Horse size V's Rider Size

Purple Hugs

New Member
Aug 27, 2005
1,951
0
0
52
Nr Llanelli, SW Wales
What size horse do you ride and how big are you?
What is the minimum you would ride?

I'm 5'4 and 13 stone 10. Although I am shrinking these days! :D
I am a new rider.. And as I ride the RS's horses I'm not sure what size horse would best suit me? :eek:

Any idea's?

(don't worry I'm not going horse shopping... just wondered when it comes to shares).

Thanks,
 
Thanks, it's good to have an idea once i'm nearer my weight goal too. :)
Nothing like riding as an incentive to lose weight.. I'd recommend it to anyone! :D

I know one of the horses at my RS is a HUGE thoroughbred but the other one I ride regular is big, but not quite so big, and a bit wider. I'll have to ask how high I think. :p

I'm no longer scared of a horses height or mounting etc, just don't want to overwork a horse! :rolleyes:
 
I'm 5 ft 3 and weigh about 10 and a half stone - (am shrinking too! :D ) and Storm is a connie x of 15hh. Although at first I convinced myself I was way too heavy for her!!! I think we are just right for each other. If I could learn how to put pics on here I'd be able to show you........ :p
 
I know a girl who has a stocky 13.2 pony and I would say she is about 5 ft 2 or 3 and possibly weighs 10ish. I'm no good at guessing games :eek:

I am 5ft 2 8 stone and I have skinny 15.2 some people think he is too big for me. sometimes I wish I had bought something I can mount from the ground. :D
 
I am ridiculously short. 5'0"/1.52 m, 115 lbs/52 kgs/8 stone. Currently, I'm riding a 16hh mare, I also ride a 15hh mare. Honestly, I think 15.2 would be just right for me. I don't mind riding the big ones (16+), it just makes it hard to mount from the ground if I have to. Mounting is really my only problem.

I'll ride whatever will hold my weight comfortably, but I don't think I'd buy a horse any smaller than 15hh. Like I said, I'm short. I need something to make up for it. :D
 
i'm 5ft6 and a smidge lighter than you purple hugs. i have a 15.2hh m/w cob and a stocky 13.3hh welsh. when i was younger (although not much shorter :rolleyes: ) i used to ride our YO's 13.1hh conny. our YO rode her aswell and she was a good 5ft10 and heavier than i am now. the pony carried her with ease.

an old school friend of mine has a 16.2hh irish TB and she is at least 20 stone in weight. her horse has never had a problem carrying her.
 
What size horse

I am average height - 5'6" and weight 9 stone (at last!!!). My horse is far too big for me- I cannot get on him from the ground, and very bolshy. He is 17.2hh Belgian Warmblood and is as muscley as tall.

I look small on him, but after two years getting to know him I would not change him for the world. He is schooled to perfection and his jump is out of this world, have found the perfect fella. It would be easier if he was 16.2hh though.
 
Im 5ft5 and about 9st. i ride anyhorse from 14h2-16h.
but once i rode a cobby which was about 14hh2 and later that day a rather large (and i mean ,large in lots of ways!) was riding on him, and was even galloping on him.
i think its all about the horses tolerence to weight, small cobbys could probabaly take more than a slightly large but finer horse
 
Hi there,

Your scales weight does have a part to play, but you mustn't forget your riding weight also. Strange as it sounds, if one 11stone person is ok for a certain horse, their 11stone friend might not be. If you are balanced in the saddle, in control of your own movements (basically, no bouncing! ;)) and reasonably fit, as well as have riding experience, then you will ride lighter.

To illustrate, Toad's rider weight for the RDA is 6 1/2 stone. I am easily way more than that, but she carries me comfortably. While I'm not condemning all riders with disabilities (many are far better riders than I will ever be) the majority at the level I teach have problems with balance, or with reacting quickly to the horses movements, with being in control of their own movement, and they simply don't have enough saddle time to ride with a light seat.
I have always been conscious of being technically too heavy for her, and therefore do everything in my knowledge and skill to ride as a lighter person. Toad says it works, and I'll take her word for that :D

Karen xx
 
Thanks everyone! It's great to read about your own horses etc! :D

Asked in my lesson today the heights of the horses.. was easy as I rode the tallest of the two today.. he's massive! :eek: at 17.3hh.
My 'usual' ride is 16hh so not tiny.

I must admit Ginger (17.3hh) didn't feel too bad once I was mounted and even the dismount wasn't scary, as the drop isn't something that worries me. :D
He has had a problem with his leg so hasn't been worked much recently so was a little reluctant... but we got him going a little. Was more of a lesson on riding a horse that didn't want to work today I think! :rolleyes:
 
I'm 5'9", and weigh 150 lbs (10 stone 10). Quanah, my paint horse, is 14.3hh and Bram (draftxQH) is maybe 15hh. Both of them have enough barrel to more than take up my leg, though.

QH's are our weight carriers over here - as long as you get the old-fashioned kind, not the sort with lots of TB in its family tree ;) . Paints are pretty much QHs with too much white to be registered as QHs. I think they are kind of scarce where you are, but if you get the chance to try one, do it. :) Wonderful easy-going dispositions and smart, too. :)

My next horse is going to be a Fjord. :) Good weight carriers, nice temperaments, and they're cuuuute. ;) Have you thought about one of those?
 
I'm also 5'4" and was 13st 11 in August (now 13st). My horse is a 16hh cob, so very well built, however, I also ride a 16.3hh fairly lightweight and elderly Hanovarian, and a 15.2hh tb quite comfortably. I have also ridden a 15hh Dales Pony, but they really are built for carrying weight.
 
well i'm 5ft6 going on 7 :p and still growing! and i weigh about 9 stone maybe a little bit more. my horse is 16.2hh so that's what i ride normally but i also sometimes ride a 14.3 and have ridden a 17.1hh before, so all 's good :p
 
newrider.com