Is there any truth in the saying that "if you have a filly covered at 2 it will stunt her growth"?

many breeders do cover at 2 as it will mature a horse faster, or financial return from sale of foal

l have never heard of it stunting a horses growth

l prefer to wait untill the horse is older but that is my own preference and breed societies will register youngsters if both parents are 24 months at the time of covering

It's a common enough practice in some circles, but I would not recommend it- Lisa M is right when she says it's too hard on the filly. Fillies that age are like teenage girls- and when a teen gets pregnant, it often has disasterous consequences for her in terms of her health and education, not to mention what can happen to the baby. The same is true for horses. Breeding a filly that young ( at least, a domesticated one) is NOT a good idea.

In the wild, however, it's a whole other story, because in that situation, it's NORMAL for a filly to be bred ( usually by the herd sire, who is almost always her DAD) at age 2 and to foal at age 3. This is because, unlike colts, fillies will normally stay with their natal herd for life, unless their dad becomes injured, dies, or the herd is split up for another reason. But the early foaling does have an impact on the filly in terms of her health and growth. Once she has been pregnant herself, wild fillies will normally stop growing and will fill out. Fillies that young will sometimes have problems foaling, and in the wild, this is often fatal to mother and baby.

I hope this answers your question.

Not really. But carrying a foal can rob her of important nutrients she needs for her own growth if she is not properly cared for. This can result in negative effects on the mare in any area of her anatomy. Plus, she is basically a baby herself...from an ethical standpoint. However, it can be done and has been. Whatever it takes to make a buck, some people will do. We usually start a mare in breeding when she is five years old, she has a foal every other year or longer, depending on the individual and may have several over the course of her life, or just that one.

There is, yes.

At 2 years old a horse is essentially a young teenager. They are not mature in either the physical or mental sense. Their energy needs to go into growing and learning, and when a mare is in foal all of her extra energy goes into helping the foal grow and nurse.

Even if there is little visible effect, it does take a toll.

At two years old, a horse shouldn't be broke to ride. It's doubtful she'd have a decent show record, or proven herself very well in any sort of event. At two years old their minds are not mature either, and they simply haven't shown their full potential yet.

I don't see a need to breed a two year old filly, who's still very much a baby herself.

I agree with most of the other answers, there is no valid reason for breeding a filly at that age, she is still growing, she is still developing and should just now be starting her ground training...also, if you do begin breeding at this age, it seems as it they never do get their training, it just goes by the wayside because there always seems to be a colt in the belly or one on the side...I would definitely wait and complete her training, even if it is only very good ground training, and only, at the earliest, begin breeding at 4 yrs, preferably 5. There is just so much growing and maturing that can take place by two, and that is not ample time to do it. If in doubt, consult your vet and I expect that you will get the same answer.

Imagine a 13 yr old girl pregnant.

When someone gets pregnant, the nutrients then also go to feeding a baby and the mother. If there was enough nutrients going in, yes you probably would be ok. However, then you have the added weight on the joints, that would be the biggest concern.

I would never breed a 2 yr old, I prefer to keep my animals around their whole life span and not deal with things that could of been prevented with common sense. Joint issues are one of those.

I am not sure it will stunt their growth but it is not a good idea. It would be like a 12 year old girl getting pregnant. Not good for the body. Most horses are not fully mature till they reach 5. It is best to wait till then so momma and baby are both happy and healthy.

Anyone that knowingly covers a 2 year old wants their head read. That's like encouraging 13 year old girls to have babies. I work as a breeding manager and we would not accept anything that young for several reasons. The pregnancy can have detrimental effects on the mare such as leeching nutrients from her which she still requires herself for continued growth and foaling can be very difficult. It's not advisable under any circumstances.

I've never heard of this - but what immediately comes to my mind is that most horses don't reach their full height until they're about 4 or 5.

If a horse is still growing, and you breed it, all of the energy and nutrients that were being put into growth will now be put into being pregnant instead.

Seems like it would make sense - but I honestly don't know whether there's actual validity to it or not.

I nearly bought a 4 year old mare who was 17hh and had bred a foal having been covered at 2. So no, I don't think it stunts the growth height-wise. However she failed the vet due to a condition similar to carpal tunnel in humans. So I don't think it's wise to breed from a filly of that age as it may cause development problems.