Owners of 17hh horses

Flibble

Flibble

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Gloucestershire
www.annamason-art.co.uk
Is there something against 17 handers.

My Chiro has just been as my horse slipped and fell over in sand school and I wanted him checked out.

Apparently :-

He is too big and weak and has the development of a Rising 6 not a rising 7.

As an ISH he should have hunted at 3 (he did) well why hasnt he got more muscle?

He will never be able to collect and use his back end properly because of his size.

He should never be cantered on the lunge.

He should do loads of hill work to build his back end up.

I agree with the hill work I just cant get to them easily.
 
Did she come from the same location as you...another planet?
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Farra is 16.2 and 5.

She is big, under developed and very clumsy compared to Chancer who is nearly 15.1 and three months younger. She is about 18 months behind him in terms of schooling and holding herself.

However, compared to a year ago, she is getting far more athletic and starting to take shape.

Farra has not done that much - mainly hacking and is now doing a little jumping - big horses need time to grow into themselves. This is why she doesn't have much muscle.

I do little work on the lunge, but when I do, I never stay long on a circle but use the whole school. She is quite capable of cantering a 20 m circle and with time will do smaller ones. She is starting to use her bum and back end.

Cairo - 16.3 clydesdale could canter a 5 m circle in his day, could canter at walk speed, did the most amazing turns on a SJ jump off and engage his backside and do a very nice dressage test. However, this took several years to achieve as he was a big boy and they do need more time, like a fine wine to mature.

Take it slowly and build up carefully and you will have a lovely big horse that can be balanced and work correctly.
 
Do you know I started to learn to ride 30 years ago (I was a late starter) and one day I rode a huge chestnut mare who was in for schooling.

I think she was nearly 17hh and I thought she was wonderful and have never forgotten how it felt to sit on a big horse. Her name was Kizzy.

Why is it that when you are really happy on a beautiful sunny day people have to shove your face into mud!!
 
I was hoping my youngster would make 17hh, but I think he'll stick around the 16.2hh mark. I am tall and have long legs and so I find it much easier to ride larger horses.
I think some people assume you get a big horse as some kind of fashion statement - just ignore them!
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I have a huge chap who is on the bigger side of 17.2hh and, the best thing you can give a big horse, is time, so that they can strengthen and grow into their frame. I found my boy was a bit backward at 6/7 yrs old, but surely its best to bring them on slowly than to rush them on as you could with a smaller horse and risk their development. I love big horses , but sadly not everyone does! believe me a big horse can collect just as easily, if not better than the smaller ones! you have to see some of the top dressage horses for living proof!
If you don't have easy access to hills then you could maybe try some raised trotting poles that would have the same effect. I wouldn't worry too much about those comments though, although I sort of agree with your Chiro's comments re lungeing,as a rule I don't lunge mine, but I'm not going to open a can of worms!! LOL!
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i feel your pain, my big lad is 17.2 hes 5 coming up 6 has had the last 2 years off due to a field injury, hes big, gangly and has no clue where his legs are lol and is still very weak from being out of work
i had this exact conversation with my instructor last weekend, about how he would never make anything more than a hack as he wouldnt be able to hold himself or go in a decent outline because of his size and breeding (hes part standardbred part Irish),
it makes you wonder why you bother putting in all the hard work
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my big boy is 18.2 and ISH he is 10yo he has no problem cantering circles on the lunge or doing collected trot/passage and piaffe and when jumping he can shorten and bounce with the best of them so take heart he just needs time
 
is that a rule for all??!!
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does your chiro think that big dressage horses can never canter on the lunge??!!
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sounds a bit silly to me - find someone else who's not so pessimistic!
 
My lad is 16.3/17hh ish and is just recovering from a bad back. Tbf to him he was very weak before he hurt himsself but the vet says he's built more like a 3yr old than a 5yr old at the moment - partly due to lack of proper nutrition before I had him and partly because he's so big... We're just giving him time to grow into himself and working him on the ground - but I've been instructed to canter him on the lunge as part of his treatment!

T x
 
my 17.1hh fell over the school when I first had him
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he is fine now, canters on the lunge a little too well, also bucks, spins and goes nuts and stays on his feet!
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One of my biggest gripes is that people (particularly over here) do far too much with big IDs/ISHs when they are 3, instead of taking them very slowly and allowing them to develop properly over time (and with the proper work and training).
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I wouldn't expect a horse of this breeding to be fully developed before he is 7 or 8 tbh, so I would be inclined to ignore your chiro
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[ QUOTE ]
He is too big and weak and has the development of a Rising 6 not a rising 7.

[/ QUOTE ]

ISH/ID are notoriously slow to mature, so I personally wouldn't worry about it. I schooled on an IDxWB who had been backed at 5, and was already 17.1hh. He was incredibly immature mentally and physically. I schooled him on for 6 weeks then he was turned away again to mature. He came in a year later (due to the owner's pergnancy etc) and had grown a full hand, and had gone up 3 saddle widths without any work.

And, IMO his size shouldn't affect his ability to do any work. His conformation would do that. Sounds like your chiro is a bit slow on the uptake to me.
 
17 handers don't mature until they are 8 or 9. You wait, if you don't push him too early you will have a magnificent muscly nine year old!
 
well my 17 hh 4 yr old ISH has just had a month of from falling in the field and im about to get on her for the first time in a month tommora. My chiro loved her but my vet did say that a horse like her is slow to mature and i shouldnt even be cantering her yet...i agree keep it slow and steady and you will have a big beautiful horse soon.
 
I have a 17.1hh Trakehner - he isn't a youngster anymore (at 14) but he is the most balanced and together horse I have ever ridden. He has no problem cantering on the lunge - not that I do a lot of that though, and he has no problem lengthening and shortening his strides.
I think steady and careful schooling is the key but height shouldn't affect their ability.
 
QR. OH's 18.2+ 6 yr old warmblood is probably the most balanced and careful horse we have, yes he took a long time to grow into himself he was given plenty of time to grow and develop. He is very straight, light and responsive ride, and yes he can canter small circles without a problem.
 
Well, I know a 19 hander who is at advanced medium dressage. Yes you have to be well in control to make the turns but he is more capable that lots of smaller horses will ever be.
 
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