Eeek, is it me or do the dressage horses keep growing?

R

RunToEarth

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Went up to moody's this morning with friend as they have her WB up there. Watched it school and then walked through the stalls to put him to bed and noticed that every single horse stabled up there is a fair size over 17hh, some of them make Herc look like a Shetland- I swear in 10years the average size of a dressager will be 20hh!
 
Eeek, I like my dressage but I don't think I'll grow tall enough to ride a 20hh
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I was reading the dressage reports in H&H - OK, I was bored! A woman there was 5'2" and had a 18hh horse (or similar, well over 17hh anyway). How on earth can she ride it properly?
Why are they so big? Is it more impressive for the judges? Show horses seem to be getting bigger, too. How many hunters do you see on the hunting field over 17hh, not many around here, but looking in the show ring you'd think that was the minimum.
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i think on a bigger horse, elevation of paces, extention, collection etc are more noticable/impressive hence more big dressage horses.
x
 
i thought that the other day when browsing through H and H....but isnt it great when you see a cracking little pony win a big class?!or even a pony mentioned in the reports!
 
Hmm well my boy is 17.3hh (he was bred for dressage) and Im 5ft 5 and have no problems with him, but I do have quite long legs which helps. If I had short legs I think it wudl be difficult to give him the correct aids.

I think as Gabby said its the paces, elevation etc, because they are bigger they catch the eye more.
 
I struggled riding Bert who is 17.1hh because I just dont have the leg. You are right C- the showring at the GYS last year was littered with huuuuge hunters- yes they are lovely but why the height?
 
It's worse with showing because the smaller hunters never seem to get looked at. I think the really big hunters look too heavy and ugly.
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I supposed big dressage horses do look quite impressive though.
 
Trobule with big hunters is how do you get on again if you have to have a pee?
OK for you young 'uns, you can probably hold on all day!!
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With dressage, it can't say much for the judges if they are so impressed by a 18hh hackney thundering up the centre line they can't see if its going better than the unassuming but beautifully schooled 15.2 tb?
 
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