What do you call "big"??

[Charmel]

will try and put photos on I am rubbish at it though...

 

[windand rain]

I have a 16hh horse on 13hh legs but I do think the bigger out of shape horses are more prone to problems. A big horse to me is anything over about 16.2. I guess it depends on what you are doing if you walk round the collecting ring at the hunter classes the horses seem huge not so much the hacks and riding horses. Think is a bit of each to their own but I wouldnt want anything over 16 hh I dont think. I also think a lot of so called huge horses would probably be a lot shorter under a stick as I have also met some 17hh and above horses according to their owners and I could easily see over their backs I am 16hh to the top of my head so the have either very high withers or have been a tad over estimated in height by someone sometime

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I had a TB on loan, 16.3hh, seemed about normal at the time. Then I went onto a 17.2hh warmblood, felt the most comfortable I've ever been on a horse. Now I have a 15.1hh who takes up the leg well, but I feel like a giant on him. I sympathise with people who feel like they're pony squishing!

 

[MagicMelon]

Same, I think of 16hh - 16.3hh normal sized. My 15.3hh mare I think of as small and my 17.2hh I think of as big! But I guess it depends on your own size/height as to what feels 'normal' sized to you. I probably fit my 17.2hh best as I'm quite tall but he seems very big to me and I prefer them smaller and agile.

 

[LHIS]

Anything above about 15hh! Haha.

 

[Shadowdancing]

16hh but I'm not very tall! I have a compact little 15hh-ish horse and my boyfriend thinks she's huge!

 

[shadowboy]

I think a true 16.2hh is a big horse. To the wither that's not far off 170cm. A small horse is what I own a 15.1hh. I tend to find a 17hh+ huge but them I'm only 5'4.

 

[Kacey88]

Anything over 15.2hh. Seriously. Although as many have said a 15.3 Irish Draught is a very different horse to a 15.3 tb.

 

[Charmin]

I think people's perceptions of height have changed, everyone seems to want bigger horses and everything's gotten half a hand taller. My mare's had several sticks on her and she's bang on 14'2hh but no one seems to believe me. My friend's supposedly 15'2 bum is smaller than hers, and she's not bum high!

I had another one that was 16hh, but no one believed she was that small either. She did feel big as she was very long, but she was barely even breaking into the 16's! So I think perceptions have shifted.

But go the other way and look at M&M showing and Working Hunter when done on height - there can be some very big 14'2s there!

 

[Whoopit]

I have a 16.1hh Thoroughbred but he is very very fine with incredibly long legs and a little body so just doesn't look that tall.

But I'd consider something over 17.2hh as big.

If love a 17.2hh warmblood or something!

 

[rara007]

Over 650kgish My 17.1 WB was tall and lanky but not big, yet my friends 16.1 HW hunter and my sisters 16hh drum horse is/were big. Shorter but most def bigger!

 

[Theocat]

Over 17th is big. Under 16hh is small

But it isn't just height - my old boy was bang on 16hh (measured several times) and was very neat - i'd have loved a couple more inches; I always felt a tiny bit big. New mare is also bang on 16hh, but weighs about another 100kg by the tape and takes my leg up much better.

 

[kassieg]

To me anything over 17hh is big, 16- 17 is average, 15-15.3 is pocket rocket anything less is pony

 

[emmad96]

As someone who has the biggest horse by a good few inches where i graze, I consider anything over 17h big - my girl is a very solid 17/17.1hh, with most of the girls having things between14hh and 15.3.

 

[maxapple]

I'm quite short and mostly ride ponies (14.1 ish). I think 16hh is big - in fact when looking for a part loan (as mine is now retired) I wouldn't consider a lovely horse who is 16.3 just because I'm a scaredy cat! I'm currently riding my friends 4 year old con who is about 15hh - and growing. So I'm hoping he'll grow, I won't notice and then I'll be over my fear of bigger horses without even realising 😃

 

[Kima]

I'm quite small so I find anything over 16hh 'big.'

Especially so when you have been riding a friends 14.1hh cob, then get back on your 16.3hh TB x ID :O haha!

 

[itsapiebald]

To be honest, for me anything bigger than 15.2hh is big 😂 I only ride a 13.1hh and a 13.2hh and i own a 14.1hh😂

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Anything over 15.2hh is huge!! Depends on the size of the rider, I am only 5ft 3in and really don't like big horses. I am really surprised how many people say anything over 17hh is big, 17hh is enormous!! The bigger they are the more difficult everyday things become, like tacking up, putting rugs on and mounting. All so much easier on something smaller.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Interesting topic. Objectively, I'd think:

15.0hh
15.1hh
15.2hh
15.3hh - Small horse

16.0hh
16.1hh
16.2hh
16.3hh - Medium horse

17.0hh + - Big horse

Personally, 16.2 and above feels tall to me, especially if they are quite solid.