Adults buying ponies - socially acceptable?

Im 5'7, 24 and often ride one of our liveries who is just 14h(on tippy toes) and I love riding him. although reading all above posts am i so jealous that when mended I may have to go pony hunting!

I am very jealous of my bf who is 4'11 and events a 17h and then a 14h!!

By bro and OH both play polo, the lightest is 12/13st and smallest pony prob 14.1, max - if you can keep up with her when he is on her- you can tell him he is too big!
 
Those 6ft1 giants out there (Neilm & 3beasties), I'd love to see pics! :D

My husband (has sat on a horse once) is convinced that I need a "proper" horse, when all I want is a fun 13.2hh pony (I'm only 5ft3 with short leggies!).
 
Golddust you've always wanted a pony lol. A connie or connie cross right?! I think you should go for it! Get your perfect little pony this time, the one you've always wanted :D
 
anyone who looks down on me and my pony (literally) had better be nice, or Shy will do a belly attack - that's all I can say :eek:

I have to say tho that I'm having lessons on a big 15.3 hh cob atm, and he's fab ;) - the RDA give us volunteers an hour's lesson a week, and I love it :D
 
I'm 5'7, but with 32.5-inch legs. Even so, I love riding ponies, and nothing makes me happier than when I go back to England and get to ride the little ones. Adults on ponies is definitely viewed as a little bizarre in the US (though not in Western riding), and while I like my 16.1 TB lesson horse just fine, I miss riding the Connies from my childhood. When it's time to get a horse, I am sure it'll be a pony purchase all the way.
 
There is a lot to be said for ponies, I have had my 16h TB for three years now, and found the transition to horses really hard, I had my previous horse, who was 14.3, from the age of 12 until I was 27, we did everything together, pony club, county level show jumping, hunting, my kids learned to ride on her, she was the bee's knees! I am only 5'5" and just over 9 stone I have ridden all sizes of horses and ponies and have always found ponies easier, I love my newest horse, but if someone offers me a pony to ride, I always accept, I don't see why some people think when you grow up you should get a horse, oh well their loss :rolleyes:
 
To be perfectly honest I never look at anything over 15h and under is even better. Far less way to fall off and much easier to groom and rug.
 
pixie said:
Those 6ft1 giants out there (Neilm & 3beasties), I'd love to see pics! :D
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As I'm the one with the camera, I only have one decent picture of me on Harry and it's been posted a number of times, but, here ya go:

6'1" of me, and 14.2hh of him.

HN11-1.jpg
 
Nope I ride ponies all the time (I'm 17 so technically not an adult)
But atm I'm looking into buying a 12.2hh to back and bring on as I want to have some fun, I'm fed up of competing etc.
 
dsykes said:
I love ponies , mind you that's probably because I ride , breed and show Exmoors . All turned out 24/7 for the winter , so economical !
Love Jinglejoy's mule , could have something to do with the mealie markings
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Go Exmoors! We have a lovely 12.2 mare that was given to us on permanent loan by my YO as she was very bad tempered with children and therefore unsuitable for the riding school. My kids get on great with her but she is very strong on hacks and on the advice of some one here I decided to hack her. I'm five foot six and 10 stone and I can honestly say I have never had so much fun, I actually laugh out load when she gets whizzy! I hate handing her back to the kids - its half term next week. :( We also recently bought a two year old highland pony - funds are tight so we needed something we could all ride and was small enough to do pony club. I couldn't care less what other people think. They are great fun, easy to get on and off, do gates with, tack, rug etc and they are as hard a coffin nails when it comes to living out in the winter. I am a pony convert now and I don't think I will ever own anything else!
 
martha said:
I find it quite extraordinary that anyone should worry about social acceptability when chosing a horse/pony!
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I do sort of understand the "acceptable" bit. I'm a fan of a short, fat, hairy, rather backwards 13 hh pony and do feel rather looked down upon in my lessons from the "adults" (I'm 31) on the flash horses.

On the other hand, I'm the only one with a grin from ear to ear :D
 
I'm 30 and about to buy my first pony :). She's a 14.2 cob (although does seem bigger, and take a 6ft 3 rug!!), and I'm 5ft 3 and around 9st 3. I could get a flashy 16.2, but as a novice would probably be totally over-horsed. I don't have any photos of me on her, so no idea what we look like together, but she feels right, we've bonded while I loaned her and we have fun. So I'm getting set to buy her and unleash my inner 11 year old!!
 
firewell said:
Golddust you've always wanted a pony lol. A connie or connie cross right?! I think you should go for it! Get your perfect little pony this time, the one you've always wanted :D
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Well remembered - before I got my WB over a year ago I was going to go for a pony (pref connie)! So glad there are so many adult pony riders - wait till I get mine and we can form an adults on ponies riding club!
 
Acceptable? Blimey I hope so, 'cos I don't ride anything else! I often escort hacks on an 11 hand pocket rocket and she takes no nonsense from the biggies.
 
I'm 5'8, and I do compete and am seriously considering buying (if I can sort out a way to pay stabling) a 14.1hh farm pony. :rolleyes: But actually, I feel fine on him. I spose I'm a little tall, but I don't struggle to ride him at all.
I have a 16.2hh, and generally I like them between 16.1hh and 17 hands, but I'm riding so many ponies they're starting to feel normal :D

So no..eh. Who cares. If you like them, and you aren't to heavy etc etc, go for it.
 
your pony reminds me so much of mine - except mine is a smaller version at 13.2 and i am only 5.1ft.

my pony is competitive too against horses he has won the senior riding club points trophy this year (you get points every time you are placed in a riding club competition) beating all the horses!

The RC rules have been changed now so that ponies under 14h can compete in the team jumping as well if you want to do that sort of thing.

whp2.jpg



NeilM said:
As I'm the one with the camera, I only have one decent picture of me on Harry and it's been posted a number of times, but, here ya go:

6'1" of me, and 14.2hh of him.

HN11-1.jpg
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Oh yes, they both have that 'is that all you've got? Bring on the BIG JUMPS' look about them :D

H will happily jump 3ft, it's me that wimps out (must try harder).
 
Go for it. I so wish I had. I'm 5'4 and have a 16.3 , I love him to bits but only got something that size as my 6'O OH rides as well and I wanted to compete. Now I dont compete and OH not really bothered and I would love a chunkyish 14 .2 I could get on easily, do gates easily, worm etc. My slim but 6'0 OH also used to do dressage on a 15.0hh cob !
 
Where i am liveried we have a couple of adults with ponies, our yard SJ comps etc even cater for them specifically so they can compete. Life is too short to worry about social acceptability.
 
I love ponies and also smaller horses, I would never have anything else.

Not being a lightweight I usually ride heavier native breeds and cobs. I would love a Highland or Traditional Gypsy Cob.

I currently ride and own a 14.3hh Welsh Cob and a 15.1hh TB x Welsh Cob.
I feel too heavy on anything smaller or less heavily built and look like a pea on a mountain on anything above 15.2hh.

I know a few other adults with ponies who they compete very successfully with.
 
there is even an organisation called the pony riders association specifically for adults who ride ponies
 
I am 5'4 and ride anything from 12.2hh to 14.3hh all of my five fall in this height range and we just bought a 13.1hh for my friend who is the same height as me. My hubby shares my 14.3hh arab x welsh and he is 5'8" .
 
Shy's a 3'6" fence - from a standstill - sort of guy......

My question really is will I be able to keep up with him, and not let his talent go to waste..
 
Think there are plenty reassuring posts here already! But I shall add my piece :D

I am 29, almost 5'6 and have a 14.2hh, I do not want or need anything bigger and just love ponies and smaller horses. I am just not a big horse kind of person.
I could go on and on, sod the being acceptable thing. When I buy another horse when I have to retire Seren, one thing for sure is that it will not be over 14.2hh :D
 
I have always had ponies under 13.3hh. I have been without a pony for a year now, I am going to look at a friends 12.2hh welsh b at the weekend to loan and bring on while she gets to grips with a new baby.
I am 5ft and have gone up to just over 9st. Am I going to be too heavy for light schooling and hacking?
 
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