Rant how tall are you and how bigs your horse

I don't feel small riding my horse who us 17hh (I'm 5f6-7) but he is 3/4tb so not very wide :)
I like a horse with a lot in front of me - I feel more secure on something with a front :p

I have ridden my friends 17.2 (although when actually measured stood 18hh...!) and felt tiny, but he was very wide and 3/4 ID.

Whatever feels right is usually the best way to go.
Although if you show you might be better off on a smaller horse as the showing is all about presenting the right picture, a 5f3 rider on a heavyweight dosen't always look right :)
 
Im also 5.4ft and i ride a little horse which is 15.3hh but acts more pony like- i got him when i was 12 and was short but we managed fine, even when he was a sod! but im looking for a new one and I wont be getting anything smaller than 16hh really- ride what youre happy with! obviously if its 16.3hh, very strong and pulls you all over the place then no, probably not the best idea but if it suits you then why not?!
 
TBH if your YO pokes her nose in to the degree that it leaves you perturbed and upset I'd be looking around for another yard to keep my horses at. Life's too short and horses are too expensive to keep to put up with unnecessary cr"p!

I'm 5'1 and my homebred filly's kept on growing and likely to make over 16.3. Not planned (dam 15.1, sire 16.0) but there you go! :rolleyes: I'm quite sure I look like a pea on a drum but I've backed and am currently bringing her on and there's aboluely no (taller) riders at my yard who'd want to have done it!!!! (She's very sharp (but an absolute doll to ride TBH)). Jeeze.... look for a new yard!
 
Depends on the rider and the horse. I know quite a few small riders that are way over horsed and can't ride one end of it but 'just like big horses'. I am tall but prefer small horses but have to stick to 16hh plus. :(
 
I'm 5'5 and ride from 13.1 - 16.3hh ponies and horses. It is absolutely YOUR choice what you spend YOUR money on - unless your YO wants to stick her hand in her pocket of course!
 
I'm 5ft6 and my horse is 16.1hh and she I feel fine on her I think she's just right :) do what you feel happy with ignore her, some people just like to give their opinion valid or not!
 
I'm somewhere between 5'2 and 5'3, my mare is 15hh which is perfect for me, personally I don't really like riding bigger horses (16hh +) but I never have which is why I buy smaller ones. I looked hilariously small on my previous horse (big, wide shire x) but that didn't bother me

whatever suits you best
 
First of all , its none of the owners business!

I seem to have regressed horse height wise. When I was 13 (and about 5"3-4) I rode/loaned a 16.3hh horse and loved it! He had a tendency to bolt , nip etc but I still felt fine on him! Certainly never any worries height wise - although it was further to fall :rolleyes:

Now at 17 I am 5"7 and I ride a 14hh!

As long as there is no problems weight wise (obviously isn't in your case) and you don't feel over horsed I don't see the problem? This is YOUR hobby , YOUR money you spend on it and YOUR safety and enjoyment. Just take her comments like water off a ducks back.

Don't forget to post lots of piccies of the new horsey :D
 
Spyda said:
TBH if your YO pokes her nose in to the degree that it leaves you perturbed and upset I'd be looking around for another yard to keep my horses at. Life's too short and horses are too expensive to keep to put up with unnecessary cr"p!
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Completely agree with this!!

WRT a horse being too big - if you can get the saddle on without a problem and you don't struggle to keep the horse together, then there is no problem IMHO.
 
kerilli said:
ride whatever you like but remember that...
smaller horses are usually no less talented (quite the reverse in many cases), cost less to feed, are often sounder (lighter weight bodies on the same sort of size legs, according to my vet), are usually nimbler and cleverer at their fences, you can get more of your leg around them to keep them engaged and straight (tiny riders on big horses going beautifully are usually deceptively brilliant riders imho!) and it's easier to tack them up if you're short. i'm 5'10" but have seen 5'4" riders really struggle to lift saddles onto big horses.
also, remember that big horses should feel small and small horses should feel big (depends on stride length and balance) if they're any good imho! good luck in your search.
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completely agree with this!
I am 5ft6 and around 9 stone and I have 2 horses which are 15hh and one which is 12hh (exmoor).
I personally don't like riding anything over 15.3hh just because I do dressage and like to get my leg around them as find them so so much easier to ride this way! Also, so much easier to control from the ground if they decide to play about. and the ultimate plus- less far to fall off :P
 
One of the girls at our yard is about 5ft 3-5ish and she had a 13.3 pony which she looked fine on, she now has a 16.2, she looks fine on him too.

My daughter is envious because she loves ponies but at 5ft7 she tends to look quite tall on the littlies, so really you have the best of both worlds!

eta, As I don't ride I hadn't considered the ridden aspect (maybe that's why my daughter prefers smaller horses/ponies) I also agree with Kerilli though about it being easier with a smaller horse in terms of feeding, travel and all that type of thing. Also, daughter's horses are 15.2 and 16.2, that 4 inches can make all the difference when they're playing up!
 
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I am barely 5'2" and my horse is about 17hh. He is pretty easy going most of the time, so I don't feel especially overhorsed, but when he goes for a yeeha I definitely notice his size! I struggle a bit to hold him together, but we are getting there. He needs a lot of feed and stuff though, and we have to remove the partition to box him.

I probably should sell him, but I like him as a person (he has a lot of good points) which makes me vacillate on my decision a lot. That said, if I was going to go again, I would not go beyond 16hh tbh. However, I am a midget and you are a normal height, so I don;t see why a 16.3hh horse would be too big if you like the horse!
 
It's up to you what size horse/pony you get and ride whatever you capabilities are and so long as you are in control I don't see how it matters?.

I am 5'10 and have a 15.1hh and my last boy was 15.1hh I feel just about OK on him but tbh I don't want anything big if I had to choose again I would say about 15.2 - 16hh really but if the horse is suitable for what you want it for then it shouldn't matter what size it is.
 
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