Height requirements

[starbagtherainbow]

Hi,

This is probably a very a silly question - but basically I've found a horse I am looking to buy and she's around 14.2/14.3hh. Is there any height requirements when comepeting in dressage or show jumping? I heard that if you were over the age of 16, the horse had to be 14.3hh or above to compete, is this true?

 

[monkeybum13]

Affiliated or unaffiliated?

iirc you can compete a 14.2 in seniors BS (JA) and you can most certainly compete BD as I have a friends who is an adult and competes her 14.1 mare at BD (although low level, novice/elem)

 

[Spotsrock]

I'm 30 and Beau is 14.2. I jump her as a horse.

A friend had a 14hh pony that she jumped as a pony while she (my friend not the pony) was under 16 and then registered as a horse when she became a senior. Though you cannot jump over 14.2 in a pony class.

I know at least 2 other girls locally to me who have horse/ponies in that grey area of 14.1 to 14.3 where people are never sure how big it is, we are all over 16 and all jump the horse classes.

Beau had been measured at 2 shows, at 1 she was 14.1 (and a half) at the other she was 14.3 so it is a little hit and miss!!! At the first show she could have jumped the pony class, though no one minded me jumping the horse class, at the second she could not have jumped the pony class.

Most places divide their classes up by horses height with 14.2 being the cut off. The sizes in the jumps are rarely much more than a few inches different between horse novice and pony novice and at that size your horse should be able to cope with relative distances set for either horse or pony by shortening or lengthening it's stride.

If you are much under 16 and want to affiliate BSJA you should be looking to stay under 14.2. For local shows it shouldn't make much difference.