How important is it to have right sized horse/rider??

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Starbucks

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I'm not talking "am i too big for him" type stuff, more little riders with big horses - in a competition sense.

My horse is too big for me, as in we don't really look like an ideal combination, we seem to have it together now but I must say it has taken quite a lot of blood, sweat and tears (mine not his!
tongue.gif
) to get to here. When i ride horses that are smaller and look more my size I must say it seems easier.

What do you giys think?
 
I have had two 15:3 Appy's one rode like a 16:3, the current one rides like a pony, both with the mind set to match! I think a lot depends on how the rider and horse match in otherways, rather than just size.
 
I don't really think it is that important.
As you said you think you are too small for Badger yet you make a great team, you get on very well with each other and even if it has taken a lot of work to get to that point you have had the dedication and confidence to stick at it and work to get the result.
That is what it comes down to imo, if a rider fells they can and want to ride any sized horse and has the ability to cope with the big boys then I think they will be able to do it, even if it is more hard work than something smaller.
Honestly because you ride B so well I wouldn't say you are too small for him even if you were 4ft and you still ride him the way you do now I wouldn't class you as too small.

Bleh I have babbled and made no sense sorry.
 
Agree with all the above, don't think it really matters. I'm 5'4" and at was 18 a skinny thing and I used to compete a MASSIVE 18.2hh shire X and had him jumping better than any of my bigger/taller counterparts. We just clicked. I really think its about the two of you clicking as opposed to size.
 
I don't think its that important at all as long as it is comfortable for the horse and that the rider is not over-horsed to the point where it is dangerous because the horse is just too much for the rider to hold together.
But one of my pet hates is seeing larger adults on ponies under 14hh, like riding their childrens' ponies and thinking that its ok, when they're too heavy. Actually seeing any overweight person on a horse when they can't distribute their weight properly annoys me.
 
Actually Starbucks I agree with you. This is a generalisation though based on a bigger horse having a longer stride - if I ride a bigger horse for a while I get used to their more forwards movement and when I get on something smaller it feels much easier to keep it forwards and on the bit. Its like your seat feels stronger and you have this more forwards rhythm in your mind from the larger horse, and you can keep a smaller one together more easily, if that makes sense.

Depends on the individual horse of course, but in general, it is easier to keep a smaller horse together than a big one, there is literally less horse to hold between hand and leg! I have seen novice riders struggle with their 17.2hh WBs when they could probably ride something smaller much better. However, I do think you can get there in the end, it just takes longer.
 
Dressager - I think that is where I was coming from, only with show jumping in mind.

Badger has got a massive stride and he's strong, and even though he's 9 his canter is still not great (which is my fault i know). Even riding my dads baby TB and my friends 4yo, who are both 15.3, they just seem to much easier to ride in that I can hold them together and they are more responsive and balanced.
 
I know what you mean! After riding my new 16.1hh WB for a few weeks it suddenly felt so much easier on my 15.3hh TB! Not much of a height difference but the WB rides so much bigger, I couldn't sit to his canter at all to start with. The little one is much sharper and quite flighty, but he just seems so much easier now!

That is why now I see the benefit of booking lunge lessons on the huuuge WBs at my yard in the hope it will make my new one feel easier too.
 
I am only 5.2ft and I have a 14h NF pony. I find that as my legs are short I struggle on anything bigger than 15h as I feel I can't get my legs round them and feel ineffective like a pea on an elephant.

Also getting on and off is easier with my pony as is tacking up and handling - I would struggle to tack up a 17h horse as would not be able to reach up to put the saddle on!

My pony is the perfect size for me but I do understand that smaller riders may need to ride big horses if they wish to SJ or event at high levels.
 
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