# Tallest height for a pony



## Hoofprints on my heart (Apr 27, 2011)

So, my trainer keeps saying that im to tall for my pony but I dont think I am. What is the smallest pony I can fit on if Im 5 foot 8?
thanks
hoofprints


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

Well I'm 5'7" and I ride a 14 h QH and look just fine. BUT my legs are short compaired to the rest of me, and the pony is round. It also depends on your weight.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

depends entirely on the depth of girth that the pony has.
I'm 5ft3 I will happily ride anything from 12.2hh upwards depending on the pony. On 13.2hh welsh section C i can actualy look too small, however on my 13.2hh fine built show pony I lok massive


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I'm 5ft9, my mare is 14.1hands, and I look fine on her. My legs are a smidge too long for her but it's really nothing bad. She is, however, the widest, roundest horse in probably the entire universe. hahaha But seriously, she's super wide (she's a Polish Arabian). 
Like the previous posters said, it all depends on the horse's (pony's) depth of girth. A very narrow 14hh pony would make you look too tall but you'd probably look perfect on a rounder, wider pony of the same height.
It also depends on your weight to some extent. If you're a larger person, you probably want to look more into larger horses just so you don't have to worry about overburdening the horse/pony but an average sized person of your height should be fine on a pony. Personally I wouldn't go any shorter than 13.2-3hh (unless the pony is ridiculously wide) but I would for sure think that round/wide ponies in the 14hh range would suit you well. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that many taller pony breeds experience height crop-outs over the 14.2 pony height cut off. So, for instance, you could find a 15hh POA [Pony of the Americas, my favorite pony breed of all time] which would have pony characteristics but be too tall to technically be a pony. 
Good luck!


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

Wallaby said:


> I'm 5ft9, my mare is 14.1hands, and I look fine on her. My legs are a smidge too long for her but it's really nothing bad. She is, however, the widest, roundest horse in probably the entire universe. hahaha But seriously, she's super wide (she's a Polish Arabian).
> Like the previous posters said, it all depends on the horse's (pony's) depth of girth. A very narrow 14hh pony would make you look too tall but you'd probably look perfect on a rounder, wider pony of the same height.
> It also depends on your weight to some extent. If you're a larger person, you probably want to look more into larger horses just so you don't have to worry about overburdening the horse/pony but an average sized person of your height should be fine on a pony. Personally I wouldn't go any shorter than 13.2-3hh (unless the pony is ridiculously wide) but I would for sure think that round/wide ponies in the 14hh range would suit you well.
> 
> ...


I had no clue lacey was that short!


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

myhorsesonador said:


> I had no clue lacey was that short!



OT but,
I know!!! She's tricksy like that I guess, I had to check 3 times before I actually believed it when I measured her! :lol: She's just such a chunk of oomph that she doesn't look like the shorty she is. hahaha


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I have a question.....


I actually taped my horse at 14.2 hh and then got a measuring stick that has a level(made to measure how many hands on a horse) and she came out to 14.2 and 1/2 hh....sooooooo do people normally round it off to a number?


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

homh, 

There are several different ways to be "too big." Your weight may not be the issue at all. And it also depends on what you're doing with your pony. 

Trail riding? As long as the pony can carry your weight it's now problem. 

If you're jumping, at 5' 8", you need a pony that stands over a lot of ground, because it's likely your upper body is long in relation to the pony's top line. 

Also, you need a pony with a lot of depth through the girth and a very well sprung barrel to take up your leg. If you're riding hunt seat, it's very difficult to find a secure position unless the pony's barrel takes up your leg. 

So your trainer may be getting frustrated by one of the previous two issues. 

If you're riding English and jumping, particularly if you're showing hunt seat equitation, you may not be able to find a pony that truly fits you. Over 5'5" it gets tricky fitting a pony *from a hunter seat showing* perspective. 

So I'd say the smallest pony you'd fit on is a 14.2 large barreled one, depending on what you're doing.

Posting a photo would be a big help.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I have ridden a 13.2 hand pony..she has a wide barrel. She takes up my entire leg and she carries me very well. Gidget is my main horse and she is 14.2 and a half but I just round it off to 14.2. She is the perfect height. I'm 5'6" and you can do anything as you would with a taller horses...I prefer my shorties.


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