small lady rider fed up with..........

[welshcoblady1]

being looked down on for riding my section c ponies.
i am only 5ft and 8 1/2 ,i have welsh ponies that i drive and ride
but whilst hacking and the riders come along ,and lookat you like your mad ,and my freinds do not even say hi when riding with freinds on the big horses ,but do any other time ,this makes so mad .
is this what it is all about the bigger the horse the better because i would look silly on a 16,2 although i have ridden horses this big i felt silly and over horsed .
i wish your freinds were your freinds no matter what one rode .
any one had the same problem ?
best wishes .

[tubby]

If they do that by my reckoning they are not friends. Must admit I've never had that but have seen people on big flash horses smirk at the sight of me on my wee hairy. He always wiped the smile off their faces though when he got better marks. Get some new friaends you're worth more than that WCL

[nutkin]

I know what you mean about the size thing. I am 5ft6 and have a 14.2hh which although is bigger than the welsh c i still get remarks about wouldn't i prefer something bigger. In truth no i definitely would not. I like smaller horses and ponies. I do not see the sense in overhorsing your self just because fashion dictates it. I know a lady who had a heavy weight 14.1hh dales x and was about 6ft tall. She did not look big on him and he was more than capable of carrying her weight. They had lots of fun together and he gave her lots of confidence. She only had him for a couple of months before she listened to other people saying she was too big and went out and brought a 16.2hh tb x who she has had nothing but problems with and is frightrened of and now will not ride him anymore. If only she had listened to her own instincts and not other people. The thing is you would think she was old enough and experienced enough to know better as she is in her late 40's and has over 20 years experience around horses.

[Wally]

Didn't you know, the bigger the horse you ride the better a rider you must be!:D ;)

Stick to your guns, YOU know that what you are doing is fine.

It is a sad thing in the UK, you are measured by the size of horse you own and ride. In other cultures like Norway, Sweden , Iceland and Denmark this is not such an issue, hence there being 60,000 Icelandics in Norway and Germany and only 500 in the UK. Small horses are for kids BIG horses are for grown ups no matter how big they are.

I know a great deal of big horse riders who simply couldn't ride "ponies" they are too sharp for them, you get used to the big, slow movements of a horse, get on a pony and they fall off due to the quickness of thier moves.

Hold your head up high and take no notice, they are all displaying thier ignorance to the world.

[joy70]

i know exactly how you feel, although my friends mainly have ponies! there are a few on our yard who look down their noses at me cause ive a lil boy & even children in the village have said to me Isn't he a little small for you ??? erm NO - im 5'1" 8 1/2 stone, was 10 1/2stone!!! and he still carried me fine he's 13.2hh and wo betide any child who tried to ride him! he is no way a childs pony! and even if he was, i'd still have him cause we have ace fun!

[tubby]

Too right Wally, I find my friends 17.2hh much less sharp than my pony. Thanks for pointing out that more size equates with more skill, hadn't realised why everyone wants to own a huge monster of a beast.:D:D

[Tim]

Originally posted by welshcoblady1
being looked down on for riding my section c ponies.
i am only 5ft and 8 1/2 ,i have welsh ponies that i drive and ride


You've got the formula right there, welshcoblady, the right sized horse for the rider. That is the key to success...carry on and take no notice of others.....:D


www.timagesphoto.co.uk

[Esther.D]

I am similar in size to you Welshcoblady (a bit heavier though:o ) and ride a 13.2hh New Forest type...who I may eventually drive as well (I drive my shetlands already). Incidentally I have seen a bit of the same in the driving world when I first started doing HDT driving with my shetlands (things have improved now there are more little ponies around) as people suggested I would do better with bigger ponies - then we beat them:D ;)

I wish people would just forget the idea that bigger = better, if we were young teenagers of these proportions no-one would think twice about us riding ponies:(

[galadriel]

Pfft. I may ride the tall hulking things, but that's because I'm tall and hulking ;) I think people ought to ride the equine that they feel comfortable on.

You know, a lot of people in the US ride Quarter Horses. A lot of Quarter Horses are pony sized or only slightly bigger; they're also usually considered weight carriers so they can end up carrying tall or heavy adults. Why should riding a pony be different from riding a pretty small horse?

I just finished Monty Roberts' autobiography. I've already returned it to the library so I can't check for exact numbers, but it said he was unusually tall and heavy (I think 6ft+ and 200lb+). In this book, he talked about two horses he had owned who had been very special to him; both were 14:3.

In today's society, the only reason to ride is because we enjoy it. So there's no point in trying to ride a horse that you wouldn't be happy with. I have horses that I adore to pieces, but they wouldn't be for everyone. They make ME happy, though, and that's what counts. Anyone who looks down on ANY virtue of your mount simply doesn't know what they're missing.

[shandy84]

I know how you feel. I have two youngsters, one is 2 1/2 and 14.2hh and the other is 1 and 12.3hh when I walk them out not only do I get smart a*** comments along the lines of that's a big dog or things ruder along those line but people say to me that they'll never carry my weight when grown, bearing in mind the smallest is a NF and only 1 when mature she'll have no trouble carrying a 5"5 8 1/ 2 stone person uggh, really annoys me when people think that having a big horse is the be all and end all

I have worked as a mobile groom and had to sort overhorshing problems out it's really frustrating

[virtuallyhorses]

Originally posted by welshcoblady1
...
but whilst hacking and the riders come along ,and look at you like your mad ,and my freinds do not even say hi when riding with freinds on the big horses ...

Get new friends, apparently these ones aren't really... or just shout out hello to them anyway. Life's too short to be arsed about other people's strange ideas.

I blame the movies - they all show people riding off the war on 'great warhorses' - this of course is total b*ll*cks - the celts rode to war on British Native ponies, the vikings on northern ponies and the romans on european ponies, the mongols on mongolian ponies. Even in medieval times with full armour it wasn't a Clydesdale or a Shire but a 13\14\15hh stocky horse or pony- the big breeds were not created until much later in the agricultural ages and of course the haughty TB is a real newcomer.

[Stella2]

I'm 5ft 7inch and when I was buying my boy who is a tad over 15.2hh, I was told to be careful that I didn't buy something I'd look silly on (the reference was about the size of the horse). I definately come across a strong sense of anything under 16.1hh is too small to be respectable!

[Wally]

Well My Ljóssiefaxi is about 13.1hh I'm 5 feet 8 oe thereabouts, He dances along like a dream, there's no way I'd swap him for a big lumbering horse.

A bigger horse would be easier to ride, he's a bit of a nervous whizzbang at times, but not mean, just nervous. He offers things all the time even if he "thinks" you asked for things he's in there like a shot.

If you don't know what you are doing with your body he's not the horse for you. Loose your balance and he'll take that as an official request for something. He was labelled as "mad" he's just misunderstood and mega sensetive. I still get snobs from the very south of England telling me how dangerous he is......he has never been south of Edinburgh....they have never been North of Watford...how do they know?????:D :D :D ;)

[virtuallyhorses]

originally by Wally A bigger horse would be easier to ride, he's a bit of a nervous whizzbang at times, but not mean, just nervous. He offers things all the time even if he "thinks" you asked for things he's in there like a shot.

Tut tut - there you go making assumptions ;) A bigger horse is just - bigger - you could easily end up with a nervous nelly (or should that be neddy) or sensitive bigger horse - then you've the same temperament but more muscle to deal with....

I tend to think of ponies as more sensible and versatile but I think that's more to do with how they're handled and bred than anything inherently sensible about being a pony\shortie :)

Big dufous' tend to get bred for size\performance\looks and temperament and versatility comes a poor last, then they're cossetted and given a specific job whereas ponies (big generalisation I realise) are just expected to be all-rounders, bombproof etc etc and so eventually they are

[welshcoblady1]

hi everyone ,and thank you for your support ,i do feel a bit better now i did lose the insentive to finish charlie my black sec c but i dont care about what ppl say now i am looking for ward to riding my little man with all his cheek ,lol.
let you know how it goes ,thanks again i feel heaps better.

[nutkin]

Good for you Welsh Cob Lady, and good luck with Charlie.

[unicorndanca]

Originally posted by Wally
. It is a sad thing in the UK, you are measured by the size of horse you own and ride. .


Not just in U.K. Here in Oz my friends and I get fed up with the 'little pony' remarks spoken as if in pity about are 14.2hh mounts. I believe everyone has a right to their own preference. My mouth dropped open in reading a for sale ad in our club newsletter where it stated the certain horse's for sales only sin was his height:eek:

[nutkin]

that is sadly an all too common sight in the for sale boards here too. It is not unusual to see a 14.2hh mount for sale because his 13 year old rider has decided she would like something bigger when in reality her 14.2hh mount is perfectly able to carry her weight still.

[Wally]

A biger horse, no mater how nervous or sharp, is easier to ride simply because the BIG horse has to shift his own weight and to move 700KGs takes much more effort to move than 300KGs. You feel a move start and it is easier to predict than a small horse who can turn on a button, often leaving his rider behind. Everything on a big horse is in slow motion.

I do enjoy riding any horse, but smaller guys are much, much nippier and if you are not used to that "nip" you can come a cropper. Tis is why I say that some riders who have not ridden a small guy since they were10 often forget the skills needed and the instincts have to be turned up much, much higher to predict and stay with that 360 degree spin, which on a bigger horse is so slow.

For the motorbike riders here, I have big, slow revving V twins of Italian origin. I was asked by a 2 strike rider why it had a revv counter as it was possible to count the revvs myself. My taste in bikes is not the same as my tast in horses. My horses have to be tuned, 2 stroke powervalves! If I was to ride the equivalent in bikes I would spit myself off at the first turn.

[tubby]

Goodness Wally t'would be a sight to see:D:D Oh by the way did what you said & have the book Hurray!

[Zingy]

When I once described Yog to someone to had a 16.2 that I rode occasionally (Yog is 15.3, but a lot of that is just withers), she said 'oh, he's rather small. I thought you'd have had something bigger'. I just about restrained myself from pointing out that at least I could control him, unlike others I could mention... ;)

[Yann]

Well, as I've said before I'm 5'11 1/2" and happily ride round the countryside on a 15.1 cob. She's more than capable of carrying my weight and is deep enough in the body to take my leg comfortably so we're all happy. Nobody has ever commented about me being underhorsed, not to my face anyway:D

[Bebe]

Wally, you've never seen Bebe move. If she's going, she's gone before you even notice, the only warning you get is her backside dropping down by about. I think it's her Quarter Horse blood! The downside to this is that whilst she's quick as a pony (I still ride 14.2s and under on occasion so haven't forgotten), she's built like a tank and can run through pretty much anything or anyone that gets in her way. Not fun though thankfully it's a very rare thing now.

Most people insist on telling me that my horse is bigger than she actually is, I think that people in general don't really know how tall a particular height of horse is and because of this it gets shrunk in their minds. Bebe is 15.3hh but I regularly get told that she must be at least 16.1hh or bigger. She's well built and I think this is deceiving to the eye.

Not so long ago I regularly used to ride a 13.2hh welsh mare and also a 14.3hh arab x welsh. There's a little arab on the yard that I borrow occasionally who can't be more than 14.2hh and is also finely built. I'm 5'6", average build. I imagine I look a bit big on smaller ponies but they can easily cope with my weight.

[DavidH]

Size does not matter.
My wife has always wanted to compete affiliated dressage. we tried the 16'2 route but my wife is only 5 foot and just couldn't get on with this size of horse. Having lost a lot of confidence (her previous horse was 14hh) she abandoned her plans and decided to settle for enjoyable hacking on something smaller.
After much searching we found a lovely 14'1 welsh section D mare perfect for hacking which we purchased for the huge sum of £1,800.
2 years on she now has 117 BD points, has qualified for the winter championship and is succesfully competing at elementary level (soon to move up to medium).
yes she does look a bit out of place when she walks in to the warm-up area amoungst all the huge warmbloods. That disappears once our girl starts moving.
I even over heard a comment from a competitor recently whilst she look at the entry list - "dam, no chance, Crumpwell Revelation is here" Boy did that feel good.
So remember next time some one on a flashy horse looks down at you. Big does not mean best.
You can check the truth of my story by visiting the BD website and searching for Crumpwell Revelation

[galadriel]

Originally posted by DavidH
I even over heard a comment from a competitor recently whilst she look at the entry list - "dam, no chance, Crumpwell Revelation is here" Boy did that feel good.

Big grins.

[haribo]

DavidH

well done to your wife and Crumpwell Revelation. You've inspired us all.

KEEP SHOWING THEM HOW ITS DONE!!!

[shebie]

hope you dont mind me putting my pennys worth in
i have a 14hh piebald cob who i drive and my two daughters of 22 and 19 both ride him
my 22 yr old is a BHS stage 2 and she dont careless what people think or say
as she says he is better schooled and takes more notice and has a better head carriage and loads of potential than any horse above 15,3 she has ever ridden and would never go back to big horses
congrats to your wife david h
as given me some insperation and determination to carry on as i to have had the same WHAT RIDING/DRIVING A PONY
TO HELL WITH THEM ALL
i am proud to drive/ride and own a pony
as other people say get new friends i have
good luck

[Monty]

Well done that wife of yours DavidH.......
And WCL, don't worry...it really is what you look right on. I've never owned a horse bigger than 14.2hh before. And I've had quite a few. I'm 5 ft nothing (well....it depends which leg I'm standing on really!! If I stand on my dippy leg...that's cheating because I'm only 4ft 10" !!) I'm errrm....slightly heavier than 8 1/2 stone :o so I've had mostly cob types, until Willow who is full TB.

However, having HAD cob types; despite their being smallish ponies, I've looked quite comical on some, because they have had barrely chests, and I have rather short legs. Depite my short stature and legs, because Willow has typical TB shape, I almost look too tall for her on my RDA dressage photos. She doesn't take up my leg length if you see what I mean, having a fairly flat rib cage. Guess what I'm saying in my clumsy way is....WCL, go ahead and ride what you're happy and comfortable on, and as galadriel puts it...pffft to the tall horse brigade...I mean the types who have inflated opinions of themselves- they're not all like that. Wally is right -the little uns do manoeuvre faster and can turn on a sixpence, and that can give you a problem if your pony were to shy, when you haven't the leg length (or you have a physical problem) to hold on with those legs. In which case sometimes a taller horse with less rib cage is in order. It just depends what you're happy with...NOT what anyone else says:
So go for it...you get that Charlie sorted, and forget other people.

You have my vote any day.

I may be about to shock you all in the opposite direction to usual. But you'll all have to wait and see!!

[ballazarina]

Hi
I get looked at alot when I'm out riding coz I have a 19hh Shire and people can't believe I actaully ride him. If the horse is right for you, it doesn't matter what other people say.
Trust me, a big horse can be very nippy when it want's!!

[Janette]

I am 5'9", and ride a 14.3 and abit LW cob. She gives me confidence because its not so far to fall!!!!! Havn't those 'friends' of yours noticed that?
Oh, and its easier to get on as well.:D

[Sidesaddlelady]

Until I had my big boy I always rode cobby types and I'm 5'8". After all, cobs were originally "designed" to take fat, middle-aged farmers hunting and to do general work around the farm. They are generally up to an adult's weight and anyone who argues with this doesn't know a lot about ponies.

You aren't on your own though. One of the chidren on my yard is 15, about 5'6" and 71/2 stone ringing wet and has a dales pony, Last season she was told by judges in various M&M classes that she was far too big to be riding the pony. It's about time someone told the judges that native ponies are not necessarily children's ponies.

[Waikato Valuta]

I'm 5"7' and I had a 17.3hh TB I didn't feel over horsed on him.

I think it depends alot of personal preferance.

As I also like ridding my friends 13.3hh, but I do feel like I'm a little to close to the ground, I think you you like that size go for it!

Just ingnore them!