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Spinoff: Small horses...

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  • Spinoff: Small horses...

    In another thread people were saying that not much under what was it 16.2 sold to hunter people... Im wondering why?

    Im a short person about 5'4" give or take an inch on each leg.. If I were to be sitting on a 16.2+h horse I would look like a flea on a watermellon... I'd be lucky if my heels hit the rib cage my legs are that short.

    Assuming suitability to horse and rider matched, the horse was able to step up get the striding do the 3'6" without looking like he /she was swimming through it ect. Why would someone look for a larger horse? Or is it the 'fashon' horse now? Big horse small rider.. Thinking it would look kinda like a lead line kid on a 15h horse kwim...

    Im just wondering bcause when I have looked through the various sale sites I tend to stay with in my comfort zone for suitability which is between 15.1 and 16h's. I've ridden larger horses which is how I know what I look like on them..

    I got the idea from reading that a small horse would not be looked at in the hunter ring.. Perhaps I am not reading this properly or somehow twisting it in my brain...
    Friend of bar .ka

  • #2
    "Bigger is better" is anorm in so much these days and has been that way with horses for a long time. I think it is a shame since many smaller horses have the step and the style to do well and there are a whole bunch of shorter riders who look great and I am sure feel more comfortable on the smaller ones. I personally don't like seeing peanuts on the hulking great horses and I am a big fan of the verticaly challenged equine! (good things comein small packages)

    Comment


    • #3
      Bigger is not always better

      I agree with the previous posters that these huge horses we are seeing so much of in the ring are inappropriate size-wise for many of us riders.

      I am barely 5' so can not possibly imagine trying to pilot a 16+ hh horse around. I guess I'm more old school in that the size of horse and rider should be proportionate to one another.

      Plus, it seems like there can be more health and soundness issues in some of these monstrous beasts. Besides, the shorter the equine, the shorter the distance to the ground

      Give me a small horse or pony any day!

      Comment


      • #4
        Cabardino was only 16.1.
        Sin City is under 16 hands.
        Simbalu was only 16 hands as well if I remember correctly.
        These are just a few very competitive horses in the AA divisions off the top of my head that did not show exclusively in small juniors and who did very, very well. I'm sure that there have been many, many others.

        Personally, I like a 15.3 to 16 hand horse for myself in the hunter ring. I am only 5'4.5", and I don't want to look tiny on my horses.

        If they have the step and the jump, they will do well.

        As for jumpers, anything goes, but even Hickstead is only 16 hands.

        Comment


        • #5
          I'm about 5'4" and my guy is 15.3 hands. I do feel like we have to push a touch to get the lines and if the lines are set too long then it looks like we're rushing when everyone else is crawling If they set it back up for that nice galloping course we would be all set

          That being said, I love my guy and would get something that short again.
          No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. ~Winston Churchill
          For Hope, For Strength, For Life-Delta Gamma
          www.etsy.com/shop/joiedevivrecrafts Custom Wreaths and Other Decorations

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          • #6
            We have a 15.2 that was solid in the childrens 3' but had to gallop a bit in the small jrs & a/o's in the A's. His jump was nice in both but stride was a tad short for the longer lines of 3'6. He still did well though.
            I think it is harder to find a smaller horse that has the stride for the 3'6 and up.

            Comment


            • #7
              A smaller horse that has the step to get down the lines easily at 3'6" is worth quite a lot, if it can do so in good style. That's why the small junior hunters are so pricey!

              Personally I find that the horse's conformation plays a much larger part in the size of the rider that makes a good picture than just the horse's height. My WB is 17.1, so quite tall. I am 5'4" on a tall day but he doesn't take up as much of my leg and I don't think I look tiny on him. (pic below.)

              My other horses, an older TB that is about 16.1 and my baby horse, who is under 16h, all take up quite a bit of the rider's leg and I look just about the same on them as on my taller guy.
              Attached Files
              **********
              We move pretty fast for some rabid garden snails.
              -PaulaEdwina

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              • #8
                Hey, mine is 15.3. I have nothing against them at 5'4".

                But....say again,...of the many I have heard touted as getting the step, most don't when faced with real courses at real heights and widths with in and outs. IMO you need at least 15.3 to 16h to get that and most of the successful Small Juniors have been right there. My own mare is a nickle short when those lines get to around 13'6", fine at 12 and a bit more, starts to reach a little at 13 and it degrades her a little flat anyway jumping style to where she would not be used well. But I could blame her height. In all honesty, if she were 16.2 she would have been 15k more.

                If they get the step EASILY and can jump easily out of it, they can do 3'6" and get as fair a shot as any 17.1 hander. And it's just as true a horse can be too big and/or clumsy to get out of it's own way.

                BUT...the height discussions of late have been specifically about buying one for RESALE, not buying for personal use. Like watching those real estate shows where it all has to be neutral to appeal to the biggest buyer pool.

                When buying for resale, it's about what the MAJORITY of buyers want...and that would be about 16 to 17 hands.
                When opportunity knocks it's wearing overalls and looks like work.

                The horse world. Two people. Three opinions.

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                • #9
                  When I was buying, I had a 16hh limit. Ended up with a Thoroughbred so I could get away with a little over 16hh.

                  Way back when, I had the most amazing little horse. KWPN old lines, she was barely 15.3, but was incredible....but she almost had TOO much stride.

                  Ive had a bunch of big ones too, but at this point I like staying as close to the ground as possible. Nothing agaist the big ones, but a rider too small for a big horse looks just as odd as a rider too big for a small horse.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Lucassb View Post
                    A smaller horse that has the step to get down the lines easily at 3'6" is worth quite a lot, if it can do so in good style. That's why the small junior hunters are so pricey!

                    Personally I find that the horse's conformation plays a much larger part in the size of the rider that makes a good picture than just the horse's height. My WB is 17.1, so quite tall. I am 5'4" on a tall day but he doesn't take up as much of my leg and I don't think I look tiny on him. (pic below.)

                    My other horses, an older TB that is about 16.1 and my baby horse, who is under 16h, all take up quite a bit of the rider's leg and I look just about the same on them as on my taller guy.
                    We had a broodmare that was only 15.1 and a huge step that could make the lines and easily tour around the farm here hopping pasture gates. She was a retired A small junior. We bred her to our 16.1H stallion hoping for momma but a little bigger. Nope....got a carbon copy of momma. She is now 15H at 3....won't see over 15.2. But if she gets mommas step and jump too it won't be so bad. I am 5'8 but at least both parents have a big barrel.......
                    But is the wittle horse easy to sell as a greenie? No. I have a lovely green TB that is 16.0 1/2 and I still keep getting from folks "he is lovely but I want something a little bigger.........". And these are not Amazon women......they are 5'4 teenagers that are built like a twig......
                    Providence Farm
                    http://providencefarmpintos.blogspot.com/

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                    • #11
                      I'm in the same boat as you, OP I'm 5' and 17! and doc assures i am done growing oh dear. I'm looking for something maximum of 15.3..and can't have a huge barrel, either. Oy.

                      Yeah, i've noticed the bigger is better trend. It's silly. just get whatever horse fits you, people! If you're super tall, get a super big horse. if you're not, get a little horse!

                      I think part of it may be that the bigger the horse, GENERALLY, the less big the jump feels (that is unless the horse is really cracking his back) and it makes some riders more comfortable? Maybe. I don't know. Plus usually the ability to cover more ground which can help in the jumpers a lot, and hunters too depending on what division you're doing.

                      plus, a smaller jr hunter who can make it up the lines is worth A LOT more than an avg lrg jr htr because it takes a lo more for a small to make it up those lines
                      (|--Sarah--|)

                      Blitz <3 & Leap of Faith <3

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                      • #12
                        Don't get me wrong I love big Warmbloods but I wouldn't trade my 15.1H (on a tall day) Draft cross for anything, and I really mean that. I'm about 5'3 but with his wider barrel he takes up my leg very nicely. He's got the spunk of a pony and the stride of a 17H Warmblood We did a 3'3 Hunter Derby a few weekends ago and he was a super star! I actually had to "whoaaa buddy.." because he will truck down the same lines the 16H plus guys are having to stretch out to get. We placed 2nd out of about 12 or 13 and afterwards the judge confessed how much she adored my boy and she was impressed with our round! He looks like a giant pony and I love it! lol We call him "big guy"--an ego boost he doesn't need! Sure, there are some shows where he can get lost in the crowd in a large class and I have to flat the crap out of him to get a piece of the hack...but o/f he really shines and I've recieved many compliments on him! He tears it up in the jumper ring too, the bigger the better! Sorry, this turned into a let me brag about my small horse post lol I do love him so...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I prefer the little guys. Im 5'4" at 15 years old. My ideal size is about 14.2-14.3. My guy is 14.1 5/8 and can easily make it down the lines. I do like the bigger horses, but for my own use, I like the little, compact ones. Easier to bathe, brush, tack up, and shorter falls.
                          "To do something that you feel in your heart that's great, you need to make a lot of mistakes. Anything that is successful is a series of mistakes." -B.J. Armstrong

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                          • #14
                            Last fall, in the VHSA Associates Championships show, two of my stallion's babies were 1st and 2nd in a class of 34. They are not big horses, but have the jump and stride. The trainer of that winning horse came back to me with another client, and purchased another one for a kid. That horse placed 2nd in the local division at his first recognized show. I believe they are all in the 15.3-16h range. Even though they are not 16.2+, the judges have definitely been willing to look at and use them.
                            Attached Files

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              My 14.3 hh connie/tb and I tried the 3'6" hunters this summer, and in all honesty, although he has a big, big stride for his size, I wasn't about to try a one-stride with him at that height. He is athletic enough to leave out strides if I get too excited and gun him, and quite competent to make the lines at 3'6" if they're set at two, three or more strides, but the in-and-outs made me nervous. Perhaps if I had more experience over bigger stuff myself, I'd be able to give him an accurate enough ride to get through.

                              We moved back down to the 3'0" hunters and I do think his niche is there. He's much more confident and will cover for me at that height, whereas over the bigger fences he feels more tentative and is more likely to get really, really rattled if we have a stop.

                              I'm glad I tried it with him, but I am happy to let him stay where he is relaxed and confident instead of doing a bigger division with him that is perhaps closer to where he would max out.

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                One of the nice things about eventing is that you don't have to get the striding to do well. As I said in the other post, eventers are looking for big horses as much as hunter people are. But, when you find the rider who wants an appropriately sized horse, there is not issue with having to get down the lines in a certain number of strides. You can always add. I have a girlfriend who is 5'2" who spent YEARS owning enormous horses, she even had to buy an oversized trailer for one of them. She bred her mare and ended up with a peanut (in her opinion) and they are the perfect match. Winning in eventing, dressage and just this weekend getting some good ribbons in the modified adults. I am 5'9". I am okay with riding a 15.2hh horse, really prefer something over 16hh with a big barrel for appearance sake, but boy would I love to ride a sportscar rather than a battleship. However, as PP said, when I am buying for resale, I buy a 16.2hh bay gelding with as much white as I can get. I try to get something that moves good enough for the dressage ring or the hunter ring. For resale I am prejudiced by color, size and sex. If you want to sell you have to appeal to the broadest audience. I buy every horse as tho I am going to own it forever, but they are bay geldings 16.2hh.

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  My horse is 15.1, and I absolutely love her. She just feels handier and easier to work with than the larger horses. But, like another poster said, the previous discussion was about resale. Just because I'm a midget and need a smaller horse doesn't mean everyone does. The huge majority of people would look ridiculous on my mare, and really do need something larger.

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    my horse is 15.2 and i'm 5'10. i don't look big on her. she gets down the children's lines. has done the pre-greens. she's tbxwelshxwb.
                                    Sarah A. Ward

                                    Washington and Lee University Riding

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Small horses are great!

                                      My current WB is just over 15.1, but he doesn't know he's small. His stride is fine; he is competitive at major shows. I'm 5'5.5 and don't look too big on him, nor does my trainer, who is taller.

                                      He is absolutely adorable. Good things come in small packages!

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        I truly believe that all other things being equal, size does not matter. However, all other things are rarely equal. Because many buyers do want bigger horses, that's what breeders breed for. Therefore, I think that there aren't all that many really well-bred small athletic horses that are suitable for the 3'6" ring at the big shows. The stallions that are super talented and small with big step are not used much, and you can't blame the breeders, they have to breed what sells.

                                        Having owned a few good ones, I can assure you that once they do it, size truly does not matter. Their small stature is always a plus once they are proven over the big sticks, or for that matter, even in the 3" division at the big shows. Lots of 3' AA or children's riders want smaller, nice horses, there just aren't as many small ones that win in the division because there aren't as many showing.

                                        Really nice, quality horses with the full package (brains, talent and beauty, in order of importance IMO) don't come around that often, and the smaller ones are even more rare simply because there are less of them doing it. When buying babies, there are so many risks to consider, that most people don't want to spend 2 years worrying if their expensive yearling is going to make that magical 15.2/15.3 mark.

                                        Here's my current 2YO, and she's 14.3 - I think she's an August baby, but I'm not sure. I'm guessing she'll end up between 15.2 and 15.3, and I have not lost a minute of sleep over her size because she's bred to have a big step and a great jump.

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                                        Trinity Farm LLC
                                        Quality hunters and jumpers at Midwest prices
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