# Tall men riding tall horses?!



## katastrophykat (27 December 2014)

My OH is 6'6, and we're half toying with the idea of a biggie for him- part bred Draft, however he's very long legged as well. Has anyone got pics of tall riders on horses, and the size of horse please? Just so we can get an idea of type. He'll be about 15 st 

Thanks in advance!


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## Cortez (27 December 2014)

It's not so much about the height of the horse, more about how the barrel of the horse takes up the rider's leg. I have a 14.2 with an enormous barrel  and used to ride a narrow 17.1 - in photos you wouldn't see the difference between them (and I'm 5'9" with v. long legs).

15 stone isn't all that much for a man really, so a good heavyweight hunter type should do him, and I'd try anything from 16.2 up for him.


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## JFTDWS (27 December 2014)

For some reason I was expecting a thread about someone with a fetish for tall men riding tall horses...

Alas I have nothing useful to contribute.


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## Mrs G (27 December 2014)

JustFindingTheDecorations said:



			For some reason I was expecting a thread about someone with a fetish for tall men riding tall horses...

Alas I have nothing useful to contribute.
		
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I think I may have this fetish...


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## Auslander (27 December 2014)

JustFindingTheDecorations said:



			For some reason I was expecting a thread about someone with a fetish for tall men riding tall horses...

Alas I have nothing useful to contribute.
		
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I'm hanging around - just for the pictures!


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## 1ST1 (27 December 2014)

This is my quite tall (185 cm - Google tells me it's 6.1) husband riding my tall (175 cm) stallion:













And this is husband again this time riding a taller (180 cm) but narrower horse with dressage-length stirrups:







Hope this helps


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## littleshetland (27 December 2014)

I I used to have a guy here (lovely bloke) who kept his horse on livery - he was 6'9" (!) and his horse was about 18.1hh ( stallion).
When you saw them out and about together, from a distance, they looked of average size, but up close - gosh - they were an impressive sight!

I once saw a Dutch bloke riding at Hickstead (Dressage) - He was about 6'5" tall - his horse, a Friesian stallion was only about  16 - 16.1hh, but somehow they looked absolutely right for each other.


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## Archangel (27 December 2014)

My OH is 6ft 3ins most of this is leg.  His horse is 16.3 Shire X - she isn't overly wide which helps with his long thigh bones.


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## Greylegs (27 December 2014)

Look at any pic of William Fox-Pitt riding. He's tall and long legged but rides an assortment of horses.


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## Honey08 (27 December 2014)

My husband is 6'4 and makes my 16h medium weight ISH look tiny (he is all legs, like WFP on a horse!  He looks good on his 17h ISH who is a good middleweight.

Sorry, would post pics but haven't been able to since I changed to an i pad.


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## katastrophykat (27 December 2014)

Thanks guys!


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## Rapidash (27 December 2014)

Any more pictures...? You know, for science...


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## Kikke (27 December 2014)

if someone tells me how to properly post pics, I'll post some off my hubby who is 6'7 on his belgian draft.


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## Kat (27 December 2014)

I can't get a photo to work but there is one on my profile of my 6ft2 leggy husband on a 15.1hh cob. He rides long and did look a bit tall but was comfortable and was always placed out showing and dressage. 

He now rides our mare who is about 15.3hh and quite fine. He tends to look tall whatever he rides, I have seen him make a 17.2hh WB look like a pony so he may as well ride what he is comfortable on and he prefers something under 16hh. 

The crucial thing is being able to get a big enough saddle to accommodate his length of thigh. He felt unbalanced in a 17" because it put him in the wrong place and his knees poked out over the knee roll.


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## Dave's Mam (27 December 2014)

Rapidash said:



			Any more pictures...? You know, for science...
		
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Yes.  Science is important.


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## Tern (27 December 2014)

JustFindingTheDecorations said:



			For some reason I was expecting a thread about someone with a fetish for tall men riding tall horses...

Alas I have nothing useful to contribute.
		
Click to expand...

You're not the only one.


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## NeilM (27 December 2014)

I would concentrate more on the weight carrying that the height.

I am just over 6'1" and I ride a 14.2hh New Forest who is a really beefy lad. 

Weight wise, at one time I was around 12 1/2 to 13 stone, but these days I am always under 12 stone (I do a lot of cycling to keep thin and fit).

I also exercise a 16.2h Anglo Arab and ride him in a similar width fit saddle to the one I use for my NF, so effectively I am just higher off the ground.


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## dollymix (27 December 2014)

Rudolph's Aunty Em said:



			Yes.  Science is important.
		
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VERY important


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## Tinypony (27 December 2014)

Well, I battled with the img code and couldn't manage to post photos, sorry!  But if you Google my friend Steve Halfpenny - he's a fraction of an inch under 6'7" tall in his socks.  There are pics of him riding all sorts of shapes and sizes of horses. I think his pally, Gandalf, is about 16.2hh. 
It really shouldn't matter if the ankles end up below the line of the belly, as long as horse and rider work well together.


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## Tern (27 December 2014)

Tinypony said:



			Well, I battled with the img code and couldn't manage to post photos, sorry!  But if you Google my friend Steve Halfpenny - he's a fraction of an inch under 6'7" tall in his socks.  There are pics of him riding all sorts of shapes and sizes of horses. I think his pally, Gandalf, is about 16.2hh. 
It really shouldn't matter if the ankles end up below the line of the belly, as long as horse and rider work well together.
		
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Is this him?


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## LadyGascoyne (27 December 2014)

Purely in the interests of science, here is proof of the importance of type, over height, of horses which suit tall men. 

Here is Colin Firth as Mr Darcy aboard a leggy finer type:







And here he is aboard a shorter, cobish type:







And here is Colin Firth without a horse (as a control)













Credits obviously due to the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Aka the ONLY version of Pride and Prejudice.


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## Crazy_cat_lady (27 December 2014)

I thought it was going to be a new male member! 

Op look at pics of Mark Todd he used to ride some smaller horses eg Charisma/ Broadcast News.

agree with science needing images to add to the benefit of the study


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## FfionWinnie (27 December 2014)

It really is as Cortez says the size of the barrel.  My new mare is 14.2. My last mare was 15.1. I look the same on both. The 14.2 wears a 6ft3 rug and a F/s bridle etc,  is very uphill and has a big upright neck.  As my instructor said, she may be nearly a hand smaller but she's three hands wider. I'm not sure you could tell without actually riding her tho. It's been an eye opener for me (she was meant to be 15.1 so it's lucky!).


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## FfionWinnie (27 December 2014)

LadyGascoyne said:



			Purely in the interests of science, here is proof of the importance of type, over height, of horses which suit tall men. 

Here is Colin Firth as Mr Darcy aboard a leggy finer type:







And here he is aboard a shorter, cobish type:







And here is Colin Firth without a horse (as a control)













Credits obviously due to the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Aka the ONLY version of Pride and Prejudice.
		
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Sorry there was a horse you say. :drool:


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## dreambigpony (27 December 2014)

Love how this thread has turned out haha...any scientific photographs of tall men on tall horse (preferably under 23 years old- purely for scientific reasons) Just think we need more variables...


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## Hump991 (27 December 2014)

My OH is 6'8 and says he outgrew horses when he was 17......bearing in mind he grew up on Sark in the Channel Islands he spent a lot of time with horses in his youth.  I have a 17hh Thoroughbred but he hasnt ridden him, we feel that he might be too heavy despite being overweight.  Would love to get something one day that is suitable for the both of us, although realistically more for me as he would only come for a ride every now and again.


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## Dave's Mam (27 December 2014)

Science!


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## Tern (27 December 2014)

Am I the only one that doesn't find Colin Firth attractive?!


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## NeilM (27 December 2014)

Tern said:



			Am I the only one that doesn't find Colin Firth attractive?! 

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Not the only one, he does nothing for me whatsoever.


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## Crazy_cat_lady (27 December 2014)

Tern said:



			Am I the only one that doesn't find Colin Firth attractive?! 

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I'm the same, Benedict Cumberbatch or whatever his name is does absolutely nothing for me either. 
I like sporty


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## Tern (27 December 2014)

me&Harvey said:



			I'm the same, Benedict Cumberbatch or whatever his name is does absolutely nothing for me either. 
I like sporty 

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Yep, another one the same.

Don't be saying it to JFTD though..


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## madmav (27 December 2014)

Wasn't Tamarillo, William Fox Pitt's star, also of 15.3hh?


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## Tern (27 December 2014)

madmav said:



			Wasn't Tamarillo, William Fox Pitt's star, also of 15.3hh?
		
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No, he was 16.2hh.


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## KidnapMoss (27 December 2014)

My husband is 6'2 rugby player build and his horse is a VERY chunky ID and 17 hh

Nothing smaller or finer would carry him I don't think, 

Next to a friend on a 15 hand horse so you can see difference


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## Shantara (27 December 2014)

I won't post pics, since I doubt he'd want me too! 

My old supervisor was extremely tall, but very skinny. He rode a 17hh finely built horse and a 15.3/16hh chunkier horse and he looked about the same on both! I'm quite tall at 5ft 8 and have a 15.1 fine-ish horse and I think I look a _smidge_ too tall for him, but I look about the same on a very chunky 14.2.


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## Kat (27 December 2014)

LadyGascoyne said:



			Purely in the interests of science, here is proof of the importance of type, over height, of horses which suit tall men. 

Here is Colin Firth as Mr Darcy aboard a leggy finer type:







And here he is aboard a shorter, cobish type:







And here is Colin Firth without a horse (as a control)













Credits obviously due to the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Aka the ONLY version of Pride and Prejudice.
		
Click to expand...

*like*


My husband once dressed as Mr Darcy (inspired by colin firth in the lake scene) for a fancy dress party. He was asked if he'd consider doing a little light cleaning in his costume (which was basically a pair of competition breeches, long boots and a frilly shirt) in return for generous reimbursement.  He declined as he thought it was demeaning or bloody terrifying or something!  He is now much more careful where he is seen in his jodhs!


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## ROMANY 1959 (27 December 2014)

This is my son. 6'4" on his 15-3 Polocrosse horse, he is just over 10 St 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 I don't think he looks too big on her,


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## LeneHorse (27 December 2014)

Well I appreciated the Mr Darcy pics......made an old bird very happy


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## Auslander (27 December 2014)

This thread is still disappointingly light on pictures!


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## Regandal (27 December 2014)

What I do in the name of science.  Sigh.  Have you any idea how many images I had to search through to get this one?   Anyhow, these seem fairly robust horses, but not too tall - maybe around the 16 hh mark?  Sean Bean must be 6 ft anyway.   Looks fine to me..........


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## doodle (27 December 2014)

Person who I work for has a 15yo son who is 6'3".  His horse is 16hh but she is an Irish cob x type and very wide.  He dosnt look too tall but has had to have a new saddle as his knees came over the knee roll.


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## madmav (28 December 2014)

Tern said:



			No, he was 16.2hh. 

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No idea why I put 'of' 15.3hh. Or why I thought she was that size. Maybe I get over-excited with statistics. Or perhaps WFP looking so gorgeously tall on her made me knock off a couple of inches.


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## Jnhuk (28 December 2014)

Hubby who is somewhere between 6ft1 & 2  on our ID 17.1hh 

http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/jnhuk/media/IMG_20140607_092939_zps1e51fc16.jpg.html]






and our 15.1 youngster for comparison 

http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/j...7_5474325914238761610_o_zpsdaf6baf7.jpg.html]


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## conniegirl (28 December 2014)

My brother is 6ft2 and looked absolutly fine on my 15.1hh small hunter. Mind you the lout is enormous in the barrel and I swear you could drive a bus between his front legs! 
Brother looked very big on my 15hh Arab but weight wise was fine.


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## Nessa4 (28 December 2014)

Auslander said:



			I'm hanging around - just for the pictures!
		
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Oooh! Yummy!  Yes please!


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## brighteyes (28 December 2014)

Glad to see the traditional balance of good advice and thinly disguised voyeurism is still alive and kicking on HHO.

There's a guy called Denny in Canada posts loads of pictures of himself riding mainly lightweight eventers. If pictures are what you are after. He's at Tamarack Hill Farm. He's knocking on a bit but he does post some from way back when. Oh it's on FB.


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## katastrophykat (28 December 2014)

Have just shown OH this, gave him a good giggle... I hadn't explained what some of you were like before letting him read it back  

Much appreciated ladies- I'd love a big shire mare to breed a nice tall ID or TB x from, however he knows that if also nick her for driving and showing, and breeding for a couple of full bred shires as well, so he's after an ID, and I'm not convinced that he can find one tall enough (looking at 17.2 + really, aren't we!) that I like the confirmation of enough. 

I suspect that this may take some time


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## Tinypony (28 December 2014)

Tern said:



			Is this him? 






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Yes, thank you, that's Steve.


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## twiggy2 (28 December 2014)

Regandal said:



			What I do in the name of science.  Sigh.  Have you any idea how many images I had to search through to get this one?   Anyhow, these seem fairly robust horses, but not too tall - maybe around the 16 hh mark?  Sean Bean must be 6 ft anyway.   Looks fine to me..........







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Sean Bean looks fine to me too


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## LeneHorse (28 December 2014)

"Mind you the lout is enormous in the barrel and I swear you could drive a bus between his front legs!
Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?686666-Tall-men-riding-tall-horses-!/page5#3Bt4JVfPrcUg2O5L.99"

Conniegirl - that's a terrible way to describe your brother 

For those with a deep scientific interest in this matter tune into BBC 1 on Friday 2nd at 9pm - there is a new series of the Musketeers starting. Should be plenty of opportunity for 'research'!


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## sasquatch (28 December 2014)

A 6"2 man used to ride my (only just) 15hh lightweight cob - he was tall on him but absolutely loved riding him and imo I think my horse benefited from a rider with long legs that were always wrapped round him!

I'm sure there are some lovely photos of Viggo Mortensen on horses floating around somewhere, in full lotr kit!


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## Wiz201 (28 December 2014)

William Fox Pitt makes his 16 hand odd horses look like ponies when he rides them
http://www.burghley-horse.co.uk/images/newsimages/11_FoxPittW_lrg.jpg


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## ChiffChaff (28 December 2014)

My 6ft4 but 11stone ish friend used to ride my 14.1hh Welsh D.  He looked ridiculous but rode him beautifully - much better than I ever could.  When he rode him bare back he could touch his toes under Magic's belly!!


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## ChiffChaff (28 December 2014)

I appreciate that he is however, a tall man riding a short horse


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## ChiffChaff (28 December 2014)

Whoops - wrong post


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