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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(12); 3402; doi: 10.3390/ani11123402

Growth and Bone Development in the Horse: When Is a Horse Skeletally Mature?

Abstract: Within the lay literature, and social media in particular, there is often debate about the age at which a horse should be started and introduced to racing or sport. To optimize the welfare and longevity of horses in racing and sport, it is important to match exercise with musculoskeletal development and the ability of the musculoskeletal system to respond to loading. The justification for not exercising horses at a certain age is often in contrast to the scientific literature and framed, with incorrect generalizations, with human growth. This review provides a relative comparison of the growth and development of the horse to the descriptors used to define growth and development in humans. Measures of physeal closure and somatic growth demonstrate that the horse completes the equivalent of rapid infant growth by weaning (4-6 months old). At approximately 11 months old, the horse completes the equivalent of the childhood phase of growth and enters puberty. At 2 years old, the horse has achieved most measures of maturity used within the human literature, including the plateauing of vertical height, closure of growth plates, and adult ratios of back length:wither height and limb length:wither height. These data support the hypothesis that the horse evolved to be a precocious cursorial grazer and is capable of athletic activity, and use in sport, relatively early in life.
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Publication Date: 2021-11-29 PubMed ID: 34944179PubMed Central: PMC8698045DOI: 10.3390/ani11123402Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article investigates the optimal age for horses to start intensive training or racing, by comparing the growth and development stages of horses to those of humans. It suggests that horses reach physical maturity earlier than is often assumed, with rapid growth completed by weaning, and most measures of maturity reached by age two.

Growth and Development Comparison between Horses and Humans

The study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the growth and development of horses, comparing these processes to corresponding stages in human development. The researchers do this by

  • Measuring the closure of growth plates in horses, which indicates the completion of growth and skeletal maturation
  • Examining somatic (body) growth of horses, which provides insight into overall body development
  • Comparing these findings with data on human growth and development

Growth Stages in Horses

The research findings detail distinct stages in a horse’s growth.

  • The rapid growth stage, equivalent to infancy in humans, is completed by weaning, which typically occurs when the horse is between four and six months old
  • The childhood phase ends at approximately 11 months, at which point the horse enters puberty
  • By the age of two, the horse has achieved most of the developmental milestones commonly used within human literature

Maturity Milestones

The researchers also outlined major maturity milestones for horses such as:

  • The plateauing of height, which corresponds to the completion of vertical growth
  • The closure of growth plates, indicating skeletal maturity
  • The attainment of adult ratios of back length to wither height, and limb length to wither height

Implications for Training Horses

The research suggests that horses become physically mature earlier than is often assumed within horse racing and sport circles. The findings imply that horses are physiologically ready for athletic activity and use in sport relatively early in life. The study thereby challenges the common notion that training should only begin at a later age, arguing for a greater alignment of training periods with the natural growth and development stages of horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Rogers CW, Gee EK, Dittmer KE. (2021). Growth and Bone Development in the Horse: When Is a Horse Skeletally Mature? Animals (Basel), 11(12), 3402. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11123402

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 12
PII: 3402

Researcher Affiliations

Rogers, Chris W
  • School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
  • School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Gee, Erica K
  • School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Dittmer, Keren E
  • School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.

Conflict of Interest Statement

C.W.R. is Editor in chief, equids section, but was blinded from the review process.

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