How tall are you and how big is your horse?

I’m 5’9” and have a “16.3hh” but measures at just 16.2hh. To me he feels rather small and manageable. The bigger the better in my opinion as I feel quite unbalanced on ponies. Wouldn’t have anything bigger than 17.2hh, even though I do like riding a big horse, as tacking up or putting rugs on knackers me out!
 
I'm 5'8" with a long leg I have a 16.2hh & a 16.3 hh IDs which I feel fine on but have just bought a 16hh finer built ID & I'm feeling a little bit long in the leg for him compared to my other 2 .
 
I'm 5'6, Welshie is 14.2hh and built like a brick outhouse, people usually think she is taller. She only feels small when she runs up a bit light in her first spring season, then there's nothing under my leg. WB is 15.1 (i think... can't get the stick near her :D) WB is super broad so feels quite a bit bigger, but is still easy to hop on from the verge when hacking out ;)

One day, ONE DAY i'll have a big horse!
 
I'm 5'8, and all my height is in my legs, my horses range from 16.3hh to 18hh, under 16hh feels too small for me. My smallest was 16.1hh but she was a big horse on short legs and she took my leg no problem, whereas I've sat on horses a hand bigger who havent taken my leg as well as her.
 
5"9 (I think? 175cm...) and Diva is 15.0hh but a chunk. I "look" too tall because I have really really really REALLY long legs but am 12.75 % of her ideal weight so not too big/heavy I promise!! (and she's a whole lot heavier than she ought to be right now!)
 
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5'2" - 14.1hh 3/4 TB and 16.2hh (but prob bigger) 3/4TB.


Not my choice to have a big horse. I bred him and he kept growing :( Ifeel like a pea in a pod up there, but luckily he is narrow so I manage (most of the time). My preference is 14.2 ish
 
Another 5ft9 with long legs. I usually ride 16.2hh-17.2hh for lessons at riding schools and they are great 'n all but I have a very stiff hip and can't get on them without standing on something.

My cob is 15.1hh, is something of a tank, and to me we fit perfectly. A few more pilates sessions and I might even be bendy enough to get on from the ground when I have to.

If I were lighter I would possibly go as small as 14.2hh but that would be about it.
 
5'3" and current horse is 16hh. I feel quite big on him, which I know is daft as I am not huge (10 stone), do have long legs for my height though. My previous horse was 16.2 hh and was definitely too big, although he was such a gent we got away with it. It was more the length of him that felt too much, rather than his height. Current one is about a foot shorter.
 
Just under 5ft4. Horses are 14.1hh cob x who is very wide, a 15hh sports horse who is fine and a 14.3/15hh ISH x Welsh. I have had a 16hh ISH in the past. I’m one of those annoying people who can fit a big horse and look fine, but equally sit on a 13hher and not look out of place.

I prefer things under 15hh though, simply for things like racking up and rugging. My illness gives me a lot of pain and I can find lifting tack up onto big horses quite difficult.
 
5ft 5" with short legs :redface3: my 2 Fell ponies are 13.2 and 14hh and the smaller has cheerfully done lots of fun rides, xc and sj. The other has only been with me a fortnight but plans are for doing the same :)

The other 2 'mounts' are 32" and 33" ....... :D one is decorative and goes in hand, the other a sturdy little soul who likes towing tyres etc about :)
 
We have a 14.2 cob wearing and xw-xxw saddle. It’s lucky he takes up a lot of leg!

I’m just under 5’5 and if I’m honest is rather he was a few inches taller.

However, we bought him 5 years ago as a mum/son share with my then 5’1 10year old...

He’s almost 15 now and 6’1 a few months ago, all leg. Luckily he’s built like a stick insect and is about 9 stone. He adores his pony (luckily the feeling is mutual!) and not interested in anything bigger. His legs are a bit long but he’s not too heavy and they’re doing really well together, pony club teams and just about to affiliate. So for now we’re just pootling along and see how he grows.

I’d give anything for magic pony growing potion.
 
5'7, built like a string-bean and ride my 13.3 Fell pony. He feels and looks plenty big enough, as did the 14.2ish Welshies before him. I did have a delightful 17h TB (he kept growing, wasn't supposed to be that big) and the ponies don't feel small after him, nor particularly short-striding. The biggest issue with the ponies is the size of saddle they can comfortably take.
 
I don't think it's about your height though, it's more about your build. I'm 5'4"(used to be 5'6" but I've shrunk (been washed too many times). I've had a 15hh and a 15.2hh fine TB type, a 16hh warmblood and I've ridden a 14hh connie of my daughters. My current horse is a full up 16.2hh med/wide saddle I didn't want anything that big but actually because of my build (weigh 64KG) I don't think I look small on him, do I?
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5"2 and 16hh. Which isn't ideal, but better than another I've recently started riding, he's 17hh. I feel like an insect on top of him. They both have Irish draught in them so they're not a narrow build either.
 
I'm 5 ft 6 and Mary is about 15hh. Ideally I didn't want to go over 14.2hh this time around, but she was four when I got her and I liked her enough to be flexible about her gaining a few extra inches.

I always wished I was small enough to ride our lovely Saint Sixpence though. He's only 13hh and built like a Thoroughbred in miniature, so more than the occasional sit was out of the question, but I would have loved to have a proper go. During his ridden days, he was quite possibly the most well-schooled horse I've come across, and so much fun to boot!
 
5'5 and I have a 15.3 traditional cob and a 17 hh Holstein... I don't worry about this much it's never a strength thing with horses and I generally find bigger horses more comfortable to ride
 
I'm 5ft 11" and have a 16.1 cob x TB and am riding a 14.1 cob. Personally I like horses the bigger the better...no such thing as too tall or wide but sadly my illness doesn't allow me to ride these anymore :(
I'm a massive fan of Clydesdales but would never cope with a full Clyde these days, would love a slightly slimmer cross though :)
 
I am 5 ft 9 and Bob is of unknown height as he has tried to kill everyone who has tried to measure him. Rumours are that he is 17.3 but grows to 25 hh when required . He is without doubt 3/4 of a tonne of enraged ID.
 
I'm 5'8 and currently own a 15.2 Welsh and a yearling Highland. I also ride my partner's 14.1 and 13.2 Highlands. My previous horses were 15.2, 17.0 and 17.1! Height doesn't really bother me, but I'm firmly in the Native Pony camp now!
 
5ft 6in with a 16.1 BWP. A couple of inches of that is just wither though. 16.2 would be max for me and I would go smaller. I prefer smaller as easier to fit in things such as stables and horse boxes; easier to get on and less likely to have soundness issues
 
I am 5 ft 1 1/2 and just under 8 st. The late Catembi (in avatar) was full up 17hh. I didn't plan to buy him, but fell head over heels. Previously I've had an ID mare who was 17.1-ish. Having had a 16.1 ISH and a 16.1 ex-racer in between, I am now hoping to buy another ID who is in the region of 17hh-17.2hh. I do totally look pea on a drum, and I'm not sure whether I've got some sort of 'little man' syndrome. However, I felt totally at home and safe from the second I got on her. Then again, I am also considering backing my 9.2hh Shetland when she's old enough...
 
I'm 5' 10.5" tall and 11st 7lbs, and have previously gone for chunky 15.2hh's. My current riding mare is a chunky 16.1hh ID cross, and I have to say that she's a much better fit. I especially like the long length of rein in front of me :).

However, this is a pertinent question, OP. My homebred lightweight short coupled 15.2hh sports horse type mare has bounced back to me off loan, and I'm wondering whther she'd take me if I go down to 10st :eek:. I'd have to shoehorn my arse into her compact 17" jump saddle, as she can't take a larger saddle, and her ears would seem very close up cf my IDx :eek:.
 
I'm 5' 10" and my mare is 15.3hh. My height is in my legs so however tall the horse is they hang below their belly so I stick to a size horse I'm comfortable and confident riding. I'm quite slim so weight is not an issue.
 
Another Fell owner, I'm 5'9 and he's 13'3, before that I had 2 arabs - 14'3 & 15'1, and I haven't looked too big on any of them..

An old instructor (who sold warm bloods) kept telling me I should get a 16'2 (I do some chuckle to myself about this, when getting on my Fell).

I know I"d look too big on a fine 14'2 - the build of the horse makes the difference :)
 
oldie48 said:
I don't think it's about your height though, it's more about your build. I'm 5'4"(used to be 5'6" but I've shrunk (been washed too many times). I've had a 15hh and a 15.2hh fine TB type, a 16hh warmblood and I've ridden a 14hh connie of my daughters. My current horse is a full up 16.2hh med/wide saddle I didn't want anything that big but actually because of my build (weigh 64KG) I don't think I look small on him, do I?
21616207_10156715413585031_8487064641133737512_n.jpg
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That's a lovely horse Oldie! You look just right on him. I think you're right about the build, I'm around 7st2 at the moment so I probably would look silly on a big horse!

For me it's less about the actual riding and more about the day to day, changing rugs, trying to bridle up etc.
 
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