ONE of the most important goals for breeders is to produce a fully-grown, sound, and top performing athlete. Rapid growth in horses has been associated with compromised skeletal growth; however, horses that grow too slowly may not reach optimal size, possibly reducing their sales value and lessening their chances of becoming elite athletes.

Weighing and measuring growing horses is extremely important in allowing breeders to compare weight and height of their young stock against a reference growth curve, rather than relying on the eye alone.