Am I too big? - Opinions please
Hey guys!
Lots to tell but I'll try to keep it short. (hahaha oh I always fail at that...)
My parents recently decided that they would get me a horse for my second year of uni (I'm going to an equine uni so would take the horse with me), but there's a horse my friend told me about who is for sale who I went to visit and try about a month ago and loved.
This weekend he's going to be advertised in their local paper (first time he's actually been advertised) and as he's such a quality little horse, he'll probably go pretty quickly. My parents agreed that if I want him, we can get him in the next couple of weeks. I went to try him again yesterday morning and absolutely loved him.
So here's my dilemma. He's only 14.2hh. I'm only about 5'1" myself but I can't shake the thought that he might be too small for me. I doubt it helps that I'm so used to seeing myself on Sam and that I haven't ridden anything under 15hh in years.
I don't feel too big on him at all I need to make that clear. He has big movement and rides like a horse. Not pony-ish in the slightest. I also don't think I look too big on him, but more like someone who's got a first pony they're on the cusp of growing out of haha.
I've been asking the opinions of anyone who will watch the video of us, horsey or not. It is definitely an aesthetic issue more than anything (at least, I think it is, I could be proven wrong) but unfortunately the trend these days seems to be to buy a horse who is more than tall enough for the rider.
His name is Chester, he's a 9yr old, 14.2hh 3/4TB 1/4 Arab.
He's won loads of local shows and placed 2nd in his first ever novice.
£3500 (was originally £6000, his owner really doesn't want to sell him but he's too small)
And here's what my riding instructor thinks:
I don't think the pony has any trouble carrying you either on the flat or over the jumps. You don't look overly big on him either BUT the saddle is too small for you. I would check if the pony would take slightly bigger saddle and if so, how you feel in it. As it is you are sitting at the very cantle which is not going to be good for his back or your balance.
Don't know how big this one is but I would probably recommend a 15.2hh for you. Having said that, as long as you aren't planning to grow upwards or sideways I don't see why you shouldn't have plenty of fun with this one ;)
Nice looking pony and very keen :) Good luck xx
He's 14.2hh, we're not getting his tack with him so I'll see if we can get a bigger saddle that will fit him.
I'm not going to grow anymore I'm pretty sure and I definitely don't plan on growing sideways! Haha.
I wouldn't have been looking for anything under 15hh but my friend knew about him and has been an acquaintance of his owner for a few years so has seen him come on and become a great little horse. He's everything I'm looking for and more, just a tiny bit smaller than I wanted.
I don't feel too big when I'm on him at all, in fact I feel very comfortable on him, even with the small saddle! But unfortunately aesthetics are important to me and to the showing world so if I became interested in competing him I wouldn't want my size to ruin our chances. If we don't look mismatched then that's fine. Do you think judges would mark us down for it? Or is my size not a problem in that sense?
I really don't much about showing world so can't help you in that respect. You can always go on a crash diet hehe Seriously though, ideally I would say go for something bigger but if you really click and he feels big enough to you then I see no problem.
As to saddle and balance - I am talking about the balance of the saddle, your bum shouldn't be sitting so far back ;)
Exciting! x
What sort of jumping would you like to do? Are you talking BSJA?
Hopefully the amount of yard work/riding that I'll do at Hartpury will help me lose some weight.
Ideally I would go for something bigger but I just think that if I let him go, I'll just be looking for another Chester. But if I do get him I don't know if I'll be able to get over his size! Dilemma! Haha.
I've definitely clicked with him and he definitely feels big enough.
As I said, we're buying him new tack anyway so we can make sure my bum isn't so far back when we try saddles.
Well I've been told there are a lot of small competitions for students to take part in at Hartpury so I'd like to enter him in some things there but we'd be starting at the bottom as I've never shown before.
I don't know how interested I'm going to be in competing, I know I want to do some and try it out with him because he's done very well, often winning local shows and came 2nd in his first novice show so don't want to waste his talent. Also it looks like a lot of fun!
I doubt I'd be good enough to do BSJA. Would my size on him be a problem if we ever did get to that stage? (Though I very much doubt we would haha.)
x
Ah ok I thought you meant Showing as in http://www.britishshowhorse.org/ :) As to jumping - as long as he has enough power and scope it doesn't matter ;) BSJA classes start small too, the only difference is that the distances are set so with his a pony canter stride he might struggle to make the distances (note: might as many small horses do just fine at lower levels).
We'll pop you on a another 14.2hh tomorrow for a good look ;)
He doesn't look too fine and spindly so if he tick all other boxes I wouldn't be overly worried :) x
No haha, I'm not set on that kind of showing at the moment. My ambitions may change after some time at Hartpury though if I get a taste for it, we'll see!
He's been jumping 3'3" courses before and I'm happy with that. If he can go higher, that's great, if not, I don't mind. I don't know if I'll be a good enough jumper to even go that high haha. From jumping him today I would say he's got great power and scope, but I don't know much.
Thank you, that's a good idea! Thanks so much for all the advice!
END
So yeah, if you guys could give me your opinions, whether you need to snap me out of my 'but what if we look silly?' idiocy or talk some sense into me because he is a bit small. Any and all opinions, thoughts, comments etc are welcome.
Thanks! :)
Lots to tell but I'll try to keep it short. (hahaha oh I always fail at that...)
My parents recently decided that they would get me a horse for my second year of uni (I'm going to an equine uni so would take the horse with me), but there's a horse my friend told me about who is for sale who I went to visit and try about a month ago and loved.
This weekend he's going to be advertised in their local paper (first time he's actually been advertised) and as he's such a quality little horse, he'll probably go pretty quickly. My parents agreed that if I want him, we can get him in the next couple of weeks. I went to try him again yesterday morning and absolutely loved him.
So here's my dilemma. He's only 14.2hh. I'm only about 5'1" myself but I can't shake the thought that he might be too small for me. I doubt it helps that I'm so used to seeing myself on Sam and that I haven't ridden anything under 15hh in years.
I don't feel too big on him at all I need to make that clear. He has big movement and rides like a horse. Not pony-ish in the slightest. I also don't think I look too big on him, but more like someone who's got a first pony they're on the cusp of growing out of haha.
I've been asking the opinions of anyone who will watch the video of us, horsey or not. It is definitely an aesthetic issue more than anything (at least, I think it is, I could be proven wrong) but unfortunately the trend these days seems to be to buy a horse who is more than tall enough for the rider.
His name is Chester, he's a 9yr old, 14.2hh 3/4TB 1/4 Arab.
He's won loads of local shows and placed 2nd in his first ever novice.
£3500 (was originally £6000, his owner really doesn't want to sell him but he's too small)
Click to viewAnd here's what my riding instructor thinks:
I don't think the pony has any trouble carrying you either on the flat or over the jumps. You don't look overly big on him either BUT the saddle is too small for you. I would check if the pony would take slightly bigger saddle and if so, how you feel in it. As it is you are sitting at the very cantle which is not going to be good for his back or your balance.
Don't know how big this one is but I would probably recommend a 15.2hh for you. Having said that, as long as you aren't planning to grow upwards or sideways I don't see why you shouldn't have plenty of fun with this one ;)
Nice looking pony and very keen :) Good luck xx
He's 14.2hh, we're not getting his tack with him so I'll see if we can get a bigger saddle that will fit him.
I'm not going to grow anymore I'm pretty sure and I definitely don't plan on growing sideways! Haha.
I wouldn't have been looking for anything under 15hh but my friend knew about him and has been an acquaintance of his owner for a few years so has seen him come on and become a great little horse. He's everything I'm looking for and more, just a tiny bit smaller than I wanted.
I don't feel too big when I'm on him at all, in fact I feel very comfortable on him, even with the small saddle! But unfortunately aesthetics are important to me and to the showing world so if I became interested in competing him I wouldn't want my size to ruin our chances. If we don't look mismatched then that's fine. Do you think judges would mark us down for it? Or is my size not a problem in that sense?
I really don't much about showing world so can't help you in that respect. You can always go on a crash diet hehe Seriously though, ideally I would say go for something bigger but if you really click and he feels big enough to you then I see no problem.
As to saddle and balance - I am talking about the balance of the saddle, your bum shouldn't be sitting so far back ;)
Exciting! x
What sort of jumping would you like to do? Are you talking BSJA?
Hopefully the amount of yard work/riding that I'll do at Hartpury will help me lose some weight.
Ideally I would go for something bigger but I just think that if I let him go, I'll just be looking for another Chester. But if I do get him I don't know if I'll be able to get over his size! Dilemma! Haha.
I've definitely clicked with him and he definitely feels big enough.
As I said, we're buying him new tack anyway so we can make sure my bum isn't so far back when we try saddles.
Well I've been told there are a lot of small competitions for students to take part in at Hartpury so I'd like to enter him in some things there but we'd be starting at the bottom as I've never shown before.
I don't know how interested I'm going to be in competing, I know I want to do some and try it out with him because he's done very well, often winning local shows and came 2nd in his first novice show so don't want to waste his talent. Also it looks like a lot of fun!
I doubt I'd be good enough to do BSJA. Would my size on him be a problem if we ever did get to that stage? (Though I very much doubt we would haha.)
x
Ah ok I thought you meant Showing as in http://www.britishshowhorse.org/ :) As to jumping - as long as he has enough power and scope it doesn't matter ;) BSJA classes start small too, the only difference is that the distances are set so with his a pony canter stride he might struggle to make the distances (note: might as many small horses do just fine at lower levels).
We'll pop you on a another 14.2hh tomorrow for a good look ;)
He doesn't look too fine and spindly so if he tick all other boxes I wouldn't be overly worried :) x
No haha, I'm not set on that kind of showing at the moment. My ambitions may change after some time at Hartpury though if I get a taste for it, we'll see!
He's been jumping 3'3" courses before and I'm happy with that. If he can go higher, that's great, if not, I don't mind. I don't know if I'll be a good enough jumper to even go that high haha. From jumping him today I would say he's got great power and scope, but I don't know much.
Thank you, that's a good idea! Thanks so much for all the advice!
END
So yeah, if you guys could give me your opinions, whether you need to snap me out of my 'but what if we look silly?' idiocy or talk some sense into me because he is a bit small. Any and all opinions, thoughts, comments etc are welcome.
Thanks! :)