Husband wanted to ride Pony

U

USpony

Active Member
Jan 7, 2015
139
169
43
51
My husband weighs about 178 and Rusty is 12.1 medium build. Would a little 10 minute ride be a problem once the pony is fit? Maybe the horse bug would bite him if he could ride a little;).

Whats the smallest size my husband could ride (for when we get a second pony/small horse)? He probably won't be riding much but if he is interested it would be awesome to be able to go trail riding together.
 
I'm about 170 and I wouldn't ride a 12.2, perhaps a very heavy set one for just a few minutes if it were necessary. Ideally I want 14hh up but again they would have to be pretty solid and im only 5'4".
 
For a short ten minute pootle about pony would be fine but longer than that would be a bit unfair.

What sort of pony he could ride depends on his height, his weight, his fitness, the pony's build and fitness and how balanced they both are. If he's new to riding he'll need a bigger horse, something like a Highland or a good Sec C or D. Too small a pony will unbalance both him and the pony.

If you want to see adults on ponies check out Wally and Frances set up. Lots of Icelandics there! Although they are classed as horses, height wise they are often around 13.2hh. (correct me if I'm wrong Wally)
 
I ride a Connemara pony, 143cm and my height is 5'4" and weigh 62kg. Probably 10kg + would begin to be on the unfair side. Don't know if that helps........
 
Maybe I could lead him around for a couple of minutes on the pony, but I told him he was too big. I'm thinking a sturdy 13+ - 14 hd Haflinger could be a good family horse and still give me what I want as far as pony-ness is concerned. I would be the one doing most of the day to day riding, but it would be nice to had something for the rest of the family to ride as well. I'm the only one who is anywhere near small enough to really ride Rusty (even my kids are all bigger than me) and I am constantly aware of my weight. I build him up very slowly to work. Probably too slowly if you want to know the truth.
 
Something like my lass would suit you. That said she can't take more than a 17" saddle as she is compact. So anything you went for needs to be able to fit your husband saddle wise.

It's not so much the height of the pony but the bone and build.
My 12.1hh days are gone I feel because I need a minimum of a 16.5" saddle. How many ponies can take this size?
 
My husband has a slender build so wouldn't need a large saddle. We would figure that out for sure before looking at horses, though. Don't worry. I won't let him squish any ponies:eek:.
 
Newforest, how tall is your mare? From the pic I saw in the hacking challenge it looks like she has a good amount of bone. I wish we had your good native ponies here. There may be some imported into the states, but they seem pretty rare.
 
I have to say I thought that American mustangs were often small and strong, although they are more like little Spanish horses than our natives.
 
The curly is rare here, too. I've never even seen one in real life. Everyone here has quarter horses. They are good horses, just not my cup of tea.

Mustangs are fantastic and it has always been my dream to own one. Some are small, but I have often seen them 15 hds and a little more even. They have everything I admire in a horse. Tough, small, smart horses with hard hooves. Some of them are very nice looking animals. Since I am looking for a horse that could eventually be for novices I'm not sure. They are definitely on my short list though. Tens of thousand of them are in holding facilities needing adoption.

There is a Haffie breeder in my town and they are not uncommon in my area. They are a consideration too, but I want a horse from a rescue or holding facility whichever way I go as far as breed or mix of breeds. There are so many nice horses needing homes I'm sure we can find what what we are looking for in a place like that. I've seen several mustangs at rescues too.
 
Oh we will be really interested to hear how it goes whatever you get, but if you should get yourself a little mustang to rehabilitate I would soooooo love to see pictures of your progress! I have always dreamed of mustangs...
 
I have sat on my neighbours new 12hh pony to test it before there novice children sat on it. Not that Im that heavy or tall. But on safety grounds as they are complete novices to owning and looking after a horse. It was more to make sure it was safe for them and not going to tank off. They had been riding a slightly heavier build pony which they could not control. I sat on that for them and it was too forward for me even. My point is:
Like me testing a horse on safety grounds, I don't think a 10 minute pootle once in a blue moon is going to hurt if the horse is of good build/height and fitness. As long as the rider is not super heavy, (which you say hes not). You would not want to start jumping or doing too much cantering, but just to walk down the lane for a few minutes is ok I feel.
 
My husband won't be doing any cantering. He is a novice and hasn't ridden much at all. Pootling around on the pony for a few minutes would help us see if he really enjoys it or not. I'll keep everyone updated on the progress. It will be a little while till we get another equine.

Newforest, you actually have people breeding mustangs over there:)?! I had no idea they existed outside the United States. I don't know if there is anyone here breeding them. There are 50,000 of them in holding facilities and can be had for $125 each (unless they are being bid on at action).
 
That is fascinating. It was an interesting site. I'm thrilled others are appreciating the Mustang's value in the world when so many just see them as throw aways. To me they are real horses. So often I see horses that are just bred for the show ring and are quite delicate.

There is a new movie about Mustangs called Unbranded that I love so much I'm going to watch again. It's a true story about a group of young men who adopt wild caught Mustangs, have them trained, then ride them from Mexico all the way to Canada. It was all to raise awareness of Mustang adoption and of how wonderful these horses really are. Maybe you can get the movie in your neck of the woods.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back