Adults who ride ponies

[Annette4]

Any of them on here? Don't mean 14.2hhers really although any input very welcome.

Are you competative?
Do you compete regularly and at what?
Do you find any issues come from you riding ponies?....complaints at shows to nasty comments
If you don't compete are you just happy hackers?
What made you chose a pony over a horse?

 

[Abbeygale]

I am 27, 5'6" ish, and ride a 13.1hh pony - breeding unknown, but she isn't a really lightweight pony. I'm about 9 stone ish, but have complete stick legs - so legs to stick out the bottom quite a lot. I have recently started doing Trec with her until my other horse is fit enough to do it. I haven't had any comments to be honest - everyone who stopped me at the last trec I went to mainly wanted to know what her breeding was and was admiring her.
I will probably take her out jumping and hunting a few times this winter - mainly because she loves it.
I didn't really choose pony - she is mainly dad's pony and used for driving, but dad doesn't really have time to do enough work with her to keep her in check. I used to have a girl come and ride, but she stopped coming, so I started riding her. She is great fun and completely fearless - and she does think it is highly hilarious to gallop through a muddy puddle which of course gets me absolutely filthy as I'm so close to the ground!

 

[Minnies_Mum]

I am 22, 5'7" and ride a 13:2hh cobby pony (in my sig). I didn't choose her- I was looking for something to ride while I was at uni and she was offered to me. I mostly hack her out and she's great fun, but sometimes we go jumping as well. I've never had any bad comments about her size, the only problem is she is extremely fat and I feel like people think I've let her get that fat!

 

[Vicki1986]

a bought my 13.1 when i was 18, im now 21. im 5ft2 - there some pics of us below im my signature. we compete regularly (normally twice a month all year)
we drag hunt, and compete unaffiliated in SJ, XC, dressage, hunter trials, showing, ODE's, spons rides, and all RC events.

have had a few sneers and unkind comments but mostly people are quite supportive. one of my trainers did delicately put it that jumping is sometimes more difficult for me as i am 'slightly taller than i should be for her' .... and if im honest there has been times (like when im struggling to find a saddle to fit us both) when ive considered putting her out on full loan and getting something bigger, but we've been through lots and made leaps of progress together and she's been through a few homes so she is with me for life.
I have really supportive friends though and we all joke that i am a big kid with a thyroid problem !! Me and my pony are a perfect match and i couldnt really imagine having anything else, i do just whish she was a hand bigger but there we go!

and anyway it encourages me to stay light !!

 

[GinaGem]

My mum has a pony and he's great, we both ride him. Mum lost her confidence on her horse and so we thought a confidence giving pony would be the best way to go and we haven't regretted a moment.

She does low level fun competitions but she is a novice rider with memory problems so we have to be slightly careful what she does. So far she's done one walk/trot test, one showing show, one clear round jumping and two XC schooling sessions and i've taken him to two sponsored rides.

She mainly hacks though or does small jumps and she has a lesson once a week.

He's 14.2hh ish. We've never had comments about an aldult riding him but we always get people saying he's cute!!!

 

[wizzi901]

Yep an adult pony rider here, only recently tho. Had a large ID, and whilst he was lovely it was getting way too serious and not fun anymore.

Daughter needed to come out with me off lead rein so decided to go for a 14.2hh allrounder. Inexpensive, fab in all ways, does everything, bit strong and fast but like that! - and I am long skinny legged 5ft8 and dont look that big on him.

Friend also same legs as me and has 14.2hh also.

Reasons as above just more fun, less serious, more forgiving and easy to do, cheaper to feed, keep in every way and generally just having a blast¬!!


This is my little 15 year old cobby, bit strong but we are reschooling currently!! loves to do a working hunter class, will jump, dressage, mounted games the lot!!!

People are surprised who know me as they know I have tended to have horses of 16.2HH plus, now they can see why I have a pony they kind of understand!! Oh and if its relevant I am 38!!

If people have a problem then its their problem, I dont take a lot of notice of what other people think!!! - I keep my horses and ponies well, I am not cruel and usually they are very successful when out so most of it is only jealousy!! and by popular misconception, having had a 16.2hh horse that was hinged in the middle when jumping and turning, ponies are not always faster against bigger horses in the jumping ring!! they dont have as big a stride!!

 

[Ellies_mum2]

Ellie is 14.2 and I'm 5'7 with an inside leg of 34" and I've been told I look good on her
Won't tell you how old I am though - a girl should have some secrets

 

[golddustsara]

I'm a proud pony squasher - am 5ft 8 too and nearly 10st tehe but the connie doesn't have a problem carrying me. We are pretty competitive - I've just got back from a jump lesson where he happily jumped 2ft 9 despite my long legs. We like doing dressage, showing etc and are off to 'Mum's' camp next week so we get around. Have had a couple of comments about my legs but i just think they are jealous as ponies are way more fun, cheekier and cheaper to keep than horses.

 

[kizzywiz]

Another one here, I'm 5'1 & proud owner of a 13hh welsh sec c, we've done everything together from draghunting to dressage, she's 18 now so we don't jump so much, little fences for fun, have competed up to elementary dressage with her, been to trailblazers champs twice at prelim & elementary, sj & evented up to 2'9". Also have a 14hh welsh x, she jumps up to 3' on lessons, though have to say havn't been brave enough to compete at this height, have affiliated her at dressage, riding club evented too. Sometimes I have had comments like "Why don't you get yourself a proper horse" but I wouldn't part with either of them, can't see me wanting to jump more than 3' anyway TBH, & she could probably go up a hole or 2 if I wanted to.

 

[Riverboy]

5"5 and I have a 14.2 Conne x arab and have just bought a 3 yr old whose 14.1 atm but will probably grow a little bit and i love my ponies!!! Lost my nerve on a 16.3 IDxTB and have to say i just enjoy the cheekiness and braveness of the ponies far more. I feel like a big kid most of the time.

I have had a few people look down their noses - but I know I have a ton of fun!!! (plus I never got to have a pony when i was younger so I'm making up for it now!!!)

 

[SO1]

I have a pony he is 14h and sometimes I call him smallie as he is so small compared to the horses.

He is very soppy and I compete him in M&M classes and in hand best condition and family pony type classes.

I chose a pony as I am small myself only 5.2ft and wanted something I could easily look after myself so could get on unaided tack up without standing on a box etc.

My pony is very ponylike in that he is does not look like a mini horse like some ponies do.

No-one has said negative things about him as he is so sweet!

 

[rara007]

I'm not adult, 17 but I compete 13HH Lightweight section B-13.3 ponies ridden dressage. We usually put the horses in their place, and have a lot more fun. I am 5'4, and nearly 10 stone. Pictures of me on my biggest ponio in the PG now.

 

[Annette4]

Those of you who compete in sj....do you ride in the horse classes? Ever had any complaints?

 

[tabithakat64]

I have a 13.2hh (I no longer ride her as I'm too heavy) who I've competed in dressage on, jumped and shown at local level. A 14.3hh who I'm hoping to compete in dressage with and ride a 14.1hh traditional who I've shown and done some dressage on.

 

[jesterfaerie]

I am 20 and have a 13.1 pony and being only 5ft2 I love his height!

Unfortunatly I do not ride him anymore because he has just retired at 24 but I have owned him for 6 years, never got to compete him due to no transport but I have had a lot of fun with him.
I have always had and will always have ponies in my life they are so much better than horses

 

[EquestrianFairy]

there seems to be a slight trend with alot of the above pony owners being early twenties? Lol. I'm another 5'7, 9stone twentysomething with a 14.2hh section D pony. I bought milly to return some lost confidence after being thrown off a 16.3hh and she's done wonderfully. She's out of work until feb/march time and meanwhile i'm riding a 15hh who looks better for my leg but i ride short mostly although i've been told i look 'too tall' for milly but i don't care!

 

[SO1]

I am in my mid 30's!!!

 

[golddustsara]

hehe I'm 23 - maybe we just haven't grown up yet then!

 

[Evadiva1514]

Im in my mid twenties, 5'6'' and ride a 14.2hh and used to ride my sisters 13.2hh connemara. I love riding ponies, i tend to compete in RC stuff with the 14.2 and have never had any comments about me riding him. I ride him because he belongs to my younger sister who sadly has now given up riding and i enjoy schooling him etc. He is lovely, you can get on and off him with absolutely no trouble whatsoever and is a bit of a poppet really, apart from some of his 'cob like tendancies'!

Im very slightly built so tend to suit large ponies and would definitely buy one again in the future to have a lots of fun with!

Here is a pic of me and my 14.2hh Twirl:

 

[Ladyfresha1]

I'm 22 and have had my 14h since I was 12. We went from British Novice to JA level together and now I jump him as a grade B horse. He wins up to 1.20m horse classes. He is short striding and puts extra strides in doubles. So cute! He also team chases and keeps up with point to pointers. I think he must be a freak of nature, he obviously doesn't realise how small he is! I'm so glad I didn't grow tall! He is so much more fun than all my big horses.

He is getting a bit fatty in the field at the moment though, would love to take him hunting this season. It really annoys me when adults on ponies get excluded from certain competition, especially when children are allowed to compete on horses.

 

[FinellaGlen]

I'm in my mid 40s and I've got a 13.3hh. The only class I've been excluded from so far (at local shows) is the lead rein class! At our small local show a couple of months ago I did every class except that one but a little boy did ask me why I didn't do the lead rein as well. I asked him if he wanted to lead me round and he said that he would. Little sweetheart

 

[wowser]

me to!
i just like ponies i'm in my 40's, 5ft 6 about 8 stone and have 2 new forests a 13.2 and a 12.2 filly and very happy with them

 

[Annette4]

Thanks all......used to have a 13hh pony myself....given up riding for now (long story but messy end to loaning and riding for other people have left me lack lustre over riding so a good break will in theory bring that back)

I ask because I will be in a position to have my own after uni and I had so much fun with Misty I would love another pony but I want to get back into competing, especially jumping and although my local riding club are fab I'm worried about how much I could do. I used to get all sorts of abuse out hacking but think that was where I was riding.

 

[PennyJ]

Well I'm an old bag of 40-something and I ride my daughters ponies 14.2 and a big chunky 13.1.

 

[Vicki1986]

Winkfiediwantspring love you show attire, good choice of colours

...

and to OP this is me and my 13.1, if anyone has a pop at you being on a pony tell them to sod off they are probably jsut too heavy/too tall and jelous!! At the end of the day, there are a lot of people out there HORSE squashing.

 

[StarFell]

I'm 5ft8, 20 years old and I have a 13.3hh fell pony who I've owned for two years. I wouldn't swap him for anything, hes a little angel. I do m&m showing, equitation, showjumping and hacking with him, he'd probably be really good at X country too but I haven't got the nerve to try that yet!

I have had a couple of catty comments, but at the end of the day as long as my boy is happy carrying me (and he has no trouble whatsoever) then I don't care what people think

 

[Ladyfresha1]

There are a lot of classes you can do with them, unless you want to do trailblazers. I used to get people moaning at me for riding a pony in senior jumping classes but as has been said before they aren't really at that much of an advantage (especially mine who has a short stride and bucks if you try to push him out of his rhymn), they are just better! I then ride in on my 16.3.... and everyone claps even if I ride rubbish as they think I am about 12! I am only 5' as well.

Although most people like seeing him at the shows, even the professional riders. I think people who really know about horses can appreciate how talented these ponies have to be to hold their own against the bigger ones. Anyone who bad mouths an adult for riding a pony is just stupid. I would love to run a championship show just for people who ride ponies to make up for not being allowed in certain other ones. It would be so much fun!