5"9 people what size horses do you ride?

Depends on your weight and the horse! I've ridden a 13hh pony in the past but didn't feel it was fair to do anything beyond a gentle short walk. I'd rather stick to anything above 14hh.
 
Im 5'9/5"10, and my horse is a smidge under 17hh. I wouldn't feel comfy on anything smaller than him - but that's more because I'm fat,rather than my height!

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I'm 5'8" and a size 10/12. I used to happily ride my daughter's 14.2 Dales pony who easily took up my leg and currently ride horses 15 - 17.2
 
This thread is somewhat reassuring; I've been helping someone with their 14.1 hh HW traditional cob and they want me to ride him but I was worried about my feet dragging around his fetlocks or something. Weight wise I think I should be OK because he's been ridden by someone 10st and was fine and I'm not that much, I was just worried about looking ridiculous/abusive (even though yes I know height's not as important as weight).
 
Chinchilla said:
This thread is somewhat reassuring; I've been helping someone with their 14.1 hh HW traditional cob and they want me to ride him but I was worried about my feet dragging around his fetlocks or something. Weight wise I think I should be OK because he's been ridden by someone 10st and was fine and I'm not that much, I was just worried about looking ridiculous/abusive (even though yes I know height's not as important as weight).
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I'm sure you'll be fine! :)
 
I'm 5ft8 and have a 15.2 and 16.3,


I ride everything from 10hh to 17hh+ with no probs. I'm very lightly built though.
 
I ride two 14,1 highlands and a 15,3ish quarter horse mostly. I probably look "better" on the QH, but the ponies don't mind how far my legs reach ;)
 
I'm 5'10 and just lost my 17.2/3 and I did look a good size on him but he wasn't hugely chunky. Just average WB type build. I ride my 13.2 Fell although I'm conscious of looking a bit tall. Now looking for a Dales around 14.3 - 15hh with a bit of bone to take up the leg. Horse build is more important than height for taller riders imo.
 
I used to be 5'9" but i appear to have shunk in the last few years to 5'8 1/2" lol

I ride 17hh hunter. Honestly i feel massive on anything smaller now, even if its chunky. But i have always been a "big" horse person. Ponies never floated my boat. But i have long legs, and not so much a long torso so i need the space to take up my leg. If i can get my toe under the belly, i am not comfortable. Even with my horse i sometimes need to up my leg in the dressage saddle when im not trying to stretch. Would looove to try an 18hander but not sure the bank would allow the feed and trailer needed lol
 
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I’m about 5’9” and have an Arab who was meant to be 15.1 - but when I measured her is 14.3.
I feel a little big on her! She is built like a cob in her body with slender legs, neck etc.
 
I'm exactly 175cm/5'9" and my current horses are 14.2h chunky Friesian cross; 15h Spanish/PRE; 15.1h Spanish/PRE, both Spaniards are fairly round. New horse is 15.2 - 3h, but much narrower and feels "less" than the others.
 
I'm 5ft9 with 33in legs and Archie is a chunky 15.1hh. I feel better on him than on the 17.1hh horse I ride at the riding school. Thank goodness he is chunky, cos so am I! :)

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Haven’t ridden for a long time, but mine is 15.1hh. I feel like a giant on him. I had a 17.2hh before him, felt much better. I rode a 14.2hh pony at one point, but whilst he carried me fine (I was a lot skinnier than I am now), I felt like I was on my little brother’s bike!
 
I'm a bit taller at 5ft 11, I have a 34" leg so the width of the horse is important. I currently ride a 14.2 cob and a 16.1 cob x TB and look about the same on both as the cob is a tank :)
The most comfortable I've ever felt was on my late 17.1 Clydesdale, he felt perfect.
 
Thank you for replies everyone :)
Next question - width obviously matters. I feel happiest on chunky cobs because they take up my leg and would prefer a 13.2hh chunk to 16hh narrow TB type.
But on narrower horses is there anything you can do to alleviate the discomfort/feeling of being underhorsed?
 
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Ok officially 5’8” but ride a med wide 15.1 cob x....tried 15.2 and above but realise I prefer a bit of chunk, though if tb are bigger than 16hd, they feel ok..anything fine under 15.3 feel like I’m riding air! It really depends on what you’re used to riding I guess..I’m aiming for an ID x next over 15.3,under 16.1!
 
Chinchilla said:
As title really.
5"9 = 175 cm (ish)
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Hi,I am 5’8” and a 10 st 4, I have 15hh sec D and a 15.2hh cob x tb. I have always had big horses before 17hh draft x and felt I really needed that size. I have got used to smaller horses, as long as they are stocky and ok with my weight they are so much easier to care for!
 
I'm a whisker under 5' 10" and ride a 15.3hh Section D x TB. My height is all in my legs (35" inside leg) so I have to accept however big the horse is my feet will hang under it's belly. I prefer smaller horses so my life is spent looking like a teen that has had a growth spurn and is still riding her childhood pony.
 
16 hh chunky warmblood. Used to be wedded to big horses 17 hh plus but riding 15hh polo ponies proved small could be fun. I also ride my daughters 14.2 and my son's 12.2 ( only when he is being a little ****). But I have jumped the 12.2!
 
I am 5'8" and have a 16.3 - 17hh ID but I rode a 14.2 Dales for years who did a bit of everything and never made me feel underhorsed. I don't care for narrow horses. Too much like riding a bicycle.
 
I'm 5'10" and J is around 16.2hh German Warmblood. I feel comfortable on him. I have loooooong legs so, on some smaller horses, I can feel like there's nothing to get my leg around.

However, I used to regularly borrow a 14.1ish cob, a little chunky, but not massively so and once I got used to being on her I didn't feel too big at all. I've also take a 13.3hh pony on a beach ride, she wasn't very chunky but I was quite light then (8st) and she carried me fine! Felt a bit weird at first but once we'd had our first gallop I was fine. I don't think I've have one that small myself though! I think, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a good 14.3 but wouldn't go much smaller (if it was for myself).


I'm not sure about alleviating the feeling of being underhorsed. I think if you regularly ride chunks and bigger horses and suddenly go down to a smaller one it does feel a bit odd at first, but once you get used to it you feel a bit less underhorsed. I've always preferred the chunky ones and spent most of my teenage years on a Shire X. I think if the pony has a decent amount of neck, I always feel better, ponies with short necks make me feel like I might just topple off!
 
I’m 5”9 about and I have a stocky Connemara/Hanoverian X mare standing at 15.1hh. She is a perfect fit for me, and I feel really comfortable doing everything on her. Anything below 14.1hh feels too small for me, so I’d recommend somewhere above 15hh especially if you’re still growing.
 
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