasn't been wormed regularly, nor fed high quality hay/grain. He is being delivered to me on Saturday, 4/9 -- he will be given the best quality of everything now. Thinking he will be introduced to a 12%??
That was my long winded buildup, now here's my question: Dr. Getty, do you feel there is any possibility of a 20 month old, 14.2 hand gelding reaching 15.2 hands or higher? If worse comes to worse, I will enjoy the opportunity to work with him, and find him a wonderful home once he is comfortably started in another year or two. I'm thrilled to give him an opportunity for a better life. Hope that makes sense. I'm hoping that as half friesian, a slow maturing breed, there's a chance he isn't going to be permanently tiny. Any advice you can give will be most appreciated. Thank you so much. - Jacque
p.s. He vetted healthy and sound in a prepurchase exam.

Where are you from? St. Petersburg, FL

How did you locate this forum? yahoo search engine

I asked about a 20 month old - meant to type 30 month old. oops!

Where are you from? St. Petersburg, FL

How did you locate this forum? Yahoo search engine

Hello Jacque,

Thank you for writing and congratulations on your new colt – you have an exciting weekend ahead of you!

Horses of all breeds can continue growing well into their 4th year. And, as you mentioned, Fresians are late bloomers and can continue to grow even later that that. So, you have every reason to be optimistic about putting more height on this fellow.

Having said that, his growth may be stunted due to neglect. To try to make up for lost time, you’ll want to offer him a super-nutritious diet of high quality feedstuffs, including a mixture of grass and alfalfa hays, a source of omega 3 fatty acids, and a quality multiple vitamin/mineral supplement.

In addition, I would highly recommend feeding him Gamma Oryzanol (rice bran extract). Gamma Oryzanol promotes the growth of lean muscle tissue and is highly effective

Good luck! Keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty