# am I to big for a 14.2hh horse?



## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I think the horse's build has a lot more to do with it than the height. I am 5'10" and ride a 14hh horse. He is a thick, stout horse and my heels don't even go past his barrel.
At 5'4" I think most 14.2hh horses would be fine, as long as they aren't real twiggy.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

If you are a balanced, good rider and the horse is in good shape and has good conformation and bone I think you'll be fine. There are a lot of factors that go into it beside just your weight and the horse's height.


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

TessaMay said:


> If you are a balanced, good rider and the horse is in good shape and has good conformation and bone I think you'll be fine. There are a lot of factors that go into it beside just your weight and the horse's height.


I read an article yesturday about this on horsechannel.com saying a heavy balanced rider is actually better for the horse then a small rider bouncing all over the place! 

I actually prefer the stockier, barrel shaped horses, so that’s a plus!


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## Soccergoalie322 (May 20, 2014)

I'm 5'4" and 155. My horse is 14.2. I sure hope I'm not too big for her lol


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you are worried about people thinking your weight too much? 5' 4" and 145 is nothing outrageous, not at all. especially if you are muscled. and you are by no means too heavy nor too tall for a horse that size . not at ALL.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

That entirely depends on the 14.2hh horse, as long as you aren't looking at stick insects with both font legs coming out of the same place, or with a bone structure like a chicken, you are probably going to be good


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

Not at all. I am 5'5-6 140 lbs and my mare is an honest 14.3. I do think build of a horse plays a role as well. My mare is definitely more horse size than pony - in regards to length of body, neck, etc. I feel awkward on a horse her size that has a short stubby neck and short back, but then again I am use to the long necks of the Morgan.


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

tinyliny said:


> you are worried about people thinking your weight too much? 5' 4" and 145 is nothing outrageous, not at all. especially if you are muscled. and you are by no means too heavy nor too tall for a horse that size . not at ALL.


I only said that because I was looking at adopting a horse from a rescue (he looked to be around 14.2, the ad didnt say) and said I needed something 14.2 or bigger and the lady pretty much told me I was too big to be on anything other then a "well built horse with heavy legs, short pasterns and the body square looking and not a rectangle. In other words a well-built Quarter Horse whose conformation is correct."... I kindly told the lady "thanks for your advice, the search will continue!"


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Oh wow, I am really shocked the woman from the rescue told you that, she sounds quite inexperienced.

At your height and weight, a 14.2hh horse is, I would say, ideal for you. I am 5'6 and I weigh around 145, my horses were 14.2 to 14.3hh (very stocky Arabians).


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

I'm 5'4" and fluffier than 145 I have never had a problem with a horse carrying too much with me on them. I am very balanced and have a lot of miles under my belt, which I think makes a huge difference. Even the narrow ottb's pack me fine. My mares are both 15hh and my arab is NARROW. She is always 100% sound, happy to go for a ride, no back problems and I've never seen her tired. Funny enough, I had a very light rider on a mare significantly bigger than mine have issues with her tuckering out on the same ride.

I have no problem with short horses, but I would never go under 13.2hh personally. I rode a 14hh paso mare that felt great and packed me like I wasn't even there.


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

SarahStorms said:


> I am 5' 4" and 145lb.
> ...
> the lady pretty much told me I was too big to be on anything other then a "well built horse with heavy legs, short pasterns and the body square looking and not a rectangle...


Does she never sell horses to men? I weighed more than that in high school. 

If you use 20% as a guideline, any horse that weighs about 750 lbs or more should be able to carry you.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Agree, I would say ideal as well.

A friend was telling me about an article for overweight riders she read (meant as a hint hint to another rider). The article was actually pretty extreme saying you should weigh less than 10% of your horse. 20% is the given, and studies have shown that the average sturdy horse can carry 30% with ease. So apparently there are some people that do the extremes.

I am slightly shorter than you (short legs) and weigh slightly more. I am slightly overweight. You sound just about perfect and if you're in shape that's all that matters.
You are a very average height and weight.

I agree that 14.2-15hh is probably your ideal range.

Our pony is a sturdy 12.3, Arab is about 14.2, MFT is 15.3 At 15.3 he is starting to get a little tall for me. My Arabian is the perfect height, though I ride them all easily.

My BO put me on the 17.2hh horse. She said I needed to practice riding the taller horses. My response was WHY? I have no desire to ride a taller horse. I am 5'3". Could I ride the 17.2 horse? Yeah, his stride was big but I adjusted, it wasn't a big deal. Do I want to ride horses that big all the time? No, I like being able to get on from the ground (16.2 is about my limit for that as I literally can't get my foot in the stirrup any higher lol). I agree I "should be able to" and I am, so why push the issue? I really didn't understand.


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

at 145 pounds your too big for a horse, what is it a shetland pony.. seriously.. I weigh over 250 and ride a 15 hand flat horse, granted she is a tank, but I think you will be fine. being my weight I used to have issues with places mostly high strung English barns with finding places to ride.. some had like 170 pound weight limits, but had full drafts/ large stocky draft crosses, etc at my current weight I would have no problem riding, but I know what its like to get the comments from people, my only theory is since he is at a rescue, maybe he is skinny and needs weight/ muscle put on him before he is worked hard


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

I think shes stocky enough... with a huge grass belly!


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

SarahStorms said:


> I think shes stocky enough... with a huge grass belly!


if that horse couldn't carry you, there is something wrong with the horse NOT you:lol:


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

RegularJoe said:


> Does she never sell horses to men? I weighed more than that in high school.
> 
> If you use 20% as a guideline, any horse that weighs about 750 lbs or more should be able to carry you.


 
SERIOUSLY!!!! I wanted to say "do you any of your horses ever get adopted???"


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

the palomino is the horse I'm looking to buy! The horse inquired about rescuing was this: He does now look to be on the smaller side...


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

A bit difficult to get perspective from the photo of the grey. But, at 5'8 and a buck seventy, I'd have no qualms about riding that horse. 

I've run into enough "holier than thou" folks running rescue barns that I simply steer clear of them.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Yogiwick said:


> The article was actually pretty extreme saying you should weigh less than 10% of your horse.


Hummm... I'm 6'0", and about 190-200 lbs. Add 20-30 lbs for tack, and tell me just where I'm supposed to find a 2200 lb horse. That's upper end of the draft horse range.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Yeah we were laughing about it. Apparently everyone in the group of us standing there (all smaller women) was far too big to be riding the medium to large size horses we do XD

I am definitely someone who is particular about weight and being too heavy, but 10% is a little absurd. I mean "ideally" we wouldn't even ride right? They don't seem to be suffering though!


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

this is the article I read, they talk about how the 10% isn't really accurate (because basically nobody could ride!!!)

Too Heavy to Ride


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

10% is NOT accurate (yes it would be pretty much exclusive!). 20% is the typical standard though I've heard 25%.

I had never heard 10% before our conversation/laugh last night


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Maybe 10% is for professional jockeys?


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

Yogiwick said:


> 10% is NOT accurate (yes it would be pretty much exclusive!). 20% is the typical standard though I've heard 25%.


20% was the US cavalry standard. I'd think they know a little about horses. :smile:

Personally, I go by the Hoss Cartwright standard, which is the 300+ lb Dan Blocker riding on the 1,250 lb Arab-QH cross Chub. Dan rode that horse on Bonanza for a dozen seasons, and the horse outlived the rider. Do the math on that and it's about 25% _without western tack_ and assuming Blocker's clothes weigh nothing. I think we can all agree that none of us wants to see a naked Dan Blocker on horseback, so we can safely conclude that most healthy horses can handle our OP. 

In the meantime, our seller can go back to selling horses to parents of little girls who want a real live My Little Pony.


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