Discussion topic - horses height vs riders height.

[pip6]

5'3", have 15.1 & 14.3 arabs. Can't do cob shape as have dodgy hips. Will ride tb's, or narrow other shapes but that's it. TBH I like a responsive, intelligent ride, hate having to repeat myself, why I have arabs. My friend rode my mare once in school, said 'that's not a horse, it's a ferrari'. Yep, nice!

 

[mynutmeg]

I'm 5'9 and have ridden my sister's 14'2 and am fine on my 15'1 cob mare. While I'd be fine on something bigger I'd struggle with getting on and off as I have bad ankles

 

[Kikke]

5'9, riding 14,1s. I prefer midgets - it's easier to tack up, mount, dismount, duck under branches and change jumps from their backs etc - basically I am lazy. I also like the challenges they bring and the feel of riding them. I can, and do, ride larger horses from time to time, I just prefer littlies!

This!!!

must also say I don't like to see small riders on big horses. not talking about weight at all but I do prefer to see a rider being slightly tall for the horse then the other way round nothing more unattractive then a pea on a drum IMHO

 

[windand rain]

5.10 rider on my 13.1 highland looks fine as does my 7 year old granddaughter its all a matter of temperament in my mind I love ponies and can see no point what so ever in anyone riding anything bigger ponies are faster in jump offs can jump just as high and even higher than the average joe wants too move as well as any average dressage horse and are versatile enough to go anywhere and do anything the big boys can do. The only people who really need anything any bigger are those with the ambition to jump/dressage national finals or who are extremely tall. Really gets me cross to see anything over 14.2 at pony club kids do not ever need horses if they are tall or heavy get soemthing that takes up the leg all competitions for children should have a max height of 148 cm so they are able to manage their mounts and are having fun. 13 year olds on horses for teams is a nonsense. But then again I don't know why anyone would have a horse now since I am a pony convert. Used to have thoroughbreds and warmbloods so know the advantages and most of the disadvantages of the bigger ones. Ponies have character are fun and can do anything you want them too once trained to

 

[LadyRascasse]

5ft9/10 I like my horses to have some substance but not a cob person. I don't go for the height as much as the width lol

 

[Fides]

5ft9/10 I like my horses to have some substance but not a cob person. I don't go for the height as much as the width lol

Snort snort

 

[LadyRascasse]

Snort snort

I knew it would make someone laugh aha!! I should explain more, My friend has a lw cob, its like sitting on a matchstick nothing to get your legs around I feel so uncomfortable riding him although he is 16hh. I however have a NH type TB how is as tall as he is wide and I find him like an armchair. So basically I like to get my legs around something

 

[Fides]

I knew it would make someone laugh aha!! I should explain more, My friend has a lw cob, its like sitting on a matchstick nothing to get your legs around I feel so uncomfortable riding him although he is 16hh. I however have a NH type TB how is as tall as he is wide and I find him like an armchair. So basically I like to get my legs around something

Snort snort even more!!

 

[kassieg]

5'7 1/2 (the 1/2 makes all the difference !! )

My current mare is 16hh & a good size for me, when i worked at the dealers i rode 13.2's but jumping them was funny sometimes ! although I won an 80cm sj on 1 of the 13.2s was great fun felt like a kid again but mainly rode 14.2's upwards
some of the 14.2's i looked really leggy on but others i looked fine

me on 15hh connie

me on 16hh Id x tb

 

[FellOutOfFavour]

Nice to see so many people here with ponies
I am 5'3" and have a 13.3hh fell pony. He takes up a lot of leg and can easily carry about 4 or 5 stone more than I weigh. I've always preferred ponies for their character.

 

[Ibblebibble]

size doesn't matter, it's how you ride it
I think people get too hung up on size rather than riding what works best for them. so many people still think ponies are for kids and that you should be at least 6ft tall to ride anything over 16.2hh!

 

[Bav]

I'm 5"10 with ridiculously long legs (and skinny to the point where finding good fitting tall boots is horrendous)
I prefer to ride 16.2hh+ and personally think I look better on my new 17.1hh beauty. Saying that I helped back a very large 15hh cob that took the leg.
It's how you feel! Although I definitely can't sand short coupled horses and much prefer a nice long neck in front of me!

 

[NZJenny]

I'm 5'10" and it sort of depends. I'm quite happy riding 14.2hh and I do - for endurance. However, if I would find my little mare really difficult to ride for dressage, so for that I have a bigger horse, around 15.3hh. But I don't want to ride any bigger than that for all the reasons everyone else has said. Age, gear, further to fall, harder to get on etc.

 

[webble]

Me too. And not so far to fall. At my age I have to make that a consideration!!

Agreed my next one will be under the 15hh mark preferably closer to 14hh and so well behaved that I never fall off :lol:

 

[Dizzle]

I'm 5ft8 (nearly 5ft9) and I have a 13.2hh pony, my last horse was 16hh and in the past I used to ride an 18.2hh, I've always had a soft spot for ponies and even as a kid I didn't really want to ride anything over 13hh, but oddly I learnt to ride on a 13.2hh when I was 5, moved to a 14hh and then back to a 12.2hh until I was nearly 17!

Even though my current horse is only 13.2hh she fulfils all my requirements AND in a conveniently sized package

 

[Dizzle]

I'm 5"10 with ridiculously long legs (and skinny to the point where finding good fitting tall boots is horrendous)

Brogini! The only place I have ever found that do long boots to fit, that an a pair of Ariat glaciers with the laces done up tightly seem to do me for yard boots!

 

[soulfull]

I've owned a 14.3 welsh, 15.3 WB, 16.1 WB, 16.1 WCx TB, 17.1 IDxtb
And now come back to a 15,1 welsh mare

I'm 5'6'. Although tho think I've shrunk now to 5'5 lol

New mare is absolutely perfect. Not oy height wise but stride wise too

I feel I 'fit into' her properly and she is a speedi little thing which I love. Feel like a kid on a pony

In hindsight the bigger horses were too big for me. I couldn't get the best out of them.

 

[Auslander]

5"10, and happiest on big horses. Alf is 17.1hh, and a proper MW, who feels like exact the right size for me. if I could have one small amendment to his build, it would be to make him a little less slab-sided - it's actually easier for shorter people to get their legs on him, as he slopes inwards just where I want to put my leg!

I'm built like a brick outhouse, and I think I'd look silly on anything smaller than him.

 

[monkeybum13]

I'm 5'4 with stupidly long legs for my height. My current horse is 16.1 currently (still growing) and whilst I could easily ride ponies I much prefer horses purely because I prefer the feeling of having something in front of the saddle!

 

[skint1]

I am 5ft7 short legs long body, not build for riding really! I think I would ride anything from 14.2 to 17.2,( my horse is 16.3) providing it had the bone to carry me as I am not light weight, I like to ensure that with allowing 2st for tack etc I am no more than 20% of the horse's weight, but that is a separate issue isn't it?

 

[Auslander]

I am 5ft7 short legs long body, not build for riding really! I think I would ride anything from 14.2 to 17.2,( my horse is 16.3) providing it had the bone to carry me as I am not light weight, I like to ensure that with allowing 2st for tack etc I am no more than 20% of the horse's weight, but that is a separate issue isn't it?

Oh god!! Don't get everyone started on that one again!

 

[happyclappy]

I am 5`1" and currently riding my 14'3 very happily but have happily ridden 13'3 - 17 with no issues. Other than mounting without a mounting block!

 

[Bav]

Brogini! The only place I have ever found that do long boots to fit, that an a pair of Ariat glaciers with the laces done up tightly seem to do me for yard boots!

Oh my god, I've definitely just added these to my wish list!! I sometimes wish my thighs could shed some pounds and it be added to my calves!!

 

[JadeyB]

I agree with you, I'm 5'10 and have ridden heights from 12.2hh up to 17.3hh, height doesn't bother me. Temperament is what matters most to me

That said, I've found ponies to be the most fun to ride.

Same, i think it's more about how you get on with the horse rather than the size ratio's, I'm a skinny 5'8 and have ridden anything from 13hh to my current boy who's 17.2hh... although i have to admit to being partial to gentle giants

 

[MischievousDeity]

I'm 5"3 and own a 16.2 TB, we go together well as he's fine so my legs go reasonably far down his belly! My sharer is about 5"6 though and looks way better.

I can't ride my friends gypsy cob as i can't wrap my legs round him at all, it physically hurts me to ride him, he's 15.3 but built like a tank! I can ride her 17.1 ISH mare though, she's finer and doesn't cause me pain! I just know that my legs don't come down very far, luckily shes very well behaved!

 

[ArabianGem78]

I'm a slim 5'6" with legs and body in proportion. My girls are a 14.3 PBA (arabxwelshxTB) and a 14.2 arab who is well-built without being chunky. I ride long so at times feel a bit long-legged on the pure-bred, but the chunkier PBA takes up my leg beautifully. Both are a short wheel base which is my preference.

 

[Dumbo]

We've just got a 17.3hh warmblood. The kindest horse I've ever met but I'm really struggling to get to grips with his trot and canter! He's so bouncy! I'm 5'6 and my boyfriend is 6'4ft who finds him easy to ride. Maybe it's just that i'm used to my 16.2hh tb, who feels tiny now i'm also riding something so much bigger!

 

[chestnut cob]

I am 5ft4, weight 9.5st maybe (sometimes down to 9st, depends how much cake I eat!), long body, little legs. Horse is just over 15hh, native type but kept quite lean to keep him fit enough to event. He has no problem carrying me, though I am a little tall on him because of my stupidly out of proportion long body!

 

[khalswitz]

I'm 5ft1 and my problem with bigger horses are that their 'buttons' are in the wrong places for my legs

This but the opposite. I'm 5'10", and mainly leg (my sis is the same height as me but I wear jeans two sizes longer, and my stirrups drown her!), and I find on anything small my legs hang down too far!!!

However for me it is a depth of barrel rather than height of horse thing. I can ride 14.2hh highlands quite happily as they take up my leg, but if I want something thoroughbred-y (which is my preference) I have to go big. Current lad is 17hh, and I don't make him look big!! Although I drowned my friend's 15.2hh ID!!!

Also, being 5'10" and... erm... curvy I actually weigh in pretty heavy, at 12 1/2 to 13 stone, so I wouldn't want to ride anything too fine anyway, so I'm pretty picky about what I end up with!!

 

[Isa7182]

I'm 5'4 and a little too weighty for my liking but I've always liked 15/15.2hh + horses. I just love big horses so much! But I can ride broad 15hh- horses too, I just love the big oafs XD