Horse size

pookie

pookie

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Since becoming a teenager in AD25 I've always ridden larger horses. I'm not particularly tall at 5' 8" and have long but not ridiculous legs at 34" but I've always found anything less than about 15.2 minimum means I end up riding with stupidly short stirrups just for contact...knees around my ears :D Even barrels of horses (and I'm a cob-lover!). Yet I know other riders of similar height/leg length can comfortably ride 14.2 and smaller. I've never understood it :D Anyone else need larger horses?
 
pookie said:
Since becoming a teenager in AD25 I've always ridden larger horses. I'm not particularly tall at 5' 8" and have long but not ridiculous legs at 34" but I've always found anything less than about 15.2 minimum means I end up riding with stupidly short stirrups just for contact...knees around my ears :D Even barrels of horses (and I'm a cob-lover!). Yet I know other riders of similar height/leg length can comfortably ride 14.2 and smaller. I've never understood it :D Anyone else need larger horses?
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ME!!! I do!:D

Im 5,11" with 36 inch pins therfor needs the big beasties. Ideally Clydes/shires/Welsh Sec D's.. Which has limited me alot to what I can ride obviously.
 
I'm 5'6 1/2 and I think I'm a beast! I have about 32-33 inch leg and I feel massive on my 15'2 mare, I guess it depends on the way the horse is made up really! I do ride long but some horses have a massive area from the top of the back to their tummy, so you can look smaller on those horses!
 
haha no no I think we are just sensible! someone people do look far to big on their horses!

Oh and I have grass livery but Winchester/Basingstoke, so the wrong side of Hants for you :(
 
kerrieberry2 said:
haha no no I think we are just sensible! someone people do look far to big on their horses!

Oh and I have grass livery but Winchester/Basingstoke, so the wrong side of Hants for you :(
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Oh I always get the "oh....that's a big horse for you *disapproving look*" :D

Re: livery thank you so much for the offer. I think I've found somewhere suitable, finally, and will be seeing it tomorrow, but I really appreciate the thought :)
 
Hanzybaby01 said:
ME!!! I do!:D

Im 5,11" with 36 inch pins therfor needs the big beasties. Ideally Clydes/shires/Welsh Sec D's.. Which has limited me alot to what I can ride obviously.
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Is it just me or are cob-types not quite the buyers' market other horses seem to be at the moment?
 
im 5, 7 but mostly because of my weight i ride 16hh plus but i dont like riding smaller anyway as i feel like my legs are scuffing the floor. i like 16hh to 17hh nothing bigger or smally please and preferably with a bit of chunky. but i do like my european, spanish chunky horses
 
I am small for some of the horses we have, but thats the type of horses we have so thats what Ive got to ride :D

Im not really that keen on ponies though, I like a bigger horse.
 
pookie said:
Is it just me or are cob-types not quite the buyers' market other horses seem to be at the moment?
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Yeah I think alot of people like the showy types and the jumpers instead of the heavies. Im 100% happy hacker who just loves going out for a stroll! - I dont have my own yet so I help ride a HH members at weekends. Got good weather for it this weekend:D

I also prefer the stride in the bigger horses, as with me being so tall I tend to ride better and feel more comfortable than something smaller with a quicker pace.
 
I've always liked bigger horses/ponies! I was a tall child learning to ride at a riding school and am 5'9 as an adult with a 34" inside leg.

I've had a skinny 16.3, a brick out house 17'2 WB...my hairy cob now doesn't quite measure in at 15hh and I utterly adore him!

Never thought that I'd feel so comfy on something so short. :)
 
How d'you find riding a 15hh, TheHairyOne? I haven't tried something that small for a long time but it'd make horse-hunting sooooo much easier! So few 16hh+, so many around the 15hh mark.
 
I'll join! I'm 5'10 with 36" inside leg. Always been tall & been that height since 16, still ride my 14.2, but quite happy to ride stocky 12.2 & above, either with jumping stirrups or using my calves as aids! Do prefer 17h plus though, and unless its a native I try & avoid anything either very stocky or very fine to ride.
 
I'm similar... At 5'2, I'd technically be best on a 14.2hh really but because I'm a fatty I ride 15.2hh+ which make me look even shorter! My fave photo is of me on a 17.3hh heavyweight hunter type- he's a true gentleman though and we went for a canter and everything, despite my legs not coming past his saddle!
 
littlelegs - maybe I'm wrong to discount anything under 15.2...? I've just never felt that comfortable on them, as if my feet are dragging furrows in the ground :D

Lolo - your post really made me smile (in the nicest possible way) :)

We really need a clique name :D
 
I'm 5'10" and have 36" legs so I only feel comfortable on a taller horse.

My TB is 17.1hh and my WB x Shire is 19hh :D

I actually feel quite short and small next to my 19 hander. I virtually have to do the splits just to get on him from a mounting block :eek:
 
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I'm not overhorse or anything here... Honest... He's lost weight since- he's a hunter who goes on his holidays over the summer and promptly abandons his 'lean mean hunting machine' physique for something much cuddlier!
 
Lolo said:
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I'm not overhorse or anything here... Honest... He's lost weight since- he's a hunter who goes on his holidays over the summer and promptly abandons his 'lean mean hunting machine' physique for something much cuddlier!
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You look soooo small on him but very relaxed and contented, I am your height but have quite long legs so my 15.1hh sect D welsh cob does not look big for me but I must be honest would be totally happy on a 14hander and the smaller ones are so much easier to handle from the ground!
 
Pookie- depends really, I've always rode ponies as much as horses, but I will say it is harder to advance your riding on a horse you're too tall for. I used to wear swan neck spurs for advanced flatwork but mine takes up as much leg as the average 15.2 & is pretty responsive so its not a problem on her. But if I was buying & it was to be my sole ride I'd go for 16.2 min if I'm honest.
Lolo- that's exactly how my daughter will look in 2years when she moves onto my 14.2.
 
Littlelegs, that's exactly the size I look for. The mare who failed the vetting last week was 16.2 and I've got another being vetted on Monday (eeek!) which is 16.3. A bonus is my 6' 3" OH could ride her too if he wanted to learn. The downsize is my daughter will need her own pony if she takes up riding in due course :D
 
Im 5 ft 11 with 33 inside leg. I have a 16.2 friesian. I would say he's perfect for me. I rode my friends 15 hand section d recently and though I felt massive on her apparently i looked fine. Was much easier getting on but I'll be sticking with my 16.2. Have never ridden any thing bigger, I went from a 13.1 who I rode till I was 18 to a 16.2 when I got back into riding at 31. When I see 13.1s now Im sure mine was never that small! I was only about 5'9 at 18 though.
 
I'm 5ft 10 and have a 15hh mare and a 17.3hh gelding and I love riding both of them. I'm sure some people would think I look too big for my mare but I feel fine on her and I have had her for 10 yrs so she's staying put.

15hh

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17.3hh

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I'm 5"8 and our gelding was 17+, however our mare is 15.1h, she's totally changed my view point on smaller horses, she's fab!

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Funnily enough i have never had this problem and have only just reached the dizzying heights of 5ft 4 so have pretty much ridden ponies all my teenage life (to date), my beautiful pony is a 13.3hh traditional cob.. so therefore it is immensely unlikely i will ever grow out of him (lucky me!!! :D), but when i do eventually get on a horse i usually get charged with stupidly large ones.. i had to ride a large approx 16.2hh Tb X Trakehner (aside from cobs and possibly PBA's trakehners must be one of my fav. breeds- so graceful and elegant- no complaints there!!!) and was continually compared to a pea on a drum much to my dismay... they had a point but they didnt have to point it out so much.. it made me feel very self-concious... ;) haha!!
 
I'm 5'4'', and mine's a 17.1 TB. I have longish legs so strangely look ok on him! It's nice being able to ride anything, have sat on 14.2's up to a 17.2 warmblood!
 
I've gotta say, I'm loving the photos and hearing about everyone's experiences :D Make such a refreshing change from people looking down their noses as if I'm overhorsing myself just because I'm not 6ft :D
 
I'm 5' and was looking for something about 15-15.2 and came home with a 16hh WB. However I think I look ok on her because she has long legs and her body is shorter. Love her :D
 
Spookywood said:
I'm 5' and was looking for something about 15-15.2 and came home with a 16hh WB. However I think I look ok on her because she has long legs and her body is shorter. Love her :D
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ditto, im 5ft and have a 16.1 wb, dont actually look that small on him! Ive had 12.2 up to 17hh and I actually prefer the bigger ones, I used to love ponies but thats prob because I only ever rode ponies up til I was in my 20'2. Now late 20's I like them bigger!
 
I prefer big horses, feel safer on them. I'm 5ft11 and a 1/2 and 36'' inside leg. at the moment i ride a 15.2/3 light weight arabx i think i look too big on her but i feel safe and ok but i wouldn't like anything smaller. I used to have a 16hh ISH on loan and felt just a tad bit too big on her but again felt safe. As a 13year old i used to ride an 18.2hh, and i still go back to ride him in the summer, absolutely love him and his height, i was 5ft10 ish then i'm guessing. I also rode my friends 14hh mw cob and felt way too big on her. When i'll be looking for something of my own, i will be looking for 16hh+ prefebly around the 17-17.2hh mark. I'll post some pictures :D
the current 15.3
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the exloan horse 16hh ish
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the biiiig 18.2hh (i don't look as small on him anymore, this was taken a couple of years ago)
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Don't have any pictures of me on the 14hh unfortunately.
 
You suit the 18.2 really nicely, PingPongPony :D Biggest I've ever ridden is 17.3 and I don't think I'd fancy going bigger than that tbh (I'm a wimp :D)
 
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