Am I being unrealistic about this?

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dawnpreview

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Hi

Just wanted a bit of advice really. I have not ridden for around 10 years, although previous to that I had owned/worked with horses for several years. I am now approaching 40 :eek:, have 2 young children and desperately want to get another horse.
Now here is my dilemma; I have gained an awful lot of weight over the years. I have lost 2 stone already, and am still working on the rest! But I currently weigh a fraction under 15 stone. I feel that I need to lose at least another stone before I can even think about riding again.
Ideally I would like to get something that my 4 year old kids could start to learn on, or at least sit on occasionally. I would also like something I could drive & possibly hack out on as well.
Am I away with the fairies to think I could get a horse that could carry me while not being shire horse sized so my kids could ride it too?
Thanks for reading, sorry it's a bit long. :)
 
hee hee - sorry but just imagining a 4 yr old sitting on a "chunky" 15hh cob - they'd be doing the splits bless them :D

Ok, it would be OK literally just to sit on but no way can you expect a tiny child to learn on that size of animal.
 
My 15hh lovely chunky girl would carry you quite easily. She also has a fab temperament and has taken care of all ages and abilities, from a tiny 4 yr old girl (most don't want serious lessons at that age, just a mooch round) to my 6'6" son.
Get yourself a nice cob! You'll have loads of fun :D
 
Thanks for your replies.
Gluttonforpunishment- that is my main worry, that a bigger horse would be too uncomfortable for the kids.
I am still hoping to lose a fair bit more weight, and probably not getting a horse for a few months anyway. I'd like to aim for something smaller, and have seen some gorgeous 13.2-14hh ish cobs for sale. What sort of weight would they be able to carry? (It's good to have an incentive to diet!!) I am 5'6'' by the way.
I would probably do more driving than riding myself, but would love to be able to go for the odd hack.
Thanks again, it's good to be able to bounce ideas off other people :D
 
would horse be kept at home or in livery? if at home then it would need company anyway, so may as well have a wee pony for the kids, could be a loan if you didnt want to buy 2.
 
Bear in mind, this fella is 13.3hh [at a push]. I'm 5ft9-10ish.

There's not weight this guy couldn't have carried.

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(^ his 3rd ride...ignore lack of outline and wonkyness!]

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And for a height comparison - same stallion stood next to my 16.2hh TB! Makes him look like a pony bless him lol.

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Get a proper gypsy cob, and their height shouldn't matter if they're built up right and in proportion. I can get away with riding some of the 12.2/3hh stallions and they don't feel small at all! I'll try and dig a photo out. They ride deceptively bigger as there's just so much underneath you.


The 13.2hh above was a darling of a cob, forwards and not a dobbin, but 200% safe and could put the tiniest of tots on his back without fear or hop on him loose breback wandering round the field if you wanted to!
 
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Horse would be kept at livery yard. Much as I would love to get 2, it is hard enough convincing my husband that one is a good idea!

Christmassparkles- they are both gorgeous, I do love a chunky hairy cob :D
 
There are a lot of cobs who will easily and happily carry you. They would be placid enough for your children to sit on but too big and wide for them to ride. My daughter was four when I first bought my Highland Pony. Although she did sit on him, she was nearly doing the splits.
 
A 14.2hh chunky traditional cob type or a good old fashioned welsh D, and don't forget the highland pony - all well up to carrying you and sensible enough for the kids too. Although the old fashioned Welsh D's are very hard to find now having been bred lighter and more fired up in the name of showing Grrrr. But there are plenty of horses out there that would suit you.!
 
I had got it into my head that I was far too big to ride anything but a huge shire horse, so thank you all for putting my mind at rest and making me feel so much better about myself. :)
 
There are plenty of 14.2hh ish pony/cobs out there that would carry you and yet wouldn't be too big for kids.

Personally I'd lose some more weight first and go for a 13.2hh, that size is so much better for kids, yet would still be big enough for you.

Depends on how long you want to wait but basically as you shrink, so can the size of pony you buy :D
 
i agree with everything thats been said here...ive shared ponies with my kids for years..i am 5ft 6 aswell and at my heaviest(up till last year).i weighed 14 stone....my son and i had a lovely coloured cob, he was 14.1hh and easily carried my weight, we jumped, hunted and did a few showing classes no bother, my son did pony club on him and my two young daughters who were about 6 and 4 at the time had daily hacks down the lane on him.
ive lost a few pounds and weigh 11 stone now and as we have all moved on and my son is now 17..we all have our own, but my daughters share a 13hh mare that i also can hack out................get yourself a 14/14,2 cob.....you will all have great fun..........good luck
 
I simply cannot understand why they are all being so nice and feel I have to be honest! Whatever you decide to get you can be assured that the children will end up wanting their own that they don't have to share with you and you will have two! Then they will fight over who is riding and want one each, make that 3, you will see one at auction that you feel sorry for and end up with 4, that will be in foal and will make 5. These horses are blurdy addictive and I feel it is only fair to warn you, but for a good weight carrier that is a family pony look at a haflinger! :)
 
I would suit the horse/pony more to yourself than your kids - at that age they just get led about. My stepson learned on my 16h eventer for the first six months, being led around. We then got a section A when he proved to be genuinely interested and was 8.

I think a 14.2/15h cob would be better really. A 13.2 would still be massive for your kids anyway..
 
Dolcé;10511235 said:
I simply cannot understand why they are all being so nice and feel I have to be honest! Whatever you decide to get you can be assured that the children will end up wanting their own that they don't have to share with you and you will have two! Then they will fight over who is riding and want one each, make that 3, you will see one at auction that you feel sorry for and end up with 4, that will be in foal and will make 5. These horses are blurdy addictive and I feel it is only fair to warn you, but for a good weight carrier that is a family pony look at a haflinger! :)
Click to expand...

I had just the one, and she was on loan for years. She came back (supposed to be for a year only) & I put her in foal (foal to be sold to fund her year's livery). Kept the foal (she was a beautiful chestnut filly) And my old mare never did go back to her loan home. Kids started riding, so I got them a pony. And another (to stop squabbling over who could ride when). And a 3rd pony (on loan) when my youngest wanterd to ride more but didn't have 'her own' pony. So now we have 5 equines (all at livery) and are contemplating another. They are are scarily addictive.

Edited to say that I agree you should get what suits you. When my girls were little, they were (more than) happy to 'ride' my 15:2 mare. She was perfectly happy to plod round the school (or the lanes) with them & they spent hours grooming the bits ogf her they could reach. We didn't get our first pony til the older girls were 8 and 12.
 
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Gluttonforpunishment said:
hee hee - sorry but just imagining a 4 yr old sitting on a "chunky" 15hh cob - they'd be doing the splits bless them :D

Ok, it would be OK literally just to sit on but no way can you expect a tiny child to learn on that size of animal.
Click to expand...


My niece trots on my 15.3hh (she has a wintec cub saddle that fits her and my mare).

Think she was about 2 here -
137.jpg


With her sister (nearly 4 and plenty of leg to get round :)) - they both rode before they could walk :)
004-1.jpg
 
piebaldsparkle said:
My niece trots on my 15.3hh (she has a wintec cub saddle that fits her and my mare).

Think she was about 2 here -
137.jpg


With her sister (nearly 4 and plenty of leg to get round :)) - they both rode before they could walk :)
004-1.jpg
Click to expand...

^This, my daughter has been riding my 15.1 heavyweight cob since she was old enough to hold on, first with a cub saddle then in his normal one. She started cantering on him aged 4 and he's still her favourite horse to ride, ever!

Get whatever suits you and will be your lifetime friend and it will all come together. Trying to buy the perfect horse for one person is hard enough but when you do it for several you may end up with none of you getting a suitable horse. Good luck! :)
 
bikerchickone said:
^This, my daughter has been riding my 15.1 heavyweight cob since she was old enough to hold on, first with a cub saddle then in his normal one. She started cantering on him aged 4 and he's still her favourite horse to ride, ever!
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Yep that is the only down side! Can never convince the little devils off your horse and on to ponies!!
 
I would get a horse to suit you and a pony, shetland/mini or some thing similar up to about 10hh, that they can get their confidence on. Once they are about 10 or 12 years old they could ride a 15hh horse if confident, but kids get their confidence being around little ones, and it would be a friend for yours, and little ones are cheap to keep.
 
I learnt to ride on four different horses when I was 7, all at the same place:

1) A chestnut mare 14.2 schoolmistress who taught me the basics
2) A tiny 11hh pony who I only rode twice to teach me to canter
3) A 15.3hh grade c showjumper who I LOVED and I was like a pea on a mountain!!
4) A 16.3hh ex hunter who was quiet as a mouse but probably didn't even notice I was there!!!

Will try and get some pics on soon!
 
Dolcé;10511235 said:
I simply cannot understand why they are all being so nice and feel I have to be honest! Whatever you decide to get you can be assured that the children will end up wanting their own that they don't have to share with you and you will have two! Then they will fight over who is riding and want one each, make that 3, you will see one at auction that you feel sorry for and end up with 4, that will be in foal and will make 5. These horses are blurdy addictive and I feel it is only fair to warn you, but for a good weight carrier that is a family pony look at a haflinger! :)
Click to expand...

agree with this, my kids were sharing a pony, and one day at pony club, my son hopped on, and my daughter tried to pull him off, he cantered off, and she ran after him, trying to drag him off the pony by his leg. It was really embarrassing for me, and all the parents just watched in amazement. So now we have 7 ponies.
 
Honey08 said:
I would suit the horse/pony more to yourself than your kids - at that age they just get led about. My stepson learned on my 16h eventer for the first six months, being led around. We then got a section A when he proved to be genuinely interested and was 8.

I think a 14.2/15h cob would be better really. A 13.2 would still be massive for your kids anyway..
Click to expand...

I agree as well I think 13.2hh is a bit small, (we have three about that height) I know some people ride ponies that height as I do, but now the kids are teenagers they find them a bit small, and most kids at pony club ride at least 14-15 hh ponies. You may find the perfect 13.2 pony, but for me even though I am not tall, I ideally would ride a 14.2hh to 15hh pony as an adult.
 
jeeve said:
agree with this, my kids were sharing a pony, and one day at pony club, my son hopped on, and my daughter tried to pull him off, he cantered off, and she ran after him, trying to drag him off the pony by his leg. It was really embarrassing for me, and all the parents just watched in amazement. So now we have 7 ponies.
Click to expand...

I would have just b*******d the kids and taught them some manners rather than getting them more ponies!! ;):D
 
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