Can someone please explain the whole, 'My horse is naughty, that makes me a good rider...my horse is bigger, that makes me better' attitude?

[indie1282]

I think some of the posts on this thread are crinimal for exactly the kind of attitude you are irritated at, but in the reverse; there is also nothing wrong with owning a big warmblood, just as there isn't with owning a donkey, draft horse, cob, mule, pony, shetland, unridden, ridden, driven, walking on the moon horse.

I have a 19hh Westphalian (happy to post photo with meauring stick if anyone is really that interested, although mine only goes to 17.3hh so you'll have to make do with an additional few inches of tape measure), he is high withered so is probably truly 18/18.1hh if you measured to his back but to me it makes no odds. I will mention he is 19hh if it is relevant to what I am saying/discussing with someone eg: I am struggling with 'x' part of a dressage test because a 10m circle is tricky on him, or why I always carry a curved top hunting cane to hack with (helps with gates).

His paces are incredible naturally, he floats in trot and he is very loose and atheltic, and sometimes when he is full of adrenaline he goes into 'stallion mode' which looks lovely but is something I actively avoid - and I have been victim to some nasty comments/judgements from both people I know and people I don't know at clinics etc because they assume I will have the attitude described in this thread. But the truth is, as anyone knows who will speak to me, that I bought him for £1000 because he has sarcoids, was unfit, undermuscled, prone to lymphangitis and was bargey/bitey/inpatient/horrible on the ground and unpredictable to ride. Despite that I loved him, I knew his ability schooling wise would make me a much better rider and I wanted to learn from him, and I knew I could work on the rest.

He can now be handled by anyone, can be sat on by anyone and schooled by anyone capable, and I am allowed to be as proud of my progress with my 19hh Westphalian, as you are of your 15hh ISH or 9hh Shetland.

I think you have slightly missed the point. This thread is more about the people who go out of their way to say that their horse is so naughty/difficult/nobody else is able to ride it because it's so big/talented/wild rather than bashing people who own big horses.

At least that's how I read it.

 

[milliepops]

Can I just say that I'm getting chugged off with riding out with friends on tall horses?
The reason? When they take photos (as I'm usually inept), I look much bigger on B especially in my body, than I do in photos taken side on from the ground! ??

???
I have a picture of me and millie at the winter champs that would be a really nice one if my mother hadn't been stood on a mound above us. She looks like a 12hh show pony ? she is 15hh cob x and fairly substantial ?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Do you find him difficult to ride, because of his height? Mine is 16"1 and he's lovely but I think it takes more effort to match his movement than the smaller ones. I recently rode one that was just shy of 18 hands and it took a lot more effort again. I suppose me being short doesn't help.

Yes, I definitely do, he has taken a lot of getting used to. Because he has large paces it took a long time to find my balance, he kind of throws you around until you get used to it; and he is a hell of a lot of horse to hold together - but a horse of any size can do that if they have active paces. I also find that I have to think very quickly in the school, as when he has a good level of impulsion, the corners etc come up rather quickly! I rode a friends 16hh the other day and it was amazing not only how easy sitting trot was, but also how big the school felt. Gates out hacking are a nightmare, as are over hanging trees, and finding a lorry to fit him in - I think my life would be easier if he was 16hh but I wouldn't change him for the world of course!

I think you have slightly missed the point. This thread is more about the people who go out of their way to say that their horse is so naughty/difficult/nobody else is able to ride it because it's so big/talented/wild rather than bashing people who own big horses.

At least that's how I read it.

My repsonse was not aimed at the thread - I read that in the way in which it was meant I think, and have come across those attitudes myself so I completely understand; it was aimed at some of the replies which fall foul of exactly the attitude the thread is criticising, but in reverse.

If I wrote on here and said 'if you think riding a pony is difficult, you should try riding a proper horse' or 'everyone at 'x' clinic had a pony and when everyone tried, no-one could ride my horse properly as they just were used to something easy' I would be jumped on for it! (I used those two examples as they sprung to mind, I am not aiming any judgement at the original posters).

I am not upset at the opinions, everyone likes what they like and many prefer ponies/mules/drafts etc - It's the hypocrisy that doesn't sit well with me.

 

[DabDab]

?‍I'm not on Facebook so don't come across this stuff I guess. Some horses are much easier than others and some are a much better fit for the person training them than others.
My big(ish) horse is a goon who looks very flamboyant when he throws his legs around, but sat on top it's not really unseating at all. Arty is smaller and a completely different build and has never thrown any kind of shape under saddle, but if she did I should think I would be tipped off quite easily. But stick a novice on the big horse and all he'll do is take the opportunity to amble about in a leisurely fashion and possibly stop for a snack. Goodness know what Arty would do, but I can't imagine she would be particularly generous spirited about the situation.

I trained both of them, did I train one better?

The easiest by far is the pony, who has never so much as flicked an ear in the wrong direction, so I must've done a fabulous job with the scandalously minimal amount of training that I have put into her.

I once worked on a small producing/showjumping yard where there was resident my boss's old international horse (in his late teens). He had sold the horse as a schoolmaster some years previously but he had stayed as a full livery and his owner was at the time away at uni. We hacked the old boy out every day, using him to nanny youngsters, ride and lead etc. and he was angelic. Yet when his owner came back to ride him the old beggar would come back on his own minus his rider every time ?. He'd been here before that one.