the height/ weight debate

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Cinders

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Seems to have been loads of 'Am I too big?' posts recently, not going to jump on the band wagon as i already know the answer
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But i was wondering what exactly the huge issue is?! Obviously if someones clearly too heavy then fair enough but if someones just too tall then is this a major sin? Ok so the pony/ horse might get thrown off balance, any other reasons?

Just been thinking really as in an ideal world we'd all look perfect on our chosen horses and ponies but somethings can't be helped. I got my first pony when i was 12, said pony was only suppose to stay a year max as my legs were growing very fast but she was and still is such a good pony 6yrs later she's still with us
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I'm now 5ft9 maybe a bit bigger and my pony is only 14hh and an arab x, there's no way on this earth anyone can say i'm not too big for her but due to my 15.2 being off injured for the last 8 months i'm back riding my ponio again.

I find it interesting how many people are quick to criticise, i am a bit self conscious if i go out to any shows in case anyone comments that i'm being cruel, particularly as it seems now as soon as a kids legs get anywhere near the bottom of the ponies belly their moved onto a bigger one! Actually riding her day to day though she's never ever struggled and she actually feels much bigger than she is. Also i can't say i ever think twice about riding her as i'm only 8 and a half stone where as if i was a bit heavier i would think twice about it.

Until i got my 15.2 i used to have regular lessons on my pony and whilst my instructor knew i was clearly too tall she never hurried me onto horses or thought there was issues with me riding/ jumping.

A few pics, no more than a year old and i definitely haven't grown in that time
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So whats everyone's view on the height/ weight issues, not necessarily on me as it won't change anything but is being too big really a massive issue?!

Oh and i promise this wasn't a post just to show of my lovely little pony
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Hehe - you are certainly tall, but she definately is fine - as people have said, it is the way the rider balances themselves and the contact which is the major issue.

I just think that people need to be realistic about the type of horse that they ride, and not to expect a perfect match at all times. It is all down to individuality or both horse and rider. As I said, you are very tall on pony, but your seat is good, and she takes you very well, whilst a shorter person may not.

Oh, beautiful pony!!
 
i think your fine, your tall but slim and that makes a difference, i think if anyone has a prob with the too tall thing direct them in the line of one MR WFP
 
You are no taller on that horse than William Fix-Pitt is on Tamarillo! Get out to shows and if anyone passes comment just tell them to take it up with William and maybe Mark Todd!

I think weight is more of an issue than height. It's one thing to try and keep your balance if you're tall and slim which I'm sure you find relatively easy but if you're too tall and heavy then you have to work hard to keep your balance and the horse has to work equally as hard to keep you in a comfortable place.
 
See my horse is very deep chested but quite lwt, but could prob carry off someone about 4/5inches taller than me easily (I am 5'7) I'm not small, but think I look about right on him, though could loose a few pounds!!
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So he could take height, but prob not much weight. You look tall on Cinders but not big if that makes sense?!! I had a 14.2hh cob who carried me out hunting well, buut was quite shallow even though he had massive amount of bone, so he prob could have carried alot of weight, but not thge height....

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I think horse build has alot of say in things....
 
I'm with you all the way - I'm 5ft 8" and ride a 14.2hh. She's my only horse too, I don't have a taller backup!
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I think your pony looks like a right little firecracker and your height doesn't seem to be any hindrance at all. It comes down to riding experience and style more than anything I think, if you have a light effective seat then you won't unbalance or harm a smaller pony.

Of course weight does come into it - if you were 18 stone then obviously you would be too heavy for her - and I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that. It's not fattist, it's fact. There are horses out there for heavier people. There's a lady on the staff of my local hunt who must be approaching 18 stone, but she is a fabulous sympathetic rider to her cob who is probably only 16hh tall but about 16hh wide too!
 
You look fine on her. i think far too many people over horse themselves. I know when I was 12 and at pony club I had a 12.2 which I had for a couple of years and he was too small for me, in fact in the end I could sit on him bareback and my toes would touch under his belly! But I was lightweight and he carried me fine, would jump 3'6" easily with me. All of the others my age were on 14.2s by this time, but my pony could jump far better than all the bigger ones. Then at 14 I got a cobby 13.2 who was so much fun, although probably still a little on the small side for me. I never got moved up to the top group at pony club until I was given a 16hh ex racehorse who was completely useless - but big enough to be in the top group! Sorry, bit of a rant about my pony club days there! You'd have though I'd have got over it by now.
 
Absolutely- I know of a short, VV heavy ( not being awful, theres no denying it) lady who buys really really tall horses- with small-boned legs/frames- although her feet barely reach the bottom of the saddle, I would says she is much too heavy for them, she would do better on a horse a couple of hands smaller but with a heavier build that could carry weight...seems she thinks the taller they are the stronger, and thats not the case.

personally, my boy is Arab X - 14.3hh in his shoes and fairly lightly built- I'm 5'5'' and weight about 9st - he takes me just fine...
 
I think alot of people underestimate what horses can carry. Fine breeds can obviously in general carry less weight, but it also needs to be taken into account what they were bred for in the past especailly with the small native breeds which were designed to carry weight for long periods.
 
I think you look fine on her, I really only ever get angry when I see LWs carrying the not so light.
I ride everything, I used to take my little sister's pony out hunting because she didnt want to, I was miles too tall for him, but weight wise I was fine:
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Hey, someone told me a few weeks ago that I was too big for my coloured horse- who I bought from a man and who has a lot of bone to him- some people just don't have a clue, do I look like I am pony squishing here!?!
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RosiePimms, Osk is a prime example of prob not being able to "take your leg up" but as you said has quite alot of bone so can take weight. So you can look too leggy on him, but no way are you too big!!
 
I agree that many people overhorse themselves as there is a misconception that if you are over a certain height you need at least a 16.2 horse - I'm 5'7/5'8, very long in the leg and weight between 10 and 11 stone. When I started looking I was looking at a 14.1 mw pony - I'd never even considered anything above 15h!!! I now have a 14.3 HW cob and I'm very fortunate to have ended up on a adults and pony yard - my horse is the largest gelding there and my friends are all roughly the same height and build as me with their horses ranging from 14h fellsx to 14.2 cobs!!! These ponies have absolutely no problem carrying their riders for long periods of time!
 
Agree totaly P i know someone like that too!
My OH (5'10" and 16 1/2 stone then, 15 stone now)used to think he couldnt have less than 17hh then his 17hh broke and i lent him my 15hh cob to hunt- he was convinced it would collapse under him but after a day of having his arms pulled out he realised it is the build not the height! His favourite hunter ATM is a 14.3 hh Cob (aka Mighty Midget)that will cart him over hedges neither can see over. No one believes how small cob is until they get off and stand beside him!! One of the Masters commented "he might be short but thats some horse!"
It didnt change my 15hh cob when i went from 15 stone to 9.5 stone (very very stressful year for me- sorry no magic diet tips)
 
thanks for all the replies! Guess it's down to personal preference i know some tall people don't like riding anything smaller than 16hh as they like to feel like there's actually something underneath them. I actually feel quite out of place on bigger horse, just not used to it! Least i feel more reassured that i'm not comitting a major sin by subjecting Cinders to my long legs lol

Silverspring- thanks, i often joke we look like the female, less talented version of WFP, fair point though as i've never seen Tamarillo struggle with his height!

KatB- i do love your horse! am i right in thinking he's around 15.2? He makes you look smaller than 5ft7, you look perfect together.

blackcob- you look fine on yours as well, yeah if i was heavier or even 10st i think i'd try and find a smaller rider for her.

oofadoofa- bless you the little ones are always the best!

Rosiie- i think you also look fine on the pony! Also no way will you ever be too big for your lovely coloured!

babybear- lovely to hear others are enjoying ponies, their the best!
 
oops! could have sworn he was 15.2! luckily your safe then, if he was smaller i'd definitely want to steal him
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Agree with everyone about height versus weight!! I feel too big for my mare sometimes, we look worse in our dressage gear but when you take 36inch trousers it has got to be some horse to make that look right!!
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On the reverse I have known several shorter riders declare they prefer bigger horses, yet not one of these ladies has had any success. We are talking 5ft versus 18hh, her legs didn't make it past the saddle flaps. She told me she "didn't do dressage" which was no surprize her legs were no where near the right place for effective riding! Being on a bigger horse does not make you a better rider (oofadoofa, I can understand your frustration!!).
 
nothing wrong with being tall on a smallish horse or a pony as long as either it has plenty of bone, or you're slim and look as if you ride light - like you.
nothing wrong with being 20 stone either, i am NOT fattist (although it probably sounds like it!) as long as you are on a horse that is a true weight carrier.
what i think people object to is the sight of truly overweight people (their choice, in 99% of cases) on fine-boned small horses or ponies which are not weight-carriers, which have no choice in the matter... well, they could buck them off if they really object and are very rude, i guess!
 
I'm 5ft 7ins and 12stone, and I do sometimes worry I am too heavy/tall for my 15.1hh cob! He as 9.75ins bone tho and is a Shire x. I dont feel happy on anything bigger tho
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. Well except for my mates 17hh hunter - which is very random!

This is me with dressage length stirrups
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And jumping length (ok, not THAT much difference!)
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Some people are probably going to cringe now, but i ride a 13hh welsh pony that i have owed for 14 years and i am 5'2 and weigh 12 1/2 stone. She has never had a problem with carrying me she hacks out for 3 hours comfortably and can jump 2'9 cross country comfortably. I have her back checked every 6 months and there has never been a problem at all.

I think it depends on the pony, what they are used to and how in balance the rider is. You can have a 10 stone person that rides heavy and they will feel more like my weight.
 
Get outa town! there is no way you look big on your horse, not at all...you look great.

Back to subject I think 'personally' before anyone shoots me down, it looks neater seeing a smaller person (when I say that, I don't mean thin or making any reference to weight etc...more the length of leg is what I mean) looks better on a larger horse....like in the hunter classes where you will see ladies riding rather large hunters with plenty of room under the heal, I think it looks very elegant and neat but that's me and of course its just cosmetically speaking.
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I'm 5'6'' 9st and rode a 14.1 cob for the last 9 years and he had short legs lol! but because of his girth depth and his very well muscled buttocks and chest and neck, we did all the shows and did well, infact I looked better on him than I did on my 16.1 TB!...crazy
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Some people are probably going to cringe now, but i ride a 13hh welsh pony that i have owed for 14 years and i am 5'2 and weigh 12 1/2 stone. She has never had a problem with carrying me she hacks out for 3 hours comfortably and can jump 2'9 cross country comfortably. I have her back checked every 6 months and there has never been a problem at all.

I think it depends on the pony, what they are used to and how in balance the rider is. You can have a 10 stone person that rides heavy and they ell feel more like m weight.

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I dont see a problem with that, welshies are tough cookies!
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I am 5'8"/5'7" and weigh 10 stone and plan to buy a 13.2-14.2 welsh C, D or New Forest type in the future but I've had a few people look at me like >
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when I told them
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They think I should be on a 16.2 and no less otherwise I'll kill the poor thing dont you know!
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what i think people object to is the sight of truly overweight people (their choice, in 99% of cases) on fine-boned small horses or ponies which are not weight-carriers, which have no choice in the matter... well, they could buck them off if they really object and are very rude, i guess!

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I agree with you kerilli, I don't really see the need for it - as people have said it's not like you need a huge big horse for it to be a weight carrier - just something with a bit of bone.

In reply to OP, I don't reckon horses even notice how tall you are, just how heavy you are!
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Your pony is lovely by the way.

Oh and Rosiie - who said you were too big for Oshk?? What utter boll*cks!!

I'm 5'7'' and around 9 stone, I ride my dads fine 15.2 TB but I don't think personally I'd feel comfortable riding anything much smaller.. if it was fine anyway, obviously it's different for cobs and such like. I think thats more because I've got used to riding bigger horses and it feels a bit scary on little ones!
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A lot depends on how balanced the rider is and what they plan on doing. Also the horses fitness, build, breed, conformation and age needs to be taken into account.

I've only ever seen three people on here who I've thought were probably too heavy for their horse or pony.

Natives, Arabs and even TB's can carry much more weight than many people on here would acknowledge with no discomfort or ill effects.

As I've said before my 13.2hh Welsh cross Arab will happily carry a short 11 and a half stone rider for light work, the only rider I've seen her struggle with was a rather tall 7 stone person.

I'm over weight (13 and a half stone), short and reasonably well balanced and happily ride a MW and a HW cob who are 14.1hh and 14.3hh, however I would ride my friends TB who is 16hh but has bad conformation or her 25 year old MW 15hh horse who has had tendon problems in the past.

Personally I feel more comfortable on larger natives and cobs but each to his or her own.
 
Your the same height as me (5'9") and my pony is only an inch taller than yours.
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Here's me just to show the size comparison:
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It really depends on the horse/rider combination (i.e. build of horse and how the rider rides and weighs). I'm 5'9", 11.5 st- 12 st and my arab carries me fine, both with my normal close contact saddle or my HEAVY side saddle. I think though, if I was a beginner, learning how to ride and thumping around, that she wouldn't be a suitable mount for me. I trained as a hunter/jumper rider in Canada so am used to riding with a light or half seat which Sen seems to like. We gallop and jump when we hack out and she's fine with energy to spare.

I've ridden 15hh- 16hh horses where i've felt underhorsed but don't feel like that at all on 14.1 hh Sen! She feels exactly the same as my friend's 16hh chunky cob that I ride sometimes.
 

I have the other problem, the horse we got for my hubby to ride is 17.2hh, I'm only 5'4 and hes lost interest already so hes mine to ride (not that Im complaining lol )

Yesterday I managed to hoist myself up but it felt very strange being on a horse so big, will get used to it no doubt. I do miss jumping on and off ponies though.
 
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