Moving off ponies onto horses

frazzled

frazzled

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Just wondering what age people were when you/or your children moved up to horses. The sprog is growing at an unnerving rate( I swear if you look closely you can actually see her grow!) and we may have to think of getting something bigger sooner than anticipated. This freaks me out rather as it feels a bit like a minefield looking for a suitable small horse.
 
Im 12 and have just moved from a 'plodalong' 14hh cob at a riding school to 16.1hh Id x Tb on part loan who is the hardest horse to ride at the whole farm, It definitely dephends on how you feel and your confidence, I now would never go back to a smaller horse!!
 
She would be coming off a 14hh competition pony who unfortunately refuses to grow because he is perfect. Forgot to say she is just 12.
 
I moved onto a 15hh cob from a 13.2hh new forest when i was 11. And then moved to a 17hh warmblood when i was 13! I am very tall for my age.
 
i stayed on ponies until i was 15 for competition however i was riding horses at 14. then started competing horses at 16
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Coughs.... I never moved onto horses despite being tall
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Still riding a 15hh overgrown connie (a horse in size but not in brain!)

I think sometimes people can move their children onto horses a bit too quickly. A 14yo girl at my yard as a gorgeous 14hh NF and is competing at eventing beating the other children her age who are on warmbloods/tb's.
 
My daughter is 15, she is 5ft 4. She is still on ponies and will continue until she is off ponies at the end of the showjumping season next year when she will go onto horses in Seniors.
 
My sister is 15 and on a 14.2hh- I wouldn't move onto horses for a while, because it's a scary step up at that age and often finding the perfect next step can take all year so start looking now!
 
it does seem kids are moving onto horses ever so young.... i competed my 13.3hh section c until i was 16, and all my friends were on similar sized ponies...


i went to view a horse a while ago that was 17hh and described as 'perfect pony club horse'..... hello... PONY club....
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Thanks for the replies, I think we will try and stay with the pony for as long as possible hopefully her growth spurt will slow down for a bit. She is nearly 5'6'' at the moment ( most of which seems to be leg). I would hate to break the partnership as it is working really well. I may have to review things in the spring.
 
At my riding school I used to ride the 15hh/15.2hh's at the age of 12 and 13. I then loaned a 14.2hh and now at 14 I have a 15.3hh tb. I think it depends on what she's comfortable riding and something chunkier will be able to take more weight and leg without her looking too big on it. I haven't had ponies of my own my whole life which is why I have moved onto horses pretty quickly. If I had I would probably still have a 14.2hh. At Pony Club Camp this summer the majority of people were on ponies with the exception of a couple of 15hh horses and the 16 year olds on competition horses. Sorry this is so long winded but I wouldn'd rush it and take your time looking for a bigger version of your perfect pony that she is happy with and comfortable riding.
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Thanks for the reply. I am keeping an ear out for anything suitable through PC or friends at the moment but that is as far as it goes. Golddustsara -a good overgrown connie would be my ideal!
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My daughter is just 10 and 5ft 1 (last time I measured) and riding an 11.2. We're probably going to look for next year simply because at anything over 2ft 3 her feet (daughter that is) can hit the poles: another one that is all leg..
However I'm not going to look at anything over 14.2, as she enjoys jumping I really think she should be competing against other children, and wouldn't want her excluded from junior classes. She's quite capable and competent when riding bigger horses, that's not the issue really, I just feel at such a young age it's better to compete with others of a similar age. Also if she makes a mistake it's not so far to fall off!
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Daughter is fourteen (fifteen next month) and is 5'7" and built like a twig with muscles lol. She refuses to part with her 13.3hh lightweight cob - she still wants to compete him and try all sorts of different things. She is however ready to stop riding 13hh (but only 12hh to his back) Little Lad as her feet now do reach his knees - she'll hopefull take him hunting a couple of times, and to pony racing(!), but then that is it, I'm stuck for a jockey as he can be a g!t.

Have considered her riding the Dizzy one (16.2hh Dutch Warmblood), but given her tendancy to do daft things I'm not sure my nerves could take it! She has ridden her, and made her behave, but I'm not yet convinced lol.

I'd like her to stay on ponies for as long as possible: they're so much fun and so quick, and I think one learns a huge amount from them. Hopefully when we get a trailer (in maybe two weeks time!), she'll be out and about and she can have a year competing on LC and we'll see where we are this time next year as she heads for sixteen.
 
I never did move onto horses.....I'm 46, 5'9" and ride a 14.2 coloured native mare. Dales X something which thinks it's a racehorse........ She's fab, close to the ground, cheap to run, quirky, fun and immensley satisfying................... Think I'll stay with ponies.
 
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