Why so big?

Pale Rider

Pale Rider

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Is it my imagination or are people buying horses which are far too big for them. I know everyone wants to be some sort of diva, but, you should at least be able to get on from the floor if you have to.
I suppose the fashion for Warmbloods is at the back of this.
 
I'm 5'10, I have a 16.1 warmblood. I can get on from the floor if necessary, I am therefore exempt from your imagination.
 
I think more horses are taller than they used to be .
Personally 16.1 is my ideal but mines 17.1 and TB he's not at all big to ride being light and agile on his feet .
 
My horse is far too big for me.

I didn't go out looking for a big horse, but of all the horses we saw, the one we immediately clicked with was 16.2. I am 5'5" and was able to mount from the ground (just about).

But damn it, he went and grew! Now he's 17hh. If I ask him to stand downhill from me, I can just about mount from the ground. On a good day.

But that's not a problem? Even if he was 15.2, I wouldn't mount from the ground, because I want him fit and sound into his late 20s, so I value the health of his back. Also, I ride bareback a lot, so no stirrups. So I spent a lot of time ensuring that he will happily line up beside walls, fences, gates, mounting blocks, tree trunks, big stones etc. He'll also stand in ditches and downhill. He's also about 80% through training in boosting me onto his back with his front hoof, and I can stand on a mounting block in the middle of the field and call him over to stand while I get on tackless.

Big horse, small rider, no problem :)
 
I can get on mine from the floor despite being in my fifties, arthritic and overweight and my tallest being 17.1. I have to say that getting on the 17.1 is not the most elegant sight in the world.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of comment telling you the evils of people not using mounting blocks to get on.
 
By accident! I bought, out of pity, a 17hh horse last year. My youngster - out of a 16hh mare and by a 15.2 stallion is over 17hh already.
I can mount grown up boy from the ground in a crisis but would choose not to. Too big for hunting though, I would hit all the trees and getting off and on for a wee would be a nightmare.

I agree though that watching 5 foot ladies on 18hh dressage horses does make me wonder - I don't think it is a pleasing picture and they must struggle to keep them together.
 
there used to be a saying, 'don't buy what you can't see over'. Which became epecially true when I hit 40 lol. I dunno I am 5'6, last horse was 15.1h, next one should make 15.1h and have one for riding at 13.1-does that fit in with your imagination or am I too tall for that one? why do you care?
 
I get on my 17hh TB from the ground if I HAVE to - it's not elegant, and I'm not spritely enough to do it regularly without damaging his back. However I CAN if necessary. I like my tall horse as, I'm also 5' 10" and have long legs and a short body - I look an idiot on anything that doesn't take up my leg, but I have hip problems that prevent me riding anything wide... so a nice tall skinny thing like my TB suits perfectly.
 
I have a 17hh Warmblood - I generally like riding bigger horses, not to be a diva; I've just always liked big horses. I guess the same reason why some adults buy ponies, it's just what you feel happy and comfortable with.

And yes, I can get on him from the ground - I don't, but I can!
 
Whats wrong with liking big horses? They're just the same as little ones, just stretched a bit.
I wouldn't get on anything from the floor anyway, although I'm sure I could if I wanted to. It wouldn't be pretty though
 
As a (very short) kid I rode an 18.1 horse as sitting on a pony terrified me. Now I have a bit of a range of sizes but mostly around the 15 mark but odd ones I ride on both ends of the scale.

I don't do anything fancy with them and mostly ride bareback. I have the same solution as brightbay (expect horses don't give me a boost up - sounds a fab idea!). They line up with anything, anywhere.

I've had far more problems getting on grumpy little ponies in the past than big horses!
 
I try very hard NEVER to mount from the ground if I can help it. We start by training to stand for a mounting block and out hacking if I must get off I will be in search of a little tussock!!!!
 
Brightbay said:
My horse is far too big for me.

I didn't go out looking for a big horse, but of all the horses we saw, the one we immediately clicked with was 16.2. I am 5'5" and was able to mount from the ground (just about).

But damn it, he went and grew! Now he's 17hh. If I ask him to stand downhill from me, I can just about mount from the ground. On a good day.

But that's not a problem? Even if he was 15.2, I wouldn't mount from the ground, because I want him fit and sound into his late 20s, so I value the health of his back. Also, I ride bareback a lot, so no stirrups. So I spent a lot of time ensuring that he will happily line up beside walls, fences, gates, mounting blocks, tree trunks, big stones etc. He'll also stand in ditches and downhill. He's also about 80% through training in boosting me onto his back with his front hoof, and I can stand on a mounting block in the middle of the field and call him over to stand while I get on tackless.

Big horse, small rider, no problem :)
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Boosting you up with his front hoof? Im imagining your horse giving you a leg up hahahah!!! :D
 
Yes, so many people with gigantic horses. I think it makes them feel superior. I'm 5ft 1 and very petite so my boy is 14hh. When I was on the look, I was looking for nothing bigger than 15hh. I know people that are about 2inches bigger than me and just won't have anything under 16.2hh. Personally I can't be bothered with the bigger ones on a day to day basis- too much effort to change rugs etc!
 
When I was a kid, I loved the big lads. Now I think the smaller the better, and it's limited only by what I can get away with. My Arabian didn't take up my leg much and he was 15.1, but didn't feel too big at all. However I'm now hoping I can get away with a nice little shortlegs.

No disrespect to those on big horses, I think there's a definite appeal, they are so big and powerful, but I like my horses the way I like my cars - little and whizzy! Think it stems from being in a riding school, and finding that you had more strides of canter to get to the back of the group on a shortie!

Here's a pic of me on a beloved Fell pony - I'm hoping that I might be able to buy him. I was offered him for free a year ago but my foolish hubris said no, get an Arabian. I so regret it. I think I look OK - hoping for some agreement! Although tbf I think I'll buy him anyway if I can, although I'd prefer it if people didn't laugh at us!

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holeymoley said:
Yes, so many people with gigantic horses. I think it makes them feel superior.
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I have read some assumptions on this forum in my time, but that is right up there with the best. From now on I shall yomp around the hunting field looking down on all those little inferior horses and riders to fit your assumption!

I can get on all of ours from the floor, I just choose not to if I can possibly avoid it, for obvious reasons!
 
because he was the right horse for the job - i wanted a forwards-going, confidence giving horse that was capable of jumping at least a foxhunter class.
he just happened to be 4 inches bigger than what i was looking for. :smile3:
 
If it isn't a welfare issue, I'm not sure why it matters what size other people's horses are? I'm 5'8 and feel too big on anything under 16.3hh. My lightweight baby WB is 17.1hh, and will get bigger and taller. I could probably climb on from the ground, but why on earth would I want to? I wouldn't buy anything smaller than 17hh, and feel best on something around 17.2hh*. Unless it is actively impacting you, which I suspect it isn't (unless you are regularly being trampled over by enormous horses whose tiny jockeys can't control them), not sure it's anyone else's business. Personally I don't understand wanting to ride ponies, but other people can do what they like.

*But the taller the better, obviously, as I like to feel as superior as possible. :rolleyes4:
 
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rachyblue said:
I can't be the only person who saw this and wondered how you are doing this so I can teach mine haha!
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This was last year - he understood to push upwards but only for a second. I don't have a more recent pic, but he now pushes long enough for me to get a fair bit off the ground. I suspect if he'd been 15.2, we might have cracked it by now. I only remember to train it every so often.
535883_10150946861354155_1158246520_n_zpsd2f6db04.jpg
 
There do seem to be a lot more whopping great horses around but, maybe like people, with more food and less exercise, we are all getting bigger (or wider, in some cases hehe). If it means there are more weight carriers around for larger riders, then that makes sense, but I wonder if a lot of it is just the trend for strapping warmblood dressage types, but does mean more risk of people over horsing themselves, although I realise height doesn't necessarily = overhorsing.

I tend to say under 16h as I'm short, but my little friend has just got what I suspect is a 17h horse. Not her intention but he seems like a lovely chappy so should be fine, gets her out of gate duty on hunts but I dread to think what would happen if she came off!

Also means flipping expensive oversized gear and a hefty trailer to carry them, so wouldn't be my cuppa.
 
Brightbay said:
My horse is far too big for me.

I didn't go out looking for a big horse, but of all the horses we saw, the one we immediately clicked with was 16.2. I am 5'5" and was able to mount from the ground (just about).

But damn it, he went and grew! Now he's 17hh. If I ask him to stand downhill from me, I can just about mount from the ground. On a good day.

But that's not a problem? Even if he was 15.2, I wouldn't mount from the ground, because I want him fit and sound into his late 20s, so I value the health of his back. Also, I ride bareback a lot, so no stirrups. So I spent a lot of time ensuring that he will happily line up beside walls, fences, gates, mounting blocks, tree trunks, big stones etc. He'll also stand in ditches and downhill. He's also about 80% through training in boosting me onto his back with his front hoof, and I can stand on a mounting block in the middle of the field and call him over to stand while I get on tackless.

Big horse, small rider, no problem :)
Click to expand...

Brilliant Brightbay, what great training ideas.
 
Mine is a 15.1 solid cob, but when I first started her as a 3 year old she was only 14.2, which is the size I always feel the happiest on. I didn't notice her growing until it was too late, I was in love with her. So she's stuck with me forever now, but I would never intentionally get something that big. I feel at home on all sizes though...
 
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