If a horse is for sale, does it magically become 15.2hh?

[LadyGascoyne]

I’ve been keeping at eye out for 3/4/5 year old horse which is, at the very least, 15.2hh+ already, or a youngster who is likely to make at least 15.2hh.

I always double check height and let everyone know that I’m particularly interested in height because Mimosa is a little smaller than I’d like, and I can’t have two small horses.

The first horse (5yo) I went to see looked very small so I asked them to remeasure. It’s 14.3hh.

The second horse was young - rising two - but when talking to the seller, the dam is 15hh, the sire’s height isn’t known but he isn’t a big horse. But she’s sure the filly would be very wide, even if she’s small. Really not what I asked!

The next horse was described as 15.3hh. Horse is miles away but actually should be big enough so I drive down and get a hotel for the night. Horse is unbroken but rising five, she looked a little smaller than I expected but is also turned out on a steep hill so I thought possibly 15.2hh. Got as far as a vetting as the horse is very nice. Vet measured for me. Horse is 15.1hh.

Fourth horse is foal. Mare advertised as 15.3hh/16hh. Stallion at 15.2hh. Have done a lot of research and even spoken to the sire’s owner. Mare is 15.1hh and stallion is 15hh.

I still like horse 3 but need to think. She’s a “bigger” 15.1hh and she might come up a bit more. But 15.2hh was a hard line for me because I already have a little horse that I pay someone else to ride so I don’t squish her.

ETA, type of horse we are looking at does have an impact, I’m sure. We are looking at Iberian horses or similarly baroque type European breeds, partbreds of those types, or horses with confirmation and movement that suits classical dressage training. Not planning to compete at high levels but to do clinics and schooling.

 

[meleeka]

Perhaps you should have stipulated 16.2hh then you’d have got your 15.2hh!

I don’t think an inch makes a huge difference if the horse is a leg in each corner type. I once new a TB who was tall, but she felt like you were riding a broom handle which could snap at any moment ?

 

[shortstuff99]

I'm not sure anyone can measure horse height anymore. I saw an advert yesterday where they had been trying to sell (for a lot of money) a 148cm jumping pony. Price was now reduced as they couldn't get the horse to measure in. People then asked what they had measured as. Answer 15.2hh ?.

There are some nice 15.2 and bigger on the Spanish Horses UK Facebook page

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Perhaps you should have stipulated 16.2hh then you’d have got your 15.2hh!

I don’t think an inch makes a huge difference if the horse is a leg in each corner type. I once new a TB who was tall, but she felt like you were riding a broom handle which could snap at any moment ?

I may do that ?

I’d agree on inches not mattering but really we are looking at 15.3hh / 16hh as ideal, and the inch or two that wouldn’t matter would be down to 15.2hh.

Everything that we are looking at is baroque type / heavier type than sports horses so we aren’t looking at anything lighter.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I'm not sure anyone can measure horse height anymore. I saw an advert yesterday where they had been trying to sell (for a lot of money) a 148cm jumping pony. Price was now reduced as they couldn't get the horse to measure in. People then asked what they had measured as. Answer 15.2hh ?.

There are some nice 15.2 and bigger on the Spanish Horses UK Facebook page

Spanish horses UK only? Or Spanish horses UK - the one that imports?

All four horses I’ve seen came via the Spanish horse’s UK only page. I am now considering importing too!

 

[shortstuff99]

Spanish horses UK only? Or Spanish horses UK - the one that imports?

All four horses I’ve seen came via the Spanish horse’s UK only page. I am now considering importing too!

The Spanish Horses UK only facebook page, if you're looking for importing I can put you in touch with some people (and who to avoid). This group is good to join to know who to avoid
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1170446873373159/?ref=share

I like this one and he is from the same stud as one of mine (although is still entire).

https://fb.watch/blFlGk8m_u/

 

[ester]

I'm slightly loling at the one advertised today because it didn't 'measure in' (as a pony) yesterday.

It's now advertised as 15.2. ..

 

[Lady Jane]

When you make enquiries, I would ask if they have actually measured the horse and make it clear that the height is important to you, I have to say I do find it odd that people don't advertise the height correctly as surely they don't want to waste their own time even if they don't care about anyone else?

 

[I'm Dun]

Anything from about 14.1hh up is 15.2hh. Anything over 17hands is 16.2hh so dont try that method!

No one seems to know how big their horses are. I dont get it. Get a stick and measure them. Its not totally accurate but its a good guideline.

 

[Bernster]

When I was looking for something around that height, they were all too big or too small! Bertie was a bit smaller than I was looking for but he’s got a reasonable shoulder on him so doesn’t ride titchy. I’ve not measured him though ! Finn is a big old chunk nowadays and I always assume he’s the height I bought him at 16h but he was 5 then and he’s filled out, and prob up too.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think its a sort of inbetween height and often I think people think 15.2 sounds better than 15 hands so that's what they say.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I can't imagine you will look too big on Mim especially when she has finished filling out I think you will be surprised how some of these arabs finish up.

Arabi was still a tiny weed at 6 he only really finished growing until he was about 8 and although his barely 15 hands he certainly don't feel like it, his wider than most much taller horses I have ridden.

 

[Equi]

Friend of mine had the opposite. Wanted a 16hh max for her tall coming off ponies kids, got 16hh horse home and I said well you went a bit over didn’t you and she didn’t know what I meant. I told her that horse is 17hh I’d bet my hat on it and low and behold ?

 

[Cortez]

Gosh, lucky you managing to find a 15.1 Spanish horse, especially in the UK. The very best kind of baroque type horses are rarely over 15.2 and it's getting really difficult to find them as the fashion now is for giant, modern sportshorse type.

Most people haven't a clue what height their horse is, don't have a stick, and if they do don't know how to measure.

 

[TheHairyOne]

I actually have a measuring stick with a spirit level in the bit at the top and whilst I am in no way qualified to measure I also dont do it when they have grown to 18hh due to something spooky or when they are lying on the floor asleep so its not going yo be far off for an 'at home' job.

People are shocked when i say my boy is barely 16hh and think he should be much bigger. The kids pony who was going to be no bigger than 13hh measures at 13.2/3 and is as wide as he is tall so not ideal (though the short adult we found has a whale of a time with him and the child is growing like a weed so should work out ok in the end). I nearly fell off my chair when someone claimed their pony was 14.2 the other day (only if you fit it with stilts) but thats what the passport says so thats what she believes!

 

[Pegasus5531]

I've noticed this, the heights seem to have totally changed in the past 10 years. Something that would have been 14.3 maybe 15 at a push is called 15.2 and I'm seeing things that look 13.3 advertised as 14.2! I had a 14.2 welsh which I bought 8 years ago then got a "15.1" welsh mare last year and they're pretty much exactly the same. Didn't bother me because I'm a small person anyway but it really does seem ridiculous these days.

 

[marmalade76]

Saw an ad yesterday for one that the sellers had just failed to get measured in. It jumped from 148 to 15.2 seemingly over night, funny, that.

 

[Cortez]

Just to add, a lot of vets don't know how to measure either, which explains the spurious heights often put in passports.

 

[ester]

Saw an ad yesterday for one that the sellers had just failed to get measured in. It jumped from 148 to 15.2 seemingly over night, funny, that.

That’s the one in my reply

 

[blitznbobs]

I think if you want a 15.2 look for a 16 hander and you might get lucky (when i was looking for a 16.2 thi everything was well over 17 - you cant win!)

 

[Alibear]

Adverts for western horses don't usually even mention their height. It's really just not a thing. Everyone said Amber was well over 15hh when I brought her home so I borrowed friends stick (one with the bubble gauge) and she came in at 14.2
I admit I have never been taught how to measure so I could be doing it wrong, but I haven't really come across anyone who has been taught either.

 

[Spotherisk]

I’ve on,y ever measured for my own interest, didn’t have a stick but they got used to a vertical drainpipe and a builders spirit level over the wither! ?

 

[marmalade76]

That’s the one in my reply

Sorry, I didn't read all the replies (because I was supposed to be a doing something else).

My current horse, the previous owner insisted was full up 15.2. I didn't agree though I never said anything. He's not quite 15.1 on my stick.

 

[Merrymoles]

My last horse was advertised as 15.1 but could have been an inch taller - we couldn't get him to stand to be measured the only time we had a stick. Current one is supposed to be 15.2 but is a completely different shape and therefore looks smaller, although she feels very similar to ride.

We went to look at a 16hh for my friend at the weekend and the seller told us there had been lots of comments about how big she was. Our first impression was "oh she's not terribly big is she" (friend is 5'10" and her last horse was 16.2hh) but once out and tacked up, she looked a lot bigger and was absolutely fine for friend.

I guess I am saying that no matter what they actually measure, it's all about suitability and you just don't know until you actually go and look.

 

[Snow Falcon]

That’s the one in my reply

Where please? Is it under 5 figures? I'm looking!

 

[Caol Ila]

Could you still be tempted by Hermosa's wee sister? She is still for sale, to my knowledge. Rising 3. Hermosa is probably standing at 15 or just under right now. I don't imagine she will get much taller than 15.2.

 

[Fjord]

When I bought my fjord she was advertised as 14.2. She's 13.3.? The owners went by her passport which was issued as a foal and I was clueless!

 

[vhf]

As long as I've been around horses (so about half a century) people haven't been able to accurately size them to sell. Or buy. Or compete. A lot of competition types will be either 13hh, 14hh, etc if they do WH, 13.2, 14.2 (OK, so metric equivalent!) if they SJ, and so on.

To be fair, I've had horses change by 2 inches day to day, depending on their mood etc. and that's not even taking a competition environment into account. I measured one every week for 4 months as an experiment and she varied by 2 cm in all that time, even though she was rising 4. I had a 5yo that shrank. 15.2 when bought, 15hh when sold 8 months later. I guess she was tense and scared (I measured her on viewing) and learned to relax. I did advertise one as 'just under 17hh but still growing, with a huge presence and bigger ego' and people who came to view said he was too big! I didn't think I could be much clearer.

I once had a ridiculous argument with a seller that their 14.3hh was 16hh as advertised even though I could clearly see my 5ft friend stood on the opposite side of it on level concrete, head by wither! They were adamant she must have a lot of hair

Someone with the relevant knowledge could confirm but I think the wither is actually suspended by muscle mass, meaning it would naturally vary according to fitness, tension, maturity etc. ? (Lay person description!)

 

[Snowfilly]

Anything from about 14.1hh up is 15.2hh. Anything over 17hands is 16.2hh so dont try that method!

No one seems to know how big their horses are. I dont get it. Get a stick and measure them. Its not totally accurate but its a good guideline.

They really don’t! I refused to go and look at a couple of ponies when the sellers wouldn’t send a picture of it being measured, I got fed up with magically shrinking animals.

Last one I saw that was way under, I was so annoyed I spent 3 hours doing everything with it and then got my measuring stick out and pointed out it was far too small. Time wasting yes, but I was fuming.

 

[COldNag]

Funny how horses for sale are always 15.2, 16.2 etc. Never 15.1 or 15.3 or 16.1...

Maybe some magical growth spurt happens if a horse ever thinks it might now be measuring an odd number!!