Am I too small for a 17hh horse?

Depends if u have erm...long enough legs?! I have a 17h and have a short body but long legs to compensate so my feet are in the right place :)

Just bear in mind, and I think these have been mentioned before:
1) getting off with cold feet onto tarmac.....ouch!
2) if you get off whilst hacking you have to wander round to find something to climb on in order to get back on!
3) they will not fit in a normal sized trailer and may struggle to go herringbone in a lorry
4) they can be hard work to 'keep together' when riding.
5) finding your stride when jumping can be a challenge if they have a big bounding stride.
6) this may just be my horse, by he isn't always aware of just how large he is, bit of a buffoon!

But I wouldn't swap him for the world. :D
 
When I used to ride at a 'proper' RS I would normally ride 15.2-16.2 max. Now I'm on a different yard where the smallest horse is 16.2, most are 17+ and a few are over 18hh. I felt really overhorsed to begin with, even though they are all wonderfully behaved (most of the time!) but have now got used to them (although it is still a long way down when it comes to dismounting!). I think it is a case of getting used to different sizes, but would also wholeheartedly agree with goeslikestink, wally and gruntfuttock - temprament is everything, especially on the ground. I wouldn't be happy going to this yard if the horses weren't so aware of their size and strength.
 
Bay Mare said:
What I found worse than getting on was the getting off ... it takes just that little bit longer to reach the ground, it just shows how we get used to the timing of things, and then suddenly you hit and you're not ready for it! :D
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I'm glad its not just me then! ;) I've gone from lanky 16.2 & 16.3 RS horses to a lovely chunky 15-ish, and the first time I got off her I almost landed on my bum because the floor arrived MUCH sooner than I expected it too! :o

WL, I'd just echo what everyone else has said about going for temperament rather than age/height etc. My horse is totally different from what I thought I was looking for - shorter, wrong sex, wrong colour.... but the advert appealed to me. After looking at it for the hundredth time I figured I should go see her anyway, and when I tried her out, something clicked. Keep looking, visit the ones that look good, and wait until you get the feeling that you've found the right person for you. If you click and the horse's personality and skill level are right, all the other factors don't really matter. Good luck! :)
 
I am 5ft 2 and personally I prefer the feel of smaller horses and ponies. My old loan horse was a 16.2hh shire and I felt too short for her as I couldn't get my legs around her properly. There is no way I could mount her from the ground, and when it was cold I thought my feet might smash when I got off her. Saying that, she is the safest horse ever and did a fantastic job of building my confidence. I wouldn't discount a 17hh at all, all horses will have pros and cons and you need to weigh them up individually. Good luck.
 
Its all about the horse and what you are comfortable with really :)

I'm only 5'1" and have ridden a 17hh ex show jumper and he felt fine... but I expect I looked a tad out of proportion :o
 
ponylover88 said:
Why? My 17.2hh is more sensible than my 14.2/15hh conny...

Weve had an 8yo sit on him, she looked like a pea in a pod on him, however she was w/t/c him and wanting to jump! :eek:

Not all bigger horses are nutters, my boy has taught me that. You should give them all equal chances in my eyes. We certainly werent looking for something that size, but personality said he was perfect. :D
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Congratulations, I to have ridden a 17h horse, jumped him etc and trusted him with my life. My 14h Cob is a real nut job. I just think given WL circumstances and background something smaller would be a sensible idea untill she gets her confidence and the rest sorted. If it goes wrong with a big horse, you are far more likely to be seriously hurt, both on the ground and in the saddle.

That is my final word on the subject, that is my opinion and I am entitle to it, I just wonder if everyone has been wandering around with their eyes closed for the past 6 months where this is concerned. When my confidence was in tatters I went down in size untill I was sat on a 14h pony that was forward going but safe and I am a totally different rider/owner because of it.

WL - I just want you to be safe. xx
 
Bobbin - just because you are frightened of the bigger horses does not mean everyone is. I know quite a few people who feel safer on a big horse as they are more solid and have more under them when ridden. I certainly do - I feel more vunerable on little horses.

WL - you forget the size of the horse pretty quickly - loads of people keep saying 'wow, Kalli's big!' to me, which which I always think 'Is she? I don't think so - she's just horse sized'. After about 12hh every horse is going to be bigger and stronger than you so it doesn't really matter (12hh is too, but at least you tower over them;))

If the horse has the temperament size doesn't matter. Only problem is getting on;)
 
Im 5'2" and have ridden 17hh and 17.2 Each horse will vary as it depends on how wide it is too. theres a wide 16hh in our yard who I find rides bigger than the 17.2 lad as the smaller one is much wider!
As others said getting on and off can take getting used to and you wil have a lot of horse in front of you.
I think priority is getting you a horse that will give you confidence WL, whatever height that horse may be so id give them all a try anyway and see how you get on? no harm in window shopping
 
I would say yes you are too small. Not because of the height per se, but because they take more to hold together, and as your learning, it would be wise to get something that doesn't need so much riding.:)
 
I'm 5'4" and rode a 17hh heavyweight hunter in my lessons. He was a star, really nice to ride, but for me (used to 14.2hh) it did feel like it was very hard working holding him together to start with.

This 17.2hh is on working livery and usually takes the bigger novices; and he really looks after them too.

Other than the extra costs involved (which may or may not be an issue for you - I don't know), I see no reason not to try them.
 
I know quite a few people who feel safer on a big horse as they are more solid and have more under them when ridden. I certainly do - I feel more vunerable on little horses.
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I tend to agree, altho mine is 17h he has a big long neck and huge shoulders, I feel very safe up there (mostly :rolleyes:) I rode out on one of the YO's little ballerina type TB's, not much shoulder and a skinny neck, it was like riding a pencil!!!!!
 
I rode a 17hh hunter type horse in Hyde Park. He was called Simon, a black gelding. To look at he was lovely but to ride....forget it. I'm only 5ft 1inch tall anyway and at the time was 6st 12lb and he did what he liked with me!!!!!! The person taking the ride ended up leading me back to the stables. A few days later, I rode an ex-racehorse same height 17hh, slightly built and he was absolutely lovely. A complete dream of a horse to ride.
I like my bouncy, gutsy 'littleuns' though. Falcon is my ideal size.
 
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This is me on a 17.2.

I'm 5ft1!!

jackhack.jpg
 
WL The important thing is not the size of the horse, but how comfortable you are with their paces and thier temprament.
I've known 17hh+ who are lovely and can be lead by a little tot, and those that only a very expereinced horse owner should handle. But the same goes for littleuns! There are 13.2hhs I would put anyone on, and others that I wouldn't allow many people near!

I'm the same height as you, and around a similar weight. I have pictures of me on practically all heights (I used to ride at a riding stables) if you're quereying how you'd look on anythng, feel free to PM me and I will have a look for pics of myself on similar things.

The most important thing is how you feel on them. If they spook it feels bigger, but theres more of them to catch you! So can work both ways...
 
Pink's lady said:
Bobbin - just because you are frightened of the bigger horses does not mean everyone is. I know quite a few people who feel safer on a big horse as they are more solid and have more under them when ridden. I certainly do - I feel more vunerable on little horses.
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I am not saying I am frightened of bigger horses, I infact have only ever ridden 15h and upwards untill I got Bryony, I always felt safer as I had a big old neck to land on. I am only small myself, 5ft 4 but weigh around 10.5st.

If I am not allowed an opinion, which apparently I am not then I won't speak. All I am saying that riding an RS horse that is huge can be very different to a privatly owned horse that you have to handle on a day to day basis without support. Why complicate things.
 
I'd say what I said on another horse v pony thread :p. . .

I would never say that one is 'easier' than the other.
Ponies have a lower centre of gravity and shorter limbs for the nerve impulse to travel along. So technically they're capable of quicker reactions than bigger neds.

But bigger neds are frequently harder to hold together (which if they're mucking about is bloody dangerous) and have one heck of a lot more ooomph behind their movements (and I've had some ooomphy ponies in my time to compare it to :p).

Go with whatever feels right. If you're happy enough on a 20hh mammoth of a horse, then fine. Long as you're both happy that's all that matters.
 
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