# What size horse do I need?



## Belleoftheball (21 June 2015)

Im 14, about 5ft 6 and approximately 8 stone, Im wanting a height i can grow into but not look ridiculously small on.


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## Shay (21 June 2015)

Depends on what you want to do with it.  Do you need a pony to stay in juniors for anything?  What about the 6 yr old cob you've posted about elsewhere?


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## Belleoftheball (21 June 2015)

Shay said:



			Depends on what you want to do with it.  Do you need a pony to stay in juniors for anything?  What about the 6 yr old cob you've posted about elsewhere?
		
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The cob is a full loan, I'm looking to get my own and wanted to know what people's opinions where on what height I should get, I wouldn't be gettin anything under 14.2


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## Shay (21 June 2015)

If you don't want to follow any particular discipline then I would say temperament is more important than height - other than the obvious extremes of course!  Something you can mount from the ground is always useful  - but there are ways around that if you find something lovely you are currently too short for.  You probably have one more growth spurt to come.

I do have a note of caution though - don't over horse yourself.  Horses and ponies think differently and ride differently and many young people rush into horses thinking ponies are "for kids".  I would always rather see a young person on a big pony or smaller horse than on something huge they struggle to hold together.  If I had to put a height on it  - and you don't want to compete in any particular discipline - I would say head for the 14.3 - 15.3 first horse bracket.  The drawback there is that this is often the most sought after bracket after junior's competition ponies, plus when people find a good one they tend to keep it for life.  A full up 14.2 might suit - my daughter's ISH is 147.5cm (and an LHC to prove it!) but rides more like a 15hh.   That said something really nice and genuine that just happened to be 16hh would be great too.  At 5'6 I would suggest 17hh+ is probably a bit big - you need to be able to handle them in the stable too.  But mine was 18.1 and I'm shorter than you are!

Gosh - I wrote you an essay.  Sorry about that!  Final bit of advice - make sure you take your instructor or a knowledgeable adult with you horse shopping - and try not to buy the first one you like!  (Like I haven't done that a time of two...)  Good luck!


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## sasquatch (26 June 2015)

It really depends on what you want to do, at 5"6 and 14 you may grow taller, or may not grow much at all.

Anything up to 16hh would probably suit you as long as it had a good temperament. 
You haven't said what you want to do, or what experience you have so it's hard to say what sort of horse would suit - and type of horse often comes into the height of the horse.


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## spookypony (26 June 2015)

I'd worry about temperament and suitability for the job before height. At 14, you'll probably be close to your adult height. I'm an adult, 5'5.5" (so about the same as you), and look perfectly fine on anything from about 14hh up. I have very long legs, which means that I can ride 17hh+ without too much trouble, but a lot of women our height look a bit silly on really massive horses. 

Speaking as someone who grew up in a country with fewer pony breeds and most horses in the "large pony/small horse" bracket, I don't quite have this country's prejudices regarding horse size, and I think much of the supposed difference is myth. A compact animal will spin faster, and a huge animal will feel a bit like steering a bendy bus through a medieval town centre, but to be frank, I haven't noticed a huge difference in brains or temperament...I think ponies often just _look_ smarter! Many Arabs are ponies by height, and quite a few Highlands and Connies are horses by height.

Just find an animal that you get on with and that suits you and what you would like to do, and don't worry about how big it is.


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## Barnacle (26 June 2015)

I share spookypony's sentiments. Horses and ponies are the same - there's just a size difference. Don't worry so much about the height and go for whatever you get on with. Try riding it and see how you feel. I'm a couple of inches shorter than you and ride everything from little kids' ponies (12hh-ish) to big horses over 17hh and I feel fine on all of them. Plus when you're a bit older, the idea of riding a pony won't seem so much like something "for kids" any more. I love riding ponies and I've been an adult for a little while  So just think about what you want to do. Chances are you're not going to grow much more now so outgrowing is fairly unlikely. Find something that's a good fit without limiting yourself by height and go with it.


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## Stroppy Mare (27 June 2015)

I'm 5ft7 and ride my 15hh horse/pony ... Whichever you want to call her. I've recently bought a youngster and find her a massive change as although she isn't much bigger she is a 'horse' and rides like one. My 15hh rides like a pony, she's sharp and quick and honestly, I love it. When she's fit and sound, she always wins a jump off by far. She's also an amazing hack. She's not first horse material though! 

At your age, I think I was really about fully grown, I may have grown another inch or so but I was always fairly tall. I was told that as I was so told I'd need something big, so went out and bought what appeared to be a 16.2, suitable for a novice... It was the biggest mistake of my life. 

As another poster said, don't overlook ponies, they'll have the ability to teach you more than you'll ever know. A good pony will 9 times out of 10 beat a horse. Ignore height and look for a good temperament and soundness within your budget.


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## huskydamage (29 June 2015)

I got my 14hh pony when I was your age (I was 5'6- now I'm probably about 5'7) I still have her/ride now and I'm 27.  I do look a bit silly, so in all honesty you probably will want to go for something a bit taller than 14hh. I find it hard to balance on other ponies, but I'm just so used to mine now.
HOWEVER I absolutely love my pony and she is just the perfect ride for me, I have had nothing but fun with her from day one.  I remember humming and ahhing about her height, but I'm so glad I didn't let it put me off in the end.
The best horse pony for you might not be the tallest, as others have said temperament is so important
I have known way more people buy a huge horse they couldn't handle/scared of than lanky people having problems on ponies/small horses.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (29 June 2015)

Belleoftheball said:



			Im 14, about 5ft 6 and approximately 8 stone, Im wanting a height i can grow into but not look ridiculously small on.
		
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What is the height and weight of your mother, your genes will dictate your final height [and weight] to some extent.
It is the matter of finding a horse which you won't outgrow I think, as you are quite tall. I would tend to look for a warmblood, TB or similar rather then a big cob. having said that it also depends on what you want to do and if you want to compete.


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