size ism / height ism! YES IM AN ADULT WITH, TECHNICALLY, A PONY!

I have a 14.2 highland, a rising 14h highland youngster and a 14h cob x arab plus as pet shetland as well to babysit them would never dream of having anything bigger im 25 now and dont care what people think!
 
I'm an adult, 5ft 3 so not the tallest and after years of riding 16hh horses i have decided to go on the look for a pony/small horse somewhere between 14hh - 15.1 ish. I'm not ashamed at all and looking forward to being nearer the floor and looking more 'in proportion' even though i'm capable of riding bigger horses.
 
anniearab said:
Patronising smiles from 'above' usually wither when I smile and explain that my ego doesn't need a big horse
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why do so many pony riders on here think that those of us who have larger horses are looking down our noses at them? To be honest I could not care less what anyone else is riding! Maybe this is more of an imaginary problem.....
 
elsazzo said:
why do so many pony riders on here think that those of us who have larger horses are looking down our noses at them? To be honest I could not care less what anyone else is riding! Maybe this is more of an imaginary problem.....
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dont take it personally. obviously not everyone is like it but ive had plenty of comments. including 'when are you going to get a proper horse then' :rolleyes: and it is to those people this thread is aimed at.
 
Yes a lot of my friends, who i ride with have 16.2-17hh hunters, and we hack happily together.....just seems to be a few who consider it not a real horse!
 
To the poster that said about not being able to jump their pony in adults trailblazers classes due to health and safety reasons- this is due to the strides being built for horses and ponies not being able to make up the ground therefore making it possibly unsafe :)
Q
 
Naturally said:
I'm afraid we will need pictures of the pony being squished by the OP. mainly because I am nosy and trying to work out how a 14.1 wears a 17 inch saddle and full size bridle. ;)
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I ride my 14.2 in a 17 1/2 inch saddle, he wears 6' rugs and my old horse's 6'3" Amigos fit him well too. The 14.1 I mentioned in my earlier post was also ridden in a 17 1/2 inch saddle and wore 6' rugs. The 13.2 liver chestnut arab x welsh in my sig wore a cob bridle, pony size was too small for her. I had a 15.3 ID (far left in sig) who wore a cob bridle and a 16.1 TB who could fit into a pony bridle.

Most 14.2 cobs and natives have horse sized bodies, they've just got short legs!
 
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Before I bought my guy, I wanted a 14.2hh sj pony. Was told I couldn't as wouldn't be able to compete in registered SJ :( I love my current horse, but that pony was special.
 
Hi - take no notice of what anyone says...the main thing is you love your horse/pony and you are not too heavy or big for her!
I had a welsh sec a gelding who was a full up 12.0hh i'm 5ft 5" and weigh 9 stone and didn't look bad on him at all, we competed in all disciplines and did very well *my vet even commented on how he was amazed at my little pony! i'm proud to have ponies they are such fun! i also own a 16.2 so really funny when people make remarks about them being little and large (i don't care)
My friend also competes her welsh sec c who is on;y 13.1 in advance med dressage

bottom line up theirs...they'll only be jealous i bet! the people who picked on me and my pony being so small and telling me that he wasn't a proper horse and would never do well with me, i offered a ride to all of those with lots to say....gosh it was a laugh and a half, not one could ride him.they soon shut up.

Good luck with your mare and ingnore
 
oliversmummy said:
Hi - take no notice of what anyone says...the main thing is you love your horse/pony and you are not too heavy or big for her!
I had a welsh sec a gelding who was a full up 12.0hh i'm 5ft 5" and weigh 9 stone and didn't look bad on him at all, we competed in all disciplines and did very well *my vet even commented on how he was amazed at my little pony! i'm proud to have ponies they are such fun! i also own a 16.2 so really funny when people make remarks about them being little and large (i don't care)
My friend also competes her welsh sec c who is on;y 13.1 in advance med dressage

bottom line up theirs...they'll only be jealous i bet! the people who picked on me and my pony being so small and telling me that he wasn't a proper horse and would never do well with me, i offered a ride to all of those with lots to say....gosh it was a laugh and a half, not one could ride him.they soon shut up.

Good luck with your mare and ingnore
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I really doubt anyone is jealous. If i had wanted to buy a small pony i would have done just -that especially seeing as I could have probably saved money by doing just that! We all choose the horse/ponies that we own so I would never say anyone was jealous. Im slightly taller& heavier than you and I would never own anything smaller than 16hh because thats my preference. This doesnt mean i care what anyone else is riding. I also have preferences such as I like mares and i dont particularly like TBs (the finer built ones) but that doesnt mean i care if anyone else does. Each to their own-does sound to me like its mainly pony owners who have a problem!
 
I call mine a pony. She's around 15.2 (on a tall day) but is part New Forest so sometimes looks like a big pony! When she's worried or scared she looks like a bit TB as she stands on her tip toes and makes herself as big as possible snorting like a racehors.

I'd love to have a full New Forest. I love ponies and I'm definitely an adult and around 5ft7. If I was shorter I'd be riding 13.2s without a second thought.

Best to take no notice really.
 
Quadro said:
To the poster that said about not being able to jump their pony in adults trailblazers classes due to health and safety reasons- this is due to the strides being built for horses and ponies not being able to make up the ground therefore making it possibly unsafe :)
Q
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Thats why Trailblazers is so rubbish, BS don't consider it "unsafe" as you can register your pony as a horse & jump round senior classes quite happily, I do with my mare who is 14.2, & did with my previous 13.3. The 13.3 used to add an extra stride, the 14.2 manages a horse distance easily. Trailblazers are clearly clueless & don't realise the potential income they are turning away. We'll stick with BS where we are welcomed & happy.
 
I'm around 5ft2/5ft3. and I own a 14.2hh arab mare, used to ride/loan a 11.3hh exmoor that managed to jump with me on no problem :) I used to ride/loan a 13hh welsh b 4yo that managed to jump over 3ft with me on no problem. Then i used to own an 18hh clydie and i looks like a pea on a drum, and i also ride a 13.2 rising 4yo that i'm just backing, and then I own a 16hh tb that i look okay, maybe a bit small but not too small... :L At work I ride around 16hh+ and then i get on my arab and i feel massive but i dont care :)
 
elsazzo said:
I really doubt anyone is jealous. If i had wanted to buy a small pony i would have done just -that especially seeing as I could have probably saved money by doing just that! We all choose the horse/ponies that we own so I would never say anyone was jealous. Im slightly taller& heavier than you and I would never own anything smaller than 16hh because thats my preference. This doesnt mean i care what anyone else is riding. I also have preferences such as I like mares and i dont particularly like TBs (the finer built ones) but that doesnt mean i care if anyone else does. Each to their own-does sound to me like its mainly pony owners who have a problem!
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Not everyone has the choice though, some folks are simply too big for ponies and couldn't ride one even if they wanted to.
 
I love ponies, they seem to have more personality than horses. Also, I can physically ride big horses (to an extent ;) ) but I couldn't be doing with lugging rugs on/off a 16.2hh brute of a thing when I'm only 5ft2!

If I had a pony I'd still call it a horse if saying "yes I own a horse" or whatever. I say I own a dog, I don't have to specify she's a bitch, tell the pedants to jog on. :D
 
kizzywiz said:
Thats why Trailblazers is so rubbish, BS don't consider it "unsafe" as you can register your pony as a horse & jump round senior classes quite happily, I do with my mare who is 14.2, & did with my previous 13.3. The 13.3 used to add an extra stride, the 14.2 manages a horse distance easily. Trailblazers are clearly clueless & don't realise the potential income they are turning away. We'll stick with BS where we are welcomed & happy.
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I jump senior trailblazers. I have a pony. I have never heard this before. She does look huge until she stands next to a big horse and I haven't had her formally measured since she was 4 so she could be just over the 14.2 by now but no one has ever asked. My 14.2 has a naturally longer stride than our 16hh. I will be stressing when we go trailblazers now!! We're quite well known at most of the local stuff though.

Hmm, wonder if I should have platform shoes made for her and get a height certificate???
 
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Yeah, it quite clearly says in the information sheet for Trailblazers about joining up, where you can do first and second rounds etc that ponies cannot be entered to do horse courses and that it's for H&S reasons.

Our unaffiliated outdoor derbies are on separate weekends for ponies and horses, but didn't used to be. I think it was because people were complaining it was unfair for horses to be pitched against turn on six pence ponies, and pony riders complained being put up against creatures with much bigger strides and scope!

However, all our winter indoor stuff involves creatures from lead rein Sec As to 17hh WBs on the same course, distance between fences unaltered, allbeit at different max heights. Seems odd TB wouldn't reach some kind of compromise to make more money - it can obviously be done safely!
 
Quadro said:
To the poster that said about not being able to jump their pony in adults trailblazers classes due to health and safety reasons- this is due to the strides being built for horses and ponies not being able to make up the ground therefore making it possibly unsafe :)
Q
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This is what i was told when i asked at my local centre, by a snotty nosed cow, who obviously thought that all adults regardless should be riding HORSES!!! I did ask the question, well if i can go and register at BSJA as a horse & compete in horse classes why can't trailblazers do the same?? UK Riders do not discriminate agains seniors on ponies either :o
 
I am 17 and 5ft, and have a 14hh pony, most my friends have sold their ponies and got horses by now, but I wouldn't change my pony for anything as she does everything I want. I love riding ponies more than horses anyway!

My friend rides her 13hh pony at senior bsja jumping 90cm and 1m classes, very often winning (nearly everytime out) with no problems with striding!
 
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