Big horses!

[Loopypony]

Odd question but does anyone else on here have big competition horses? Any pictures?

At 5'4 I see my 17hh 5 yr old as being big! But i've been offered a 17.3hh eventer - just wondering how i'll look on something so big! Already look like a pea on a drum on my youngster but we don't jump so I don't mind






Edited to add; anyone who read and contributed to my confidence crisis post - this is my way of overcoming the crisis! Selling my current boy and hopefully getting something a bit quieter. So thanks to all who contributed on that thread, helped in such a major way I can't tell you all!

 

[ArcticFox]

I am 5'5 and used to BS a 16h horse. I moved to eventing and ended up buying a 17h who does not feel big to me at all!

I am also the proud loaner of a retired eventer to bring back into work. I have ridden him, he is massive and needs a tall stepladder to get on, but to ride he does not feel big at all so I think it depends on the horse.

I do however look small on him, but I don't care 'cos he is ace!


he is 19hh by the way!

 

[alwaysbroke]

This one is over 18.2, probably closer to 19hh now, can't measure him properly as he is bigger than our measure He belongs to my OH, but I am 5'7 and do ride him, have been told I dont look too much out of place on him

 

[Loopypony]

he is 19hh by the way!

he's huge!!

Must add, my 17hh feels so comfortable to ride I completely forget his height until someone points it out.

 

[Jenni_]

17hh + I feel most comfortable riding definatley!

 

[madhector]

Im 5ft 3 and seem to have acquired a 17hh 4 yr old who looks to be still growing.... he is a big softy though

 

[marmalade76]

I have only hunted this horse, not competed.

He's 17h, I'm 5', but he is just tall as opposed to 'big'.

I actually find him easier to ride than my 14.2!

A note to all button pushers- this pic was taken with a cheapie camera that I had for my recent birthday and was taken by my friend and fellow forum member, Aprilblossom, who is NOT a professional photographer

 

[4faults]

This is my 17.3 dressage pony I am 5'6

I feel big riding anything under 16.2 and even feel a little big riding my OH's 17.1 showjumper

 

[kerilli]

it depends how wide they are tbh, not just how tall they are. I evented a huge WB who was 18h+, he made even me (at 5'10") look like a right shortie. He was a middleweight so took up lots of leg.
oops trying to resize

sorry, it won't resize, argh. you get the idea though!
he was difficult to keep straight if he had a spook (the git managed to run out at a 30' wide fence with me once!) and because he was so huge and scopey he made the fences look tiny... that's a PN fence!
tbh though, i wouldn't take on such a big horse again for eventing. there's a reason why huge horses in eventing are very few and far between. order of levers and all that, longer things are weaker. so, i'd be very wary, and would be concerned about long-term soundness.

 

[.Redmerl]

I do like larger horses, eg over 16.2 but the practical issues of something over 17hh puts me off. Eg wouldnt fit in my box or stable. I had a 17.2 mw and he felt fab to ride. However my 16.2 is easy to keep between hand and leg

 

[mil1212]

tbh though, i wouldn't take on such a big horse again for eventing. there's a reason why huge horses in eventing are very few and far between. order of levers and all that, longer things are weaker. so, i'd be very wary, and would be concerned about long-term soundness.

this. My wonderful eventer is 17.3h, in my avatar, i am 5'10 so we do fit well, however he got bone spavin at 13. The only times size felt against us was in the dressage arena as its quite hard to pilot a big horse about a slippery grass 20x40! I think that temperament has a lot to do with it though, better a gentle giant than a PITA shorty! Make fences look tiny and mine made the time xc easy

 

[Jenni_]

4faults - MEGA matchy matchy!!

 

[Elfen]

I'm 5'4" and both my boys are big. My rising three boy is 17.1 already - I'm thinking hell probably end up 17.3 and my other boy is 17hh.

 

[only_me]

well, billy is big to me as is 17h but appears bigger when you meet him in the flesh for some unknown reason - although I think it has something to do with white legs as far as your eye can see

But don't forget length plays a big part - Billy is compact and only takes a 6f6 rug, so dosen't feel as big to ride

The problem with big is that they will be difficult to fit into a lorry or trailer - it would be quite a tight fit to have a 19h horse in a standard size lorry!

 

[Gamebird]

I have one who's 17.1 and one who's 17.2. The 17.1 horse is tall, leggy, short-coupled (6'3 rug) and struggles to make distances. He rides more like a 16.1 horse.

The 17.2 one is a big horse all round looks big when you stand beside him. I have made sure from an early age that his canter is extra-adjustable/collectable to compensate for his naturally long stride length and I have to remember when I'm riding him and I see a nice 3 strides to a fence to hold like mad as 3 for a normal horse is more like 2 and a bit for him. I bought him as a 16.2 4yo

ps. I'm nearly 6ft, so no worries there

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

i love big horses! but would never buy one that was previously competed by a man as they tend to be heavy and strong (tho the male rider would find them light). many years ago someone asked me at a show how big was mine as he was massive? i asked her how big was her horse? she replied hers was 16.3. i replied well mine measured this morning at 16.2 for his height cert. mine was at least 4 inches taller! really does depend on who is measuring!!!!!! if you like the horse, can ride him well, and he does the job height is only a number.....

 

[ecrozier]

Mine seems big to me - he's scared of the height stick, but general consensus and standing him next to height certified 16.2 suggests he is nearer 17hh than 16.2 now, I'm 5'5 but with reasonably long legs for my height.
Anyway as the others said I think it's more to do with width and length than height in many ways. Roo is middleweight I would say (MW saddle) but very compact, 6'3 rugs still fit, so he is like a smaller horse just on long legs!

 

[MagicMelon]

I think I'm about 5'9 so not short, yet I prefer smaller horses. My own horse is a lightweight 16hh, but I also am riding a friends 17hh who I feel is too big for me even though she's not! I think its down to what you feel best on. I find big horses so cumbersome to turn - you have to plan ahead yet with my little buzzy 16hh, he'll turn so quick and is so agile.

 

[millitiger]

Vinnie is 17.3hh but I don't think we look out of proportion as I am about 5'9 with very long legs.

He is quite narrow and 'blood' looking and isn't a great big hulk of a horse.

 

[AprilBlossom]

My boy (pictured with Marm riding him on P1) is 17hh but I find I'm always surprised at how high up I am when I dismount as he is easy to keep together and often feels more compact than other, much smaller horses that really bowl along with huge shoulder action!

That said, he fits a 6'6 rug so he is just rather tall instead of long and big!

On the subject of big horses not doing well soundness wise, G has got rarer large joints which must be put together pretty well as he will turn 20 this year and since I've had him has only looked 'a bit off' once which was quickly remedied by a week in the field - this is an ex puissance horse so he's high mileage too - I guess he's just a rare one that's made of some tough stuff!

 

[AdorableAlice]

If they are schooled on the flat well a big horse will not feel big to ride.

I do agree a 20x40 arena can be tricky though, my lad a 18.1hh heavyweight show hunter went down the long side in very few strides but I was fortunate enough to have a super instructor who taught us the importance of invisable half halts and spent hours on transitions, mostly in walk to get the horse balanced and on the aids.

The horse had to have bespoke rugs 7'9", made to measure bridles and girths.
When I asked my saddler to make a double bridle for the hunter ring he told me I would have to wait for a big cow to die !! why I asked him - he said he needed an extra big hide to make the reins out of, otherwise I would have joined reins made out of 2 pieces of leather.

Shoeing cost a fortune, feeding - just don't ask ! He was a big weak gentle giant who grew until he was 8 years old, he was ID, Embla George out of Embla Daisy who was by Colman, who I believe put the size in, as Embla George was only 16.2h and the mare was 16.3h.

I was lucky having owned him from 6 months and brought him up carefully he never ever realised his size or strength and was the most gentle and careful horse, but without intensive schooling he would have been a huge unbalanced bus to ride. I truly believe no one is 'too small' to ride a big horse as long as the horse is schooled correctly and truly between leg and hand.

He would have been 20 now but was lost to colic. He had surgery but his stomach ruptured, something that may not have happened had he been smaller. I miss him dreadfully, he was a wonderful horse in everyway.

 

[marmalade76]

On the subject of big horses not doing well soundness wise, G has got rarer large joints which must be put together pretty well as he will turn 20 this year and since I've had him has only looked 'a bit off' once which was quickly remedied by a week in the field - this is an ex puissance horse so he's high mileage too - I guess he's just a rare one that's made of some tough stuff!

Yep, short cannons, big flat knees, long forearms and completely clean

That said, I do agree with kerrilli; as a general rule smaller = tougher.

 

[Libbyn1982]

I'm 5'3 and Tobs is 17.2. Its been hard work to get him to balance as he's quite long (7ft rugs) and reminds me a bit like a bendy bus! But I am defo a big horse fan

 

[Tr0uble]

Not yet a competition horse, as I've been injured so we've not made it that far yet! But this is my boy, 17.1 at 4.5 years old....I'm 5'8" with long legs so he doesn't look massive.

 

[Always Henesy]

This is my late TBxWB (lost him in August 2011)
He was 17.2hh - but very fine (6'6" rugs and all legs) - I am 5'10" and much fatter than I should be. I think I make him look like a pony

He was beautiful though.

I also have a 17.1hh TB
Again - all legs and quite fine.
I like big horses - I feel underhorsed on anything under 17hh
But then I am just under 14 stone atm and tall - so need something that is not going to collapse under my weight

 

[BronsonNutter]

I'm about 5'2" and don't weigh a lot - yet I occasionally hack out and have a play on a friend's advanced eventer. He's around 18hh and he doesn't feel too big at all as he's very narrow and doesn't have expressive, big, bouncy paces. I do look like a pea on a drum though apparently

Only problem is that if he plays up on the ground (like on the way back from the trot up at Bramham) he can nearly lift me up into the air

 

[QueenOfCadence]

I do ! He's 17hh and I'm competing him in Juniors Elementary. He is however not my horse :sobs:

 

[xspiralx]

I'm 5ft3, and to be honest I would shy away from getting a very big horse - though I think height is much less important than width, length and balance.

I prefer horses between 15.3hh - 16.2hh normally, but the last horse I had for a while was 16.3hh - yet he was the 'biggest' horse I've ever ridden - he was very long and had huge paces.

He was generally a nice boy, and quite polite, but when he got strong or unruly was when it told against me - I just didn't have the height to wrap my legs around him and hold him together. It wasn't a nice feeling.

That said if a horse came along that was tall, but compact and well balanced, then I wouldn't rule it out.

Couple of pictures below of me on the 'big' boy - though I realise he doesn't count by the 18hh+ standards set on the rest of the thread!

 

[marmalade76]

....though I think height is much less important than width, length and balance.

......the last horse I had for a while was 16.3hh - yet he was the 'biggest' horse I've ever ridden - he was very long and had huge paces.

I quite agree. My dad's horse is really long and very long striding and she feels very tall when I'm on her - feels like I'm steering an ocean liner! Yet she's only just 16 hands (not much wither, though)! I'm always surprised at how soon I hit the ground when I jump off her! She feels bigger than the 17h horse I posted a pic of earlier in the thread.

This is her:-

 

[pinktiger]

My big chap was 17'2 and a total gent both to ride and b around!! The only time I knew I had a big horse was when ppl would say " wow what a giant". His flatwork was impeccable hence his BD success and BE!! The only thing I would say is my vet told me they are more prone to needing tie backs and can suffer more from wobblers amongst other things!! They cost more to feed need accommodating size wise and rugs etc,,, u can't just pop them in yr mates small box!! Logistics can b a nightmare for them!! For the reasons above I probably avoid another bigun