small or big horses... which do you think is best?

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littlebea

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OK, so, which do people prefer for show jumping?

I used to think the bigger the better, but I am now less sure, but would be interested to hear peoples opinions of weather they think bigger or smaller horses make better showjumpers? and can smaller horses jump as big.

My young mare is 15.2hh and I am begining to jump her, so would also be interested to know from that point of view too, will we be able to keep up with those 16-17hh+ warm bloods lol
 
Mid-way IMO. I think 16hh mark, something short coupled is best. They get you out of trouble as they're far more agile than big long striding horses (also nippier in JO's). Smaller horses can jump just as big as bigger ones
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for me 16/16.1 will do nicely. Firstly anything bigger and i tend not to be able to ride one side of it as i have little legs and can't put them in their place when needed!

Also you don't need a big horse to jump the big tracks these days, tracks are much more technical now and require a more agile horse anyway so a little horse is always good as you can get out of trouble easier.

For example, Oppurtunity B, Beluga, Limelight de Breve all class little horses
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The best horse is the one that fits you
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Depends on the build as well as the size - a 16.2 tb is going to feel app the same as a 15.3 warmblood type imo
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Personally I think the better horses are the ones that have the power and are between 16-17hh, especially short coupled ones! nippyness is good if you can get it, and can be improved in a bigger horse! eg. My horse is 16.2 standard enough size, but has no difficulty whatsoever in putting 2 strides in a 1 stride double - became our specality till I got my riding sorted out
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thanks for thoughts so far. Seems like you are all liking about 16hh but below 17hh!

I have yet to really jump my mare, and since we are both begginers we will not be going that high yet anyway. But at home we are happy going over 70cm high jumps. she is a Connemara X so in terms of build I guess big pony describs her well.
 
I definately prefer smaller horses - my ideal horse would be 15.2-16hh, fine, short-coupled Dutch warmblood mare with a lot of blood. I'm only little myself so would feel more comfortable and I think the small athletic types are amazing. I also think the way tracks are built now - more technical with tricky distances and tests of athleticism, are more suited to little athletic horses. Having said that, there are plenty of big beasties which are phenomenal! But personally I definately prefer the mini horses!
 
Small for me please - i have a 15hh mare, we have evented and although get odd looks (she is a pony compared to most!) we do what they do just as well. I'd also rather hunt her aiming at big hedges than a 16.2hh who doesn't know how long his legs are!!
 
Swedish team horses Saint Amour and Ninja La Silla are both 16hh - just! And ridden by men.

I am 5'3 and now have a 17'2hh mare and I have to say I love having a big horse - the fences look a lot smaller from up there!
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My ideal height is 15.3-16.1hh of the cobby/stockier type than a fine TB. Like the little mare in to the left. I am short and although I can ride bigger horses I like the nippier, easier to set up, knows what they are doing horses.
 
My last horse was a very short coupled 15.2 and he could be ping over everything we put infront of him. He was very quick with his legs so quite often got us out of trouble, obviously bigger horses can do this aswell I just dont have any experiance of them.
 
I love big horses, anythign under 16.1 feels like a pony to me, and the jumps do seem smaller from that height! But then i'm into anything with a HUGE scopey jump, so i wouldnt turn down a 15.2 if it could jump like Cumano!
 
Depends what you like best I think, 16hh-16.2hh is ideal, nice and short coupled with an even stride.

I have a 15.2hh danish warmblood, he has an amazing jump, sadly lost his confidence, but slowly gaining it! He doesn't start to jump properly untill it gets to 3ft6! I have to admit I feel abit better if I have a bit more infornt of me when I'm jumping but there are some great little horses about!
 
My personal height choice would be 16.1 - 16.3. I think little horses can be super but I am 5'8" with long legs and they have not really suited me. That said my 2 smallest horses at 15.2 and 15.3 both ended up on professional SJ yards so maybe I kept the wrong ones!! My 15.3 I sold when I went to Uni but my 15.2 I just did not feel right on - he was very short coupled and I found the biggest problem was too little in front rather than his height. Personally I would not want to ride a giant horse myself - I have seen alot of really little females struggle on the most enormous horses and wonder why they don't ride something they are more physically suited to.
 
we have porses!!! we have 3 that are ponies that have been measured out and i have to say they are fab!!! faster and more agile and those bigger horses get no where near them in jump offs, they dont struggle with distances even around the bigger tracks
 
depends which small/big horse you have!

i think i prefer them fairly small- Millie and Pilfer are both around 15.3hh (i am 5'10 with long legs) and are very adjustable in front of fences.
Pilfer struggles with Novice speed xc though hence doing OPN.
Millie will never struggle with the time but she is a flatbred mare!

saying i prefer small ones though- my 3yro is now about 17.1hh but i know there will be a lot more work getting him balanced in a small dressage arena, being clever in combinations etc.
 
I have a 15.2 and a 2 year old who is 16.2 and will prob end up a good 17.2. The 15.2 is very agile, he's short coupled. The 2 year old is enormous, in a 7ft rug but has the shortest back ever so I reckon he will jump and be agile despite his size. I do like small horses as a rule tho!
 
Good to see some people here with some smaller horses doing well, and great photo greygates .

I guess from what people are saying I am tall for my 15.2hh pony as I am 5'10"!
 
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Good to see some people here with some smaller horses doing well, and great photo greygates .

I guess from what people are saying I am tall for my 15.2hh pony as I am 5'10"!

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I am 5ft9/10 Blue is 16hh and i'm hoping Merlin will make 15.1 or 15.2hh - i like smaller horses too
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I don't think height is the issue, it is how quick they are with their feet and how quick thinking they are that makes the difference
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You can get small thick horses, and big clever horses that make life alot easier for you
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But you also get the awesome little horses that are game and athletic
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Personally I prefer things smaller than 16.2hh as they are easier to keep together and I find them less effort
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(i've got short legs
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) However, I used to SJ and hunt a big 16.3hh warmblood who was very easy to ride, as he was very quick thinking
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Goddy was 16.2hh but very ponylike in his brain, so quite happy to go on small pony strides, and my 15.3hh mare now rides alot bigger over fences.
 
I prefer a horse around 16.1hh. Bigger than 16.3hh and its a bit of an effort to keep together, smaller than 15.2hh and I think it can feel like you haven't much in front of you. I just like the feeling of a horse around 16-16.2hh.

To be honest though, height is really one of the least important factors IMO, because so much depends on build and temperament. Horses can be smart and agile and bold whether they are large or small.

I used to ride a mare who was long backed, and a full up 16.1hh, and she would put two strides in doubles that 14hh ponies would put one in.
 
I always thought I'd want a big horse (16.2hh+), but ended up with a 15.1hh who thinks she's a pony when it comes to striding!
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(I also thought I wanted a gelding, def not bay and she's a bay mare!
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) She can put 2 strides in a 1 stride double when SJ and still leave both parts up as she's so careful and athletic!
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Having had her, I'd now say that 15.1-16hh is my preferred height range, something that can be nimble and athletic- she can hold her own against ponies in jump offs! I would probably look for something with a lot of tb in it for speed as she does have a slower natural comfort pace XC and needs kicked on more than blood horses, but I do like my pocket rocket!
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I agree with KatB...

For me size has nothing to do wth it. Its the attitude/ability that counts. My last mare was 15.3h and we jumped up to NCs, though only really successful up to Disco/1.05m. She had great breeding and *alot* of jump - but she just didnt have the right attitude/brain (not sure exactly what you'd call it - X factor maybe!) to jump the bigger tracks. I currently have two HUGE geldings, one is around 16.3H (and pretty stocky) and the other is 17.1H (he is also very long backed). Both of them (so far at least) have proved to have a better attitude than the mare, Arctic in particular (the bigger of the two) just has the best brain i have EVER come across... he has taken me from nervous around 1.05m, to being able to compete around 1.20m.

What im trying to say is that i dont think size is the issue, it doesnt matter if the horse is small or big, it's the ability (its brain included) to jump the tracks that i will continue to look for in any horse i have from now on....
 
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