04/23/2026
🦴 Did you know your horse’s bones don’t fully mature until several years after birth?🦴
Growth plates, or physes, are areas of developing cartilage near the ends of long bones. As your horse matures, these plates gradually harden through a process called ossification. However, until they close, they’re more vulnerable to injury.
⏰ Closure times vary:
Growth plates close at different ages depending on their anatomical location in the body. This is the typical timeline we see in most developing horses:
•Knees: close around 2 years old
•Hocks: close between 2 and 3.5 years old
•Back, neck, and withers: close by age 6
⚠️ Excessive workload, improper nutrition, or trauma before bones mature can lead to inflammation (epiphysitis), fractures, lesions (such as OCDs) and other long-term soundness issues. The image above shows epiphysitis of the carpus. This horse was stall rested and the second image was taken about 4 months later.
✅ What you can do:
• Tailor exercise to your horse’s age and development by avoiding intense training in young horses.
• Schedule regular veterinary evaluations and consider radiographic confirmation that growth plates are healthy before starting young horses.
A thoughtful approach early in life helps set your horse up for a stronger, healthier future. If you have questions about your horse’s development, we’re here to help!
