Adults riding ponies

Laura-Maybe-IV

Laura-Maybe-IV

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I've recently brought a cob to bring on and break, he will easily make 14.2hh but I'm quiet tall 5'10.

A lot of people I've spoken to say you will look just fine on him and he will take your leg room up.

I just wanted to see what other people's view's were on adult's riding ponies, particularly taller riders.


One bonus I've noticed since owning him, I've saved a reasonable amount of money, his feet are hard as nails! great no need for shoes at the moment and he lives on fresh air! Compared to my TB I lost he's such an easy keeper!
 
Personally I feel silly riding ponies - I grew out of mine years ago. That being said, I think anything 14.2hh or thereabouts is fine so long as the rider is light enough and doesn't look big on them. What gets me is people who are clearly huge on ponies weight wise - particularly young ponies aswell, and seeing them getting hammered into the ground by said overweight rider.
 
Im 5ft 9 and ride a 14.3hh medium weight cob at the riding school and dont feel ridiculous nor have i been told i look ridiculous. I'll be riding my friends 14.2hh heavy weight cob as well at some point.

I wouldn't, however, jump on a 12 or 13hh pony as then yes, i would feel and look ridiculous.
 
I think it depends on height and weight really as well as breed. A smaller cob will take up your leg and you shouldn't look silly on him. I ride and school anything from 11.2hh up as I am 5'1" and a half (the half is important!), I look alright if a little tall on the small 11.2 welsh sec As but I am light and like I said before - very short! I wouldn't take them round massive tracks, but I do school them and do lots of lunging/groundwork with them over jumps and the kids who they belong to are on board over tiny jumps as they are smaller and lighter than me and they are helping teach the pony to jump (it jumps huge, so would rather not put myself on it and screw with its balance over the fence).

I personally love ponies - they are incredibly fun and I am rather happy that I never really grew out of them - a good horse size for me would be 14.2/15hh but I have short legs so ponies are nice. I can ride much bigger things, but it seems that there aren't too many adults around who are small and light enough to school the kids ponies near where I am :)
(the owner of the 11.2s is small enough but she hates riding them - they feel tiny to her and she feels very insecure on them)

So I see no problem with you riding a "pony" as long as weight wise you are ok and height wise you are ok (cobs do take up the leg a lot! So that sounds fine)
 
Am the same height as you OP 5ft10 (well 5ft9.5 to be precise and have long legs)- and i have a 4yr old welsh D i have backed, he is just shy of 14.3HH in this pic taken a few months ago, measured him last week and he's a full up 14.3 now. I don't think i look big on him and noone has ever commented i look too big :)
I always used to worry he would be too small for me but because hes quite wide he takes up the leg and he rides big too.
I also ride my friends cob who is 14hh and i dont look big.
He still has alot of filling out to do but if he's anything like my mare she grew outwards alot from 4 - she's now 6 and like a tank!
Here' s me on my welshie at his first show:)

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I'm about 5'4" and have a 14.2 who I feel fine on. I have two shets and when they're older I might ride them... Any one who comments clearly doesn't know what shets used to be used for!

The only reason people grumble about adults riding ponies is because they are the sort to have gone and bought a flashy horse which they can't ride one side of....Jealousy! ;)
 
muckypony said:
I'm about 5'4" and have a 14.2 who I feel fine on. I have two shets and when they're older I might ride them... Any one who comments clearly doesn't know what shets used to be used for!

The only reason people grumble about adults riding ponies is because they are the sort to have gone and bought a flashy horse which they can't ride one side of....Jealousy! ;)
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Or they don't like seeing small ponies being thrashed about by a clearly overweight, oversized rider maybe. ;-)
 
muckypony said:
Being an adult doesn't automatically make you oversized and overweight you know....
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No I know. I never said it did. But being opposed to adults who ARE oversized and overweight on a pony, and 'grumbling' about it, does not make you someone who has 'bought a flashy horse that they can't ride one side of'...either...
 
I am just over 5' and have exmoor ponies who are all between 12hh and 12.2hh - I am well within the "accepted" weight range for these ponies and don't feel too big on them at all...but they basically feel like 14hh ponies with short legs so body wise they take up the leg well and there is plenty neck in front to fool you into thinking they are bigger than they are...I wouldn't get on a sec A or B at the same height as my exies as I think I would look too big on them. I think adults on ponies are fine providing they are not too heavy or too tall to the point they interfere with the ponies balance or way of going :D
 
I am 5"4 with quite short legs and personally find that I am happy to ride anything that's over 14hh.
I could probably fit on something a bit smaller, however personally I think 14hh is my limit when it comes to ponies as weight-wise and height-wise it makes me feel like I am not squashing them.

The last 14.2hh cob I rode I felt quite big on at first (as at the time I had been riding a 15hh who rides bigger and a 17hh) but after ten minutes of getting used to her I actually found my stirrups ended up much shorter than normal and I felt like I was able to ride the 14.2hh pony better than my own horse!

It depends on how wide the cob is, if you have long/short/average legs and your balance in the saddle and what you're used to riding.

Ponies are fantastic and if you are fine to ride them height and weight-wise then I see no reason why not :)
 
I'm 5ft3, so definitely don't fall into the tall person category lol, however, I've always been a pony person and I know tonnes of adults, taller than me, who ride ponies. A lot of my friends show, particularly hairy coloured ponies, to the highest level, and there aren't many kids in the classes at all, even in the below 13.2hh classes. The M&M classes are full of adults, too. There are more children in the plaited pony classes, but I guess that's because the plaiteds aren't as weight baring as the traditionals and natives. However, in the hairy coloured pony class at HOYS (under 14.2hh), it'd be quite rare to see a child on board. And the same goes for the larger M&M breed classes, too. It's definitely something that people in showing don't even bat an eyelid at.

Sometimes, granted, it looks really daft, when people have their long legs hanging either side of a tiny pony, lol, but as long as you aren't riding something ridiculously small or underweight, and especially if they're chunky, I see no problem. I love ponies!
 
I'm 5'7", weight 10st and ride a 14.2hh highland who is plenty big enough for me. My instructor calls him a big horse on short legs (!!) and he takes my leg very well. My tall friend (5'11") had a sit on him recently too and didn't look overly big on him. Her normal mount is an 18'2" shire cross. (We thought it would be fun to swap for a bit ... it was too, until i forgot how high up i was when i got off ... but that's another story!)
 
Ah balls! I'm 5ft4" and still ride shetlands ... My theory is - if they can still piss off with me then they can easily carry me! I do ride with shorter stirrups though so I don't bang their knees!

I also ride my 12.2hh brick outhouse of a Dartmoor and my 13.2hh Fell pony has just come back home too. I look slightly body tall on he darty but he takes up the leg well. I won't ride shetlands in the show ring anymore as A. I look stupid on them and B. people complain when I beat all the kids - despite the fact that I generally deserve to by having a well schooled, well mannered, well put together pony compared to their wee sh I t elands that won't canter, nap, buck, drop shoulders, poke their noses out et al!

You'll be fine! It's not like your getting on a dainty wee snip of a thing!
 
EKW said:
Ah balls! I'm 5ft4" and still ride shetlands ... My theory is - if they can still piss off with me then they can easily carry me! I do ride with shorter stirrups though so I don't bang their knees!

I also ride my 12.2hh brick outhouse of a Dartmoor and my 13.2hh Fell pony has just come back home too. I look slightly body tall on he darty but he takes up the leg well. I won't ride shetlands in the show ring anymore as A. I look stupid on them and B. people complain when I beat all the kids - despite the fact that I generally deserve to by having a well schooled, well mannered, well put together pony compared to their wee sh I t elands that won't canter, nap, buck, drop shoulders, poke their noses out et al!

You'll be fine! It's not like your getting on a dainty wee snip of a thing!
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Lol, I hardly think you can berate small kids on shetlands for not having 'well schooled' ponies. Perhaps they are just enjoying childhood and don't have an adult small enough to school them for them?
 
EKW said:
Ah balls! I'm 5ft4" and still ride shetlands ... My theory is - if they can still piss off with me then they can easily carry me! I do ride with shorter stirrups though so I don't bang their knees!

I also ride my 12.2hh brick outhouse of a Dartmoor and my 13.2hh Fell pony has just come back home too. I look slightly body tall on he darty but he takes up the leg well. I won't ride shetlands in the show ring anymore as A. I look stupid on them and B. people complain when I beat all the kids - despite the fact that I generally deserve to by having a well schooled, well mannered, well put together pony compared to their wee sh I t elands that won't canter, nap, buck, drop shoulders, poke their noses out et al!

You'll be fine! It's not like your getting on a dainty wee snip of a thing!
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Thank you :) I love your shetland theory! that seems unfair people moaning about a Shetland that behaves and Is well mannered! I would rather see that even if you did look a bit silly then a poor child being carted around by a bad mannered pony!
 
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cob&onion said:
Am the same height as you OP 5ft10 (well 5ft9.5 to be precise and have long legs)- and i have a 4yr old welsh D i have backed, he is just shy of 14.3HH in this pic taken a few months ago, measured him last week and he's a full up 14.3 now. I don't think i look big on him and noone has ever commented i look too big :)
I always used to worry he would be too small for me but because hes quite wide he takes up the leg and he rides big too.
I also ride my friends cob who is 14hh and i dont look big.
He still has alot of filling out to do but if he's anything like my mare she grew outwards alot from 4 - she's now 6 and like a tank!
Here' s me on my welshie at his first show:)

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You look fab together! thank you for your advice and comments :)
 
Laura-Maybe-IV said:
Thank you :) I love your shetland theory! that seems unfair people moaning about a Shetland that behaves and Is well mannered! I would rather see that even if you did look a bit silly then a poor child being carted around by a bad mannered pony!
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Children being 'carted' around by ponies are usually the ones who learn to be very good riders, rather than those who spend their early days riding perfectly schooled ponies ridden by adults.

I don't agree that adults should be competing in classes with tiny kids on shetlands, it's not really fair.
 
The M&M classes have a good variety of kids and adults in. The 11.2s that I school are only 6/7 and only one is safe enough to be a children's pony, and isn't educated enough off lead yet to be a first pony (but will once it has finished its education!) The one I ride the most hates children and dumps them very quickly on the floor - nothing malicious, just a dropped should and head drop - effective on 6 year olds, not so effective on me! She will be a fantastic dressage pony if the way she is going now is any hint and will definitely be a second or third childs pony, but seems to prefer adults. I can get her going beautifully very quickly and she has gorgeous paces (not tried ridden canter yet though! She is much more nervy ridden than she is generally) so will end up doing well shown either by kids or adults - but she will need a competent child.

I see lots of fab kids ponies around, and lots that could do with a good rider on them to give them a bit of schooling, but as was mentioned by someone earlier, there often aren't many adults small enough or willing to get on a small naughty pony! :)
 
Moomin1 said:
Children being 'carted' around by ponies are usually the ones who learn to be very good riders, rather than those who spend their early days riding perfectly schooled ponies ridden by adults.

I don't agree that adults should be competing in classes with tiny kids on shetlands, it's not really fair.
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Oh I'm not saying that they don't become good riders, just some shetlands are much naughtier than others. I was at a county show the other day and a little girl was doing fab with her Shetland where as another child was really struggling, just makes me feel a bit sorry for them that's all.
 
Moomin1 said:
Children being 'carted' around by ponies are usually the ones who learn to be very good riders, rather than those who spend their early days riding perfectly schooled ponies ridden by adults.

I don't agree that adults should be competing in classes with tiny kids on shetlands, it's not really fair.
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Its perfectly fair: the main showing bodies stipulate in open classes that they (and all small breeds) have a small rider of any age.
Small children already have lead rein, 1st ridden and junior ridden classes on pure breds :)

OP, as said by several on here, you will be fine :)
 
Laura-Maybe-IV said:
Oh I'm not saying that they don't become good riders, just some shetlands are much naughtier than others. I was at a county show the other day and a little girl was doing fab with her Shetland where as another child was really struggling, just makes me feel a bit sorry for them that's all.
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Oh I wouldn't feel sorry for them at all - that's how they learn lol! My old pony ran rings around me for a good three years or so when I first had him but it certainly taught me to handle him eventually without the help of an adult getting on! I think half the problem now is that people don't want their kids to 'learn' as such - they just want them to have it all ready made and win the pretty ribbons.
 
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