How do we look together?

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EquestrianFairy

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Against my better judgement i have fallen in love with this amazingly gentle and genuine mare- shes bigger than my boy (which was needed) But is she big enough?
How do we look together?

**please no comment on her tack as it is the owners tack not mine**

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Shes 15.3hh.

Here is me on my boy who is 15hh.. (for comparision) Im 5'7 and around a size 10 in clothes.

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Personally I'd say you look fine on her! If you like her and obviously aren't hurting her back then go for it, she looks lovely. I always prefer something I can control rather than being overhorsed.
 
She's very sweet, and will look great once you got some condition and better fitting tack etc. on her.

I actually think she's a tad small for you - but that could be down to the fact that your stirrups are so short, and her lack of condition....
 
I think you do look quite big on her but she is very nice and get a bit of condition on her and it shouldn't be so noticeable as someone else has said
 
amymay said:
She's very sweet, and will look great once you got some condition and better fitting tack etc. on her.

I actually think she's a tad small for you - but that could be down to the fact that your stirrups are so short, and her lack of condition....
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I tend to ride short as my boy is smaller and hence im used to riding short so im not banging his legs. He is 15hh and she is 15.3hh- although the photos dont make it look that way for some reason.
 
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When she's built up some condition and you let your stirrups down you'll look far more in proportion with each other. You look fine as you are but would look even better then. She looks very young and immature but I think there is a really nice horse waiting to blossom beneath all that. Like your boy too btw, very nice.
 
ISHmad said:
When she's built up some condition and you let your stirrups down you'll look far more in proportion with each other. You look fine as you are but would look even better then. She looks very young and immature but I think there is a really nice horse waiting to blossom beneath all that. Like your boy too btw, very nice.
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Spot on! Shes 5yo, needs schooling etc but has the basics in place.

My issue is the size, i dislike BIG horses due to having such a nasty fall from one and knocking my confidence years ago.. hence why i ended back on a 15hh and now trying to move up but coming up against the worry that a 15.3hh may be too small but a 16.1hh feels too much horse for me.
 
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amymay said:
What's happened to your boy. He was (is) super smart!!
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Hes still with me :) He has a loaner now on my current yard who has rapidly become a good friend. We hope once i get a horse to start going out so she can experience shows and the like as shes never competed before and hes the best person to show her how its done sensibly. Bless him. Hes done wonders for her confidence which has been lovely to witness.
 
EquestrianFairy said:
Hes still with me :) He has a loaner now on my current yard who has rapidly become a good friend. We hope once i get a horse to start going out so she can experience shows and the like as shes never competed before and hes the best person to show her how its done sensibly. Bless him.
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Oh, I'm glad you've still got him. Such a nice horse.
 
amymay said:
Oh, I'm glad you've still got him. Such a nice horse.
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Hes worth his weight in gold to sell him, plus my mum paid for him which meant she could be safe in the knowledge he wouldnt ever be sold as if he was mine i would have sold him to pay for a bigger one by now. Bless his speshul socks, hes stuck with us.
 
If you are not too heavier for her and you like her then go for it, I reckon she will take up your leg more and you will look more proportional when shes put some condition on. To help you gauge compare the bone structure of your well conditioned 15hh to the mare and then if they are similar looking at pics of you on him and imagining an extra 3 inches should give you a rough idea :) although of course all horses are different. Also consider is she a 'big' 15.3hh or more like a 15.2hh with a high wither? .

My competition mare is 'too small' for me Im 6ft and shes 16hh (but with decent bone) she was bought as a project baby but proved to be a proper cracker so shes staying put (shes the mare in my profile pic). She could take a heavier rider than me easily and although I technically feel better size wise on horses 16.2hh+ it doesnt matter a jot to me as she is much more capable than all of the larger horses ive ever owned :) anyway look at WFP for example ;). If you feel balanced on her (id probably drop my stirrups!), enjoy her, and wont be too heavy for her then who cares?! Looking at her Id hazard a guess she will blossom and you will look a lovely pair :)
 
she looks really sweet,
my first mare was 14.3 i am 5ft 8 i got comments like where are your roller skates etc, i said to them ..l.. . My gelding in my sig ( palo) is 15.1 i couldnt give a rats if people say i am too big, I personally dont like big horses would never buy anything bigger than 16.1.

If she is everything you want go for her. :)

most quarter horses are around 14.2 and they carry guys for miles .

your light she can carry you

advantages


not so far to fall
small rugs are cheaper and more choice of equipment for smaller horses
 
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IMO you do look a bit big for her but I think that once she's built up nicely I think she will be fine. She certainly won't have any trouble with the weight so there isn't really an issue unless you want there to be one. If you prefer smaller horses then go for it, it's more important that you have the right horse.
 
You look totally fine on her!!! If you really like her then buy her!

When my old pony (who is 14.2hh, I'm 5ft7) had to retire I started bringing a little arab mare back into work for the YO to be sold. She's 14.2hh. I wanted another horse but wouldn't buy her because I felt she was too small. So I went out and bought a bigger horse (15.3hh). But when it came to it, I didn't want the little mare to go so i've ended up buying her too! Yes, she's dinky and yes, people on here would probably say she's too small but I don't care because she makes me smile! She could carry a lot heavier/taller than me anyway.

And if you get your leg position right then you won't bang her legs even if your feet come down below her belly. If you're catching legs then your feet are too far forward.
 
In her current condition you look disproportionate to her- as she has no front and looks narrow you look 'plonked on' not sat astride (although stirrup length not helping). This may improve with time and more appropriate/flattering saddle. She doesnt appear to have much bone but may well take up more leg in the future. As for stirrup length if saddle is in a the correct place and the stirrup bars from which the stirrups hang are positioned well on the saddle itself then you shouldnt end up banging the horses legs with yours. She looks sweet and a definate project.
 
It is really difficult to tell as your stirrups are hoiked up so short.

You need to drop your stirrups to a sensible schooling sort of length so we can see whetehr you are likely to have any difficulty height wise. I would very much doubt you will be too big on her, my mare is 15.3hh and I am 5'8" and we look pretty ok size wise despite the fact that she is also lacking condition.

She's likely to chunk up a bit in her body as she gains muscle and as she ages and this will take your leg up too.
 
To be honest you don't look too huge on your boy. Your stirrups could go down a hole or two without your feet dangling, what makes you look big is the saddle rather than the size of you or the horse.
 
I agree with some much needed condition and muscle, the aim is to have her on loan for 6 months before parting with cash so by then i would hope she would have filled out nicely and it might be worth me doing 'before and now' photos to compare when the time comes
IF i decide to take her on.
 
amymay said:
She's very sweet, and will look great once you got some condition and better fitting tack etc. on her.

I actually think she's a tad small for you - but that could be down to the fact that your stirrups are so short, and her lack of condition....
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I agree with this.

Your boy took up your leg a bit more - now you look like you're riding shorter and she's not going to take much more of your leg if you drop your stirrups. Also, even though your boy is shorter, he's got a better front - a bit more up hill so he balances your height out. The mare is fairly weak looking by comparison so you look very tall on her. I can imagine with a bit of muscleing up she'd be better, but she'll never have the length of rein that I think YOU need as a taller rider.
 
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Ah well very little to lose then if you can have her on loan first. If you find you do feel too big on her even after she has gained condition you can send her back, but I suspect she will look better and you will feel better together too.

It is amazing what a difference their weight makes, our mare recently stressed off a load of weight and suddenly DH looked waaaaaaaaay too big for her.
 
She will fill out and be just the right size for you. She is gorgeous and will look stunning with some top line and shiny summer coat.
 
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