Another Pony Post- very confused....

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Serianas

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Hey guys,

So I have made the decisions, the plans, the reasearch but im now stumped... I was told in a previous thread that I would need something over 15h to support my weight but I have been reading threads on here that taller, heavier people have been ok on ponies... I would like to be able to get a pony as they are fun, brave, and scopey... but I dont want to squash one :S now i dont know what to do for the best... any help is very welcome :)

oh and for reference Im 5'2 and 10st... though having said that I dont look too heavy (maybe I should be worried by this lol)
 
I'm 5'4" and about your weight, my girl is 14.2hh and is part welsh and quite broad. I think you'll be fine, that's not big at all! I used to ride a 13.1hh fell pony, he was almost as broad as he was tall and never really noticed me on board at all!
 
If you are a teenager and are still growing 14.2 plus would be fine.
I have a friend who is 5.1 and about 13 stone she rides a 14.1 highland for miles no problem and she looks fine on her.
Another friend who is 5.6 and weighs 9.1/2 stone rides my 13.3 welch and looks ok.
 
Ignore the weight police on HHO, at your height and weight you could ride anything from 13.2 upwards, and reasonably fine - not necessarily a native.
 
Thanks guys that so reassuring! Sadly my growing days are long gone (longer than I care to admit lol). I would feel better on a pony to do a bit of everything... The ground seems a hell of a lot harder than it used to :-(
 
hello, I am 5'4 and currently trying to lose weight to ride my daughters 13.2 welsh x trad cob who is sadly much lighter built then his breeding would suggest ! suffice to say if I were your weight I wouldnt think twice. my vet reckons he could easily carry 10 1/2 - 11 st. having totally overhorsed myself in the past I wouldnt go over 14.2 again.
 
My two are 14.2 (Welsh D). I am heavier than you and they have no problem with me riding them all day. A nice native type (lots of choice as there are some lovely native breeds plus the fjords, icelandics and haffies etc) would easily carry you, don't feel you need something bigger if you don't want to. On a bad day I have to open 9 gates just to get from the farm, anything bigger I can't get back on and as they are all impossible to open from horseback (bar one) that was a big consideration for me when buying a horse.
 
If you are not worried what size and are happier to go bigger, there are some good horse/ponies out there that will give you the fun you want, unfortunately its finding one! I'm 5'8 and 9 and half stone on a 15.1 cobx, he can be full of it some days and a good steady hack others, dont be put off by cobs, they have cracking personalities and that is quite a big plus when finding a horse/pony! :)
 
You'd be fine on a pony as long as it has a bit of bone on it, I'm 5ft5 & only recently sold my 13.3hh & she was part-bred arab! If you are worried about it maybe look for a 15hh horse, so many of these small horses ride just like pony's but in a slightly bigger package & are easily just as fun!
And don't forget, there's nothing wrong with inquiring about horses & simply asking the owner what they think, you'll get an honest answer & you won't have to feel worried about whether you're too heavy or not :)
 
I have a great 14hh Welsh D - a proper chunky fella. I'm 12st and 5ft 2. Granted he's not expected to take me over jumps and is a light hack but my 5ft 8in friend (10st) had ridden him (hacking and jumping) and she didnt look big on him - also she begged me to ride him again as hes more fun than her horse :D
 
I'm sure I remember reading a while back advice from vets that a horse can happily carry up to 25% of its body weight for 90% of its ridden life, and up to 50% occasionally.

That said, although our old 13.2 Arab x Dartmoor was happy to carry my mother, she always 'felt' too big on him, so she had a 14hh cob. Not all cobs are chunky, flying feather types (although these can look really nice!)

On those rules, if you're 10st then most ponies over 13.2 should be absolutely fine for you. Obviously for the really fine types you'd probably need to go a bit bigger, but if you want to stay under 14.2 you shouldn't have any issues at all. If you don't want a feather type maybe look at the other native breeds or crosses?

I hope you find a brilliant partner and add pics when you do!
 
Good grief, if 10st is considered too big for under 15hh then my fatflinger is clearly being squashed as I am quote a bit heaver than you and 5'6. Still managed to beat several ex-racers on the gallops with my ten-ton-tessiness on board though :D
 
If you have a look on the fell pony group on fb there are loads and loads of people bigger (weight and/or height) riding fells, and they are averaging between 13hh and 14hh. They ride a lot bigger than their height, so I would just have a look around and try a few things out for size until you find what you are looking for. There can be a vast difference between something like a 13hh fell pony and a 13hh arab or even welsh. No need to go big if you don't want to!
 
Hi guys sorry i have been aloof for a while! This all looks really positive and Im really looking forward to April (thats when my target date is to start looking)... I had a bit of a crisis of confidence about a week back convincing myself that I had given up my share horsey for nothing and that I was a fool to think this was possible... but the light at the end of the tunnel has come back stronger than ever and I even dare to hope!

I am really fancying a connie now after the good things i have heard, or maybe a Welshy but who knows? depends on the individual horse right :D Trying so hard not to get excited!
 
Hi, I have got a 14 hh fjord and I weigh 10 stone at 5ft4 he is a perfect size for me. I think He could carry at least 2 stone more, easily !
 
I have a 14.3 middle weight cob, I am 8 and a bit stone and 5ft7. She carries my height and weight with ease, and because she is broad, I don't look or feel too big on her :)
 
I'm 9st and I spent the entire summer riding a shetland pony and a 13hh racing pony who both spend most of their time ridden by a 11st racing lad - neither of them had any trouble carrying either of us! This racing pony looked like it was made of glass as well. Most ponies of 13hh or bigger should be okay for you provided your feet aren't hanging round it's knees?
 
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