Adults riding ponies

StarFell

StarFell

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Are there many adults on here who ride ponies? If so how tall are you and how big is your pony? Do people ever look down on you (Not literally!! Lol) Because you have a pony rather than a horse? Im 5'7 and I have a 13.3hh fell, Ive had quite a lot of nasty comments from people that seem to think I should get a "Proper" horse
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I'm not an adult, I'm 17, but ride 13.1-13.3 welsh B and part breds. Yes people do look down on me because of it, they think their 'posh' horses mean they are far superior. I find it satifying when we beat them all, gutted to the lot of them. We have allways done ponies, although we have had 'proper' horses, always come back to the littlies.

(I'm 5'4" btw)
 
As long as your not too big for the pony and it can carry you easily then its up to you, i used to know a lady who rides a 12.2 pony! she is about 5'5 but she is stick thin so pony doesnt mind!
 
I'm 5'3 and ride a 14.2 - in my signature.

Have never had any derogatory comments (that I've heard!),
I think she takes up my leg ok and as she is WB pony/TB she just looks like a small horse.
We always get good comments from DR judges about her shape
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I'm 5'2, 28 years old - although not that slim at tho mo! I have 5 ponies - from 13.1 to 14.3/15hh. I dont feel bad riding them myself as they all cope fine. I think people feel I should "graduate" onto horses! Having had BIG warmbloods ( 16.3 and 17.1) I would never go back - as I fell I cant ride them effectively with my short legs etc. Far more fun with the ponies anyway!
 
I cant wait to get out and show Star this year to show people what he can do, it was VERY satisfying last year when I beat a few stuck-up people on Tb crosses in some jumping classes
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my mum is about 5ft 10 and rides our 13.2 fell pony and looks fine, but when we ride out ( I have a 15h thoughbread type) the number of people who say hello to me and ignore her is amazing.
What is so riduclas is that half the time they cant actually ride or control their huge horses but still seem to think that they are better than us becasue we are riding a pony -
Sorry for the rant but when your riding a county standard pony and still get looked down on it gets rather annoying!!!!!!!!!
 
I'm 21, 5'7" and riding a 13.2hh pony. Haven't really taken her anywhere yet, but I expect there will be comments. I have a "proper" horse (TB) of my own (I'm exercising the pony while I'm at uni) but he's always been a bit sharp for me and has knocked my confidence. Pony is such a confidence giver, I can't fault her, so I don't care if I get comments, she's a star!
 

in my younger days, people alway's said it's about time you rode horses the only problem was competing always having the smallest in the class.
i'm 5ft 6 about 8ish stone. same as my daughter and we have yet another 13.2 new forest, dont give a monkies what people think or say.
i would rather have ponies to horses, as long as your happy thats all that counts
 
I'm 5'6 and my girlie is 13.3 but she's chunky. Every time I pass two women on their very posh 16hhish horses they look a bit funny at me but I put that down to my pony being so much prettier than theirs
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Other than that no-one has really said anything. I dont see the problem, as long as they carry you no probs and you're comfortable who cares?
 
I am 40 and 5ft6 but only weigh 81/2 stone - less than my 9 year old niece! and I showed my daughter's Welsh Section B pony in open welsh ridden classes at breed shows - she will do it herself this year as she has a bit more ringcraft now, she did only show her in first ridden m+m but all the ponies in open m + m classes that I have come across have been ridden by adults and they have been a very friendly lot. You have loads of fun on ponies the only thing I have found is that it's easier to fall off.
 
I used to have a 14hh on loan but thats the shortest I'd feel comfortable with. I'm 5ft 8 but most of that is leg. It jsut depends on the horses shape because there does come a point when you legs are too long to be that effective in using 'normal' aids
 
Yep I'm 40 this year and have had my 14.1hh welsh x for the last 16 years. I'm only 5'2". Ponies are so much fun. We stil do gymkhana & handy pony etc but find that we are restricted in some classes because of my age.
 
I'm 32 (33 this year!), 5'9" (11 1/2 stone) and the Arab mare I ride is 14.1. Although she is quite fine boned, she has a wide barrel and short back (typical Arab really) so she can carry up to 13 stone including tack, no prob.

I don't really get anyone looking down at me because I'm tall and ride a small horse. I have a good seat and my kind Arab has a fine looking dainty head so that's all that matters!
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There are photos of me in PG hunting on my 14hh native type pony - don't know his breeding. Some people might say I'm too big on him but he doesn't seem to have a problem with it - it certainly didn't slow him down yesterday
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I think people probably do say things but never to my face - I would tell them to get stuffed
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I'm 5'4" and weigh between 10.5 and 11 stone but hoping to be nearer 10 stone in a couple of months
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I love the fact that he is small, easier to handle, cheaper to feed etc. However, I do worry about my weight and I might not be able to ride him when he is older. I think I would like something slighter bigger next time so I don't have to worry about this.
 
Im 5ft7 and up until recently rode my 11.3hh shettie cross, looked big but wasnt and still arnt to heavy, I know this because the other week I took him for a small hack for the fun of it and went down the beach. I loosed my reins and didnt ask him to go or any thing but he galloped, doesnt seem like he is having difficultie to me!
Had many snide comment about riding him but they never bothered me as I knew he could take my weight:p
 
Over 35yrs and 5ft 7" ish and ride a 14.3hh Welsh D. Had a few comments over the years along the lines of 'when am I going to get a proper horse'.

But nothing of late. It seems more acceptable for adults to ride ponies than it did as little as 5yrs ago.

Rosie and I do what we want and love it

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I have a 14.2hh Welsh D. He is out on loan now but I've owned him for nearly 4 years, and only put him on loan in Sept last year because I wanted something with more scope and more experience. I'm 5ft4, 27yo and always had great fun on my pony!
 
im 5ft6 and i ride 14hh ponies uptomy 17hh boy.
some people look down on you until you get in the ring and your pony is the best behaved,nippiest round the clear round and calmest at the dressage.
i dont see a problem as long as the rider isnt too heavy/unbalancing the pony.
 
I am *cough* somewhere approaching 50, and have 2 Highland ponies on loan, 5'7" and no lightweight, but they can carry me easily.
I've tried bigger horses but just much prefer chunky ponies.
 
I think it's fine providing the pony can carry your weight.

It wasn't for me though, a few years ago I went from a 15hh down to a 14.2hh, I always felt under horsed with him. I sold him and bought a 15.2hh and felt alot better (I'm 5'4" & 9 1/2 stone)

You see huge kids riding 13.2's in the Pony Games which is no different!
 
I ride anything 14.2 up, but please bear in mind we have every right to ride horses and shouldn't be looked down upon for it either!
 
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