How Big Is Too Big?

QueenOfCadence

QueenOfCadence

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I would just like some opinions,
I'm interested in going to view a Warmblood gelding as a possible Junior horse for me, in all aspects he sounds perfect (competes in Medium Dressage and is graded in 1.20m jumping - and advertised as an absolute gentleman) but he stands 18.1hh (186cm) and I am on the short side at about 5'3'' (1.62m) and I've got quite a typical junior build (rather petite) and I am worried that we'll make the trip to go view this horse only to find he's much to large for me to possibly ride?

So would you say at that height he's too big a ride for me even if he is well mannered? I've ridden horse's up to 17hh before - but never anything larger than that and I'm quite scared that we'll waste the owner's time by scheduling a viewing to go see a horse that is 4 hands taller than the horse I currently ride?
 
Personally I would say 15:2 to 16hh would be the limit for a petite person such as you.
I expect no one to agree with me , but you asked and I can't fathom little peeps on mahoosive horses
 
Would you have' enough length of leg below the saddle to have adequate aids? I am about the same height as you & am in love with a 17:2 hh Hungarian... but my feet barely reach the end of the saddle! If he's the right horse though go for it x
 
My current ride (who is unfortunately 18 years old and 14.2hh - had he been taller and younger I would never consider even looking for a new horse to compete, but I feel it would be unfair to expect my fluff to progress much further than what we're currently competing at at his age):

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The big boy I am very interested in:

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Depends on not just how full up it is, but the actual horse. My daughter was cantering & jumping my very full up 14.2 off lr aged 5. Legs above saddle flaps but for what she was doing, on her it was fine. Now at 7, her legs just reach the bottom of the flaps dressage length, & she can do bits of lateral work, transistions within a pace etc still. However, if I was shopping for one, I'd not look above 13.2, & even then not a chunky full up 13.2.
 
millitiger said:
What size/weight/sort of rider is the horse used to?

That is probably more important that actual size of the horse.
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His current ride is about 5'6'' I would guesstimate - so a bit taller than I am and quite a bit older as well (about 38 years); which would mean she's probably stronger than I am and more experienced?

Thanx for the opinions so far guys. The other thing I'm worried about is how I'll be able to get on him at shows :s? As I'm not sure even a leg up would be enough...
 
To be honest, looking at him, there is a LOT of him, not just heightwise and all of this together will determine if he is too big for you or not. You would be better looking at something 16-17hh i would suggest as there is an awful lot of horse there for someone your size. as i said before though - go and try him and see how he feels.
 
Hard one! Personally, I wouldn't, as I like my ponies, but if you think he's perfect in all other ways, then there's not harm in going and trying him out.
 
My 5'2 friend really struggles to ride my 17hh mare as her legs are only just past the bottom of the saddle. The biggest problem she has is keeping the horse together and as she is so light the horse ignores her seat aids.
Another issue is that the horse will put her head up so my friend can't get a head collar of bridle on and struggled to lift the dressage saddle on. This means she can't ever get the horse in or ride unless there is someone to help her! Obviously not all horses are as awkward as mine but its something to bare in mind.
 
I would pass on this one. I think you look fine on your 14.2, and would be looking for a 16/16.2hh max if it were me.

I am only 5'2, but would not call myself particularly petite. I remember when riding as part of my degree course that if I was given "HGV" tacking up could be tricky as he was (as his name suggests) BIG! He was nowhere near 18hh though, and a gent to ride, but I think you need to consider the aspects of handling from the ground, as well as sitting on board.

Good luck, but if it were me i would not even consider looking at anything over 16/16.2hh.

x
 
I would say too big i am 5ft9 with a lankey 34 inside leg and i am very happy on 16-17'2 i have had the pleasure of riding a couple of 18hh + beasties and even i felt small on them so i can imagine you would feel very pea on a drum and your legs would be going nowhere near his sides.
If hes a very long way away to go view is thier any local riding schools that have something of that height you could go have a lesson on to see how it feels and get an idea weather its even worth considering going to try him.
 
Honest opinion? Too big. I'm 5'4'' and if ever I was looking for another riding horse, 15.2h would be the max I would even consider.
I'm another who can't understand why petite riders should ''need'' a large horse. It is not just height, it is build and that is the riding point of view. What about management? Leading to and from the fields if something 'spooks' him he can ''grow'' another hand, and that would equate to an elephant x giraffe!! I'm all for well mannered horses, and the majority of gentle giants are, but what if they have a moment? is it worth it? As for throwing rugs on, putting tack on, and grooming, I don't enjoy it. It harder work! (And ££ for feeding him!)
 
im 5'3 and i've ridden my friends 18.2 (although a shire so literally just plodding around ;) ) and before I got on I thought omg how the hell am I going to ride that?! but once on he didnt ride that big and it was fine, my heels came below the dressage saddle and I felt quite comfortable!

Why not go and try him and see how you feel, if he is perfect in every other way then height may not matter, its all down to how you feel once your on him :)
 
Thanx guys :)
It's really a tough decision to make as I don't want to go view and then lose my heart on him but the market here in South Africa is SO limited that he's about 1 out of 3 horses currently for sale here that's schooled above Elementary-Medium level... Most of the higher dressage horses here are imports and I'm not quite willing to go looking abroad yet as importing does leave a massive hole in one's pocket and with all the funny horsey diseases we have here - I'm not sure I'd like to expose a couple of thousands of pounds/euros to our conditions.

I think I'll phone his current owner and ask if she has had anybody about my size/age on him and how he went? The YO where my pony is kept knows the horse and he's apparently the world's biggest dope on the rope - so I doubt he'll often give me too much trouble on the ground (except for the obvious height challenges)
 
I'm sure it is possible for you to adapt and learn to cope but I am confused as to why you would consider a horse that size..

There are practicalities to consider before you even think about the riding side of things - such as the handling on the ground -Bridling/grooming head - dealing with 18hh of big horse when it is fearful/excited can be intimidating. Rugs/bridles/tack can be more of a challenge to find and depending on your form of transport you would need to ensure that there is sufficient head room.

Personally the only reason I could see for having a horse that big, with all the little problems it can bring, is if a rider is exceptionally tall and actually needs an equally big horse. Jumping from a 14.2hh to a horse can be a difficult adjustment for some to make at the best of times - I can't help but think you are just likely to make things much harder for yourself by making it such a drastic step up.

Having said that - I have nothing against big horses but if you want to be an effective partnership then it would be sensible to go for something of a more suitable size - 16hh would be plenty for you and that is a very versatile size of horse :-)
 
He is too big and strong for you I would suggest.
Big horses also have a lot more soundness issues and are more difficult to find tack and rugs for and of course more difficult generally for a small person to handle on the ground including tacking up and grooming
why make life difficult for yourself
 
I think he may be a bit big, I am 5'6 with a 31 inch leg, I have a 16.3 but she is very deep in the body and she takes up all my leg even in a long dressage position, but it might be worth trying him you never know it may work for you and if you dont try him you might always be wondering.

Your pony is gorgeous by the way good luck in finding a new horse.x
 
im 5'3ft and a bit, i ride a 17.2hh ISH but i have very long legs, before me he was ridden by my step dad who is 6ft and weighs 5 stone more than me. this is what i look like on him but obviously he is a hand smaller and you may not have long legs like me :o

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If he is 18.1hh, that rider looks like quite a solidly built person to look that size on him. My sister is a similar build to you, but is about 5'6 tall. She is only just ok-looking on a 16.3hh TB.

I am the same height as you thereabouts (5'1), and rode a 17.2hh hunter last summer, built about the same as that horse. With my feet out the stirrups, my legs were just past the saddle flaps and tacking up was really difficult!
 
Thanx so much for al the replies streaming in. Ideally I've always wanted something under 16hh (I'd be perfectly happy with something 15.2hh/15.3hh - as I'm perfectly happy on my 14.2hh ^_^), but circumstances have forced me to consider the larger option. The 18hh beastie is also quite fairly priced and already vetted clean by a state vet (x-rays of all 4 legs included)... But I'll consider all options before making a decision. He's about a 2 hours drive away from here, so not too far but it's still quite a trip to make considering I don't really have +4 hours to spend on a fruitless venture (as I'm attending school as well as working part time).

For comparison, here's the 17hh plonk I occasionally ride. He's quite pleasant and much "easier" than the 16.1hh WB I owned a couple of years back (though, mind you, I was also very young a couple of years back, 14 :p).

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I don't think my leg length looks too ridiculous on the 17hh... But 18hh is probably quite a leap from that
 
I'm 5ft8 almost and I'd not want a horse that big personally. Tacking it up would be a stretch for me so you are really going to struggle to reach. I never think very big horses are very sound long term either, like big dogs, but I have no evidence other than anecdotal to back that up so don't shoot me. :)
 
I'm 5"3 and ride a 17.3, however I am fairly heavy (around 11stone most of the time) and my legs come down below the saddle flaps so I have no problems in giving aids. I share him, and his owner is male and well over 6ft, so I do look a little daft compared to his owner but I dont care what other people think, we make a great partnership and I love him to bits! So I dont think there is such thing as 'too big', it just depends on the build of the rider and how it feels to ride the horse.

I dont think you would be wasting the owner's time if you went to see the horse, after all you are interested but simply unsure about how he will ride with you onboard due to your size. Not many people go to view a horse thinking that the horse they are seeing meets 100% of their requirements, more often than not the horse sounds great but there may be 1 or 2 things the viewer is unsure of and need to see and ride the horse before they can make a call. IN your case it is the same, you think the horse sounds great apart from the size of it and need to ride before you can make a call. The owner shouldnt be upset if you decide the horse is too big, it is just part and parcel of selling your horse, often many people will come to view before they find the right person to sell the horse to.

And I wouldnt worry too much about getting on at shows, you will just need to take a step or portable mounting block with you! I have a grooming kit that is also a step, and another portable step too because a leg up would be no use for me with the 17.3 beast!

Go and see the horse and then make your mind up, the horse sounds really good so I wouldnt rule it out until you have ridden just because it is a giant!
 
My boy is (apparently) 178cm - I'd say he's a smidge over 17hh and I'm 5'7. He is quite short coupled so rugs etc aren't a problem, but I wouldn't want anything bigger, and that horse you're looking at is significantly more substantial than my WB - I think you're way too small for him, and being young yourself, I could imagine people slating you for having a 'status' sized horse.

If I'm honest I think that you're trying to justify it as an option to buy because you like the idea of having such a big horse as it will impress people... I think you're far better off beig patient and just going to view, and subsequently buy, the right horse.
 
DecemberBlossom said:
My boy is (apparently) 178cm - I'd say he's a smidge over 17hh and I'm 5'7. He is quite short coupled so rugs etc aren't a problem, but I wouldn't want anything bigger, and that horse you're looking at is significantly more substantial than my WB - I think you're way too small for him, and being young yourself, I could imagine people slating you for having a 'status' sized horse.

If I'm honest I think that you're trying to justify it as an option to buy because you like the idea of having such a big horse as it will impress people... I think you're far better off beig patient and just going to view, and subsequently buy, the right horse.
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No I don't really mind what people think of the size of my horse ^_^. I'm 17 and I've had the same 14.2hh plonk for about 8 years now - and I love him to bits, but he's not as supple as he use to be and I can see that the stress of higher level work is getting to him as he's never had the most sound mind. To be honest, in South Africa I'd probably get more slack for riding a large horse than riding one that's on the small side - I think the tallest horse I know currently competing in our Grand Prix is 16.3hh. We're not a country of extremely tall women ^_^ - so generally anything taller that 17hh is abnormal.

As mentioned before, I'm struggling to find suitable horses that are schooled above EM in South Africa so I am trying to find a way to wrap my head around this one's size as he would be more than ideal were he just a hand and a half smaller. The other horse I'm interested in is 15.2hh and 16 years old - but unfortunately hasn't vetted clean and he's started developing arthritis in a few of his joints.

Thank you all for your input though :)
 
I've ridden big horses for years now, the biggest being 18hh. I've felt fine on all of them, to a degree. But get to 18hh and the power is enormous, especially going over a fence (and I only ever popped small things on this particular horse). I'm a size 10 5ft 3 small kind of person though.

I would imagine you're a far, far better rider than me. But thought I'd share.
 
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