Proud to ride a pony (size doesn't matter)!!

[golddustsara]

How many adults on here own ponies and are proud to ride them as their sole/main ride?

Encountered some 'pony snobbery' today at a dressage comp grrrrrrrrrrr. My friend is about 5ft 10 (v skinny... b***h lol!) and rides a v chunky 14.3 cob. It annoys me so much to hear ppl saying we should get proper horses (I have a 15hh connie on loan). Ponies are quirky, fun and can beat the bigger horses - ponies came 1st, 3rd and 5th in the dressage today. Just annoys me as I don't comment when I see a tiny person perched on a huge horse. I don't think it matters what size pony/horse you ride, as long as you have fun.

Hehe I like to think of it this way - William Fox-Pitt is 6ft 4 and riding a 16.2 in the Olympics. This is the height equivalent of me riding a 14.3 so

!

Right rant over! Thanks for reading, this site is like therapy sometimes xxx

 

[chunklovescooks]

lol no.. theres loads of pony squashers who have ponys as their sole ride! dont feel bad about it.. its just those large folk who have problems with it!

 

[FinellaGlen]

I'm proud to own and ride a 13.3 hh pony. I have had two 16.3 hh horses but I would never go back onto horses now I have realised just how much fun ponies can be!

 

[teapot]

I'm a pony squasher and proud

 

[golddustsara]

Haha I love the term 'pony squasher'

 

[jnet]

Me too, me 5ft 11", my pony 13.2hh welsh. Would never swap her for a horse.

 

[CaleruxShearer]

All my friends are on their 16.2's and I'm proud on my little 15hh cob!

 

[wowser]

i have 2 new forest ponies, an 8 year old mare, and a 12.2 filly, great little ponies, would'nt change them for any thing. i'm 5ft 6 and in my 40's, i can wash their rugs in the washing machine everything is smaller, though they can both eat like horses.

 

[TirionWirion]

I have a 12.2 section B and a quite chunky 14.2 welsh cob X thoroughbred and I ride both in WPCS showing classes although not so much the 12.2 now as my daughter is now 12 and has caught up to my height but if you look at native classes for example the section Bs are all ridden by us older taller people rather than 10 or 12 year olds and I really felt that my daughter was at a disadvantage showing a section B in open classes when she was 10 against 30 year olds so it was a good excuse for me to do it - (I didn't want to miss out) you only have to look at horse and hound showing pages to see adults on ponies in m + m classes.
Our ponies are great fun we go out hacking as well and show jumping and Em takes them both to pony club.
SO I AGREE PONIES RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Fleur100]

Ponies every time. Much more fun, less complicated and they can beat horses every day of the week.

Welham stud

 

[Natch]

I'm a pony squasher!!

 

[caemar1]

[ QUOTE ]
Haha I love the term 'pony squasher'

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too!

And I am proud to be one as well!

I have never owned anything other than ponies and my current one is a 14.1 PBA that I bred myself.

I also have a 12.2 brood mare that I don't ride.

They are just full of personality and a lot cheaper to keep than big 'uns!

 

[itsme123]

I'm a pony squasher. Cannot beat a pony for fun and safety.

I'm even prouder to be a shetland pony owner (although i don't ride one LOl)

 

[pixiebee]

I have a 13.3 new forest and a 15hh tx.welsh. I am only 5 ft though so my 15hh is quite big for me actually lol!!

 

[golddustsara]

I'm glad there are so many of us pony squashers around! FinellaGlen your pony looks lovely, I just love Highlands but I don't see them around much in good old Hampshire...

 

[the watcher]

Another pony squasher here (specifically a Highland squasher too)

 

[Banjo]

i am a squasher too. I am 5ft 10 and my poor pony is 14hh. I do worry that my legs are dangling round his knees. But hes a big lad and i have been assured that i don't look too big.
I love my pony.

 

[buffy2]

Im a pony squasher,

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Me too, have abandoned the 17 hander to the OH.....pony squashing rules (nb pony doesnt look remotely squashed just bouncy and smug!)

 

[hellybelly6]

I have a 16.3 hh Highland he thinks and acts like a pony, even if he is not pony sized. I look like a pea on a mountain, am a pony squasher at heart though!

 

[lilym]

hi, i don't worry anymore, i have ridden ponies - both of them cobs god forbid!, at dressage comps.....and do you know what??? i always really appreciate what i have when i see someone stuggling to hold onto a ruddy great warmblood on an off day!! some people look like they are really not having any fun at all!! o.k so my boy is a bit spooky, and tense out but he is a super honset little chap, who given another couple of years people tell me will be a right schoolmaster! i also run a few dressage comps for a riding club and we have more and more adults turning up on ponies, enjoy you pony and ignore the snobs, alot of their attitude is down to jealousy i fear...

 

[ttt]

There are probably more adults riding New Forest Ponies than children. Natives are bred to carry an adult so why should children get all the fun.

 

[ace123]

Me to. I'm a pony fan. Had 14.2 chunky cob, he was the best ( had to PTS ) otherwise i'd still have him. Ride daughters 13.2 sec c and my youngster will prob only make 14.2 - 15h tops. I'm 5ft4 and 38 so fit into adualts and ponies well.

 

[Pink_Pampas]

I have a 14h TBxarab, so much fun!

 

[teapot]

[ QUOTE ]
Haha I love the term 'pony squasher'

[/ QUOTE ]

It's just so old school and Thelwell like isn't it?

I am actually reliving my Thelwell days at the mo so it's apt.

 

[atouchwild]

Hehe, never heard the term pony squasher before, but I like it!
Yep, I ve encountered much pony snobbery...'you need something bigger' 'isn't it abut time you got a horse'...etc.
As you can see from this pic, I am indeed very much squashing this poor little 13.3hh pony, and at 20 years old, I am far to big for her, I can see why people don't want me to compete her...

[image]

[/image]

 

[pelly]

im one too ive got a 12.1hh darty x had her from 6 months , now got her 2 yo colt

 

[244jimmy]

i used to ...but i have a bad back so the pace of my little 15hh horse is better....but he acts like a pony thank god

 

[alsxx]

My girl is 14.2 and I love her to bits, I also still have my section B pony from my PC days who I hop onto sometimes, and he's 13hh - I'm 5'6 and 24 now!

At the end of the day - would I get any more enjoyment out of riding if my mare was 16hh? No i wouldn't, I can do everything I want to on her, and if the day comes that I want to move up a gear and she cant get me there, well then I will look at getting something else (probably in addition!!).

 

[Abbeygale]

I am 5'6" and have a 15.1hh cob (who is more than big enough for me - my feet don't stick out the bottom or anything!! LOL!) and also ride a 13hh pony. The 15.1hh we are just working on getting fit etc at the moment - so the 13hh pony has become no1 pony for going out, and we go off doing trec and jumping and all sorts.

atouchwild - i think you look just fine on your pony - its only your body that looks a little tall on your pony - your legs aren't dangling underneath or anything!!!