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Question
hi i dont no if you could answer this or not but i have a 2.5 year old guelding and i have been feeding him grain. he is 14- 14.1 hands high right now and what my question is how big do you think he would get?

Answer
Hi Amanda, It's hard to say without knowing the breed and heights of parents.  Some breeds such as drafts and warmbloods mature slower and will grow in height until the age of 5 or 6.  Arabians, QH (any stock type breed), and Thoroughbreds will usually stop growing in height around the age of 3-4.  There are always exceptions with any breed or cross, though.  Your horse may grow two more inches or four more inches, it's hard to say without knowing the history.  As your horse is in his growing years you need to feed a grain higher in protein.  Studies have been done regarding young horses who are still growing getting fed high protein good quality grain and hay and the same age group getting fed just hay.  The outcome was the same with both groups, it just took the group who wasn't getting the grain longer to catch up but they eventually did.  So, in other words just because you are feeding grain doesn't mean your horse is going to be any bigger than he would be without it.  However, your horse will have healthier muscles and bones if fed a balanced diet and kept at a healthy weight during his growing years.  Good luck, Jessica