Question for those of you with BIG horses

He's rising 8 years with such a lovely nature. Having someone who knows a lot more than I do coming with us to see him on Sunday. OH (who has already fallen in love with him ) is over 6 ft tall so it would be mainly for him to ride but I'm 5'6" and hope to be able to ride as well. Fingers crossed !!
 
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He's rising 8 years with such a lovely nature. Having someone who knows a lot more than I do coming with us to see him on Sunday. OH (who has already fallen in love with him ) is over 6 ft tall so it would be mainly for him to ride but I'm 5'6" and hope to be able to ride as well. Fingers crossed !!

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Im sure you will be fine! My OH is 6ft 4 and im 5ft 5, we both ride both our horses, Beau is about 18hh and TBH he doesnt ride any bigger than Lance who is smaller.
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My 14.2hh welsh cob was 100 times more trouble than Beau!
 
I found getting on, finding tack that fits, buying rugs etc the hardest things! apart from that I soon got used to 17.1hh going from a small 15hh
 
We have a 16.3 clydesdale - weights 730 k - transport - really happiest on a box and as he is a very long horse has to have two spaces as needs to travel at an angle. He has been on a trailer on occasion.

Stable - 12 x 12 is the minimum you can put him in.

Poo - he is on a fibre diet and boy can he crap!

Big feet - he is unshoed but they still take twice as long to pick out.

Grooming/clipping/washing - big long horses go on forever (or so it seems)

Rugs - plenty of 6'9 and 7' around. Bridles - again more XL and XXL are available then there used to be. Girths - easy - get a girth extender for the 56 that still don't do up easily.

Cairo cost no more to feed than my 15.1 cob - but he is a natural good doer. Wormers - not too bad as I normally worm twice a year and then do worm counts. Often you can buy a bit off someone on the yard who has a horse/pony that does not require the full tube.

Joints - sadly they do have a lot more problems - Cairo is now showing at 22 a lot of signs of old age and we have spent a lot of money on treatments.

You can't easily retire them - best to keep them gently working and with no excess fat or they eventually cannot get up if they are too fat and no muscle.

Good things - you can tower over other people even when you are only 5' and Cairo is long enough to take three kids out happily for hacks - luckily he is a true gentle giant.

I adore our clydie and he is worth every bit of the little extras he needs.
 
Having just bought a 17hh ISH, who has still got some filling out to do (he's rising 6) I'd say go for it! He fits in my Bateson no problem, takes 6'9' rugs and has fitted into my stable fine. I would echo all the others about the increase in feed/forage which in turn leads to increase in poo though!

It feels great riding him, like I'm on top of the world and he has a fantastic long comfy stride.
 
Doug is 16.3 hands and is a Clydesdale cross with a huge head, arse and just about everything else lol.
It does seem strange riding a horse so big. He is the biggest on the yard and a lot of people don't realise how big he actually is until you stand next to him. You could easily crouch under his belly ( not that I would try it lol).
he takes an xxwide saddle and after having saddle slipping problems he has a rydair anti slip pad underneath with a foam rear riser pad on top that makes riding a table top a tad more comfortable I find.
He takes xfull size bridles and headcollars and his girth is 58 inches.
His rugs are between 7ft and 7ft 3.
Problems I have found is with his boots especially tendon boots and have yet to find any big enough as he is 11 inches under his knee on the forelegs. I won't spent silly money on them though which could be why I am struggling.
All my buys have been from ebay with just a few small items bought from a tack shop and 2 rugs which were bought from a stall at Leominster sales one costing £30 the other £35 for turnouts, 7ft and 7ft 3 one heavyweight and one medium weight.
Like someone has already pointed out you can get some good bargains online through tack shops in sales as the larger rugs do tend to be readily available.
I would still wholly recommend ebay though and if you would like a list of any decent sellers of oversized tack, rugs and so on just pm me and I will source them out as I have dealt with some really nice people the last few years on there.
Obviously trailer size and a vehicle large enough to tow has to be considered especially if you need to travel or go to shows or rides etc.
As Shilasdair also pointed out about the wormer yes you do need more than one tube if you are getting a horse weighing more than 600kg. I usually buy by wormers in 3's or 4's or more though I always have enough at worming time.
It can be expensive depending on what wormers you want and also where you buy them from. Again source on the internet as there are few companies who regularly have offers and can usually beat your local tack shop prices.
There is also a really nice seller I have bought some from via ebay too, based in the US they are a fantastic price and the worm manufacturer are reputable ( as I emailed them after my purchase to find out information about the expiry date). Excellent value and ivermectin based too and far cheaper than any I have seen in the UK, so worming doesn't always have to be an expense if you know where to look.
As far as eating is concerned larger horses will obviously consume more based on their bodyweight but this is also dependant on the level of work they will be required to do so I don't always believe that a larger horse who is mainly a hack will consume more than a smaller horse in full fast work.
Again sourcing costs of hay/haylage and hard feed/chaff will reap rewards. From my own point of view so long as the feed contains pretty much the same level of nutrition and minerals I am not persuaded into buying the more expensive feeds in pretty much the same way that I don't feed my dogs pedigree and my cats whiskas.
Mucking out is more time consuming though because as someone rightly pointed out they do produce larger stools and depending on the size of their stable ( if stabled) they may trample in and so so you must allow for more wastage of bedding than for a pony ( just my own perception based on how clean my own two are in the stable, the other one being a heayweight and messy cob).
Shoeing can also be more expensive if they are to be shod as some farriers will charge more for larger horses. My own farrier charges the same fee all round and yet he has openly told me that my big lad is one of ( if not ) the biggest he shoes.
Try not to let a farrier rip you off though especially if the horse's feet are not much bigger than a heavyweight cob for example.
Grooming can be an issue especially if they have a high head carriage lol and plaiting can be a nightmare lol ( well it was for me at first attempt lol). There is usually more to groom and so more time consuming but apart from reaching up or using a stool to stand on to groom the poll and along the back then the fact you don't have to bend down too much as you would a pony makes it ok.
As people have said mounting can be an issue and please don't feel in any way inadequate in using a mounting block. In fact many experts who treat back problems in horses recommend the use of them regardless of your stature or the size of the horse as you don't pull as much on the saddle as you get on and so reduce the risk of causing back problems to your horse.
I think that is it really.
Having larger horses can be nicer than owning smaller types that much I agree with. However I would not be without either of my two and the younger cob is 14.3 hands.
Good luck and I hope it all works out for you x
Cazx
 
my boy is a 17hh gelderlander,with a very heigh head carriage he cant fit in a trailer lol
hes in 7ft rugs and x full everything !!
he eats loads and poohs lots as well !!
he is the most loving and gentle horse ive ever had,im 5"4 and have to use a mounting block or anything i can stand on thats close as there is no way id be able to get on otherwise !
go for it you wont regret it,i was only looking for a horse around 15hh and id rather have a bigger one now,well as long as they were well behaved lol !!
 
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And trees. Low hanging trees which you used to be able to get under, you probably won't now!

I found that out the hard way, went from a pony to a 16.3hh!

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Yes you definately duck more!!
 
I have a 17hh IdxTB and a 14,2 Haflinger and I used to think the big boy was messy until Miss Stinky Knickers appeared on the scene.....so size not everything!

Youll need to budget more ££ for wormers cos of bigger weight, , more hay etc etc. But drivers will slow down cos they will think he is a police horse (thats what my OH gets!)

theyre great!
 
Irish horses tend to take a lot longer to mature physically than some others, particularly if they are big.

Thats very interesting I have an Irish who is a failed police horse, as long as we don;t have riots we should be fine. He has the nick name of The Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of OZ as he thinks he is brave but he really isn't, he has been known to try and squeeze behind me in his stable to hide.
 
My lad is 18hh warmblood. TBH I don't really have that much trouble. He takes 7'3 rugs, which most makes do, and x-full size is becoming much more common. He is in a 12x13 stable and is absolutly fine. His bed covers the entire stable, and he is fine for space. He does however cost a fortune to feed, and could poo for England.

I also have to be aware when I am out hacking about getting off, because there is absolutly no chance of getting on from the ground, so need to be able to stand on something.

Don't let it put you off. Within a couple of weeks you'll not even notice how big he is. I don't think my boy is big anymore, just all other horses tiny!
 
well watch out for the dinner plate feet! steel toe caps def needed!!

Another thing we found out when we bought our 17.3 german wb was that he had wind problems and was a roarer, so that was an expensive op to get done! so beware- make sure his wind is good- we just fell in love with our boy, he had such a kind eye, and bought him even with the breathing problems, and we;re now on the slow and boring task of getting him back into fitness after his op ( as he had some complications under GA, cos he was so big!!). walks and trots only for now!

If you've fallen for him, i'd go for it, the BFG's are the best, especially when they give you cuddles and go all sleepy eyed!!
 
We have 17.2 ID mare, takes 7'6 rugs, 58" girth and weighed last night at 758kgs.
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I am 5'4 and the biggest problem I find is actually getting her rugs on! It's a case of chucking them on, literally and hoping that it doesn't all fall back on me. Also when tacking up I sometimes struggle to get the headpiece round her ears.
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My OH rides her as she is too big for me and he mainly sees to her but there is absolutely NO WAY I could ever get on her from the ground!
 
"I am 5'4 and the biggest problem I find is actually getting her rugs on! It's a case of chucking them on, literally and hoping that it doesn't all fall back on me."
Lol your height is no matter as I struggle to get big lad's rugs on sometimes and I am 5ft 8. It's hard too when you get them off as I got a smack in the mouth by a flying leg strap the other day as I whipped his rug off in the stable. He is not only tall but very wide and solid and I just didn't see it coming ooh er lol.
Cazx
 
I had 2 17handers and my mum and I are tiny (we bought them as 16.1 3 year olds and they kept growing). Both were gentle giants as we knew from day one that we couldn't take liberities as if they started to boss us around we would be in trouble so manners had to be excellent. Stables were a problem and they poo'd mini mountains which meant that in a smallish stable they had no way to walk round them over night. Both were quite forward going horses and could be mounted off absolutely anything. My problem was that both were a bit weak through their back as I really struggled to get them to work over their backs and cantering in a 20 x 40 school when they were babies was a bit hairy at times! I now have a smaller horse as I don't need them so large and both mum and I have a damaged shoulder and couldn't get their rugs on without pain. Lots of people say big horses are clumsy but both mine were very sure footed and great through combinations x-c (all in a rubber snaffle). Its the personality thats the key factor and would get another big horse again if I thought they had the right attitude
 
my 15.1 cob was off work with a cut leg and i spent my time riding a 17.1, when i my cob came back into work i REALLY hurt my knee dismounting as i forgot i was so close to the floor
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its ok
one of mine is 17hh but he doesnt ride big and he obnly takes a 6ft6-9 rug!
he is so gentle though.
he seems more prone to dropping weight,and he needs a big lorry or trailer to travel in but apart from that-no different!
 
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I am 5'4 and the biggest problem I find is actually getting her rugs on! It's a case of chucking them on, literally and hoping that it doesn't all fall back on me.



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LOL me too! I just throw it at him and hope for the best, he doesnt mind, quite a few times I can be stood there wearing the rug when I havent thrown it high enough though!
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We had a 3yo 18hh stallion (yes at 3yo
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) - he was pretty snug in a 7.5tonne wagon to be honest!
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The other problem we had was he would do things - like rubbing on the door, or being a bit daft in his stable - like most 3yo stallions, but things don't "give" when 18hhs is pushing on them, they are abliterated lmao!
Bruce Almighty *bear in mind i'm 5'10 lol:

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