Pony Club ages/pony sizes

noblesteed

noblesteed

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Hi all,
I currently have a nice 14 year-old 15hh allrounder which I have loaned due to my pregnancy to a keen, fairly competent novice 15 year old. She's too tall for a 14.2 - my horse is really about 15.2 and is the right size for her.
The horse has done all RC stuff with me - rallies, small sj, prelim dressage, xc, games. He's pretty much a jumping schoolmaster though I haven't jumped him over 3 ft due to my wimpishness. He does get very excitable at rallies and competitions but settles the more he goes to.
The girl who is loaning him has had him 2 months now and is starting to jump and school. I am giving her lessons to help her jump, she's now happily jumping 2 foot at home (she has done 3 years at a RS). I think she would benefit from lessons but don't know if it's worth her looking into joining our local PC - lots of her friends are members. But can a 15 year-old compete at PC on a 15hh?
I am in the process of finding her some local shows to go to, where she can jump the novice horse classes and maybe do some intro dressage. But in my opinion PC would probably be best for her.
Any ideas?
 
Yes :D At camp this year, our 15yo age-group was on anything from a 13.2hh pony to a 16.3hh ex-racer! 15hh sounds about normal for a 15yo to be on. Most of our 13/14yo have moved onto horses as well, although lots ride ponies too.
 
Pony club 'ponies' come in all shapes & sizes. My 16yo has been doing pony club on our home bred 15.2 since she was 12. Her 14yo sister rides a 13.1 pony and is often in a group with similar aged people on 15hh+ horses. The instructors are used to dealing with groups that are very mixed size wise.
 
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My daughter did her first rally on a 15.2 mw, she was 8, did look funny amongst the 12.2's! Her feet didn't reach the bottom of the flaps.
 
I agree that they'll be all shapes and sizes there.My 7 year old rode a 13hh when her feet barely went below the saddle flaps and got on fine.Her sister rode the same pony at the last rally we went to and was in a group on huge horses.They group them by ability,not size,so she'll be fine.:)
 
Yep course she can. We have all sorts of sizes for that age group, it all depends on the size of the rider and so many other things, no one really notices or cares what size horse or pony your on.

She will have a fab time at pc :D
 
Ah that's great, thank you. I will discuss it with her, sounds like a good plan. Plus the instructor they use knows my horse from when I've taken him to RC so that should be even better.
 
Pony Clubs have never stuck to the 12 year old on a 12.2, 14 on a 13.2 and 16 on a 14.2 - I think that was mostly show jumping. Will be fine.
 
I had a 13hh at 8, 13.2 8-11 and a 15.3 at 12.. then 16.1 at 14 :) ( i was tall - 5'8 at 12) :D It's fine, sounds like he's suitable and its what suits the rider too! :D
 
i took my 17.3hh mare! ok she dwarfed everything and it was only flatwork but there was no problem
she will be put into a group depending upon her abilty and size of horse - yours is average (unlike mine!) so will fit right in :)
 
It may be worth doing a bit of homework to see which local branch has members who are of a similar age and ability to this girl. You could have a gentle word with the DC s.

I say this because my daughter started riding at a much later age than those in our local branch. This meant she was usually in rides with younger members as she was at their level. She didn't mind this as she was then in her comfort zone but some teenagers might be put off.

There seemed to be a trend to move onto horses at that sort of age too.
 
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