Why so big?

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If it works this is my horse. I'm 5ft 6 on tip toes and he is just under 18 HH. I think we look fine!
 
What an odd thread to start.. Started off as big horses being a fashion, to not being allowed a horse unless you can mount from the ground?!

You must be bored pale rider and really if someone wants a big horse it's not your business, neither is it your business if they can mount from the ground.
 
I'm 5'4 and have difficulty getting on 13hh ponies from the ground. I feel great pity for any pony who has been assigned to me for a lesson as I usually end up with one foot in the stirrup repeatedly making hopeful leaps. If given a choice I always use a mounting block.

The biggest horse I'd ridden is 16'1 and I find him a much more pleasant ride than the quick, choppy strides of the ponies. I feel safer too. I will fully admit that the idea of having my own 16'1-17hh warmblood or TB that I can do dressage with appeals to me. I don't understand what's wrong with that. You're allowed to like something without disliking people for liking something different.

This said, from experience I cannot groom the dorsal of a 16'3 and would probably require a box. I don't mind if I look silly. Gimli son of Gloin didn't let having to stand on a box to see over a wall get in the way of being the best character in the Tolkien mythos, so I won't let it stop me from having an otherwise great partnership with a horse.
 
risky business said:
What an odd thread to start.. Started off as big horses being a fashion, to not being allowed a horse unless you can mount from the ground?!
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I now have visions of the Olympic showjumping and dressage being run as normal until a halt station, where the rider is made to dismount, walk round the horse and mount again, to a score sheet for style and performance run by the local riding school. At this point, various riders will be disqualified, despite jumping clear and scoring 10s thus far, and the market in over-sized jumping ponies will go through the roof...

Meanwhile, in the warm up arena, further scorers will assess the aesthetic appeal of the various combinations, and only allow those through who appear to make the grade!
 
And she doing well...smooth dismount there...back on in effortless style on the nearside...things are looking good for a medal for Great Britain...there she goes back off...the tension builds...QUIET IN THE AUDIENCE PLEASE!...approaching the all important offside mount...AND SHE'S BLOWN IT IN SPECTACULAR FASHION!

Oh what a disappointment for the crowds here today!! :(
 
I think my horse is quite big, he 16hh and *ahem* big boned.

I am short, 5'2, and *ahem* big boned.

I think o/p and others would be far more shocked to see me pony squishing than on my horse, who although I cant wrap my legs round his belly, carries my considerable a s s with ease ;)

Oh and I can mount from the ground, in a very undignified fashion, but my horse is trained to stand stock still next to anything of any height and allows me to belly flop myself up into the saddle with much more refinement ;)
 
erminex said:
I'm 5'4 and have difficulty getting on 13hh ponies from the ground. I feel great pity for any pony who has been assigned to me for a lesson as I usually end up with one foot in the stirrup repeatedly making hopeful leaps. If given a choice I always use a mounting block.

The biggest horse I'd ridden is 16'1 and I find him a much more pleasant ride than the quick, choppy strides of the ponies. I feel safer too. I will fully admit that the idea of having my own 16'1-17hh warmblood or TB that I can do dressage with appeals to me. I don't understand what's wrong with that. You're allowed to like something without disliking people for liking something different.

This said, from experience I cannot groom the dorsal of a 16'3 and would probably require a box. I don't mind if I look silly. Gimli son of Gloin didn't let having to stand on a box to see over a wall get in the way of being the best character in the Tolkien mythos, so I won't let it stop me from having an otherwise great partnership with a horse.
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I'm 5ft4. My last horse was a 17hh IDxTB hunter type and the current one is a 15hh Connie x. I loved the big horse but it was a nightmare - everything just needs to be so big. Huge rugs that I couldn't throw over a rug rack when wet, eating loads, just everything BIG! I could ride him but I was small on him. The new one, who I usually refer to as "the pony" was 14.2/14.3hh when I bought him and is just a shade over 15hh now. I am never going back to big horses. He is so much easier.

WRT comments about choppy strides, I disagree. I don't think you can generalise this into "ponies have quick choppy strides". Mine has a bit of a sewing machine trot when he's being silly or tense, but when he works correctly, he has a lovely, big and ground covering stride. He actually rides more like 16hh or bigger, and my event-y YO (who really only likes big flashy horses normally) loves riding him. So it's about the right horse, not the generalisation. You don't need a big WB or TB to do DR - you only have to look at all of the ponies and natives on here who do well at it. Wanting one is a different matter though ;)

I agree with you about the grooming - I needed a big box to stand on to plait up my big horse!

I can't understand why this thread was even started. OP, what business is it of yours if other people want to have big horses? It's personal choice. You might just as well criticise people for owning mares, or the fact I drive a big "family" car when I don't have a family. My choice, none of your business.
 
chestnut cob said:
I'm 5ft4. My last horse was a 17hh IDxTB hunter type and the current one is a 15hh Connie x. I loved the big horse but it was a nightmare - everything just needs to be so big. Huge rugs that I couldn't throw over a rug rack when wet, eating loads, just everything BIG! I could ride him but I was small on him. The new one, who I usually refer to as "the pony" was 14.2/14.3hh when I bought him and is just a shade over 15hh now. I am never going back to big horses. He is so much easier.

WRT comments about choppy strides, I disagree. I don't think you can generalise this into "ponies have quick choppy strides". Mine has a bit of a sewing machine trot when he's being silly or tense, but when he works correctly, he has a lovely, big and ground covering stride. He actually rides more like 16hh or bigger, and my event-y YO (who really only likes big flashy horses normally) loves riding him. So it's about the right horse, not the generalisation. You don't need a big WB or TB to do DR - you only have to look at all of the ponies and natives on here who do well at it. Wanting one is a different matter though ;)

I agree with you about the grooming - I needed a big box to stand on to plait up my big horse!

I can't understand why this thread was even started. OP, what business is it of yours if other people want to have big horses? It's personal choice. You might just as well criticise people for owning mares, or the fact I drive a big "family" car when I don't have a family. My choice, none of your business.
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The choppy strides is just my experience- I've ridden one pony who did indeed have the most comfortable strides, like sitting in an armchair, although he was small enough for my feet to dangle below his belly which I personally find uncomfortable. Sorry for the generalisation- I know there are some beautifully conformed and well performing dressage ponies out there :)

I just prefer warmbloods/heavier tb types- I'm not massively hung up on breed and have seen enough posts on here to know that most people who set out with something in mind fall in love with something entirely different.
 
What a silly statement to make; although it seems to have worked judging by the number of replies.
At 5'10 with a 34" inside leg I prefer not to have my feet trailing somewhere down by their knees. Having a "flashy" horse never occurred to me, rather something that is appropriate to my height and weight with a good temperament. My 2 yo will probably make 17hh at least but so what? At least I won't be putting strain on his joints and giving him arthritis.

And as I ride treeless with dressage girths I won't be getting on from the ground any time soon. Plenty of fences, ditches and gates round here anyway.
 
I accidently ended up with a big horse and now i'm totally smitten! I went from having a 15.2hh crazy mare to being given a 17.2hh gentle giant! I'm 5ft 8 so i can get on from the ground if needs be but he's easier to ride and handle than most smaller horses i know. I don't think it's a fashion statement... big doesn't necessarily mean flashy. i'd rather see a small person on a large horse than a large person on a small horse.
 
JadeyB said:
I accidently ended up with a big horse and now i'm totally smitten! I went from having a 15.2hh crazy mare to being given a 17.2hh gentle giant! I'm 5ft 8 so i can get on from the ground if needs be but he's easier to ride and handle than most smaller horses i know. I don't think it's a fashion statement... big doesn't necessarily mean flashy. i'd rather see a small person on a large horse than a large person on a small horse.
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This is a good point actually: better small on big than big on small?
 
chestnut cob said:
WRT comments about choppy strides, I disagree. I don't think you can generalise this into "ponies have quick choppy strides". Mine has a bit of a sewing machine trot when he's being silly or tense, but when he works correctly, he has a lovely, big and ground covering stride.
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I actually like the bouncy pony strides :) Far more fun, and (IMO) takes far more effort to ride well. I get on a horse nowadays and feel like I'm just sitting there - give me a whizzy pony any day.

Horses for courses and all that, if we all liked the same stuff it'd be a boring world to live in. Having said that, surely there are other factors involved too - I can sit on a 16hh TB & wrap my legs round quite nicely. Put me on a 15hh tank and I can't get my leg on for the life of me. Which is too big for me? I guess as I'm 5'6, the 16hh-er?
 
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