How small a pony could i ride?

[sweuzo]

how small a pony could i ride, i am currently 5ft4inches tall, and weigh about 11stone, but i am *TRYING* to get down to 9stone by July, which is very possible although not as easy as for someone who loves food as much as i do...

anyway, back to the main question.?

[eventerbabe]

most native types would easily cope with you. I'm 5ft6, a bit heavier and have a 13.3hh welsh D, although she's a 'chunky' welsh D and her barrel takes up my leg length.

i read recently in HORSE about an 18 stone ex-basket ball player who rides icelandic ponies.

[Wally]

Welsh B-D most British natives, a 12hh Exmoor would not have a problem with you at all.

18 stone for an Icelandic in Iceland wouldn't be thought about, If you are a big man in Iceland, that's all there is to ride. 1000 years of isolated breeding makes Icelandics the horse for the job.

[sweuzo]

i used to be allowed to ride the 'ponies' at my RS and none of them are that small, maybe 14hh ish, but now for some reason i'm never chosen to ride them and i have to ride the larger horses, i haven't changed weight sdo its a bit rubbish really :P

[xkatiex]

Hi Sweuso,
It depends what breed of pony you were looking at. I'm of similar build to you, 12st, 5'2 - and I ride an adorable Shetland. Shetland's are very sturdy and thus have no problem. If you get a weaker breed you would have to look bigger. Any breed you had in mind?

xKatiex

[Wally]

12 stone is okay for 5 minutes or so on a big Shetland, maybe if you need to sort out a problem a child is having, but 12 stone any longer than 10 minutes on a flat surface would be too much for a Shetland on a regular basis.

[xkatiex]

Wally,
A common misconception is that Shetlands can only be used as a child's pony - but my 14-year-old is heavier than me... So surely I would be less work than some children? They were bred to be strong, sturdy horses, carry masses and masses of coal from the mines.
I have a Shetland myself and set myself a limit of riding her to an hour. She has had no problems so far, and therefore, I would conclude, you are wrong sir.:p

No hard feelings,

xKatiex

[Pink's lady]

I'd totally agree with Wally (who incidently has hundreds of the little blighters). I'd let an adult weighing that much in them for a short ride, but it's not fair to expect them to carry that for any length of time. I had a very solid, big shetland. I'm tall (5'8) but only just over 10st I rode her for short periods (about 5 mins) when she was messing about for my mum (5ft1 and just over 7st).

Yes, they're not childrens ponies - too bright for their own good, but they're not adult riding ponies. Many years ago they use to carry fully grown man fro hours. But those fully grown men where 5'5 and about 9st. Today adults are MUCH heavier and taller.

sweuzo - to answer your question, at your present weight you'd be looking at solid, well built 13hh ponies+(exmoors etc) Welsh A would be too small, and fine B's too light. Get back down to 9st and you could ride just about anything, bar spindily welsh A and little 12hh show-pony types.

[xkatiex]

It also depends on rider ability. My daughter, who was 9st the last time I checked (Must've been about 6 months ago; time to get the scales out methinks!) isn't too great/confident a rider yet, and it's noticeable that she is harder work than myself to the Shetland. I believe that rider ability has a huge part to play.

[Wally]

In deed it does, I have about 28 Shetlands, some are 42 inches and like a brick built outhouse, and I aggree they are built to work and work hard, I have ridden my 42 inch horse and he can carry me for 10 minutes at a time, he has no problems, but this is on a level indoor riding surface and for a short time only. I live in Shetland!

A bad rider at 7 stone will do more damage than a 14 stone rider riding in balance and with skill.

The Shetland man has not grown they were as tall back in the 1800's as they are now, but they were a lot fitter and wire-ier (if that's a word!)

Andy would take a 10 stone GOOD rider out on a good hour in the hill, but any heavier isn't really fair on them.

[xkatiex]

As I say, I set myself a personal limit of an hour, but I rarely reach that - and i'm barely over 10st.

Regards,
xKatiex

[Pink's lady]

I'm of similar build to you, 12st, 5'2

and i'm barely over 10st

But you just said you were 12st, :confused: which for a shetland is a BIG difference.

[Wally]

It depends almost entirely on the type of horse. I'm 5'6 12st and I ride my own 8.9HH Shetland whenever I get a chance.


Make up your mind!

[xkatiex]

2st? That's another bag of peat that Shetland's were bred to carry...
Also, I've been riding since I was 7, so i'm not bad!

Gosh, you guys like a debate here don't you?!

Regards,
xKatiex

[Wally]

Peat is light, one bag of peat or a whole load of peat does not come to 12 stone. I know I shift tonnes of the stuff it's how my house is heated!

[xkatiex]

A house heated by peat? Cool! What's the weather like in Shetland?

xKatiex

[Wally]

Cool! :D at the moment!

[xkatiex]

Raining today? It was down here.

xKatiex

[Wally]

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75112

[Pink's lady]

Gosh, you guys like a debate here don't you?!

Yep, but we also get kinda suspicious when they can't decide how heavy or how tall they are ;) hum................ and when they say their pony is 8.7hh ;) would that not make it, like...... 9.3hh;). Which is still very little.

[xkatiex]

Weather THAT good eh?

hehe,

xKatiex

[Wally]

Shetlands are always measured in inches, never hands.

[chestnuts4ever]

if 10 stone to you is the same as 12stone, by golly iv just gone down to 5 1/2 stone:rolleyes: :D easiset weight loss in a long time!! not really a debate.Katie.if you conflict yourself people will ask questions...human nature, its like me saying my ponies 12.2 one day then the next saying hes 14.2!!!! :p , also well done fo changing the subject to the good ol weather, good trick:p :p :p :p :D

[Frances]

....and the goat went trip trap, trip trap over the ricketty bridge!

Methinks I smell a troll........

[sweuzo]

sure shes not talking about american shetlands?

any way i would have in mind, possibly dartmoor or exmoor (not totally sure on the differences), or some other cross, sturdy built thing, but i do quite like the look of fjords not sure if they are ponies or horses though...

what are the sizes of different breeds of ponies??

[ShadowCat]

I would highly recommend a Dartmoor. They are generally about 12 hands. Occasionally you run into 13 hand Dartmoors, but it's pretty rare. I have four of them and love them. They are extremely docile and friendly. Most are dead calm as well. My two boys (both 2 1/2 years old) have had a person on them for short periods of time and they didn't even bat an eye. I wouldn't really recommend a Dartmoor if you are looking for a challenge though. Exmoors are a lot more stubborn and difficult than Dartmoors. They also look somewhat different.

[Katie_85]

Ditto Frances.

Here trolley...trolley....trolley.....

[Wally]

We had a 12hh Exmoor, she wasn't much to look at power wise, built lean and mean, but I rode her in my lighter days and was shocked at just how big she rode and how utterly powerful, for her diminutive size, she was.

Exmoors are a lot more stubborn and difficult than Dartmoors Never met a Darty, but I can't imagine anything more stubborn and opinionated and independent minded than that Exmoor! :) ;) ;) Not a kiddies plod by any means.

[hApPiNeSs]

i'm around 10 1/2to 11 stone and my exmoor pony doesn't even blink :eek:

she can be a real angel at times, and they are very intelligent. But when they throw a wobbler :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Wally]

Do you find the Exmoor a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde?

Ours was a case of "We had a little girl, who had a little curl right in the middle of her forr'ed, when she was good she was very, very good and when she was bad she was horrid!" :D

There was no middle ground, enchantment or witch!

[amandal]

I am about the same size as you and used to regularly ride a 12hhish Exmoor type pony (no idea about her breed as no-one knew apparently but it's an educated guess) at a riding school I went to. I loved her - everyone used to laugh, OH said I used to look like I was riding a donkey but she was easily one of my favourites there.

[Vicki&Milo]

Me too Amandal, I'm sure she had a serious amount of exmoor in her, but she seemed to get smaller every time I saw her and I loved her to bits. :)
Like Wally says though, complete Jekyll and Hide though-she was such a sweety, only 4, but used to potter round with ikkle people on her, then one morning out hacking I'm happily trotting along at the back of a ride of about 6 when she desides the floor behind her is excedingly frightening, leaps up takes off and throws a couple of bucks in for good measure-I stopped worrying about being too heavy for her then!!! :D
I just wish I'd been able to witness this 20 year old being completely dressed down by a 13hh pony! lol :D
Vicki xx

[hApPiNeSs]

Wally - i'm sure I showed you a picture of my young cousin riding Happy. When J is on her back, Happy is a complete sweety, she doesn't put a foot wrong and slows right down if J feels unsteady. Even if ridden in the field, which Happy doesn't like very much, and she doesn't even try to put her head down to eat. :)

With me it's a different story :D She seems to think I can fend for myself, and has a game where she spins around as i'm getting on, and on the road, likes to randomly try to climb small hedges etc. She also likes to go 'faster than required' when someone more experienced is on her back, and my God, is she hard to stop :eek:

This can all be very embarrassing when parents etc have just witnessed a 9 year old do a perfect trot and canter around a course of jumps. Then if *anyone* else gets on, the games begin :D

She is not an affectionate pony, but if i were to groom and pet the horse in the stall beside her, or in the field with her, she gets very upset, threatening the other horse and nudging me in the back

"Look at me, i'm better, *I* want attention" :rolleyes:

Then when i go to pet her, she stands at the door completely ignoring me

"Ha! You think i need you to pet me?! I'm an exmoor, I am a wild soul. Go away mortal human"


She is also the queen of the strops :) She has a likit in her stable but she has never liked it, so i took it down and gave it to my cousins pony. Happy could see that she had *her* likit, and she threw a compete paddy, making faces at the other horse and trying to reach the likit (that she doesnt like). She then stands in the corner of the stable and sulks :D

Oh, and another of her 'quirks'. She will only let people catch her if they are not wearing a hood/hat or gloves. :eek: :D

opps, have rambled on a bit. Its never a quiet life when you have an exmoor! :D

[Wally]

Hmmm, the one we had was far too quirky. She was a very strange beast indeed. In fits of temper, if she was being crowded by other horses, or getting cross about something she'd bite herself HARD on her own side, if your leg was in the way you got it. But she did this with a rider or no rider. Getting cross would cause her to whip around and bite her own sides, and you'd hear the teeth snap as she did it. Ear flat and looking daggers.

[hApPiNeSs]

oooh, ouch :eek:

stroppy beggars arn't they :D Happy can *really* throw a wobbler

and hold a mean grudge. I read somewhere that horses don't hold grudges but that just isn't true! :rolleyes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/happy_the_horse/Happy/Moody.jpg

[sweuzo]

aw cutie

[hApPiNeSs]

swuezo - getting back to the original post, i think most natives would carry you.

dartmoors, exmoors, and the welsh b's up, and then you can go onto the dales/fell/highlands which are even chunkier again

of course, you can also get some lovely heinz 57 cobs that are great weight carriers :D

[Spritzy]

New Forest!!

A well built new forest pony can carry around a stone a hand. These versatile ponies are so often overlooked but they're fantastic.

[Wally]

I think the NF Society have an equitation class open only to riders over 11 stone.

[Spritzy]

At the annual breed society show there is definitely a weight carrying class.

[sweuzo]

look at this pony... i fell in love! if only money wasn't an issue...

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/DisplayHorseDetail.asp?AdvertRef=HM606D685

[Fizz]

my dartmoor moor pony would prob carry you fine when she is backed & fit, she is going to make 13hh

[Kanuma]

connemaras!!! brilliant ponies and well able of carrying most people.

[Megpeg]

Hello all,
First post so I'm really sorry if it's in the wrong place!

Very pleased to have found this board and (inparticular, this thread). I'm also tall (5ft 9) with very long legs (36").
I've found that (after weight obviously) it's more about proportions than height.
I always assumed that if I wanted to ride ponies I'd have to choose the heavier breeds. My thinking was that (from a purely aesthetic point of view) the chunkier types would have larger girths and thus would "take up" my long leg length.
But I've found that this isn't always the case.
When I went to see Minnie with a view to buying her, I knew she was 14.1hh and connemara x arab. I was really worried when I saw her. To look at she's a lightweight pure and simple (about as lightweight as they come). So I was shocked when I rode her and caught sight of our reflection in the school mirror. . .if anything, I looked a bit on the small side for her!
Despite her lightweight appearance, she has a deceptively wide girth and chest (that makes her sound weird and out of proportion, like a hippo on matchsticks lol, but I promise you she isn't).
I've had her for 8 years and in that time have "tried out" this proportions theory with other horses and ponies. It's utterly bizarre - I've found that I can look miles too big for a cobby 16.2hh irish draught, but then look too small on a lightweight 14.2hh TB - it really seems to depend on the individual horse/pony.
Obviously, chunkier breeds are usually more suitable (from both a weight bearing and vanity perspective) and I'm a BBBIIIIIIIIIGGGG fan of all the heavier breeds, but I've been really surprised by how many lightweight ponies I'd originally dismissed, only to find they were the perfect size!

Best wishes
xxx