small humans- what size is your horse?

[montevxcii]

what's your preferred height of horse? I have to say the best thing about being small is riding the tiny speedy ponies...

I'm 5'3 but have disproportionately long legs so even though I should technically be fine on my little 14 2 i feel HUGE on her


much happier on 16 h and above when my feet aren't dangling off (naturally its the 16 hander in the photo )

 

[cobsarefab]

I'm 5'7" and very leggy as well. I have a 13.2hh and don't look small. She was ridden by someone 6'4" at her viewing and he didn't look small on her as she takes up a lot of leg.

 

[montevxcii]

I guess a lot does depend on how much leg they do take up - your girl is gorgeous btw

 

[cobsarefab]

I guess a lot does depend on how much leg they do take up - your girl is gorgeous btw

Thank you, I think so too but I may be biased in That opinion. :lol:
However, I have also ridden a 17.2hh and didn't feel small on him either but he was a very slim build.

 

[Lintel]

I have a 14.1hh highland and look fairly small at 5'1ft he takes up a lot of leg! Dressage length stirrup i look just right.

Have to say I do prefer a tall horse... Love feeling like a pea on a mountain!

 

[montevxcii]

cobsarearefab - and she looks very good in pink
yah ! the 14.2 is narrow as a rocking horse !

haven't figured out how to directly reply yet...

Lintel - that phrase is perfect - i too like to be pea on a mountain ( on dressage stirrups my legs reach past the tummy of a narrow 17 h warmblood)

 

[Snitch]

5’3?

That’s tall.

 

[Lexi_]

I'm 5'2 and share horse is 16hh. I probably suit a smaller horse/big pony a bit better but I can't get used to the lack of neck!

 

[montevxcii]

lexi you've hit the nail on the head- the warmbloods had giraffe necks - unnerving lack of horse in front of you on the ponies...

 

[nikicb]

5'4" on a just about 14.2hh. The older I've got, the closer to the ground I prefer to be!

And I disagree about the lack of neck on ponies as long as they are built fairly uphill which mine is. Plenty of shoulders and neck in front of me. x

 

[{97702}]

I'm 5'2" - I've had a 14.2hh TB, a 15hh Welsh Section D, a 17HH TB and a 17.2hh Selle Francais - and everything in between! Size of the horse really doesn't matter to me, it is whether I enjoy riding the horse that dictates whether I buy it

 

[joosie]

I'm a shade under 5'6''. My own ponies are 14.2 and 12.1, however as a groom on competition yards most of the horses I ride for work are 16 hands plus. Really I'm comfortable on anything over 12 hands!

 

[little_critter]

I've just moved up to horses (lol). My 14.1hh pony has been retired and I now have a 15.3hh TB. I didn't feel too tall on my pony (I'm 5'2"-5'3"). When I was horse hunting I was looking for 14.2-16hh.

 

[montevxcii]

nicki- what a gorgeous little beastie you have !

I think at the stables I learnt at everything was 15 h and above - maybe thats why ponies feel like such a novelty nowadays!

joosie- jealous, i think i'd squish a 12 h

 

[zaminda]

I am just about 5" if I try, and have always owned ponies. For work I rode racehorses, so was used to a variety but I like the smaller ones. I was given a horse this year, she is about 15.3 and people comment on how small I look.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

I'm 5'2 (on a good day) and my biggest horse is 15hh, the others are 14.2hh and 14HH. I used to ride bigger horses years ago when I was a groom (up to 17hh) bit I much prefer tiddlers.

On a side note Levrier in my head you are very tall and am shocked to discover you are a mini person like me

 

[little_critter]

I am just about 5" if I try, and have always owned ponies. For work I rode racehorses, so was used to a variety but I like the smaller ones. I was given a horse this year, she is about 15.3 and people comment on how small I look.

5" wow that is short!!

Or do you mean 5'?!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

what's your preferred height of horse? I have to say the best thing about being small is riding the tiny speedy ponies...

I'm 5'3 but have disproportionately long legs so even though I should technically be fine on my little 14 2 i feel HUGE on her


much happier on 16 h and above when my feet aren't dangling off (naturally its the 16 hander in the photo )

I am 5 ft 8
I have had
14.3
16 hh
10hh
13.2hh
15.1
12.hh
16.1hh
11.hh

My perfect size horse is between 14.3 - 16.1hh no bigger as I don't like horses over 16.1hh.



I really don't see the buzz of having something huge, hard to tack up - oversized rugs and saddle - eats you out of house and home - it appears I am not alone here liking smaller horses.

 

[scats]

I'm 5ft3 and a half (that half is very important!) and I have a 14.1hh cob and a 15hh sports horse.



I also have a retired 16hh sports horse- this is me on him-


I have always been able to sort of fit whatever I ride and not look too big or small, even when there's a few hands difference.

 

[alainax]

I'm a shade under 5'6''. My own ponies are 14.2 and 12.1, however as a groom on competition yards most of the horses I ride for work are 16 hands plus. Really I'm comfortable on anything over 12 hands!

Same height as me, are we considered small? Lol! Nice to hear someone else grown up who rides a 12hh!

joosie- jealous, i think i'd squish a 12 h

This is 5'7" on my 12hh Fell. I just need to lose some more stones before I'll get on and squish him

 

[montevxcii]

ooh scats you look perf on all them - the ISH is gorgeous

good point CowParsley- I never though about how easy tacking up is nowadays...

little ones have the added benefit that the ground is closer- and the tree branches are further away

 

[montevxcii]

Same height as me, are we considered small? Lol! Nice to hear someone else grown up who rides a 12hh!

This is 5'7" on my 12hh Fell. I just need to lose some more stones before I'll get on and squish him

ooh what a shiny boy !

I have no idea how you all manage to look so in proportion on the little ones while i look like an octopus

 

[Fiona]

I'm 5ft, and ride a 13.2 connemara pony.

Fiona

 

[JJS]

My preferred height would be close to the ground, although I'm around 5 ft 6' with long legs so there's only so much I can get away with! More seriously, I think a lot of it comes down to 'feel' rather than height - I don't like to feel either over-horsed or like my legs are dangling, so have always gone for mounts that take up my leg nicely. I've tried to pick pictures from a similar angle to demonstrate, so please excuse the quality, riding, and so on - they're not the best!

My first mare, A, was a 15.3hh Thoroughbred.

When we lost her, I got T, who's an ISH. He actually ended up growing a lot, and is definitely over 16hh now, although he was around 15.1hh here aged six.

When he retired, I wanted a different type entirely, so got M. She's now standing around 15hh, but was only 14.2hh on her tiptoes in the picture.

Oddly enough, I don't think I really look bigger on her than the others!

 

[montevxcii]

Oddly enough, I don't think I really look bigger on her than the others!

Yes, that's true !

I think this little mare must just be incredibly narrow (edited to say I know her boots are slipping in this photo- I didnt tack her up that day and only noticed looking at the photos!)

I used to share a 15 h cob who was quite a bit on the round side - she was like sitting on a barrel haha

a very cute barrel but a bit hard on the breeches

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I'm just under 5ft5, Henry is a 16.1hh ISH (mostly ID) and I don't look ridiculously small on him! Though I'm not sure I'd like to own anything much bigger, I think 16.2 would be my limit. Rosie was 15.3, and she was a good size for me. Though I've ridden everything from 12.2-17.2!!

On my instructors 17.2 ex national hunt horse

16.1 Henry

15.3 Rosie

15hh connie I borrowed from a friend whilst I was horseless

 

[Cortez]

I'm 5'9", long legged and ride 14.2h, 15h, 15.1h and 15.2h. I used to ride very tall horses (up to 17.2h), but much prefer something 14.2h - 15.2h these days.

 

[Dave's Mam]

5'3" on a good day & my pony is 12.2hh

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

5' 2" and almost everything I have ridden/owned has been around the 14 to 14.2 mark. I had a mare on loan who was 15.1 who felt very big, and bigger horses make me feel like I am just perched on top as my legs are so short.
14.2 is my comfort zone

 

[montevxcii]

5' 2" and almost everything I have ridden/owned has been around the 14 to 14.2 mark. I had a mare on loan who was 15.1 who felt very big, and bigger horses make me feel like I am just perched on top as my legs are so short.
14.2 is my comfort zone

this has certainly turned out to be an interesting thread! the fact that I'm a similar height to you but had to order tall height long boots to fit my calf probably explains why i seem to fit better on the bigger horses haha (i.e. wildly out of proportion )

you all have such gorgeous horsies