Big horses!

Reg is nearing 17hh, really, and Al is 5'6. He's very short coupled though (max. saddle length he can take is 17.5", and he wears the same rugs as my old 15.2hh) so whilst he's a leggy monster he's not a big horse to ride?

She also rides an 18hh hunter, who is the most enormous horse I've ever met. He's not cobby, he's just big and solid- a true gentleman's hunter really. He's also the most fantastic shade of orange, with long white socks and a big white face... You can pick him out of a field of horses from miles away! Al looks tiny on him, and he takes the mickey big time (only in fittening work- hunting is a serious business and the only time he behaves immaculately!) :D
 
My mare is 16h, and middleweight, which is fine for me at 5'6". My husband's is 17h and hunter build, but he is 6'4", not heavy so ok on mine too, but his legs nearly go to her knees!

On the rare occassions he wants to be strong and misbehave, which were mainly when he was younger, I find him quite hard to hold together! Fences look smaller on him, but my mare has more "pony sense" and attacks things more. I can't see what I'm grooming with him unless I get a bucket! He also churns the ground up a lot more.
 
I'm 5"3 (ish) and my boy is a 17.3 ISH. We are currently doing dressage, and perhaps if I ever feel brave enough we might try to jump something! He used to do side saddle showing classes with his previous lady owner, and has hunted in the past so I know he can do it, but when we tried to do canter poles recently he jumped all 3 so that's scared me a little bit!

We'll stick with the dressage for now :)
 
16.3 ISH and 17.3 ID. I'm 5'9. I'd like to say we do a bit of everything but in fact we mostly do a whole lot of nothing much!

I love big horses. The bigger the better.
 
im 5 foot 4 and my horse is 16.2hh. the biggest ive owned and ridden is 17.2hh, i actually didnt want anything over 16hh when i went shopping but hes such a dude the extra didnt matter . ive had a 4 foot tall mounting block made to i can just pop on ,much easier! i have in the past used an aluminium ladder to mount lol:rolleyes:
 
I have a 6 year old 17.1hh Oldenburg gelding I bought to bring on in BS, hopefully 1.20 , 1.30 all going to plan

I'm 5ft10
 
My previous horse was a 16.3 Danish WB and we mainly hacked but did a bit of dressage too. My current mare is 16.2h and is a DWB. We will be competing in dressage and in her previous home she was a SJ'er. I'm 5'6".

My husband's horse is a full up 16.3 Zangersheide. He hunts and SJ's with him and hopes to event this coming season. Hubby is 5'11".
 
My newbie is about 17 hands and I'm 5'5''.

This is the biggest I've had and tbh if I could shave off a hand I would. Still wears a 6'3'' rug though and will have to battle with his back/my bum problem re saddle.

Although I haven't yet the difference between falling from a big horse and a small one is immense. I'm a scientist and have no idea why a hand or two makes such a difference to a fall.

Anyway this would be absolute max for me tbh, plus there are associated hassles like stable size, 3.5 tonner, more feed etc.

I think 16.1 is pretty ideal, although for some reason the bigger ones show better, don't get it really.:D:D:D
 
Wagtail said:
I'm the opposite. I'm 5' 10" and though I like watching big horses, and hacking big horses, I really don't like schooling them. I like horses that are 15.2 hh to 16.1 hh middleweights, especially TBs. I don't understand why so many small women like riding big horses, but then I guess they don't understand why I like small horses.

I would love to be much shorter, then I would just have ponies. :)
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I feel that way too and have/ride the same sort as well (I'm 5'9"). Can't be doing with any big beasts these days! :D
 
thanks everyone for your comments :)

the reason i ask is i went to look at a horse last night who is standing at 16.2/3 as a 5 yr old...... he is a warmblood so can garrentee will carry on growing for a good few years!!!!

im only 5ft4 and the biggest i own is 16.1! he didnt ride big thou! going to see him again tomorrow! i just dont want to over horse myself!
 
My pure Shires are 18h1", 18h+, 18h, and 17h2". I'm 5'6" and haven't ridden in a millennium. My horses are purely field ornaments and beloved pets. Their care and upkeep are a great source of human muscle-power...not a bingo-wing in sight around these parts!
 
alex2601 said:
thanks everyone for your comments :)

the reason i ask is i went to look at a horse last night who is standing at 16.2/3 as a 5 yr old...... he is a warmblood so can garrentee will carry on growing for a good few years!!!!

im only 5ft4 and the biggest i own is 16.1! he didnt ride big thou! going to see him again tomorrow! i just dont want to over horse myself!
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My giant doesnt ride big at all, and I'm even shorter than you at 5"3 riding a 17.3! I find with big horses they are more often than not gentle giants - my boy will put his head down for me to put his bridle on, he never puts a foot wrong with me apart from getting a little excited about cantering but that is to be expected from any horse that used to hunt and then was off work (through no fault of his own) for 7 months!

Some people like big horses, and I'm one of them - I had too many bad experiences with ponies when I was younger, I find a lot of them to be sharp and unpredictable and based on my past experiences it has put me right off!

Base your decision on how he feels when you ride him - with my boy I know he's perfect for me because I forget all about his size when I ride him and we just get on with it and enjoy ourselves. My legs easily reach past the saddle so I have no issues with leg aids, and he is very attentive and listens to everything I ask.

Over-horsing shouldnt be about size, it should be about whether the rider's ability matches the horse's temperament. So many people will tell you not to go for a big horse, but if you find one who you connect with both on the ground and when ridden then size is completely irrelevant.
 
17.2hh tb, and a verging on 16.3hh one too, I'm 5'7. We had a couple of 17.3/18hh warmbloods in at work who I used to love! I love big horses; I find I can get more of a tune out of a big horse than something smaller.
 
I'm 5'4" and have an Irish Draft x Cleveland Bay that is 18.3hh and still growing. He turns 6 at the end of June.
We currently just hack out and school at the minute but hoping to compete in some hunter classes later this year and perhaps tackle some SJ once I find where I've hidden my elusive brave pants.
 
One of mine is a 17.2 ISH - I bought that big because she is Flagmount King/Clover Hill, I don't usually like anything over 16.1 and I am 5'10". Anyway - bought her unseen,unbroken from her breeder in Ireland as a 6 year old last year, and she is a true gentle giant. She was a piece of cake to break, and we are producing her to BS. My little 14 year old daughter loves riding her, and manages the size perfectly well. The thing I don't like is mounting - I have a reasonable mounting block, but the extra height just gives that extra second in the 'danger zone' before you are sat safely in the saddle. Not that she has ever moved during mounting, but it is just something I don't like. I am also worried about putting her in our Ifor 510 - although it takes 17.2, I worry that she may feel claustrophobic - so that is the next challenge. She wears 6'9 rugs and a full size bridle, so no issues there.
 
Si is 17.2 TBxID, I'm 5'6 and we RC and BE on occasion. A few people have commented "he's a man's horse" which really annoys me - he's never been keen on being ridden by men and is a gentle (though occasionally cheeky) giant.
 
I'm 5'2, and have a 16.3/17 hand Oldenburg.

I feel the right size on him, compared to my 15 hand cob, and my 16 hand dutch wb also feels bigger... :cool:

We do quite a bit of dressage, currently at elem but moving up to medium soon I hope, with a bit of lower level eventing and SJ as a bit of fun. He's not very brave :D
 
17hh full ID and i am 5'2" and love him and do dressage mainly. Still own my old girl, owned since she was 4, now 23, and jumpednher to foxhunter and she was 17hh. Dont feel safe on anythjng smaller lol too wick!
 
Wagtail said:
I'm the opposite. I'm 5' 10" and though I like watching big horses, and hacking big horses, I really don't like schooling them. I like horses that are 15.2 hh to 16.1 hh middleweights, especially TBs. I don't understand why so many small women like riding big horses, but then I guess they don't understand why I like small horses.

I would love to be much shorter, then I would just have ponies. :)
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I have to admit Im the same!

Im 5"11 and own a 16.1hh. Have ridden to up a heavy weight 17.2hh heavy hunter before and although I didnt feel bad on her, schooling her was not as much fun as the 14.3 hh connie I also have the pleasure of teaching some manners too.

Hacking was lovely - her great big stride would take us miles out very quickly, but anything other then straight lines was not as much fun. circles/jumps all came round very quickly! Personal preferance though I suppose, have a try and see how you feel!
 
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