Am I too tall and will it hinder my riding?

[EquestrianFairy]

I went and saw the sweetest pony today, she was perfect. I knew how small she was before I went and having tried a 14.3/15hh recently I didn't think I would look as tall as I do here.

I certainly didn't feel tall on her so the photo took me quite by suprise at how long I look.

Does being tall on a horse (legs below belly) hinder riding/jumping at all?

Here is me on a 15hh I tried a few weeks ago, which was also lovely but a little too young for me. They don't look it but they are the same height, infact, I was sure the grey was smaller.

 

[Tiddlypom]

In my opinion you do look a bit big on her. This is not helped by the saddle, which is too small for you and is putting you into the 'chair' position. You may find it tricky to find a saddle which is not too big for the pony but is roomy enough for you.

 

[SusieT]

Yes you are too tall and tbh I think will hinder your riding and the horses balance and way of going. IT's too small, probably because it's quite a slender animal. Go a hand higher or for a broader model.

 

[Cheiro1]

Honestly, yes I think you are too tall and it will hinder you.

You have pushed yourself right to the back of the saddle to fit in the saddle and if you sat forward you would probably then need to put your stirrups down further too.

You are tall above the pony too and although it may not affect you in flat work, when you fold for a fence you are likely to be quite up its neck and it would probably be quite hard to keep in balance.

 

[kerrieberry2]

I think you look better on the grey, the first is defo more pony looking! and your leg looks like its further forward in that pic? did you have your stirrups shorter because of the size of the horse?

My friend used to jump a section a that she was far to big for, but was the only person capable of riding her and she did used to struggle and had to move her legs a far back as possible!!

 

[HaffiesRock]

How old is the pony and what are you planning to do with it?

 

[webble]

I would be interested to see you on the pony in a different saddle with your leg in a better place

What do you intend to use the horse for

 

[EquestrianFairy]

How old is the pony and what are you planning to do with it?

8yo. My plans are RC stuff. I desperately want to get back into jumping but all for fun as I'm not good enough myself to affiliate.
But RC clinics, lessons etc is the plan.

She's a full section D.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

I would be interested to see you on the pony in a different saddle with your leg in a better place

What do you intend to use the horse for

Sorry, crossed posts.
RC stuff- clinics, lessons, jumping and dressage. No xc or hunting.

 

[Tiddlypom]

She is definitely too small for you if your main aim is to jump. At 8 yo she isn't going to broaden out much, either.

 

[CrazyMare]

Saddles have to be spot on for adults on ponies.

I'm 5ft7-8ish and I have two ponies under saddle, one 14h and one 13.1h. With the right saddles I am able to stay balanced and with them.

HOWEVER, you have to go with how you feel. My height is in my legs, and I have quite a short body in comparison, so I don't really feel top heavy when riding. My ponies also have a pretty good front and shoulder on them, wheras I can feel bigger on a skinny 15h!

 

[castella]

I think that you would be fine if you had a better saddle that had your leg underneath you (hip/heel aligned), its the saddle putting you into a bad position.

If you like her and she was perfect in every way then I say go for it but then again Im an adult riding a 13hh pony !!!

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Saddles have to be spot on for adults on ponies.

I'm 5ft7-8ish and I have two ponies under saddle, one 14h and one 13.1h. With the right saddles I am able to stay balanced and with them.

HOWEVER, you have to go with how you feel. My height is in my legs, and I have quite a short body in comparison, so I don't really feel top heavy when riding. My ponies also have a pretty good front and shoulder on them, wheras I can feel bigger on a skinny 15h!

You'd never guess your ponies were that small looking at the photos.
I felt ok on her, I felt safer than I did on a 15.2hh tbx a few months ago as whilst there's not much infront of me with her there feels like there's more than with a thin necked type.

The photo really suprised me, I never felt long on her. I am equal length of legs and body all 5'7 of me.

 

[joosie]

Firstly, Crazymare, you look FAB on your ponies, and are a perfect example of adults-on-ponies saddle fitting.

No disrespect to the first few posters whose immediate reaction was along the lines of "oh gosh yes she's too small for you, that will never work" but I totally disagree. I actually think you look fine. The saddle doesn't suit you AT ALL, it is too small for you and not the right cut for your leg - however there are plenty of saddles that would suit you both. I would actually drop the stirrups another hole or two for flatwork and hacking. As to whether your height would "hinder" you on this pony, I don't think you can have an answer for that before you've actually given her a thorough road-testing and had a go at the things you'd plan to do with her. I think it would be a shame to pass off a pony that you liked and felt good on just because your legs are a bit long. How anyone can look at ONE photo, of a rider sitting on a stationary horse, and make statements like "I think will hinder your riding and the horses balance and way of going" is beyond me! You simply cannot judge that from that one photo, sorry.

You have made the important observation already - you think you LOOK "too tall", but you FELT fine, fine enough to describe this pony as "perfect". As with any type or size of horse, the way you FEEL on them when you're riding is so much more important than the visual picture. A Sec D is more than capable of comfortably carrying a rider your size (you are hardly a big girl!) without batting an eyelid, and I doubt having your heels a few cm below her belly will change much in that respect Yes at 8 this girl won't "grow" any more, but she's lacking muscle and topline ATM and the picture will be very different once she's filled out through regular and correct work.

I'm 5'6'' with long thighs and regularly ride ponies from Shetland size upwards. I've done endurance, dressage, showjumping and TREC on ponies who are technically "too small" for me yet I have never found it impedes my riding nor does it negatively affect the pony's ability to comfortably carry me and do the job well. Being well matched is about much more than the horse or pony's height. I am currently producing a 4-year-old, 12.2 new forest and although I look big on her she carries me easily (so easily that she can tank me all over the place - and I am no weakling!). We hack out or school once a week and jump up to 80cm. I have no choice but to ride her with my feet below her belly - I can't shorten my stirrups in her saddle without my knees coming over the knee rolls, and she can't take a bigger saddle - and this does not hinder my riding at all. ((Have to add, of course if she were my own pony I'd have a different saddle, but because she's only a project and doesn't belong to me I can't really justify buying one!))

Before I show pics of us, I know 5'6'' isn't tall but to illustrate my length of leg, this chap is 16.2

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o644/globetrotter2013/DSC01718_zpse7bde575.jpg

So these pics of me and the 12.2 are from our latest training show, the course was 70-80cm. Would anyone like to tell me that my height is "hindering" us, the pony is clearly struggling

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums...lcsnap-2013-12-15-18h47m44s53_zps95b42995.jpg
http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums...snap-2013-12-15-18h55m47s2312_zpse1d5a434.jpg
http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums...lcsnap-2013-12-15-18h53m44s92_zps911d05f5.jpg
http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums...csnap-2013-12-15-18h51m35s142_zpsd45fa4c3.jpg

Edited to add another pic! This girl was my last project, she was 13.1, jump here was 80cm and we were regularly going clear at that height.

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o644/globetrotter2013/Twirl800x6002_zpsbdaae8c8.jpg

 

[FfionWinnie]

If you didn't feel big that's the main thing. I don't feel big on my 14hh and I am nearly 5ft8. In fact I often feel small and terrified lol. She has no neck either which doesn't help but we are jumping over a metre and I don't feel unbalanced ever. Echo the saddle comment. I have an event saddle and can ratchet my stirrups up very short.

I've got a 13hh as well I am bringing on for my daughter. I don't jump her high but I don't feel unbalanced on her either, although if it goes wrong there's no where to go

 

[Walrus]

The pony looks quite light weight for a section d, despite being 8 I would hope that neck would alter quite dramatically with correct work. Agree with the posters who say the saddle is not helping, it's putting your legs so far forwards plus it's totally covering her shoulder whilst her back looks quite long behind. If she rides big and you feel comfortable then I wouldn't write her off completely but it's very hard to tell from a photo. I'm 5'8" and I own a 13.1hh fell, people are constantly amazed that I don't look humongous on him but he has width so takes up the leg. I bought him as I'm a breed enthusiast, I do struggle with flatwork sometimes and some of that is our size ratio, but we just work a bit harder! Jumping-wise we don't have issues at the moment but we have just started!

Here's us to give you an example of how important pony width is:

 

[vieshot]

If your only wanting to do low level stuff then who cares? I'm just shy of 5ft8 and my main mount is 13.2. Yeah I probably look a little tall. Do I care? Not bloody likely. If you feel okay and the pony is perfect in every other way then buy it! You will be able to find suitable tack and you will be able to jump fences just as well as you would on something a hand bigger.

 

[L&M]

Another one that agrees with the right saddle you would be fine.

I hunt a 14.1hh and am 5ft 6'' and 10 stone - he keeps up with the big boys and happily flies a hedge so don't think I am hindering him in any way. There are also huge advantages to having a large pony/small horse, such as being more economical to keep.

If the horse feels right, thats all that counts.

 

[Morag4]

Thank you OP for this thread.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Ps have you seen this boy

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/clas...n-pony-for-ridingpony-club-148cms-412856.html

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Ps have you seen this boy

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/clas...n-pony-for-ridingpony-club-148cms-412856.html

Yes and his price

 

[Gloi]

The saddle and the lack of muscle on her neck are making her look smaller than she will when she is more muscled up.

 

[Wagtail]

OP you look fine, though the saddle isn't right for you or the pony. And being that size on her certainly won't hinder your riding.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Thankyou to all who posted pictures, I'm on my phone so I can't reply individually without crashing and confusing myself.

I felt good on her, I didn't feel how I looked if that makes sense?
I never felt big or long on her and I was genuinely a little shocked at the photos. The saddle is tiny (my bum isn't that small that's for sure)

She is however in quite a lot of work, ridden twice a day Monday-Friday both flatwork and jumping (equine college) so I would have imagined any bulking she would have already done by now or am I wrong? Previous to this college stint she had no mileage whatsoever, just bred two foals so I think this is the first time she's ever been asked to work in her life so far.
She is the most sweetest little thing.

 

[HaffiesRock]

Id go for it OP. My pony is only 13.1 and we do just fine.

 

[Pigeon]

EquestrianFairy, because of all the stress and financial outlay of buying a new horse, I would seriously advise you to go for something you have no doubts about! To me you don't look particularly tall on her, but the fact that you posted makes me think you have doubts about her size, and these will only escalate as time goes by!

When I started to get too tall for our pony (my little sister's really) it really affected our jumping. He would still clear everything, but I could tell especially landing after a jump that I was throwing him out of balance. There's so many lovely ponies out there, you're sure to find one that's a better height for you Whereabouts are you? Someone might know of something

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Thankyou to all who posted pictures, I'm on my phone so I can't reply individually without crashing and confusing myself.

I felt good on her, I didn't feel how I looked if that makes sense?
I never felt big or long on her and I was genuinely a little shocked at the photos. The saddle is tiny (my bum isn't that small that's for sure)

She is however in quite a lot of work, ridden twice a day Monday-Friday both flatwork and jumping (equine college) so I would have imagined any bulking she would have already done by now or am I wrong? Previous to this college stint she had no mileage whatsoever, just bred two foals so I think this is the first time she's ever been asked to work in her life so far.
She is the most sweetest little thing.

Our tb has a better looking neck than her and he is in less work at the mo due to only just coming back into it......I don't think if she has been in that much work she is being asked to use herself right, her neck looks a bit hollow from lack of muscle.

If that makes sense

 

[Elvis]

I think you look fine on the pony, but if you go for her, do spend the time finding a good saddle. I'm 5ft10 and ride ponies from about 14hh up. It's only on occasion and the saddles aren't designed for tall riders and I find that the most limiting aspect, it's really hard to create a good position if the saddle isn't right. I spent ages, and tried many saddles before I found one that I felt 100% secure in and it's really helped my position.

In regards to the pony being at an equine college, from my experience, and I've had a horse do a stint at an equine college, being ridden 2 or 3 times a day, they do NOTHING for building up the correct muscles. Especially if this pony is amicable, she's probably used for some less experienced riders. I'd expect her to fill out considerably.

 

[SusieT]

joosie you may not be able to tell. I most certainly can so please don't try and ascertain your answer as the only one not 'jumped to'

 

[Shysmum]

If you are concerned enough to post about this, i would say that it's not the right pony for you. Sorry.