right size horse

[ponies4ever]

hi I am currently looking for my first horse and am undecided on the right hight. I'm 5"7/8 and weigh 9 & a half stone but i like as small as i can get away with (only just got off a 12hh ) but the other day tried a 14.2hh tb x and felt too big for her! i still ride an 11.2 but not going to buy anything that small but was wondering a good hight might be

thanx

 

[Meowy Catkin]

It depends how chunky it is as a chunky type will take up your leg well, so you can feel fine on a smaller horse/pony. I'm 5'4 and I felt right at home on a 14hh Welsh. I'm also happy on my 15hh arab (quite a chunky one) and my 15.2 anglo.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

I'd say a middleweight 15.2hh would be perfect ! but would easily look fine on a fairly round 14.2hh, My sister is 5'8 and her long legs drown my 15.2hh who is actually put together in normal ISH proportions- she looks much better on her rounder 14.2hh- the mare is by no means a cob, and has fine legs but she is just built bigger somehow. She looked ridiculous on my very fine 14.2hh . She did look perfect on my friend's 17hh but nobody wants a horse that big surely the floor is much too far down

 

[ponies4ever]

thanks for the advice! At the moment I'm enquiring about a 15hh cob but if she isn't right might go for a smaller one...

 

[Hoof_Prints]

hope it goes well! I used to ride 12.2hhs and then moved on to a 14.2hh, didn't like it at all but soon got used to it. Now I have a 15.2hh I feel like a 14.2hh is tiny and like to be on a bigger horse so i'm sure you will get used to whatever height you buy

 

[smja]

Changing size always feels weird - ours are all different sizes and it still takes a couple of laps to get used to whichever one you're on! I'm about your height and weight, my main horse is 16hh but I ride others from 15hh to 17.2hh.

 

[L&M]

I am 5ft 5 and 10 stone, and weirdly look bigger on my hw 15hh cob, than I do on my 14.2hh lw cob - go figure?!

When you go to try a horse get the vendor to take a photo of you on it as will give you an idea of what you look like, but would have thought anything 14.2hh plus would be fine.

Good luck!

 

[PorkChop]

It so depends on the size of their girth. I'm 5'11" and look fine on a 15hh chunky cob and also look fine on my 17.1hh WB.

 

[Moomin1]

It's not just about whether you can get away with looking ok though, it's about centre of balance and what you want to do with the pony/horse. If you are even slightly too tall on a horse/pony it can really affect balance and I've seen people on small ponies who just constantly topple off as soon as it shies or bunny hops slightly. Again I also think the aids are affected when you are too tall/big and the smaller choppy paces can make it more difficult to school properly. But depends like I say what you want it for really.