Pocket Rockets - does anyone on here have one?

TheoryX1

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Have finally managed to read last week's H&H, after the week from hell (another post...). I read the article in praise of the smaller horse with interest as we have a perfect example of such a horse. That lovely creature that Mini TX rides is a 15.1hh, pretty little horse. She has large, flamboyant paces that will show up 17hh warmbloods when she does dressage, yet is fast enough to cover the ground well when she is eventing. She is also extremely clever, and has a huge, scopey jump as well. We call her 'The Thinker'. Having watched her go xc many, many times, I can almost see her thinking about how she will cross the various obstacles. She definitely has a 5th leg and has got Mini TX out of trouble many, many times. I've lost count of the times she has told me she has thrown the reins at her and basically asked her to get her out of trouble when she is riding xc, and she always obliges. Oddly enough her parents were well over 16hh. Her mum was an Intermediate eventer and a full TB by Motivate and daddy is Hercorose, a KWPN who is one of the sons of the great Samber. Goodness knows how she turned out so small!

She is perfect for Mini TX, who is a petite 5 foot 2. I have also ridden her recently, since I shed the poundage and she is a perfect height for me. I also ride a smaller horse - a 14.3hh irish cob, so am also a huge fan of the smaller horse. It got me thinking, I love them a bit smaller, they are cheaper to feed, easier to look after and so much fun. Who needs a strapping 17hh warmblood? Then again, neither of us are hugely tall - I am just 5 foot 5, and neither of us is long legged, so both horses are perfect. It got me thinking, how many of you on here have a 'Pocket Rocket'? Would love to hear about them and even see some photos if you have them.
 
I have a potential one! Standing in a field going to waste, by a Grade A and out of a BE intermediate mare, 15hh 5yo, broken & ridden away, looking to sell/loan to an experienced home but not having any interest. Any takers?
 
Teddy the shetland pony !!

May sound hilarious but when we race others on the yard (all between 13.2 and 17hh) we are very rarely beaten, he is only 41"

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Me! :D I always thought I wanted a gelding, 16.2hh+, not boring bay... and have a mare, 15.1hh... "boring" (but easy to clean! ;) ) bay! I have been thoroughly converted to pocket rockets though, she is so nippy and nimble in a SJ jump off, so adjustable when jumping (she is very clever and can think for herself when to shorten/lengthen to make a distance) and also seems to have a 5th leg when going XC.

And pictures you say?! Like I need any excuse...! :p :D

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haha - I have a 16.3 ID mare, who i bought to compete and I also have a 14.2 Welsh D mare, who refer to as my pocket rocket!!!

She is fab...fast, nippy and fun. She has a real character and i love her to bits, even if she is a bit crazy! lol Hacking out is an 'exciting' experience on her as she has two paces, walk or 100mph!!!

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My gelding when he was younger was a toal pocket rocket :D hes still got a fair turn of speed for an oldie :D and can stubble bash and race along the sands with the rest of the guys :D

My mare is a total speed nut as well but shes 15.2 so I dont think counts as a pocket rocket ;)
 
Yes, we did- had 2 of them! Only Al had to move on to her very leggy TB who is neither pocket-sized or very rocket like, bless him!

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14hh (nearly!) welsh cob. Pinged round both Burnham Market and Blackwater Farm 1.10m (the unaff., which is the same as the BE Novice) ODEs double clear with decent dressage (about 40, which is good for something his size and shape!).

And Ellie, who we always thought of as a full-up 14.2hh, but had a LHC of 14.1hh! She SJ'd up to 1.15m clear including jump-offs (including Houghton Grand Prix, until she pulled up having hurt her back) and did PC Opens like they were nothing at all. She was a funny pony though, had a filthy stop when she employed it (she had about 5 stops over her 2 years with Al, and every single one resulted in a fall!) but equally would rather die than touch a pole. Previously, she'd been a true schoolmistress, but her quirky nature meant she'd frightened her previous riders... One photographer had an entire album dedicated to her stopping and dumping people, the little bugger!
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I had one, 14.3hh mare cobby to boot. Taught me loads, more that i could every put into words. She was great and i wish i knew what i know now back then as i think she could have been top quality as a pony at bsja, she was great in the horse stuff but stuggled with the distances though combos as the height got bigger. Then again if i had proper lessons who knows what would have happened.
Anyway she was fab full of character and had such a sharp brain but was kind with it, got me out of more sticky moments than i could count. We had that sort of bond where she would throw her heart and soul into everything for me.
Super, super pony.
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Ironicly i now have the 17hh warmblood who is lovely but i cant tell you how much i miss the small horse brain :D Dont get me worng he is a smart cookie with real talent, gets himself out of trouble jumping when needed and puts up with my mistakes but he has no common sense at all! :D Plus it is like manovering a tank at times but he is so different from my pocket rocket i would never compare them.
I do wish he had stayed at 16.2hh thou :rolleyes: :D
 
I love my little 14.2/3 boy. He is only a rocket in the winter though :( in the summer its far to much like hard work to be rocket like but in the winter he can be a real rocket :D.
 
My boy is a pocket rocket! Hence my user name! He's a 15.1HH Andalusian he is very nimble and athletic. He has massive paces that would match a 17HH and can turn on a six pence jumping. He's so clever in fact he decided to hang himself yesterday in his stable! He put his leg through the metal bars on the partition of his stable then couldn't get his foot back through to free himself.

He had to have a general anaesthetic and was still thrashing about trying to free himself! I have absolutely no idea how he didn't break his leg nor does the vet. The vet has said its a miracle his leg didn't break (although he may have a hair line fracture) and when he came to see him this morning he trotted up sound! Someone was certainly watching over him and i'm so so thankful I still have him I really couldn't imagine life with out him. Just hope he makes a full recovery.
 
Little new forest pony I ride for a friend. He originally started his career in showing but after getting thrown out the ring at one of the counties for bad behaviour I persuaded owner to let us try eventing.

He did Bricky 80 as his first event. Only 5 came home within the time, Red was one of them and we had a stop!

Back in the summer I was riding out to the pub with a few friends. One of them came of her ex harness racer (19 yr old, never lost a race), who then bolted for home. I gave chase on fat little new forest pony and although we caught up and got ahead several times, I couldn't quite grab the git's reins. We coverd just over 3 miles at a gallop over very rough terrain!
 
I have a little 15. 1hh mare fly :) she is a 3 yr old and will hopefully be a pocket rocket (she may even be 15.2hh now!) she was ment to be big daddy was 17hh mum 16hh but she looks like a big pony! Haha. I am super excited about her tho, her mum jumped 1 30 and was by jasper and dad is fairly impressive to! Fingers crossed ey! :D these picture links
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As a teenager I jumped my 14.3hh round BE Intermediates, I did 3DE, 2DE (he won two), qualified for Peterborough as a WHP (never bothered to go-bit too far), the National Dressage Championships and he jumped fences you wouldn't believe out hunting-I was very, very lucky!!
 
Yep I have an 19yo Irish riding pony x 15hh and a real little pocket rocket, spent his life jumping bsja and now doing working hunter's I am also in the process of buying a 3yo to make 15hh to take over from my lad when she's ready :)
 
Mines a little 15 1hh rocket when it comes to hunting and team chasing, although not alot else!!

Very much has a 5th leg, have never a ridden a horse that looks after himself nearly so well even in the stickiest of moments!! D:

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Funny how a lot of these are mares! I've got one too! 15.3 feisty, fast, clever, sharp, will not touch a pole. Great for the times her brain works with you..bit scary when it doesn't. She's by a wb stallion out of a sprint tb mare & I love her to pieces & am sure I'd only get bored wiv something saner!
 
Do we qualify as a pocket rocket if we don't jump?! My beautiful lad is 15.3hh called 'Titch' cos he's so dinky! He is a major rocket when it comes to medium canter and out for a run ont fields!

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I'm looking for a young(ish) one right now to event!!! Despite having a reasonable budget, it's like finding hen's teeth!

Either they are 400 miles away or sold! Or both! Or in a home for life and not for sale at any price.

I'm 5 foot 3 and a bit, and don't want anything over 16hh, and preferably 15.2hh so long as he/she is forward going but genuine and straightforward, with reasonable paces and an honest jump (up to Novice would be nice). Breed, colour, gender completely irrelevant - attitude and temperament is what matters.

I think there are lots of people who prefer the smaller horse - and as so few people breed them, its a real sellers market if you're lucky enough to have a nice one.

I'm expecting this to be a long hard search. :(
 
hehe ask Figjam about my 15.2 TB mare's speed... we did a team chase/XC together once :D


That absolutely terrifying day aside, yes mine is a speed demon - she is amazing in jump offs as she mostly listens to me also! She can easily hold her own with little ponies.
 
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Mine! 14.1hh Welsh Cob x Tb, does EM dressage and Open Showing with me but jumped Childrens A Grade in his younger years (1.10m) and then B Grade with his previous owner (about 1.40/1.50 if I had to guess?). I don't have the balls for that kind of jumping though :P. I also ride an compete other people's horses ranging from about 15hh to just shy of 18hh - but I've always prefered my little palomino baby :)

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Some lateral work:
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Some more lateral work:
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My galloping attempt bareback XD:
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Me !

Will have to add pictures later ! But my 14.1 connie, gives all the big boys and girls a run got there money out hacking, he has to be in the lead and normally leaves them for dust !



Jane
 
I have a potential one! Standing in a field going to waste, by a Grade A and out of a BE intermediate mare, 15hh 5yo, broken & ridden away, looking to sell/loan to an experienced home but not having any interest. Any takers?

Ive got one to, she is ace! 5yo 15.2-3 by Cicero Z just started jumping this summer with her very very cleaver and always thinking! Very short and compact and a right lively one to!

asset24, i would be possibly be interested in your little horse, can you pm me more details? I have another mare that im going to sell so will probably be looking for something else preferably to produce for the owner as the money from my mare needs to go towards a new horsebox :)
 
Yes me, I had one!
My little Vaysie Moo was a pocket rocket! 15.2 on tippie toes, and everything about her was petite and pretty from her tiny little feet to her bright little face. She was fiesty, quick, clever and brave. She was so light to ride, you only had to sit up slightly and she would stop or lower the reins an inch and she would go!
I miss her terribly, she wasnt easy but she was a fighter with a heart of gold. If there was ever a horse I had to pick to ride into battle it would have been her.

My pocket rocket:-

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Mine is 15.3 - does he just squeeze into the pocket rocket camp?! He is all heart though and 1 in a million. He has a twinkle in his eye and a wicked sense of humour and we absolutely adore him! He hasn't got the best conformation in the world but he always puts a smile on my face and brings home a rosette :)

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