Horse/rider height requirements

[Georgina]

I was looking for information/guidelines on how tall a horse should be for a person's particular height and weight. Sort of a horse requirements for someone who is trying to find a horse to buy or lease. What about fit for the roundness of the horse - a heavy set horse verses a skinny one? This seems as though it can affect the fit a lot. I am 5'5" and weigh 115 lbs. Can a horse be too big? Does anyone know of any good info? Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

[Sidesaddle]

The thing to think of when wanting to know about the weight carring capacity of a horse is the amount of bone below the knee the horse has. To measure the bone take a tape and measure round the top of the cannon bone, just below the knee. Generally, up to 8 inches of bone will carry 13 stones, 8 to 9 inches will carry between 13 and 15 stones, and a real heavyweight horse up to any weight should have over 9 inches of bone.
The height of the horse or pony doesn't always matter. A native pony of Britain, i.e. Dartmoor pony, was originally used by farmers to round up stock on the moor therefore it is not just height that matters but also the build. Take into account how you look on the horse, are your legs way below it's belly or do you look like a pea on a drum! this may be important if you want to show.
Hope this helps.
Sandra