A customers passing comment has worried me, honest opinions pls!

Mylife

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First off, sorry for the 'pls' I ran out of characters!

About 2 weeks ago a customer where I work (chineses take away) said I am too big for my pony, I am a sucker for taking things to heart, so considering it's bugged me for so long I thought I'd ask your opinions?!

she's 14hh chunky cob type and we think she has a little Welsh d in her, I am normally between 10-11 stone not trying to hide my weight, but my weight fluctuates a lot! Have been under that weight, rarely over it!

Here are some pics, what do you think? Please be nice, I'll be gutted if I am too big but for the sake of my darling pony be honest!

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They probably meant height-wise rather than weight.
Personally I think being too heavy for a horse is an issue but being too tall - not so much - look at WFP!

Just out of interest how come you are riding in a rug?
 
Ignore them - you look fine and a cob like yours could easily carry someone a lot heavier anyhow!

They are obviously novice or ignorant….
 
You are definitely NOT too big for your pony :)

However, your pony is dangerously overweight (probably by as much as 100kg) so she is carrying that as well as you. I hope you don't take offence at this, but she really is overweight.
 
It's a ride on fly rug, literally my new best friend, Mayzi has sweetitch and the flies come out whenever the temp rises where we are! That fly rug is like a wrap around exercise sheet, with a neck! It's brilliant!

I don't know my height eek! Oh dear I hope I'm not too tall on her!
 
I'd say you look fine on her. You look tall but slim, and she looks as if she is slightly short in the leg, which may give the impression that you look too big for her. But you look good to me.
 
No, you look fine.
Your pony though could do with losing weight.
Why are you riding in a full neck rug?

Really, a horse that fat in reality doesn't need to wear a rug, especially when being ridden.
 
Ah yes her weight, we are working on that until I had her she had been left to her own devices for an unknown amount of time! dont worry no offence taken :) I appreciate all the good words, for everyone to strait off say I'm fine makes me wish I'd put this post up the moment the comment was made!
 
Sorry I probably didn't make myself clear - I think you're fine, I wouldn't worry.
You are definitely not too heavy, so I'm assuming they were meaning 'big' as in tall.
Some people have issues with adults riding ponies - I'm just trying to think of reasons they may have said it, is all! I think you look fine, I'd ignore them :)

Never seen a rug like that before, glad it's working well for you :)
 
It's a ride on fly rug because she has sweetitch and there are midges where we are this time of year when the temp is right!
 
You are also not too tall on her. Your leg length is fine, she appears to be fairly short necked and which makes you look taller than a longer necked horse would. Stop listening to silly people!

She is a bit chunky so could probably lose a few kg but her legs look pretty solid so she's never going to look like a waif.
 
Urgh believe me I wish I didn't have to rug her, bumpy previous owner who I had her on loan from for a while decided to clip her whole neck and chest (sorry don't know clip names never needed to clip before!) because she was in 40 mins work twice a week :( believe me she will be naked next year unless we have a week of solid rain!
 
You look great together. Will be even better when she has lost a few kg (not you!!)

Not sure what a customer was doing, commenting on you and your horse? Do you comment on your customers' choice of chinese food?! Some of us can be quite sensitive to what others say so if you are like that, don't give them the opportunity if you can help it! :)
 
40 years ago you would not have stood out as tall on this pony . Anything over 16hh was considered a monster. We have since become accustomed to humunga horses that need a red light on the browband to warn passing aircraft!But all this is really irrelevant since you certainly dont look too heavy for this lad,and thats what really counts.
 
I have a horse who only has to look at grass and she puts weight on, so I feel your pain.
I am made to feel guilty for not rugging her through winter but it really is better for her to be unclipped and unrugged.

We x posted on the fly rug, so yes I fully understand why you choose to ride in that during midge season.
 
I remember reading. Dick Francis novel where the jockey debated for an hour about whether he could afford to have a boiled egg given he was racing the next day. Race jockeys are teeny. Anyone of average size may well look like a giant! A mate of mine is an ex race jockey. She's under 5ft! You look fine.
 
Hmmm... Now I'm worried- I'm about the same weight and mine is smaller *hidesinacupboard!*

Well, he seems happy enough. And his owners wouldn't let me continue if I was too big for him anyway!

I think that customer was rude and you should ignore the busybody.

Ax
 
They should bog off,you look fine on her to me. I at 5"6 and the same weight as you (it also fluctuates) and I ride a 14.1 Highland. I adore him, he is more than able to carry me and we have great fun. I am sure some people look down on us but they are the kind of people whose opinions I do not value, simply because they are looking down on us! :D I also take my daughter's 13.2 Heinz 57 out for a hack from time to time, I look stupid on him but he loves it.
 
You are def. not too heavy or too tall.

But seriously PMSL about someone eating takeaway food commenting on size!

Given that it is a bloke commenting I would put it down to a clumsy chat up line myself. Anyway next time you hand over his meal wish him well with his bag of calories, saturated fat, salt and sugar.

Just seen your later post... so he used to race did he *rolls eyes*
 
to make you feel better, I'm riding a spindley 14hh pony lol and I have let heavier people than me have a go on her :s (I'm 5'7 and10stone). I get a lot of 'grow up and get a horse' type stick, but I just laugh it off. Most people my age are riding a big warmblood or something but to be honest I just prefer ponies, I find them more fun.
I guess if you are quite tall (like me) you run the risk of looking a bit stupid and have to be careful not to unbalance them. 14hh is the limit for me though. I actually find it really hard to ride anything smaller than mine, because it feels like I am on their neck!

Do I look like a tit? probably. Is my pony bothered? I assume not as she still gallops around everywhere with me for over a decade. Just enjoy your horse, if you are comfortable riding it and it's happy to carry you, who cares?
 
It's all down to how she carries you and how you feel on her.

I had a 14hh hairy cob, who wasn't terribly wide. I'm 5'6 and between 9-10st. I felt and looked too big on him, and I was borderline of how much weight he could actually carry. I sold him on in the end, and feel far less self conscious on something bigger.
 
If it helps, OP, mine are similar sized, lighter framed and I'm taller and heavier than you...

That said, I'd reiterate the comments about the pony's weight - I'm not really sure I'd be hooning about and jumping a horse that overweight.
 
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