Adults who ride ponies.

[banditgirl10]

Hi,

I've just been looking at another forum about adults riding ponies!
I am 5ft 10 and have a 4yr old, 14hh short coupled cob.

I was wondering if anyone would mind posting some photos of themselves on their ponies and saying how tall they are?

Also, do you or have you had any issues in the show ring? Perhaps through not being aesthetically correct for your little legged friends?

Any help will be appreciated.

I will post a pic up tonight, as I'm at work atm.

Thank you xxxx

[sageandonion]

I am 5'4" and one of mine is a 14.2h new forest. Honestly, I am actually too big for her to create a perfect picture. Recently had a lunge lesson and discovered I put my weight into the outside of my foot in the stirrup, rather than have my weight equally distributed and my feet flat. This then misaligns my entire posture and means I cannot be wholly effective and I also then transfer this posture to my bigger horse through habit and muscle memory.

This is a consequence of my compensating as needing to use my leg on a slightly too small rotund tum pony.

No, I am not doing her any harm and I shall not be selling her as a result, but she isn't ideal and I don't think anyone should be told to go for a pony too small for them.

[carrie17491]

I am 5ft 2 and ride a 13.3 pony. I also have a section a who will be kept entire and I will ride him if he makes the height. It's not the height to me it's the amount of weight on the horse's back.

[rubydoo]

im an adult pony rider , my welsh c is 13.1/2 hh and im 5ft2 and lightweight .
i feel over horsed on anything over 14.2 .

[jennipenny]

i break and school on ponies just as a hobby and loan a 13.2 im 5ft 1 and have never done anything over 12hh just for the fact i like littlies ! ive shown them all and never had any criticism even when ive asked judges if my height will be an issue ! x
my 12hh


my 13.2 loan pony


11hh


and 11.2

[watchbank]

we have a girl whos 5ft 2 and she rides our section b's sometimes and has broken our youngsters that have all been under 13hh. Shes never had any comments on her height on our ponies yet and we have done well with them in the show ring!! Also dont know if she counts but my section d is 15hh and im 5ft8 and 12 stone and ride her and everybody always says we look just right.. this is the D




this is the B

[greasedweasel]

This is my OH who is about 6ft 3 on our 14.2 stallion



I will see what other photos I can find. I'm 5ft2 and hardly ride anything over 14.2 now, love my little horses ;D

[banditgirl10]

Thanks for all your comments.

Jennipenny your ponies are absolutely gorgeous! I will post a pic up of my boy later. You may change your views. I am heavier than you, but when he was vetted, it was confirmed that he can carry upto 14st! I'm 12&1/2!
Also, I'm a competant novice. I know people say that 2 novices don't go, but I know we can make it work! Along with the experience that my mum has, we will get there xxxx

[banditgirl10]

Awesome photos guys, thanks so much!
Will defo post pics up later for you all to see.
It's an issue that I am getting over, as I can't shrink and I can't stretch my boy and I'm not selling him!
Would love to try a bit of jumping at some point in the future, but due to aesthetics it may not be poss? Saying that though, my mum is 5ft 5 but there is only an inch and a half difference on the top half of our bodies. The other 3 inches for me is in my legs! My boy has a lot of filling out to do, so me thinks I'm making mountains out of mole hills! And besides, all good things come in small packages xxxx

[sally1]

In theory I agree that weight and height wise there should be no problem with you all riding your small ponies, however, looking in particular at the picture of Jennipenny on her 11hh grey pony I would say that she is too big for it because looking at where she is sitting in the saddle with her bum right on the cantle that will be putting too much weight too far back on that pony.

[banditgirl10]

And I'm actually 5ft 9! Lol xx every little bit off counts! xx
If you can find more pics greasedweasel, that would be fab!

IT'S becoming more apparent, that its not so much the height, but the weight? Am I right in thinking this?
Everyone in the pics looks so slim! Maybe I need to get me arse into gear and shed a few pounds xx

[vikki85]

My welsh cob is 14.2hh and I'm about 5'6" (I think! lol). I weigh about 9 stone. I do sometimes think I look a teensy bit big on her but as I'm not too heavy it doesn't bother me. If your lad is capable of carrying you, as long as your weight isn't too far back as sally1 described, I think you'll be fine. As he is a cob, once he's filled out and muscled up you may not even look big on him!

[iluvmyponies]

I'm 5'7 & I ride a 12.3 SHP, 13.1 Section B, 13.1/13.2 Fell & occasionally an 11.2 SHP. Not going to lie, I look big on them all other than the fell, but they all carry me fine. Will try & add dome pictures tonight.

[princessalysx]

Here's a pic of me riding a sec A stallion, I'm 5ft 4 and he's probably just under 12hh, I agree that weight is more important!

[choppytrotty]

It think everybody looks alright on their little ponys, only criticism, jennipenny you look a little big on your grey 11hh, just a little
But I like your 11.2

[showingfanatic]

I'm 5ft4 and 8 stone...
12hh:

13hh:

13.1hh:

13.2

14.2


I feel right at home on ponies, I can school anything from around 11.2 upwards although I look a little long on anything under 12.2 I generally get away with it.

[banditgirl10]

s1160.photobucket.com/albums/q493/banditgirl10/

Hi peeps,

See if you can check the photo's out via the above link as im having terrible trouble trying to upload!!

And yes, I know i look tall on him, but he does have alot of filling out to do.

Thanks xxxx

[sophiabell]

Quite interesting to read this thread actually. Is anyone 5'8 and ride a 13.2? I have two intermedites, one 15hh and fine, the other full up 15.2 and built more like a riding horse. I found it very hard to move onto horses as the height scares me a bit but because I grew so tall so young I had to really. I look just right on my 15.2 but I would loveeeeee to have a 13.2 C. They are quite chunky aren't they? I am 8 stone so the weight thing shouldn't be a problem, its just my silly long legs!

[ikklecob]

She is 12.3 and I am 5ft

[belmont]

I own two ponies myself 14hh &14.1hh - I am a huge pony person and dont like riding horses! I am 5ft6 and 9 stone.

[LucyHebditch]

I've ridden most heights from 12hh upwards at 5ft2", Look big on 12hh but can get away with a chunky 12.2hh

12hh

12.2hh

14.2hh, I think I look pretty small on him...

[m&mwhp]

I am 5'9 and I ride a 14.1hh Connie and 14.3hh PBA. I also occasionally ride my 13hh section c (retired so only goes for light hacks!) and I don't look 'ridiculous' on her. They are all fairly deep bodied so my long legs don't look as silly as they would on something that wasn't.
My PBA.

My connie

My sec C

[muggley]

The problem with taller people riding smaller ponies is that they tend to sit too far back and on the cantle of their saddles thus harming the ponies back.

You ride with shorter stirrups so that your feet don't really come down below the ponies belly and thus you can't knock the ponies legs with your feet. In turn, most of the time without realising it, you move your body and bum back in the saddle to alleviate the bend in the knee and therefore make it more comfortable for yourself. Your thighs then up nearer the horizontal than the vertical. Im not saying everyone is like this but a fair few are.

[tabbyx]

I'm 5ft1 and 7&a half stone and prefer to ride small ponies.
I have 4 under 14 hands, an 11h Section A stallion who is a real chunk, an 11.2 Section A fr/whp, 13h Section B/shp and 13.2 show pony.
The Stallion is a real chunk and really takes up my leg so I look good on him, the 11.2 section A first ridden/whp is quite chunky and doesn't have any problems at all carrying my weight, the Section B isn't the chunkiest naturally but he's still chunking back out to how he used to be before he went on loan but I look nice on him as he's deep bodied.
My 13.2 show pony is quite chunky and really takes up my leg, I look quite small on him.
I also school and exercise a first ridden show pony and LR of HT for a friend and look fine on both of them.
I find it uncomfortable to sit further back on the saddle so naturally sit in the correct position in the saddle so extra pressure on the ponies back isn't a problem, I don't feel the need to have knee rolls and hate riding with them so having my knees slightly over the front of the saddle flaps is quite comfortable for me.
I prefer smaller ponies although I would like a finer bodied 14.2 show pony as I think I'd be overhorsed on something taller or chunkier.

[nia2311]

I am too heavy to ride ponies, but I am also too long in the leg, even though I am only 5ft 7in. I rode a 14.3hh dales cross recently, very chunky but my stirrups were on bottom hole and my legs were far too dangly. I look ridiculous on anything under 15.2-15.3hh and prefer mine over 16hh. Its interesting to see people of similar height (a lot less weight!) on 13.2hh or smaller. Even if I weighed less, my legs would literally touch the floor either side and it would look awful I am sure. Where do you hide your legs people?

[LucyHebditch]

May 3, 2012 21:50:43 GMT muggley said:

The problem with taller people riding smaller ponies is that they tend to sit too far back and on the cantle of their saddles thus harming the ponies back.

You ride with shorter stirrups so that your feet don't really come down below the ponies belly and thus you can't knock the ponies legs with your feet. In turn, most of the time without realising it, you move your body and bum back in the saddle to alleviate the bend in the knee and therefore make it more comfortable for yourself. Your thighs then up nearer the horizontal than the vertical. Im not saying everyone is like this but a fair few are.

You're right... Looking at the pic of me on the palamino, i need to drop my stirrups a hole or 2... But I feel my stirrups are fine on the chestnut

[dancer]

May 3, 2012 21:50:43 GMT muggley said:

The problem with taller people riding smaller ponies is that they tend to sit too far back and on the cantle of their saddles thus harming the ponies back.

I agree - it's amazing how many in the showring look as though they are sitting in an armchair as they are so far back on the saddle you can't see the cantle

What is the objection to riding with stirrups the correct length? Is it because riders feel it will make them look too tall for the pony?

[Kaseyleigh]

im think its fine when an adult to ride a 13.2hh+ but it really annoys me when you get adults riding small ponies and going up against kids in classes its one of my pet hates because obviously they will out shine a child to me its cheating its like me im 5'2ft and taking my little sister Welsh a out i wouldnt dream of it i have as nice 14.2hh traditional as i dont want to compete against little kids and say i won against kids grrrrrrr gets my blood boiling sorry rant over !

[vikki85]

[/quote]What is the objection to riding with stirrups the correct length? Is it because riders feel it will make them look too tall for the pony?[/quote]

This is such a good point, I ALWAYS shorten my stirrups by two holes when I'm doing a ridden showing class just to 'fit in' so to speak, I don't think that my legs look too dangley at my normal schooling length as I'm about 5'6" and ride a 14.2hh, but it's just everyone else's stirrups always seems so much shorter to me

[angelena]

I LOVE riding my pony

I'm 5.2 ft and Angel is 13.2, Chunky C