# Any Adults Ride 13-14hh?



## AleyaTheNewbie (Dec 17, 2020)

I'm just curious. Does anyone ride a 13-14hh? If so, would you mind telling me your height and weight? If not, that's fine. Just wanna know the number of people who ride small horses.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

I don't know my height or weight, only that I'm average height and... heavier than I should be! (Perhaps around 80kg). I often ride smaller horses. Used to prefer around 14hh cos it was easy to hop on them bareback... but these days I need a mounting block even for that size! We have a stocky 13.2hh pony, and a 14hh one that I ride, as does my son who's 17yo & about my size. I also have 3 15hh horses.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

The horse my wife used to ride was 13.2 or 13.3 and weighed 750-800#. At that time my wife was 5'-4" and 130-135#. She even rode it in the mountains with no trouble. It sure made it easier for her to get off and on having a shorter horse.


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## AJ Yammie (Dec 20, 2020)

AleyaTheNewbie said:


> I'm just curious. Does anyone ride a 13-14hh? If so, would you mind telling me your height and weight? If not, that's fine. Just wanna know the number of people who ride small horses.


Yup, I have a reining mare who’s 14 hh, I’m 160cm tall and weigh 54 kg. Hope this helps!


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I do. 
I have a cow horse bred filly, while she is short she is stouter and big barreled so she takes up a lot of my leg. I also ride a cutting horse length stirrup which I'd say is about the shortest of the western disciplines.

I'm 5'9" and right now, 135 lbs. In the summer I'm down around 130 maybe less depending on my work load.
I've never sticked or weighed her but she is significantly shorter than one of my older horses who is 14.2. I'll try to get a measurement tomorrow and a weight.

I honestly think how well you ride makes a bigger difference than size.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Most of my horses are 14- 14.2. I am 5’3’’ and have weighed as much as 185.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I'm 5'5 and 110 to 115 pounds fully dressed. I ride a 13'2 Pony most of the time. I also have Teddy, who is 14'2. Pony is a wide, "pony shaped" cob type, very sturdy. Teddy is more of a horse shape.

Pony has a short back and I apparently have long legs, so it was hard to find a saddle that fit us both. If I were any taller I don't think I'd look very good on him. Luckily he has a very round barrel that, as they say, "takes up a lot of leg" so my feet aren't dangling below his stomach.

My daughter is 5'4 and rides Moonshine, who is about 15'2. She had to ride Pony in a lesson last weekend and she was like, "Why am I so close to the ground" LOL.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Quite a few here. I've ridden a 14.2 sturdy quarter pony with a very round barrel that took up much leg. 5.10 ft.

There is much more to what you can ride than your height and weight or height and weight of what you are riding.

Your ability and how "light" you ride as well as how fit and conditioned the horse is, how stout as far as bone density, how round the barrel is or isn't all make a difference. 

Taller doesn't meaner better ability to carry weight either. Many drafts have long backs and can be weak coupled which means not ideal for a heavier person.

You want a horse with a short back, strong coupled, sturdy legs with good density of bone.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

I have Morgans, and I am 5'2" and 145 lbs. My two retired mares are 14.1 and 14.2, respectively. One has a large barrel but is fairly petite overall, and the other is built like a tank. I never gave a second thought to whether they were ok for me to ride. My main riding horse right now is right at 15 hands, but I've also ridden her sister, who is pony sized at 13.3. That little mare is the only horse I've ever felt too big on, and I think it was more because of her very fine frame than her actual height. There's a FB page called "Celebrating Morgan Ponies," that might be a good place to browse to see adults who have these pint sized powerhouses.


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

5’6” (and 1/2). I weigh more than my driver‘s license says which I got over 12 years ago, and I do self care for my horses (so all that mucking makes for great linebacker shoulders 😅) I’ve also got a short torso, so all my height is in my leg.

My only rideable is my 14.1 Haflinger (but he’s got no withers so I’m thinking he’s more like 14.2 or 14.3), but he’s got a good sized barrel that really takes up my leg. Even with fairly long stirrups, my foot only really hits just about the bottom of his barrel. Plus in his mind, he’s a 20-hand Clydesdale so he moves like he has presence, if you know what I mean. I rode a 15.2 once and felt big on him because he was much leaner than my Haffie. My mare, when she was riding sound, taped at 14.3

id probably go a little bigger for my next horse to maybe 15 hands. I like ‘em small and stout. Good for trails where you don’t have to duck under branches as much, easier to get on while out on trail (given a bum knee and all).


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## Animalia (Nov 10, 2019)

I am 5'8" with very long legs and around 200lbs. I rode a 13.2 Icelandic for a year and am now riding a stocky mixed breed horse that is around 14.2 or so. Neither has had any trouble carrying me. Smaller, stocky horses are often better at carrying weright than bigger horses. A lot of bigger people ride draft horses (I did that too for awhile) and I think a lot of drafts are just fine with it. But those horses are bred for pulling, not necessarily weight bearing, so I'm not sure who comfortable they all are with carrying heavy weight. I find good stout legs, a short back, round barrel and decent sized feet make all the difference.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

QtrBel said:


> You want a horse with a short back, strong coupled, sturdy legs with good density of bone.


How does one determine density of bone? Do you just sort assume that a more stocky built horse tends to have more dense bones? Or is there an actual test you can do? I assume my Pony has dense bones, just because he's so generally thick. I mean, he's a little, um, "Pony shaped," yes, but he's also I believe genetically just a stockier build (not to mention he's an ex-stallion), and I would guess that a horse with a stockier build would have denser bones. Is this true?


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

There are measurements taken at specific points and formulas used to determine density. More accurately probably one would say relative size and assumed density as measured circumference of the leg doesn't necessarily equal denseness of the bone itself. Your vet can also make the actual density determination but most people interested would use the measurements as the formulas take into account size of horse. 

Let me see if I can find those formulas. It's been years since I used them.

Yes, theoretically a stocky horse with thick legs would be sturdier than fine boned. Arabs I would say have a genetic propensity for actual denseness that some other breeds don't. But I don't remember if it also equated to a relative thickness. I was working with paints and quarters collecting measurements.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I’m 5ft 3ish and was around 112 pounds most of my adult life so when I worked in riding schools I often got stuck on ponies, later on my DH and I had our own little livery/dealing yard so again, lots of ponies plus occasionally hopping on my children’s ponies.
I can’t honestly say that I’d choose to ride anything under 14.2, there’s no real advantage too it at all other than being able to get on easier.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

jaydee said:


> I can’t honestly say that I’d choose to ride anything under 14.2, there’s no real advantage too it at all other than being able to get on easier.


Well, you also have less distance to fall, LOL. Although I remember one time when I fell off Pony when he acted up, the lady that actually owns the property (an older woman who is a life-long horse person) commented that she thinks it's actually easier to fall off ponies than horses because "Everything happens so fast with a pony." I don't personally have enough experience to say if that's true or not. I just do find it nice that I don't have so far to fall. Having said that, if I didn't ride an occasionally naughty Pony, I don't think I'd be falling off so much.

Oh, and I like to love on my guys and I find that pony-sized is great for being able to lean over and rest your upper body on. My Pony has difficult-to-pick hooves and sometimes I'll do the first two and then rest on his butt for a minute before I do the second two. As a stocky Pony, he has a nice soft butt. 13'2 to 14'2 also puts their head more naturally at your own head height, which I also find nice. I also think it's easier to hug them at that size.


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## Animalia (Nov 10, 2019)

ACinATX said:


> How does one determine density of bone? Do you just sort assume that a more stocky built horse tends to have more dense bones? Or is there an actual test you can do? I assume my Pony has dense bones, just because he's so generally thick. I mean, he's a little, um, "Pony shaped," yes, but he's also I believe genetically just a stockier build (not to mention he's an ex-stallion), and I would guess that a horse with a stockier build would have denser bones. Is this true?





QtrBel said:


> There are measurements taken at specific points and formulas used to determine density. More accurately probably one would say relative size and assumed density as measured circumference of the leg doesn't necessarily equal denseness of the bone itself. Your vet can also make the actual density determination but most people interested would use the measurements as the formulas take into account size of horse.
> 
> Let me see if I can find those formulas. It's been years since I used them.
> 
> Yes, theoretically a stocky horse with thick legs would be sturdier than fine boned. Arabs I would say have a genetic propensity for actual denseness that some other breeds don't. But I don't remember if it also equated to a relative thickness. I was working with paints and quarters collecting measurements.


Yea, this is the way I've understood it too. Actual density of the bone itself isn't always based on leg size. Icelandics for instance have the densest bone of any horse (I think?), yet not the largest circumference leg. But I still find that horses with bigger legs (in general, not always) are better at weight bearing. I do not like the idea of riding a dainty legged horse.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I rode a 13.1 gaited pony for a few years in between retiring my old guy (16.1 AQHA, big difference to get used to LOL) and waiting for one of my homebred foals to get old enough to start. I'm 5'2" and at that time weighed from 125 -150 lbs. Once I hit 150 I quit riding her at all and saved her for kids or small adult visitors, by then I had another horse to ride anyway.


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## ferricyanide (Jan 14, 2020)

Im 5ft6in and my pony is 14hands or just under. I weigh 120 fully clothed and boots. My pony is 800-850 pounds. Old photo from shortly after i got him, but i don't really have any newer close ups. ￼After i figured out his breed, i did talk to a peruvian breeder and he said he won't sell a horse to anyone over 200 pounds.


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

I’m 5’8”. And weigh about 150 pounds.
One of our horses is 12.3hh, the other 12 even.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

CaliforniaDreaming said:


> I like ‘em small and stout. Good for trails where you don’t have to duck under branches as much, easier to get on while out on trail (given a bum knee and all).












I used to be 5' 11". I've shrunk some, but I'm still very tall with very long legs. I ride two Paso Finos that are 13 hands. I've been riding Isabeau for 9 years and don't have any problems with her being lame. I ride a lot, too. Many grown men ride Icelandics and Pasos and their legs extend far below the belly. Also cowboys in the old west, and Mongolian riders have their legs far below the belly.


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