Why so big?

Yes I agree. I have always had big horses, 16.3hh was my smallest, my current is almost 17.1hh all my others have been 17.1 - 17.2hh. But I am 5ft 10" so feel I am not exactly overhorsed.

I sometimes think its a bit of showing off, that if you ride a big flashy horse you will be the 'perfect' rider. It doesn't work like that, and big horses cost so much more than smaller ones, in tack, medication, supplements, feed, shoes, rugs and wormers!

Trying to find a six inch bit ten years ago was like trying to locate the holy grail.
 
Spudlet said:
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!
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Yes! I knew there was a reason I went for such a biggie, I can see for miles! :)
 
I am only 5'1 and have a 16hh Clydesdale x - I cant really get up off the ground but he is quite happy for me to get up off a gate, wall etc....and because I love Clydesdales so much I doubt I would ever get one that was small enough for me (being such a shorty!) to get up off the ground from!!!
 
My large horse is nothing to do with wanting to look down on lowly small horse riders! I happen to like Clydesdale crosses, mine happened to be a large 16.3hh for my 5'4'' height. He is not flashy in any way, he is rather scruffy and cart horse like. Many smaller horses look far more 'impressive'.

However I don't have any difficulty in riding him, or mounting from block/fence/rock/kerb. I can mount from the ground with a lowered stirrup if pushed to do so, but would rather not.

I also ride a 14.1hh (and occasionally my daughter's 11hh!), and prefer the long ground covering stride of my 16.3hh, who is relaxing to ride and comfortable to hunt, with a lot of neck and shoulder in front which gives good security. On the 14.1hh I feel like there are lots of tiny legs rushing everywhere! Just because I am short doesn't mean I want to rise like a pneumatic drill.

On the 11hh I feel terribly unbalanced and top heavy (and liable to fall off!), despite her being able to carry me OK.

ETA. they also have the advantage of making jumps (and your bum) look smaller!

ETA again! The 'picture' does look better with my 6' OH riding him I suppose, but who cares about the picture really (not me). I can ride him perfectly effectively - he is so well trained a friend's 9 year old managed to ride him perfectly effectively tbh (though I wouldn't expect her to be able to mount from the ground!).
 
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I think size is a bit of a red herring, people always moan about 'the trend for overhorsing on massive 17hh hunters'...or whatever. But really, you *could* be 'overhorsed' on a sharp 13hh pony, yet perfectly OK on a big softhearted clydesdale for example! Size isn't everything - either way. I do prefer smaller, but more from a practicalities viewpoint - if I had the facilities, I'd have heavies!
 
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DanceswithCows said:
I think size is a bit of a red herring, people always moan about 'the trend for overhorsing on massive 17hh hunters'...or whatever. But really, you *could* be 'overhorsed' on a sharp 13hh pony, yet perfectly OK on a big softhearted clydesdale for example! Size isn't everything - either way. I do prefer smaller, but more from a practicalities viewpoint - if I had the facilities, I'd have heavies!
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I am over horsed on a 14hh pony :o. (And I am still nearly 5ft8)

I exaggerate slightly, I can ride her, I just would rather she behaved rather less mad at times.
 
FfionWinnie said:
I am over horsed on a 14hh pony :o. (And I am still nearly 5ft8)

I exaggerate slightly, I can ride her, I just would rather she behaved rather less mad at times.
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Quite! I used to ride a VERY large horse, who was really good, just a wee bit strong now and then, but nothing teenage me couldn't handle, but I was over horses on a nasty 13.3! I had quite a bad fall off her.
 
If worst comes to worst you can always put your stirrup down to its longest length to help you with the leg up, then shorten it when on board. But again i would always look for something to climb first. As for being able to mount from both sides i was always taught to do that anyway. I can easlily be classed as overhorsed with any pony as i cannot for the life of me get used to their lil pony steps. Trott trott trott plop off is how it usually ends up. Horses im fine with. So where would that leave me then go for big or small?
 
I deliberately bought a big horse - a 17.2h Irish Draught. It was a decision between getting something smaller just for me, or getting something big enough for my 15yr old son and large husband to learn to ride on as they had shown some interest in sharing my hobby. Sods law of course, once I'd bought him both son and husband lost interest lol. Although that's not such a bad thing as my horse is still a bit too green for either of them to learn on anyway.
When I bought him, he was the biggest horse I had ever ridden and I actually felt much safer on him than the little ponies I had learnt to ride on. Being a big boy means he's not so sharp and if he bucks or spooks sideways I feel more stable on him as there's so much horse under me so it's harder to fall off. It's like sitting on a big armchair :-) There's also a lot of neck in front of me which makes me feel safer on big jumps as I've got a lot there to hold onto and block a forwards fall if it goes wrong. Although I'm 5'5" I don't have any problems with tacking/rugging up etc. He's a polite boy so puts his head down to get his bridle on and I've got enough muscle to life a heavy saddle above my head. I've never had to get on from the ground and wouldn't unless absolutely necessary. But with a lot of stretching and putting the stirrups right down, I can get on from the ground.
In my opinion, at the end of the day if you can ride and are confident with horses on and off the ground, size shouldn't matter, and I don't care if people think I look daft on such a big horse. I love him to bits so would still keep him even if he grew to size of an elephant.
 
Pale Rider said:
Para riders are an exception.
I just think it's a joke if you cannot get on the horse. Justify being too small or unfit any way you like.
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Tough!!!!!
What a horrid/arogant thing to say. Your either young or very lucky Not being as agile as I used to be does NOT mean I do any harm to my horse
 
Pale Rider said:
Para riders are an exception.
I just think it's a joke if you cannot get on the horse. Justify being too small or unfit any way you like.
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Ok so what should I do with a knee and leg reconstruction I will never be able to mount the size of horse I am happy on from the ground and with saddles costing £3000 I not sure I would want to either .
I feel funnily enough no need to justify why I can't get on from the ground I would like to able to, for the accident never to have happened but it did .
I enjoy my horse he's happy and having a pampered life what's "joke like " about that .
 
I've been thinking this too. There's a girl at my yard looking for a new horse and says it has to be over 17.2hh yet she rides a 14hh pony with no problem. Strange!!
 
For me, horses got smaller as I got older... 17.3 then 16.1 then 15.3 and now hoping for not much more than that!
 
Pale Rider said:
I know everyone wants to be some sort of diva.

I suppose the fashion for Warmbloods is at the back of this.
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Don't think we all want to be a diva! Personally I'm not a fan of warmbloods or big horses, however I do currently have a 17.1hh warmblood!! BUT I am pretty tall so look absolutely fine on him (in fact he's probably the right size for me). But I still prefer the 16hh lightweight type that my other horse is, I just like them short coupled and pony-like, find them so much more agile for XC and SJ!
 
Mine is (still going) only 14.3 and im 5ft 6in. I got him to drive and show in hand though not ride, although my youngest daughter might ride him, as will her boyfriend whos tiny.
The biggest of ours is hubbys shire x who is 16hh, he is 5ft 9in.
I don't see the point of getting a huge horse that you cant get on.
 
rascal said:
Mine is (still going) only 14.3 and im 5ft 6in. I got him to drive and show in hand though not ride, although my youngest daughter might ride him, as will her boyfriend whos tiny.
The biggest of ours is hubbys shire x who is 16hh, he is 5ft 9in.
I don't see the point of getting a huge horse that you cant get on.
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You may not see the point but if others do what's the issue ?
There's no wrong size for a horse as long as the rider and horse are happy.
While I admitt it is a pest not to able to mount from the ground but it's a small price to pay for a horse I adore .
 
Tbh if your goal is to compete at premier league dressage then you'd look like you were riding a Shetland on anything small... Getting on and off isn't the be all and end all - I can't remember the last time I got on off the floor - I wouldn't do that to my horses back... I gave up jumping on and off on hacks - why would you want too. If u r getting on from the floor routinely (and not vaulting on)you need to look at the studies on this and the damage it does to your horses back..,

I hope U guys who think its wrong to use a mounting block routinely remember this thread as u get older... When all this jumping on and off is not as easy as it once was...
 
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This horse is a slight 14.2h, I am 5'10". I can get on from the floor on anything up to about 16.2h, despite having knee problems from an accident (car, not horse), but I usually use a mounting block. Why does anyone care what size someone else's horse is, or how they climb on board? None of anybodies business. Glad to see Pale Rider is back...............
 
As i said mine was 17.2 and i am about five four, but the op has failed to take into account that some people with big horses drive them!! ;)
 
I'm 4'11" own a 14.2 and a 13hh I look a right sight mounting, a bit like a drunk seal climbing a flight of stairs. I'm only 22 as well :D what is you opinion of me then?
 
I'm 5'4 and have a 15.3 and a 17.3 - cant mount either from the floor! I wasn't looking for a tall horse - I bought a two year old who just grew and grew. I couldn't care less how big mine are as long as they have manners. Am going to teach him how to lie down so I can just step on ;)
 
I am 5.1ft and have 13.3 pony which is fine for what I want to do, however if I wanted to compete in affiliated SJ or eventing he would be too small and traditionally there have been age restriction on classes for pony so small adults who want to compete at high level don't have a lot of choice but to ride a big horse, there are not that many small horses being bred or trained to compete at the top levels as there just is not the market for them. A big horse could be ridden by small or big person whereas a small horse could only be ridden by a small person, so if you are going to bred and produce competition horses then bigger is better as more people can ride them.
 
Trouble is that if the horse is small enough for me to get on from the ground the husband and his ridiculously long legs needs roller skates. For horse welfare reasons I use a mounting block.
 
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