Are horses in general gettinig bigger?

[spacefaer]

Talking about kids coming off ponies, I was 5'7 when I was 13, so my 14.1 was dwarfed - i knocked the fences down with my feet! My parents bought me a 15.3 overgrown pony/hunter type which I had from 13-15, then I chose a 16.2 chestnut TB mare to replace him (very very bad choice, but nothing to do with her height!!)

IME, most warmbloods at 17hh++ tend to be tall rather than big - they rarely have enough bone to match their height. Ours are draught or draught crosses, so are sturdy as well as tall.

AA is right about the correct conformation though - we have a 17.3 hwt irish draught and no one thinks he is as big as he is, until they walk up to him and get faced with a wall of white flesh!!

 

[EmmaB]

I do think there is a fashion to have big horses now, when I first learnt to ride there were only 2 on the yard who were 17hh and I used to be scared of being put on them for a lesson! I always thought 16hh + was big.

I now have a 13hh and a 15.3 and am comfortable on both but If I ever had another horse I would probably go for 14.2-15.2, I have short stumpy legs and my horse is probably my max comfortable height as I struggle to get my legs around him as much as I'd like.

 

[Charlie007]

For years I had 15.2s and they were great. I then started team chasing and although they could jump I was always at the top end of their speed on the ground and felt that wasn't fair. So I bought a 17.2 tb!! When he retired I bought a wb x tb 17.1, built like a tank. I didn't buy him because of his height I bought him because I liked him. I still have him eleven years later. I have just bought a 16.1 tb and he feels so small compared to my big boy!! I have been getting to know my new one and my friend has kindly been riding my other lad. Last week we swapped, I hadn't ridden my older lad for a few months and OMG!! Couldn't walk the following day!! The only reason I wouldn't have a big one again is because of the size of the stable and my trailer. I buy a horse because I like it nit because of its height.

 

[Dubsie]

I think there doesn't seem to be so many genuinely big horses around these days. We have had 3 on our livery yard that are '17hh +' however all 3 are smaller than our 16.1!! There are a lot of people out there who own 17 handers who are actually nearer 16hh

Oh yes, our 16.1 as per passport but is actually about 16.3 dwarfs a 17h. I think people are taller, my daughter was my height at 14 (5ft6) and i
s nowabout 5'8", yet is not as tall as her friend who is 12 and at least 5'10 !

 

[Tern]

I outgrew 14hh before I was 13... unless it was something cobby I looked ridiculous.

I ride a 15.2 now and don't look big on her but I'm definitely bigger than smaller on her.

I am 5ft 7 ish, maybe a bit bigger and I happily ride up to about 17 hands. I got put on an 18.1 then promptly fell off it (no ones fault but my own balance failing me!) I had time to think how to fall!

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Well there seems to be alot more small horses for sale at the moment, I'm struggling to find anything with a bit of height

 

[JanetGeorge]

Well there seems to be alot more small horses for sale at the moment, I'm struggling to find anything with a bit of height

Come and see me - I currently have 2 very nice 17hh 4 year olds who should mature about 17.2hh.

I've always liked big horses - I had a 16.2 ex-racehorse at the age of 14 - the ground is too close when you're on a small horse (although I confess getting up on big horses is a bit harder these days.) Why the 'fashion' has become popular I don't know - but it's fun breeding big horses. The biggest I've bred so far is now 18.2 - and he was out of a 15.2 mare by my 17hh stallion - his brothers and sisters range from 16.1 to 17hh.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Janet I'd love to come to you but I strongly suspect your gorgeous horses would be well out of my price range

 

[brighteyes]

I'm sure I read somewhere that horses as a species were never intended to be big and that soundness over the 16 hand mark is compromised. Anyone else heard that? There are some very tall animals in the sport doing very well and I think the right horse is the right height. I personally go for suitable and economically-sized, which for me is about 15 hands.