Why so big?

Some people can't get on shetties from the ground ;)

I'm 5'11, I look much better on a bigger horse. I make my 15.3hh tb look like a pony!! If I ever get another I would look at 16.2hh +, though I do prefer lightly built horses.

Also, our youngster was bought passported at 15.1hh. He's now nudging 17hh...
 
My problem is I'm 21 and only just 4'11 and if I want to do any sort of competition then most say I have to have a horse over a certain height. I was looking for a 15'2 for a while and feeling anxious about it... However Iv now gone down the coloured route where I can show him regardless of size and age of me.. 14'2 gypsy boy and he is perfect!!
 
I don't even know how tall my youngster is, some say 16hh others 15.2hh I'm not worried he doesn't do height classes and is not up for sale. All I know is that he the perfect size for me!
 
I would class myself as pretty fit . I run regularly (3 times a week) covering distances between 5 and 10 miles, ride most days, and swim 3 miles 2 x a week. Plus some weights work... And I have not tried to get on from the ground even on my 15hh EVER... Mainly cos I'm crap at getting on so why should my horse suffer? I have never found mounting easy even as a kid this has nothing to do with my ability to ride or my fitness level - Very strange thing to judge someone's ability to ride ont you think?
 
I'm 5'10", but I prefer smaller horses. I have only ridden 17 hh once and it felt like I was steering a battle ship. Have also spent the last 15 or so years riding endurance, which means Arabians, so maybe I have just got used to it. I'm currently riding 15.3hh and 14.3hh and love them both.

I like to be able to mount from the ground in case of emergencys, but prefer not too generally. Moving away from endurance into dressage, I went looking for a young horse to bring on, but still didn't like the idea of a really big horse. So my latest youngster should mature at 16 hh, which will suite me just fine.
 
Pale Rider said:
I think the happy hacker remark is silly. Hackers probably encounter situations where getting on and off easily in sometimes remote locations is a must. Jockey's and other 'sports' normally take place in quite well regulated areas, lots of helpers and people about to assist when things go wrong.
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No, you misunderstand me. I was being kind to you, in that you are so obviously trying hard to find one element of riding that you are good at. Can I just say however that I also hack lots, and live in a very remote part of the country, and have never encountered any problems.

You have already ruled out many riders on the showjumping Global Champions Tour (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum springs to mind with Belladonna in particular), and have clearly never heard of Irish Draughts...

In fact, you are ruling out much of the female population, and/or condemning them never to do equestrian sports where what you consider a large horse is standard, so you are actually being very sexist. Since women statistically are shorter than men. Its called indirect discrimination.
 
I like big horses because I feel secure on them! I'm about 5'6 and have a full up 16.2hh ID. I can hop on him from the ground no problem. I could also hop on the 17.2hh ID that I schooled for a while. However I did tend to rip whatever I had on my legs! So in the end I just made him stand by the mounting block after ripping 5 pairs of jodphurs in as many days! Haha. But, I am rather leggy. And a 15.2hh traddie cob I schooled didn't take up my leg for some reason and I looked ridiculous on him. If you can manage said big pony, what's the problem?
 
Brightbay said:
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.
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:-0 omg! This is great!!
 
What an odd thread...

I like smaller horses. My horse is a compact little 15.2/3. I also ride my mother's 16.1/2, and love riding her, but ultimately I do wish she were a little bit smaller.

However, I don't see what the type of horse I prefer/that suits me, has to do with mounting from the ground. I wouldn't want to mount any horse from the ground. It's bad for their back and saddle. I used a mounting block even with the 14.2 I had as a teenager. I have never found my refusal to mount from the ground to hinder whatever work I'm doing with my horses.
 
Im 5'4 and mine is 15hh, I cannot mount from the ground, I could not mount my daughters 10.3hh from the ground either (not that I would!).

All the neds on my yard are under 16hh.
 
I think this may be the second time on this thread where I've mentioned that I'm not advocating getting on from the ground, just saying that I think people should be able to, and from both sides.
I'm sure people who have been around horses in the last forty or fifty years, will like me, have seen more very large horses about than there used to be. Things do change though and I remember a customer refusing to ride one of our horses, because it was coloured. It wasn't a gypsy type, just a nice coloured horse. (Not that I think there is anything wrong with gypsy types, lol). About this time, you only really saw solid colours, that was the fashion then. All of a sudden, everyone wanted a coloured one, amazing, even the blooming Queen got one.
 
It is nice to know you could mount from the ground in an emergency if you hunt .
My last hunter was 15.3 and I could if I needed to.
But I don't think mounting from the ground is a good thing to do hard on the horses back and bad for the saddles .
The two horses I have now are big 17 and 17.1 and there's no way I can mount from the ground .
It's easy to train them about useing gates fences farm machinery etc as mounting blocks but it's just nice to now you could if you needed to .
If you like the horse and are having fun its not too big.
 
I'm 5ft 4 and I have two warmbloods one of them 16hh and still growing and the other 17.3hh. I show jump BS and both horses were bred to show jump which is why I brought them, not because they are considered 'fashionable'. Admittedly I do look tiny on my big boy but he handles like a dream and if needed I can mount him from the ground (after lengthening the stirrup to the last hole :p), not that I do it often as it's not great for the horse.
 
I'm 5 10 and rode a 16hh WB weight wise I was ok but really height I was a little too big as in a dressage saddle my legs came past her belly, but I know WFP copes and if we have to you can, but she was a little small for me, but at least if you go that why their is no control issues.

I now ride a 17hh and he is a far better size. I think if possible you should try at least to match your horse to your size. But some short riders can cope with large horses but when you see a 5ft person being towed round by a horse that there legs don't come past the saddle hardly it does look silly and in fact I've ridden in. SJ warmup where it's even dangerous as they clearly have no control.

I also hate it when people say oh I hate riding anything under such and such height , that does not make sense..? large yes i can understand but smaller.?? if you can ride you should be able to ride smaller horses, it sounds like a excuse why they think they need a massive horse . And height does not equal ability some of the most talented horses in the world have barely been 16hh.
 
Brightbay said:
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.
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He actually does give you a leg up!! Brilliant!!! :D
 
Ludoctro said:
I also hate it when people say oh I hate riding anything under such and such height , that does not make sense..? large yes i can understand but smaller.?? if you can ride you should be able to ride smaller horses, it sounds like a excuse why they think they need a massive horse .
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That makes no sense whatsoever.
You can say you hate riding whatever sort of horse you choose, since when do you need an excuse, or even give someone a reason why?
You like what you like, and you don't like what you like. No reasons or excuses needed, especially for needlessly and strangely judgemental strangers on the internet or in a collecting ring.

Why do you hate it? Why do people care so much what other people are doing or choosing to ride? Some people would do better to look to their own business and stop worrying about other people, it seems to me.
 
I'm inspired by that photo!
I think if people ride western they have a different perception of a horse looking as if it "fits" them. Western riders have no concept that their leg isn't supposed to come below the belly.
 
Capriole said:
That makes no sense whatsoever.
You can say you hate riding whatever sort of horse you choose, since when do you need an excuse, or even give someone a reason why?
You like what you like, and you don't like what you like. No reasons or excuses needed, especially for needlessly and strangely judgemental strangers on the internet or in a collecting ring.

Why do you hate it? Why do people care so much what other people are doing or choosing to ride? Some people would do better to look to their own business and stop worrying about other people, it seems to me.
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I often wish people would pay more attention to the very real issue of people riding horses they are too heavy for, as opposed to far more esoteric notion of what people look like when riding "big" horses.

If you are short, it can often be better to ride a wider horse with a good shoulder, which happens to be tall, than a smaller horse which is narrow and has a weak shoulder. In other words, put conformation before how you look on a horse.

But of course its what you do once in the ring that counts.

I get the impression that the OP doesn't compete, or doesn't compete at a high level, and doesn't really understand modern showjumping and breeding too well.
 
Tinypony said:
I'm inspired by that photo!
I think if people ride western they have a different perception of a horse looking as if it "fits" them. Western riders have no concept that their leg isn't supposed to come below the belly.
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But they use their leg in a completely different way, don't they? So it's about functionality as much as fashion in aesthetics?
 
Tinypony said:
I'm inspired by that photo!
I think if people ride western they have a different perception of a horse looking as if it "fits" them. Western riders have no concept that their leg isn't supposed to come below the belly.
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Who says that legs can't be below the belly? Is that a rule somewhere?
 
my last horse was about 16hh - im 5'7 she was just right


ive now done the opposite - my youngster is around 14.2 and will make 15.hh mabey 15.1hh! i can vault on this one and now im getting slightly older wont have anything over 16.1hh now.... too far too fall!!


people just like big horses !!! nothing wrong with that!?
 
Tinypony said:
I'm inspired by that photo!
I think if people ride western they have a different perception of a horse looking as if it "fits" them. Western riders have no concept that their leg isn't supposed to come below the belly.
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There is absolutely no rule that says you can't have your feet below the belly line - that is just an aesthetic thing that showies have. I could lengthen my stirrups and have my feet below the belly of my Clydesdale, wouldn't mean she is too small, just that my stirrups are long!

I generally match rider to horse by a very simple method, stand rider by horse that is standing to attention - as in interested and not snoozing, if riders head and horses head are at the same height then they both usually match size wise for riding.

Having had a riding school for many years I have found this a useful way of choosing horses for new riders.

One thing no one has mentioned is that we put our kids on ponies that have growing room, but really are far too big for them effectively over horsing them and putting them at risk.
 
Because bigger horses allow me to nose over more fences and hedges when out hacking. Small horses are no good, they greatly cut down on your nosiness quota. Obviously!
 
How often on discussions like here to people talk about "taking up your leg"? If they see legs below the belly they say they would prefer to see the horse taking up the leg... I posted a photo once of my friend riding my 14.1 and people said they would prefer it if he "took up her leg" because her feet came below his belly.
I know that a lot of more "English-style" riders use their heels when riding, and I think that's probably why they don't want their heels down below where they will make contact. I think that's why we sometimes see people clawing their legs up when they don't have that easy contact.
Yes good western riders, and many others, ride "differently" and in a way that makes those considerations unimportant. Not saying one is better or worse than the other, just passing comment on one possible reason why different riders think size matters more than others.
Oh, and aesthetically we are conditioned by what we come to expect as the norm. So while longer legs might grate with some, I'm suggesting that in the western world it's much less likely to raise an eyebrow.
 
A touch under 5'9 and i make 16.2 look small! I like big horses as I'm long in the leg and prefer to ride long. Can get on 17.2 from the floor although I prefer using a block.

Currently riding a lovely chunk 16.1 tb who takes up my leg surprisingly well... may have something to do with him being rather porky atm!!
 
GlamourPuss86 said:
A touch under 5'9 and i make 16.2 look small! I like big horses as I'm long in the leg and prefer to ride long. Can get on 17.2 from the floor although I prefer using a block.

Currently riding a lovely chunk 16.1 tb who takes up my leg surprisingly well... may have something to do with him being rather porky atm!!
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Does size matter?

My very handsome French trainer is 6' - he never looks too big for my 15.3hh Shagya stallion.
 
I like bigger horses because there's more in front of you when it all goes pear-shaped.

I've trained all mine to lie down like the Household Cavalry, just wish I knew the command to get the beggars to stand up again.
 
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