What size horse or pony

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EvietheElf

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So I am going to get my bum in gear and try lose all the weight that I've put on over a few years. As a goal I would like to look for a horse or pony to ride but I'm not sure on what size ( I wouldn't want to ride at my current weight as I feel it would be cruel) I'm hoping to get back down to 10st or lower if I can. Now I need some advice on what size beastie I should look for I'm only 5' 1 and do prefer ponies as I feel I am in a bit more control but what should I look for if I get down to 10st. Any help would be brilliant!
 
You wouldn't go far wrong with a native. I'm 5'7 and have ridden from a 13hh up to a 14.2hh, I like being nearer the ground! :)

I'll be biased and say you can't beat a good forester. :D
 
without a shadow of a doubt and I am biased a Highland pony most are sturdy enough to help you along the way to weight loss and are just about as versatile as you can get. You can get them to suit all types of riders from nervous novice to crazy cross country riders. for your height you could ride one from 13.1 upwards although a full up 14.2 is a very big pony. If you are a lot over the 10 stone mark as in double or more you will need to lose weight before you ride but my 13hh is happy to carry up to about 14.7 stones but she is old she used to be happy to do TREC with me when I was close to 16 stones when she was younger
 
Definitely get a native. Personally, I'd find a nice smallish Highland, but I'm a bit biased - I've had one for the last 11 years!

Said pony - Mr H, as he is fondly called - is 13.1hh, and whilst I do look a little silly on him since I finished really growing several years back (I'm 5'7"), he happily deals with me (at about 10 st 6lb) doing all sorts of silly things, up to and including riding a charity dressage test in full chainmail. He's not that sure about plate armour yet, but it's not as though we can't practice. He also teaches children of varying size to barrel race; is very good at target-jousting; and is hopefully going to take me out hunting side-saddle either this year or next year, depending on how organised I am. And he's now rising 20.

Long story short, Highlands will do more or less anything you could ever want to do, as long as you give them a little time to consider anything that looks particularly suspicious to pony eyes, and I really can't recommend them highly enough.
 
I'm a good stone over 10 and 5'4, I ride inbetween a 13.3 NF weight (actually Heinz 57 Welsh/trotter type!) and a 15hh Welsh D. I feel perfect on the D. I do ride bigger and used to have a big horse but 15hh of Welsh is more than enough for me!
 
I'm 5'4, 10 st and have a 13.1-2 fell. (The measuring stick is scary!)

He will happily cope with someone a few of stones heavier and is also a leg in all four corners type.
 
You could get a nice small little ID x around 15hh or a good Connie. Either will have no problem carrying you. People often forget the unreal amount of work these horses did in bygone days and the loads they pulled. I sometimes think we've gone a little OTT worrying about them carrying us for an hour a day - that's not work to those horses!
 
I'm 5'6/5'7, just over 9.5 stone and have a somewhere between a 13.2-13.3 hh native pony - to be fair, he's a pretty leg-in-each corner type as I've seen (and ridden!) finer types of his breed, which felt a little too small for me, but I feel very happy on him :) He does looks bigger - people are always suprised when they learn he isn't 14hh - but rides very much like a pony!

It would take a lot to convert me away from a native now :D
 
I've a 14.2 Connie & I'm 5'8 & 10 stone & I don't even look big on her & feel like a perfect size :):
Any large breed native should have no issues with 10 stone ! :)
 
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