Adults who ride ponies

[FAYEFUDGE]

Any adults who ride ponies, tell me what you have.
I’m looking for family type pony.
I’m 5ft4 and about 10.7 stone.
Mindful of my weight etc plus tack and wouldn’t want to overload any potential pony.

 

[Snow Falcon]

Have had and have a variety of foresters. 5'6 and careful of weight but have ridden 13hh up to 14.2hh. Deep girthed ponies take up the leg well. I know several taller adults who ride NF's too.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

I have a fell, in terms of ponies that can carry an adult you’re more likely looking at fells dales highlands Connemara Welsh c/d and new forest. Some breeds of ridden ponies can be like finding a unicorn!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Same height and weight and my Connie is 14.1. He’s a traditionally bred chunky pony and takes up my leg perfectly.

 

[skint.spotty]

Ald fashioned (so chunky, rather than the leggy, sportier models that seem to be creeping in) NF type wouldn't even notice 11st. Ditto neither would a highland or proper irish connie. A nice coloured cob or coloured x native cross would be fine too. I'd favour a Welsh D over a C though; Cs only go up to 13.2hh.

 

[Ali27]

I have a 14.2 Connie x cob who takes up the leg well. I’m 5ft 6 and last April was 68kg and she seemed to cope well! However I’m now 57.5 kg and I think she is much happier with me being lighter

 

[SEL]

Dales but I'm 5'4" on a tall day. Also got a lightweight cob who will probably finish at 14.2. The Dales is far, far wider so takes up the leg.

Neither takes over a 16.5" saddle though so ponies do tend to need small bums!

 

[limestonelil]

I've had a 14hh Fell, 14hh Highland, 13.2 mix and horse of a lifetime beautiful 13.2 Welsh /Arab. I am 5ft 1 and didn't feel under horsed on any of them. Looked fine as well. Did get treated to a few amusing comments when out with daughter on her 16.1 tb but all good natured.

 

[rara007]

I have a gypsy cob More specifically a stepping cob. He’s great fun! 14.1 and carries weight well for his size.

 

[gallopingby]

All the large breed mountain and moorlands ie fell, dales, highland, connie, new forest and Welsh c/d are ridden by adults. If you look at any of the breed specific websites you will see that the following is a strong for adults as for young people if not more so. Some of these ponies although great fun are not easy for children to manage unless they have adult supervision but they do make great family ponies who can do loads of different things.

 

[NeverSurrender]

I have a Highland pony for basically that spec

 

[Cloball]

I'm 5'6 and have a 13.2 fell pony (was looking for a 14.1 plus native X) she really takes up the leg and is very deep through the chest, got to keep my butt small enough for a 16.5 saddle though.

 

[Peglo]

I’ve got a 14.2 haflinger. She’s quite fine for the breed so I wouldn’t want to be any heavier than I am. I’m between 9-9 1/2 stone and just under 5ft 6.

I would definitely have another pony as they are just such fun

 

[mustardsmum]

I have a nearly 15hh (14 and 3/4hh !!) New Forest! I am 5.4, and about 10st 9. He’s a perfect size. Before him, a chunky 14.1 connie and before him, a 14.1 New Forest. I dont think at 50ish I am ever going to ride a “horse” Big natives are fab family ponies - my boy is amazing. Also have my daughters British Riding Pony who is 14.3 but I feel like she’d collapse if I sat on her She’s like a little TB and like riding a shark fin ….. Give me a native every time!! They are super, and people overlook Foresters for Connie’s which is so sad because a good forester is just as good as a connie!

 

[pinkfluffy]

5ft 2" with a 13hh Fell - only a few feet to fall (and I should know) and more than big enough for me. He's very chunky with a short back and my short legs look fine on him.

 

[maya2008]

I’m 5ft 4 too and my perfect height is 14.2hh. Anything over 14hh realistically is fine. My husband’s New Forest x cob is 14.2hh and he easily takes my 5ft6 husband, or me, or my much smaller children. Weight wise also, something over 14hh will carry you more easily. I have a smaller one and have to be very careful about my weight.

Welsh Ds are easy to find and (while they have a reputation) some of them can be so lovely - steady and sweet. New Forests are amazing once past the age of 7 or so (can be opinionated when younger!) but can be difficult to find in larger sizes. Dales = strong willed but can also be very kind. Fell probably too small. Don’t discount anything crossed with a cob either - my two sweetest ones are both cob crosses.

 

[Gallop_Away]

I'm 5ft1 and around 9.5st. I ride my 13.2 tank of a Welsh C and my Welsh D mare who is around 14.3. Both will carry me all day hunting and take my leg up nicely.

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

5' 9.5" , usually between 9 and a half - 10 and a half st . I've had Fells and Highlands 13hh - 14.2hh and done everything on them from showing , hunting , jumping and BD dressage up to Elimentary .

 

[TRECtastic]

The pony in my avatar is a smidge under 14hh , I'm 5'4 and feel he takes up my leg fine
He is short backed with chunky legs Irish cob , if you do go for something feathered check their legs as he has CPL and mallanders
My previous horse was 15'1 chunky cob so TP felt quite small at first, but now I'm in my 60s it made sense to get closer to the floor
He's a fun little pony with a lovely personality

 

[Glitter's fun]

Don't know if this helps.
Calculator: Which horses can carry me comfortably? - Good Horse (good-horse.com)

I'm 5ft 6 & 10 1/2 stone fully dressed for winter riding including safety gear & my favourite disgusting old heavy coat!
Currently very at home on a 14hh highland.

I've been riding highlands or welshies all my life. My horse of a lifetime was Welsh D x TB . Don't discount native crosses, they're ace. Depending on the ages and experience of your children, you may find some highlands too opinionated.
I'm currently looking for another pony & where I live I've found that there's a whole world of pure-bred natives that are fine boned & obese & only have experience of "work" walking in circles being looked at. There seems to be a huge shortage of chunky, working natives (and I'm in Scotland. When I started hunting I expected to find a highland pony for sale on every street corner!) .

Good luck,
GM

 

[Horseysheepy]

I'm 5ft 7, 8.5 stone and look just fine on 14hh Highlands and Dales and gypsy cobs.

I find that Highlands have a better length of rein and more shoulder in front of you, I have found personally, I feel more secure and look better on them as there's more pony there.

The Dales I've ridden have been very short backed and upright in the shoulder, so you haven't as much in front of you, when they wip round you are more at risk of being thrown off! It depends on the bloodlines, my friend has a Dales that is a different shape to that.

The other thing I have noticed with some natives and cobs,and why I have moved to light breed horses, is my hips are not very stretchy now I'm middle aged for the wider types! Despite a narrow twist saddle, and I find their paces rather choppy which jolts my back.

It's worth sitting on a few types to see what suits you best, as they can really vary and bear in mind that a fitter more muscled up pony will be able to carry more weight.

Just realized you were asking more about weight carrying abilities rather than types of horses, but I hope I have helped in some way!

 

[Horseysheepy]

Don't know if this helps.
Calculator: Which horses can carry me comfortably? - Good Horse (good-horse.com)

I'm 5ft 6 & 10 1/2 stone fully dressed for winter riding including safety gear & my favourite disgusting old heavy coat!
Currently very at home on a 14hh highland.

I've been riding highlands or welshies all my life. My horse of a lifetime was Welsh D x TB . Don't discount native crosses, they're ace. Depending on the ages and experience of your children, you may find some highlands too opinionated.
I'm currently looking for another pony & where I live I've found that there's a whole world of pure-bred natives that are fine boned & obese & only have experience of "work" walking in circles being looked at. There seems to be a huge shortage of chunky, working natives (and I'm in Scotland. When I started hunting I expected to find a highland pony for sale on every street corner!) .

Good luck,
GM

Absolutely! Native X TBs are very underated in my opinion.

 

[2ndtimearound]

I'm 5' 4" and currently weigh 8.5 stone, but I have been up to 9.5 in the not too distant past. I ride quite a few ponies at the trekking centre where I ride, most of which are 14hh to 14.2 Irish cobs. My favourite partner in crime is a 13.3hh-14hh Highland (the lovely girl in my avatar), who has no problem at all taking me at speed up some fairly large hills. I love a good native! They can definitely be quite different in terms of paces, though, and some have much more comfortable paces than others, particularly when it comes to trotting.

 

[TPO]

A Quarter Horse. Their heights range from 14hh upwards.

 

[FitzyFitz]

I'm 5'4 and 8 stone but share my ponies with larger adults as well (~11 stone) and you should be just fine on anything around 13.2-14hh so long as you and it are reasonably fit as that makes a huge difference to the pony's ability to carry you. I'd rather have a heavier but fit and competent rider on my pony than someone lighter but like a sack of potatoes!

Something smaller but with a strong leg at each corner conformation will carry you (and itself) far better than a taller string bean type.
Have to be aware of your own ability/fitness as well as the pony's condition but that's the same for horses too. Something that has previously only carried children will need extra conditioning even if it's otherwise very suitable.

My Dad competed his 14.2 newforest x arab at the 80km-120km mark with absolutely no problems, but when his pony had some time off due to a field injury and he borrowed mine (14hh welsh cob) he kept the distance lower as despite my pony being a more traditional weight carrier type and capable of doing the same distances, he was only conditioned to carry me for that distance not a heavier rider.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'm 5'3, weight nine-and-a-half-stone (sorry don't do metric!) and ride a 13.2hh gypsy cob (profile pic).

She's the smallest I've ever had - even when I was a teenager my pony then was a 14.1; but she actually suits me fine. My last three horses have all been around the 15hh mark and I hadn't intended to go back onto ponies! But then this little one decided she wanted to come home with me as a just-backed 4yo and well, you know how it is............

I ride her in the TCS (Total Contact Saddle) - tried a LOT (and I mean a lot) of saddles including treeless and everything just put me way too wide on her. Found the TCS the best thing there is, but we did have to fiddle around quite a lot with pads etc to get it right. Tried the Ghost saddle but whilst it had a nice narrow twist I felt it put me up too high.

 

[huskydamage]

Im 5ft7, weigh 10.5 stone I have a 14hh NF X, I look like a tit on her but ive been riding her for over 20yrs, she is my childhood pony, she is 30 now and still going probably more so then my younger horse!

Tbh though I wouldn't get another that small, its much more comfortable riding something bigger for me, less jarring on my knees, easier to balance etc.
I am a massive fan of newforest and their crosses though obviously

 

[MuddyMonster]

I'm 5'6/5'7 and have a 13.3/14hh New Forest. He's a traditional leg at each corner type and we ride for hours and he has no problem carrying me.

I *love* ponies - they are great fun, usually quite hardy with a big personality and mine will go anywhere.

 

[J&S]

I have never owned any thing over 15hh and never felt under horsed. Ponies have enough power for most riders.

 

[2 Dragons]

I'm 5ft 6, weigh 8.5 stone. I have a 13.2 Welsh Section C and 14.2 D. I look fine on my D. People usually smile at me on my C because she's little, feisty, very hairy and great fun.
Ponies are fab and make you laugh everyday.