Those who own TALL horses...

[slight]

I met a 17.2hh TB today that I should not have fallen in love with (but did). I'm short, and currently own a 16hh gelding. This TB was sweet as can be, did not invade my space,etc. - but his height was just so IMPOSING :eek:.

Does one just get accustomed to the size?

I guess I'd have to buy an extra tall mounting block!!

[dwblover]

Yes, it does get less imposing.:)I used to work at a great farm where another mutant thoroughbred resided. He was 17.3, and I don't mean looked 17.3, he was that big, sticked by the vet. He was literally the sweetest horse at the barn, but I could not stop myself from feeling a little uneasy at first. I kept having visions of him stepping on me and crunching me, haha. It only lasted for about two weeks though. Once I got to know his personality, I knew I could trust him and his height was not an issue (besides brushing his back!) Funny thing was all the other horses started to look way too small.:winkgrin: For some reason all the giant horses I have come in contact with have all been very, very sweet, kind, and considerate. Perhaps that's where the term gentle giant came from?

[barrelchick00]

Yes it does get better and you don't feel so overwhelmed. I went from a 14.5 to a 15.2 to a 16.2 appendix mare so I understand what your saying. At my boarders they own a clydesdale that is huge but he is the sweetest horse. The height is sometimes worth the horse.:yes:

[Couture TB]

Well I am 5'2 and I ride all sizes, though I do find it hard to ride the larger horses if they are not slab sided. My client/buissness partner/friend tells me I look like a peanut on her horses! :) I actually was at a show and someone said 'look how well that large horse goes for that child! (at the time I was a whopping 98lbs and well out of my junior career I'm not even going to say what I am now!) My father who was heading the horse said, well she is 20 and that horse has been off the track for 2 weeks!

[arbeegirl]

You will get used to the difference. I went from a 15.2 TB to a 17 hand warmblood. Every time I went back and rode my TB, he felt like a pony! Now 17 hands is nothing for me and thankfully he is not wide.

[TropicalStorm]

Hehe, you do get used to it.
i've always had big or bigger horses, as I'm 5'8. I have my biggest yet right now. He's a 17.3hh Trakehner gelding who is THICK (both physically and mentally sometimes :P) He is imposing, and he is a lot of horse to work with, but he's also a lot of fun. We sure as hell get noticed! (however, I had my first fall on him last month. Have to be honest. It hurt more than I remember falling from a 16.1hh horse did :P)
Now, however, the flip side of that is I have a 3 year old who is 16hh right now, and I keep on crying "my god, you are such a shrimp! we'll look awful together!" :D

[Coreene]

Very soon, it will seem to you that everything under 17hh is a large pony.

[slight]

These are the responses I was hoping for, and actually kind of expected. Yahoo!
Gentle giant is exactly what he is :).
Thanks everyone! I wonder if my Haflinger pony would actually fit under his barrel? :lol:

[Inuktik]

Sounds like my born and raised 17.3 TB who was a lovely "lap dog" and I am a tall 5'3":) Personality and good ground manners are a must, but he sounds like he has those and is lovely!! I'll never forget the remarks that one dressage judge wrote though - "When/if those legs of yours grow long enough, you might be able to make him perform better - Well done!!" I thought he did quite well as ended up placing first :lol:

[mvp]

I'm short and my horse is tall (not terribly so) and wide.

There are only two real problems with tall horses, each of which benefit the rider who overcomes them.

First, tall, big-moving horses just take more athleticism to sit. I think my short body and pelvis must have a larger range of motion to sit these gaits. The horse becomes an inspiration for pilates.

Second, my horse is tough to mount from the ground. So with the help of a fantastic cowboy, I taught my horse to line up the left stirrup with my foot when I got on a mounting block....or the bumper of my truck... or whatever. Sounds redneck and not "dressage," but really, who wouldn't want a horse this broke?

[Kaelurus]

I have a 17.2 TB that would live in my living room if I let him. Some days I honestly don't think he knows he's a horse. He greets me at the gate, begs for cookies, and even licks me! :lol::D

His gates took some (very brief) getting-used-to, but I found I really LOVE his bigger gates. I could sit his trot ALL DAY :yes:

Of course, a horse his size has a lot of inertia, so it takes more to get going, and more to keep him together, but the work-out is worth it. And, I don't have to pay for a gym membership anymore!

[Lieslot]

Yes definitely, my 18.2hh feels small-ish, it feels like more like a 16.2hh when you have him working in the ring.
A lot depends on their frame. This horse is fine built, hence he feels a lot smaller, other then when you climb on ;).
When I let him go for a good canter/gallop, somehow I realize his size again, but other then that, you get used to it in no time. Soon you'll think that's the size a horse should be :lol:, anything smaller you'll think, nah too low for me :D.

BIG downside: trailriding, somehow you always end up with your head stuck in branches & trees others seem to have no problem passing under :(.
Inconvenience: I stand on a little stool to put his saddle on, coz I get sore shoulders from lifting above my head, plus if I don't use a stool I can't see if the saddlecloth is properly in place.
And teach him to lower his head to be bridled rather then lift it up to the ceiling ;).

[Lieslot]

I have a 17.2 TB that would live in my living room if I let him. Some days I honestly don't think he knows he's a horse. He greets me at the gate, begs for cookies, and even licks me!
Oh boy, same here. Once my guy managed to get himself stuck in the tackroom, only tail sticking out. We literally had to pull him out by the tail. I already had visions having to break down the wallsiding around the door.
Then last summer (had full roam of property) he followed me into the garage, had to duck to fit under the rolling garage door, and once in he figured he didn't dare walking back under garage door -that was fun getting him out-.
Other silly stuff, he was thinking of finding me in the house and already had both front feet on my outdoor deck, we were very luck the deck didn't give way underneath him.

[freestyle2music]

I met a 17.2hh TB today that I should not have fallen in love with (but did). I'm short, and currently own a 16hh gelding. This TB was sweet as can be, did not invade my space,etc. - but his height was just so IMPOSING :eek:.

Does one just get accustomed to the size?

I guess I'd have to buy an extra tall mounting block!!

Did you ever see the rides of Jeanette Haazen and all of her horses ;)
Jeannete is about 1.50 meters and all her horses are above 1.80 meters. Never the less they are doing a wonderfull job in the competition arena :yes:

Theo

[mvp]

So my world-class farrier one day pointed out the value of small horses.

All things being equal, they stay sounder longer. Since volume (and weight) increase geometrically when height increases arithmetically, taller horses push the biomechanical limit of what these animals' spindly legs will support. He also noted that any shoeing correction we might make will have a greater effect on a smaller, lighter horse for the same reason.

Nice, humbling bit of food for thought, eh?

[magickmeadow]

I have a 17.2 hd TB. I am 5'5". My father built both my daughter and myself special mounting blocks, he just made mine a bit taller. At first his size was bit imposing. I ride a much smaller horse at my trainers, 15.2, and he seems to be a pony with no front end. I actually think Big Horse is easier to ride as he doesn't move that bulk quite as fast as a smaller horse. I love him regardless of his size.

[imissvixen]

One drawback to horses 17 hands and over is that there are more prone to epiploic foramen entrapment of the small intestine which is a severe form of colic.

[Meredith Clark]

on tall horses. My current TB is only about 16.2 but he's got that tall lanky appearance. I'm only 5.2 with stumpy legs and when I ride anything bigger than him I look like a monkey riding an elephant.

Plus falling from that height is not fun! I don't like it when I have time to think about how much it's going to hurt when I land.

[Lieslot]

So my world-class farrier one day pointed out the value of small horses.

All things being equal, they stay sounder longer. Since volume (and weight) increase geometrically when height increases arithmetically, taller horses push the biomechanical limit of what these animals' spindly legs will support. He also noted that any shoeing correction we might make will have a greater effect on a smaller, lighter horse for the same reason.

Nice, humbling bit of food for thought, eh?
I often wonder if this is really true. My vet has said that to me repeatedly: make sure your next horse is 16hh, not 18hh+.

However when you come on this board & other, I'm sure I read as many lameness threads on the horse under 17hh as I do on those over 17hh+. Sure there's a smaller number of bigger ones out there. But it seems to me that if one has a big horse with a lameness issues, one is quick to say : he's big... hence...
The only statistical research (I think I once read about) as far as bigger more problems for sure, was about laryngeal hemiplegia. I believe somewhere there's data to strongly suggest that bigger horses are for sure representing the larger % of roarers.

A lot depends on wether they are proportionally built. My 18.2hh WB has tiny TB-like feet, so I'm crossing fingers & toes, that this will not play against him in the long run. Then my other 18hh WB has huge feet, no smaller then a draft size. People look at me when I buy draft 1 Davis overreach boots, thinking I must have a gigantic Shire :D.
As long as their bodies are proportionally built I don't think it matters all that much from a soundness point of view, but that's just me thinking out loud ;).

[amdfarm]

You definitely get used to it. I have Percherons, crosses, lights and ponies. Smallest is 11 1/2hh and tallest is 17.1hh and still growing (THIS WILL BE HIS LAST YEAR OF GROWTH! :yes:)

To me they're all the same size. At first, the Percherons were FREAKY BIG and very noticeable, but now they're all the same size. My main riding horse is 15.3hh so he's not super small by any means, but it's still a switch to go from that to a 17.1hh Percheron or my 14.3hh paint mare. The pony, well, that's just fun. :) I annoy her. :winkgrin:

Oh yeah, I'm 5'2". As I get older, the smaller horses/ponies are looking better and better.

Just remember, you don't ride the withers. ;)

[Ambrey]

My horse isn't that tall (I finally sticked him, he's 16.3) but he's a BIG GUY (1400 lbs). Yes, I think it's different having a big horse. They do learn that they can get away with things because of their size unless you make sure they know that the world will cave in on them if they even try it. My horse is the sweetest horse on the planet, but he'll still try to drag you around if he sees food.

I have a friend who has a true 17.3 hh Westphalian. That's a big horse. Long way to fall, too ;)

My little guy has a more difficult temperament, but you can drag him around so it doesn't seem to matter as much. I really, REALLY wouldn't want a big horse with a bad temper.

[purplnurpl]

Yes, you get used to it. But.....

I went from 15.2h to 17h.
When I was shopping I didn't want to look at anything over 16.1h. You always end up with what you don't want though.

Most of the ponies I ride on weekends are 15.3h and below. I was faced with almost falling off my big guy last week due to a spook and the only thing I thought about was, "oh sh*t, it's a long way down."

Hitting the ground off of a 14.2h or 15h isn't so bad.

[horsetales]

I'm a whopping 5'3" ish (just shy of). I went from a 16.2 TB to a 17.1 WB. It took time to adjust, but after awhile it becomes "normal" and I didn't even think about it. He had so much talent, we learned alot during that time. I know have a 17+ irish draught mare that I plan to get in the dressage ring (shes currently pregnant and will be bred to a dressage stallion this year, but hopefully after that)

[War Admiral]

You totally get used to it.

I'm going the opposite direction - from 17.2h/1350 lb. to 15.3/900 lbs. - he's a long 2 y/o - and that's freaking ME out! I've had the new kid for over a month and I'm still calling him "Tony The Pony" and joking that I could knock him flat on his asp with one good deep breath. :cool:

[Trevelyan96]

I'm a whopping 14.3 HH. The worst part about being short on a tall horse is the feeling you can't get your leg on them, and thats more about width and girth area than height. Trav was about 16h with a huge girth, so I always felt unbalanced on him, but once I started riding him more regularly I did get used to it. Rico is a midget, around 15.1, and I love his size, I can wrap my legs around him no problem and just feel so much more secure and balanced.

New guy coming felt really really tall to me, and another one with a huge girth! He was originally advertised as 15H, NOT! I'm guessing he's closer to 16.1. I guess I'll have a better idea when he arrives and I see him next to Rico, but he was really a lot of fun to ride and I'm hoping he'll be the hunter DD wants, so I guess I'll just have suck it up and adjust.

I really do need to buy a stick, though, because I'm totally tired of not really knowing how tall my horses are. It's easier for me to judge shorter horses height just by standing beside them. I'm a great tool for people to use to verify if a pony is really a pony when they don't have a stick handy!

[Riley0522]

I love tall horses. I rode a 17.2 hand Hanoverian cross for 2 years when I was 12-14. He was also WIDE...so he was really imposing at first, but I got used to it quickly. It was a long fall though, one that I did many times as he liked to gallop away after he would pee when you were on his back....not funny. I noticed someone mentioned large horses are prone to a severe form of colic....this horse died from a hole in his diaphragm wall and his stomach pushed through it, it was very sad.

My horse is a 16.2+ lanky TB. It's funny because everyone is like "WOW HE'S HUGE"....I think he looks bigger because he's so lanky. I ride everything from him, to the 12hand pony at the barn that likes to rear and needs a good "reminder" ride every now and then so he doesn't terrorize the kids. The days I go from my horse to a 14.3h Paint are funny, the Paint feels like a mini!

[Minerva Louise]

Oh, for a truely tall horse, with an ample amount of body. My horse is right at 16 hh, and I am right at 6 feet, with quite long legs- I have to have 35" inseams on jeans and pants. It is hard to get much leg on him for me, as his ribs curve inward sharply just past my calf and the lower 2/3s of my shin bone isn't hinged. I can get my heels on his sides by poking my knees out at odd angles and turning my toes easty westy..... :lol: Ok, so it isn't reeeeeally that bad, but sometimes it feels that way. It isn't easy, that's for sure.

You guys with the 17 hh horses are soooooo lucky!

[octoberine]

I'm 5'5", and currently riding a 19hh (yes for serious) Percheron. Luckily he's not wide for his size, so I don't look QUITE as tiny on him as I might, but his height definitely can be a pain in the butt.

On the other hand, his "real" job is vaulting, so when I'm complaining about having to get on from the foot-high mounting block his owner has, I try to remind myself that kids my height routinely leap on him at the canter from the ground! :D

[tabula rashah]

Let's see I have 3 Morgans, 2 Arabs, and, oh yeah, a 17.3 Westfalen. He's definitely taken some getting used to but he is a total puppy dog. We actually got him to be my DH's horse, because DH is 6'3" and looks ridiculous on my little guys.

[patch work farm]

I used to ride a 17. 0 hand Hanoverian gelding that I sold and have taken the opposite approach and am going smaller as I get older. For the past 7 years I have been competing my previous broodmare, 16.0 hds, last year I bought a 15.3 hd mare and one that is 15.2. I currently have my mare's 16.2 hd daughter for sale because I feel she is too tall (I am 5'4" wishing to be 6 feet!).

I agree you get used to the height (my farrier used to say, "these tall horses give you an opportunity to catch your breath on the way down when you fall off"). I found it was just too hard to get my legs in the right place and it was more work than fun, now I am having fun (it might have also been the gelding thing since I much prefer mares). I would think with a TB it might be easier since they don't take up as much leg?

[horsepix76]

Having grown up riding drafts and draft crosses, and now riding my small 16.2h horse (she doesn't feel small anymore), I can say that the bigger they are, the harder they are to ride correctly. Mostly, that has to do with the length of horse behind the saddle. The longer the horse, the harder it is for them to build selfcarriage muscles. Even when they're proportionately built, a nearly 18h horse is a LOT of horse...i.e. a lot of mass for that horse to lift through his back.

Gentle giant or not, having lived in the land of giants, it is a lot easier to ride a smaller horse. ;) But having said that...I also know that we don't get to chose who we love. I'm currently in love with a 15.2h QH-type chestnut OTTB gelding (and I don't like chestnuts, geldings or anything under 16 hands -- go figure!).

[stillpoint]

I am 5'3", my largest horse is an 18h Hanoverian as a coming 5yo. I have another Holsteiner who is 17h. Fortunately both are not wide--I would much rather ride taller than wider. Both are sweet, but hot natured and big movers. I have to say that given a choice (I sort of happened on these two for different reasons), I would never again buy large. No matter the temperment, there are no advantages (comic relief perhaps?) to being a small rider on a giant horse! It is much easier to deal with something reasonably proportioned to your size.

[slight]

Yes, the thought of looking like a monkey on an elephant is humbling :lol:

Everyone makes good points...thank you!

[quietann]

Very happy to have my little 15 hand horse... but the barn where she's boarded used to have an 18.3 WB there. HUGE! His head was bigger than my mare's neck. He was more or less a sweet horse, but needed custom everything, and actually had to "dip" a little to get his withers out the stall door. It took him a long time to develop properly. Trainer's assistant is sometimes on this board, and she was involved in training him, so I hope she'll pop up and say more about him.

[DennisM]

One thing nobody has mentioned so far is that really tall horses are much easier to "tip over" (all that weight higher up from the ground)! If you're used to riding the handy smaller "sports car" models, you can't turn as fast, and you have to be MUCH more careful (in my hard won experience) about keeping their feet under them, particularly in uncertain footing.

[sidepasser]

I went from a 16 hand Paint mare to a 17.1 TWH mare. I love riding the walker, but she is harder to mount so I use a mounting block or a handy ditch, side of a hill, whatever is handy. I haven't fallen off her YET, but figure if I do, an extra 4.1 inches won't be any worse. She is actually very smooth and soft to ride, can be a bit of a lug on the trails but changing her bit has seemingly cured that.

Oh and she is barefoot and never has a had a hoof problem and is VERY athletic - lol

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/Sidepasser/Tyranna/thTyranna025-1.jpg

but very well mannered, especially around children

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/Sidepasser/Tyranna/Tyrwithlittlegirl53108.jpg

and isn't that much taller than me!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/Sidepasser/Tyranna/Tyrandmehangingoutatclantonshow1050.jpg

[royal militron]

Yes! 17.3 TB here and not a TB body- he's gigantic... He has his big days for sure. When I'm trying to pull the saddle pad up in the saddle gullet and I just can't reach! I'm 5'4" and did not buy him when he was this big, he was about 11 hands and 7 months old. LOL, I never imagined he would be so big!

You will get used to the size though. Just don't think you're going to dismount and mount back up out in the woods or in fields very easily...
Good luck!

[shawneeAcres]

I am quite tall and NOT a petite build, not fat but a pretty good sized person! so I really need a big horse unfortuantely! Gets harder and harder to mount since I have had a back fusion and now 51 years old, the big ones (even on a mounting block) are a challenge, but my personal current horse is a 17.2 hand (truly measured!) appendix QH of all things! It's like sitting on a skyscraper, even though I've had plenty of 16.3+ hroses he just seems SO tall, partially becuase he has a neck that goes forever out in front of you! I really PREFER the smaller horses they are more athletic and agile and stay sounder, but people want size and I really don't look good on anything under 16.2. My fav horse of all time was a 15.1 hand TB cross I had when I was a junior rider I rode her til I was 21 and had a blast with her. But when I jumped I lterally had to swing my lower leg back so I wouldn't hit rails!

[MagicRoseFarm]

More important than the height for a smaller rider is the lightness... IF a big horse is heavy to the leg or thick in mind, it is much more difficult for a smaller rider to reach goals and alot of work to ride on a daily basis. A light, ambitious horse can be any size and a small rider can make equal progress.

[SmokenMirrors]

I am 5'8" tall and have ridden all heights of horses. My own three are tall, my two Quarter Horses are both 16H, the gelding is muscular and very athletic, while his sister is finer boned and slender in build. My third horse is a 17H, 1900lb Percheron mare who is a blast to ride and if you can get her to lope, as she takes a lot of leg, its like being in a rocking chair.

The only time I wish I had a shorter horse is when I have to mount as my knees just aren't what they use to be. Being 41 my joints and hips just aren't as young and spry as they once were. But I would never trade the tall horses for something shorter.

[IrishDeclan]

Very soon, it will seem to you that everything under 17hh is a large pony.

This is so true. I started eventing on a 16.3 hand English TB/Dutch Warmblood gelding when I was 13, so I got used to the big ones at a young age. I'm only 5'4" and my current horse is 17.2. I've gotten to the point where I actually feel uncomfortable on a smaller horse. It seems like their legs move too fast!! :winkgrin:

[thatmoody]

My main horse is a 16.1 TB, and he is "just right" for me. That said, I started riding a truly 17.3 WB, and he's HUGE. I have difficulty saddling him, bridling him (doesn't help that he's green and I have to "lasso" his head with the headpiece to teach him to bring it down to where I can reach him) and riding him. He takes a LOT of leg, a LOT of hand, and when he gets momentum up he's really difficult to ride (try doing a one rein stop! He spooked and bolted yesterday, and I truly discovered what "along for the ride" meant!)

Yesterday I was complaining that I needed a bigger arena to ride him in, but honestly, I love him. There's just something about those big, imposing gaits (and he truly has a HUGE trot that I just luff). I'm thrilled that I get the opportunity to ride him (he's green, but well-started by my trainer) as he's a level above my current horse and will be able to go farther. He's quite proportional, but I do worry about his long-term soundness as he's SO big. He has huge draft feet as well, but there is a lot of weight and a lot of concussion on those feet.

[patch work farm]

In response to what Dennis said, think "pony"...most adults that I know that have gotten on a pony have been dumped faster than they could even realize. Sometimes the smaller they are, the faster they can drop that shoulder and you! I never thought about the "tip over" issue on my tall horse but I do think about which shoulder I could be dropped off of....that is the "fun" of riding horses!

[Boomer]

You'll get used to the size. My homebred gelding grew to 17.1 - but I've been around him so long I'm used to him.

When I take him somewhere, there's the "how big is he?" comments that remind me I own a elephant :)

Did I mention I loff my elephant?

[CatOnLap]

Boo and hiss to all you who think tall horses are harder to ride, harder to fit into an arena( train your horse, the tall trained ones are just as good and handy too!) tip over more easily ( c'mon, its a freakin' HORSE not an SUV- they have the ultimate in brainionic stability control and their center of gravity is at most a couple inches taller than a small horse).

There are some down sides:

There is just more square footage to groom, clip, trim hooves on etc.
And they eat and poop more. And take larger doses of wormer and medication.

But I would never turn down a sound, sweet and talented horse just because he was over 17 hands.
Mine is 17.3 by the vet's stick, 20 years old and competing soundly at PSG without meds. He was only 16.3 when I bought him, I did not realize he'd grow nearly another hand, as he was already 6, but there it was. I too loff my elephant!

I hope you enjoy your new big TB!

[thatmoody]

Ha! I was joking about the arena size, because yes, the training IS the issue. I've seen enough catty big horses to realize that the size is not the problem, but it's fun to joke about while we're working on the training angle.

And no, I wouldn't pass him up for his size, but it does take some getting used to.

[DennisM]

I love my tall horses; I've owned two 17-handers. All I'm saying is that the laws of physics apply equally to tall horses and any other being (person or animal) that carries weight on taller "stilts".

[Ambrey]

So today I was riding in the arena with one of the taller horses at the barn, and I commented, asking "what, is he 17.3 or so?" "No, he's 18.3!!!" Wah, that's a tall horse!

He made my "big guy" look like a shrimp! I think it might have hurt his sensitive male ego!

[ElephantHorse]

I have to say as the owner of not only a 17.2hh horse, but a large great dane dog as well, you will totally get used to it. The only difference I have noticed is that everyone else's horses (and dogs) just seen smaller. Horses that I have thought were huge are now very average in my new giant sized world :)

[Foxtrot's]

It is not so much the height but whether he is the right horse for you and if you can ride him and make him go, and whoa. If you are ineffective on him, then he may be too big.
He'll need to be taught to stand by a mounting block to get on, and, probably, off. The size will seem 'normal' after you get used to him, and you will love the big step.

[classicsporthorses]

In addition to some of mine who are 17+ hands I ride my 18.3 hand Clydesdale. I am 5'5" with a 29 inch inseam. Theoretically my legs should be sticking straigth out while riding them (ha ha) but they don't. I actually feel more contact with the big boys.

I used to be able to mount him bareback with a good jump from our simple rubbermaid 2 step step-stool but in this last year my rotator cuff injury to my right shoulder has gotten so bad that I can't push-I so felt like I actually had "jump" when I could mount him that way.

I am so used to riding the taller wider horses that when I ride I more slabsided horse I feel like I am riding a 50 gallon drum.

I have broken out a few medium ponies and my Lord I thought my feet would drag on the ground.

[tikidoc]

Ha! I was joking about the arena size, because yes, the training IS the issue. I've seen enough catty big horses to realize that the size is not the problem, but it's fun to joke about while we're working on the training angle.

And no, I wouldn't pass him up for his size, but it does take some getting used to.

So true. I have a 17.2 Clyde/TB cross who is very athletic and extremely adjustable. I took a lesson from a new trainer once, who set up a really tough gymnastic for us. My horse loves gymnastics and practically danced through it, didn't miss a beat. The trainer just started laughing and said "I can't believe I'm saying this about a horse that huge, but man, that was freakin' cat-like".