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Ruth_Cymru
Bronze Member
Wales
90 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 09:25:39 AM
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As some of you may know I'm on the hunt for my arab. I've been looking at horses 15hh+ up until now but I'm contemplating going to see a 14.2hh mare (yes I have been looking for a gelding, but I've now decided I need to be as open as possible!) I'm 5ft7 and a size 10/12, so is it madness or is it all dependant on the build of the individual horse?
Thank you for reading 
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joanna_piana
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3935 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 09:29:10 AM
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| I'm 5'6 and Ishara is just under 14.2 so go for it. Arabs tend to ride bigger anyway and of course they tend to be very wide! |
      
Harthall Rashida RIP, Binley Ishara, Bouchan
Chorleywood, Hertfordshire |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 09:31:23 AM
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I'm 5'6 (I think) and a size 10.... Pasha is full-up 15.2hh and quite chunky (Russian x Polish). Shesky is 16hh and a slighter build being Crabett x Eqyptian - he also has withers! So I sort of look the same on both if that makes sense?
Arabs ride huge though I can go from my little boys onto friends 16.2 ++ WBs and I don't think they feel big at all |
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Gemma
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1802 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 09:35:55 AM
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5'6" and size 8/10.
Marygold (PBA) is a full-up, chunky PBA
Maj a 14.2 crabbet-bred arab.
I do feel like my legs dangle in thin air sometimes, but apart from that I feel fine. Maj rides bigger than Marygold - Marygold is by a riding pony stallion so feels like a large pony, whereas Maj rides like a small horse.
I think you'll be fine. Prepare for some raised eyebrows for those that think if you're over the age of 14 you MUST be on a horse of at least 16hh.  |
 
Photo 2: West End Photography |
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Ruth_Cymru
Bronze Member
Wales
90 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 09:46:05 AM
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| Gemma- I'm already getting the raised eyebrows now for looking for a 15hh arab! People are likely to fall off their seats if I turn up with a 14.2hh You're right about people thinking that being an adult = having a 16hh at least. |
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Gemma
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1802 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 09:53:36 AM
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If you're a small adult you're laughing. The height range 14- 15hh gets overlooked as being too small for adults but they're ideal. Economical to keep, don't need supersized tack or rugs. Grooming, tacking up and changing rugs doesn't require a step ladder. And you can hop on and off when out hacking without having to walk a mile to find a suitable wall/bank.
Neither of my two are suitable for kids. A competent older teenager MAYBE. But not a younger, inexperienced child. |
Photo 2: West End Photography |
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Gemma
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1802 Posts |
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Arachnid
Platinum Member
England
1872 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:03:25 AM
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Under 5 ft 5 and 14.3 on tiptoe... and my YO swears hes only 14.1 - also really fine boned despite a part old english heritage.
I did have someone to supper the other night though who is getting rid of her 17 hand warmbloods in favour of a 15 hander and asked me all about the little horse thing. She was worried for vanity but has come around to the theory that :-
A it is less far to fall
B you stand a chance of getting back on again
See how you feel when you ride the mare. They do ride big - Spider is a similar ride to my YO's 16.1 TB x (although admittedly the TB cross is a bit more gentlemanly... )
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West Sussex |
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Ruth_Cymru
Bronze Member
Wales
90 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:03:54 AM
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| Thank you Gemma- the two of you look perfect together (my thighs are a tad more substansial than yours ). Funnily enough I've ridden my friends 14.2 Icelandic and feel fine on her, and also her other 14.3hh pony- although I would say they are both built like small, but substancial horses rather than a show pony type. |
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Ruth_Cymru
Bronze Member
Wales
90 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:09:10 AM
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| Arachnid- that's the other slight problem, the mare isn't actually broken to ride yet, so I'd be going on what she looked like from the ground and then have to try and imagine myself riding her- might have to do a bit of photoshop! |
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leiat8
Gold Member
590 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:25:58 AM
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well I'm 5'1 ish and for the past 3 yrs have been riding my 12.2hh hector. and to be totally honest the only reason hes now unfortunately for sale is that I'm getting too heavy for him other than that the height hasn't been a problem.
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Casper, Hannah, Hector, Bracken, Fargo |
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Pop
Platinum Member
England
3051 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:43:36 AM
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I'm 5'1" and have a 14.1, 14.2 and 3 14.3's. When you enter the world of ponies the options get so much better. I got most of mine because they all seemed to have something that made them unsuitable for children, things which were actually quite easy to sort out. It usually means you get alot of options and alot pony for your money.
When I went to try 'H', I was so pleased to find her that I was cantering her around the menage punching the air with the biggest smile, like I had just won the national. Any opportunity to negotiate the price sailed into the distance.
I generalise, but 14.3 and under are lots of fun, horses seem to me to be quite serious in comparison. :) :) :) |
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Offira
Platinum Member
England
1583 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:50:43 AM
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Sometimes smaller horses/ponies can ride bigger, my 13.3 PBA rides like a horse (with a pony mind  ) but my 14.2 pure bred rides quite small and I do feel very slightly underhorsed on him - I am 5ft 4ins. I also have 2 15.2s and to be honest I prefer the smaller horses, they are just so quick on their feet!
Here is the 13.3
Here is the 14.2
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angelarab
Platinum Member
Wales
2876 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:53:33 AM
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Still to grow a smidge(horse not me ) but 14.3 and i am 5'3 and curvyish LOL, i think this will be perfect for me and would not want bigger then 15hh anyway |
 "Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
www.northwalesarab.co.uk |
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Avonbrook
Silver Member
287 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 11:29:27 AM
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At a size 10/12 it is highly unlikely that you will even begin to challenge a 14.2hh weight wise! Height wise I suspect that feeling underhorsed is more about the shape of the bit you are sitting on rather than the distance it is off the floor... I agree with those who say that a small horse can ride very much bigger than they look. In my experience that is linked to a shorter (rather than longer) strong back with well sprung ribs and a powerful backend, good angle of shoulder and good length of rein. Freedom at the shoulder will give you the potential for that stride length that gives the impression of greater size.
Happy horse-hunting
Rowena |
  
www.avonbrookstud.co.uk |
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Marie-Molly
Gold Member
United Kingdom
929 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 11:37:55 AM
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Well, small horses are great - I am 5'8", size 12 and Hebe is almost 14h3... He is happy to carry me everywhere - has done up to 80km endurance rides.
No one has said he was too small for me (not to my face anyway :))
Marie |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 11:42:16 AM
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| I am 5'6'' and in my sig pics I am riding Garnet (14.2hh) and Red (16hh). My feet seem to reach roughly the same place on each of them and I certainly never felt underhorsed on Garnet, whether showing or galloping around the countryside - we had 20+ years of terrific fun together. |
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Milotkha
Gold Member
535 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 11:46:33 AM
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| I am 5'7 ish and Mila is roughly 15h now. |
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marionpack
Gold Member
England
1073 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 11:53:05 AM
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| I'm 5`6" and Sam is about 14.2, I backed him as a 3 year old and retired him at 24, and we had great fun together |
Berkshire
   
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Valentine Arabians
Gold Member
United Kingdom
586 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 11:58:41 AM
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I am 5'6", size 12-14 and the horses range between 14.2hh to 15.3hh. My 5'10", 13 stone husband has ridden both of the 14.2hh's comfortably.
Liz |
Liz & Walter Downes
www.ValentineArabians.com
Lincolnshire |
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Ruth_Cymru
Bronze Member
Wales
90 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 12:45:30 PM
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Thank you all for your replies, it's always good to get other peoples' personal experiences.
Rowena- thank you for the pointers, from looking at her photo she seems to fit that criteria so the only way I'm going to know for sure is to go and see her |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 12:52:30 PM
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| I'm 5' 7" and a size 10-12, our 15hh Crabbet gelding feels bigger than my 15.3hh mare, but that is probably mainly to do with the fact that she is only 5 this year, and still has a lot of filling out to do. As a teenager my sister grew to 5'7" and was not underhorsed on her purebred who was only a touch over 14hh. My last mount was a 14.1hh tb x welsh, and he carried me with ease, although I did get a lot of ribbing on my dressage orientated yard (obviously he was a dwarf compared to all their 'serious' horses). I have never understood the big horse thing, arabs do ride bigger, and the advantages of being able to get on and off, smaller rugs, less feed etc. etc. seem obvious to me. I am beginning to become slightly alarmed that Lily is going to keep on growing up to or past 16 hh (harder to get on from the ground as I get older). |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
Edited by - Callisto on 29 Apr 2010 1:54:42 PM |
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Montikka
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2653 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 1:08:29 PM
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I'm 5'3" and a 10/12. Im riding my 14.2 in my sig pic and also ride Ali, who is 15.1. The 14.2 is a little pocket rocket  and there's no way she feels small. I sometimes ride the pointers at the yard though and I have to say they are so much easier to look elegant on. |
   
Louise, Warwickshire |
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Mrs Vlacq
Platinum Member
Wales
3776 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 2:05:02 PM
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A 14.2hh with a good shoulder, plenty of length of rein and depth of girth should ride plenty big enough for you. It also depends on where you are tall. Some people are long in the back, others have all their height in their thighs.
Look at the shape of the horse critically - one built to be naturally uphill will feel better if you are tall, than one that will easily fall onto the forehand. Schooling will help of course, but personally there is nothing worse than climbing on an arab that feels like a big pony. I've known 14.1hh ride much horsier than 15.3hh! |
    
- V Khazad - V Calacirya & V Sulime - Quarida(L) - V Boogie Knights - V Hamra Tofiq |
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Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 3:49:37 PM
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I'm 5ft2 and size 12/14. Ozzy is 14.2 and 5 years old. I'm very short in the leg so really couldn't go much bigger but i do worry about him carrying my weight (although he never complains).
I have a friend schooling him twice a week for me at the moment and she is 5ft6 and about size 8/10. She certainly doesn't look big on him. |
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CarolinaCowgirl
New Member
Wales
26 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 4:02:49 PM
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| I'm 5'5'' and my girl is just a hair under 15hh. I sometimes worry I am too big for her, but she never complains about it |
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Topic |
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What height combination are you and your horse?
