# Omg outrage



## Attitude05 (Nov 11, 2009)

if your foot is one inch below, above or anywhere inbetween of your horses knee you cannot ride him/her at PC!!!

i was outraged


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## AQHA13 (Apr 19, 2017)

seems reasonable though


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## Attitude05 (Nov 11, 2009)

how is it reasonable?

they say that its a "safety hazard"

so i could go and ride a minuture and it would be fine by the rules because my foot is an inch lower than the bottom of the knee!!!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I have NEVER heard of such a rule and I am involved in PC at club, zone and state level. It certainly isn't a rule in NSW and I doubt it is in VIC.

And you could not ride a miniature as there IS a rule that any horse under 12.3h must have a rider not exceeding 60kg (I think that is the weight). 

Maybe you heard this from an ill-informed person.


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## Attitude05 (Nov 11, 2009)

i am under 60kg

and its a rule at balnarring PC


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

Attitude05 said:


> i am under 60kg
> 
> and its a rule at balnarring PC


If its a rule it will be a State rule.


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## Attitude05 (Nov 11, 2009)

i dunno?


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

I think a sensible rule would be not to allow the rider's heel more than 1" below the horse's elbow.


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

maura said:


> I think a sensible rule would be not to allow the rider's heel more than 1" below the horse's elbow.


How so? My old horse was 15hh, I'm 15.4. I'm 95lbs, so....I shouldn't ride my 900lb horse because my leg is long


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

i'm thinking in order for your foot to be an inch above the horses knee it would have to be a pretty little pony.


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## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

Or, you have to be long legged. I think thats a little wierd, but we don't have anything like PC where I am, lol.

Who told you this in the first place?


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

1 dog, 

If your horse is 15H and your 5'4", I would imagine you're a very good fit. There are lots of other variables in how a horse takes up a rider's leg, but general rules are that you should see a little bit of the horse's barrel below your stirrup and that your opposite heel should not be visible from the other side of the horse. What I was trying to get to with the elbow thing is that it your toe touchs the horses forearm at or below the elbow when you're riding, you're probably too big for the horse. 

All of those rules assume a hunter seat stirrup length, not a dressage seat stirrup length.


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

never heard of that rule but sounds reasonable i mean you could catch yourself and probably too heavy for the horse anyway. ive never ridden a pony that small for me (although i am a shorty). not even william fox pitt rides horses that small for him and hes like 7ft!
although i would love a mini, to ride as well as just show, but i would ride it too often or ride it at high profile shows.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

if that were a rule all around, William Fox-Pitt would be screwed on some of the horses he has ridden before. He rides some that are under 16hh. He looks pretty ridiculous on them. lol. But, he didn't compete them at a high level either.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I don't understand this at all. What about all the people of Iceland who ride the national horse there? Actually the only horse in the whole country!


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

yeah it seems a bit weird to me. I think that the judgement should be made on the weight of the rider compared to the weight/hardiness of the horse. I mean, Icelandics are a very strong, hardy pony. Meaning, they can carry more weight even though they are shorter. So, the riders being tall really has no effect on them.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Rider height/horse height rules DO NOT work in PC - Because of Mounted Games. Mounted games is ridden on the smallest, fastest ponies available. Tall riders are regularly riding ponies 13h. The weight limit is to protect the horses welfare.

OP, I don't understand how your club could do MG if you have this rule. It must ONLY be a club by-law and NOT a rule made by your state or zone. I wonder why it was made - It would be very counter-productive and I have never heard the like of it in PC.

A height rule suh as the one mentioned above about the elbow - I'm sorry but they are ridiculous and not based on horse welfare. A horse doesn't care how tall you are or how goofy you look - It cares about how much you *weigh*. If that were a rule, MG wouldn't exist.

Here is a regular MG combination:










And the one on the far side:


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

wild_spot, 

Please bear in mind that I'm talking about general guidelines for the hunter ring, based mostly on aesthetics *and* the ability to get your leg firmly and effectively on the horse. 

Also, in our local PC in the US, the size/suitability rules were thrown out for Mounted Games. I know of several riders who held on to their outgrown ponies just for Mounted Games. 

Even weight isn't an absolute - gaited horses and the WP type of Quarter Horse can carry more weight for their size because they don't move with the long frame or long stride of sport horses.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

This one clinician that comes from germany and teaches everybody at the barn is SUPER tall, he makes a 17 hand horse look like a 15.3 hand horse, imnot eve kidding its freakish! but him and any horse he rides look like a perfecgt pair, he is so balanced that it doesnt really bother the horse, i know, it wouldnt be good for him to ride a small hrose everyday, but he has ridden a 15 hand horse, and the hrose wasnt bothered at all. i think that is one of the weirdest rules! lol the point of my story was to show how even if a rider is tall, the hrose and rider can be perfectly balanced and in tune to eachother,


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Fair enough - I just don't believe in making rules based on aesthetics. If you won't place because you look too big - Fine. But I think it is discrimination to say you can't compete at all if you look too big.

Really? Actually I can see that - When I was over there there were some quite heavy riders on small ponies, more so than we would do here. How interesting. I wonder how that goes for international competition - I would think the rule would be used - I know it is for MGA (not PC) as we hosted worlds last year and I lent my pony.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Sounds like one of those rules that are for looks only. Sort of like a city here in Kansas not allowing any other color besides tan for roof colors. 
All buildings must have tan roofs....Odd but true :lol:


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

Vidaloco said:


> Sounds like one of those rules that are for looks only. Sort of like a city here in Kansas not allowing any other color besides tan for roof colors.
> All buildings must have tan roofs....Odd but true :lol:


maybe the tan roofs are for a reason... you see, what if there was an airstrike on that city, and you all had rainbow roofs! they would see you!! but if you have tan roofs, they would fly over like: hmmm why are there people walking around on streets and why are there square sand patches everywhere???? lol


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

Hehe!^^^


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Okay, but please remember to think outside your immediate discipline. Some of it is about aesthetics and effectiveness, but some of it is about safety and practicality. 

If you ride a horse where your opposite foot is visible from the other side, or part of your leg is clearly below the horse's bottom line when you're riding jumping length, you're very likely to_ bang your feet on the top of the fences._

That was actually the way a student of mine was convinced that he was too big for his beloved foxhunting pony -- he hit the top of one too many coops. 

Which is why I am sure Mr. Fox-Pitt, a rider I greatly admire, rides quite a bit shorter over fences than pictured in the above dressage photo.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> If you ride a horse where your opposite foot is visible from the other side, or part of your leg is clearly below the horse's bottom line when you're riding jumping length, you're very likely to_ bang your feet on the top of the fences._


I don't just ride games :]

I have actually jumped quite extensively, as well as eventing at the lower levels. I still stand by it - No rule should be made IMO based on aesthetics.

I have ridden quite small horses through PC - And a friend of mine who is on this forum just upgraded from a 13.3h pony. She did a fair bit of jumping on him, and her legs were way past his belly. She was never even close to hitting the fences. Maybe it has something to do with the horses jumping style?


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## sullylvr (Aug 13, 2009)

maura said:


> I think a sensible rule would be not to allow the rider's heel more than 1" below the horse's elbow.


im sorry but that would be an awful rule. have you ever watched olympic dressage, or a male rider? just because someone is tall, does not mean they should not be able to ride their horse at pc. im 5'11" and my old horse was 15"3 and i never had any problem with safety, and i did everything from xc to dressage. give some thought to all riders with all bodytypes please!


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

Simple solution. Shorten your stirrups.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Equuestriaan said:


> Simple solution. Shorten your stirrups.


I thought that too, but wouldn't that make a person really uncomfortable? Unless your a jockey of course :lol:


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## Attitude05 (Nov 11, 2009)

it has nothing to do with weight or height, your foot is not aloud to be one inch below or above, OR anywhere in between of the knee/elbow. it is a safety issue apparently. i have many friends that attend balnarring pc and thats where it came from


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## Attitude05 (Nov 11, 2009)

i never said it had anything to do with your height by the way


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

All i'm saying is that:

1. It must be a rule at that club only;

2. It is an impractical rule that is discrimanatory to those who prefer to ride ponies (like myself).


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

maura said:


> 1 dog,
> 
> If your horse is 15H and your 5'4", I would imagine you're a very good fit. There are lots of other variables in how a horse takes up a rider's leg, but general rules are that you should see a little bit of the horse's barrel below your stirrup and that your opposite heel should not be visible from the other side of the horse. What I was trying to get to with the elbow thing is that it your toe touchs the horses forearm at or below the elbow when you're riding, you're probably too big for the horse.
> 
> All of those rules assume a hunter seat stirrup length, not a dressage seat stirrup length.


Them most reiners and cutter would never have a horse to ride.


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

ridergirl23 said:


> maybe the tan roofs are for a reason... you see, what if there was an airstrike on that city, and you all had rainbow roofs! they would see you!! but if you have tan roofs, they would fly over like: hmmm why are there people walking around on streets and why are there square sand patches everywhere???? lol



Actually it would be more likely that the requirement was more for energy savings then anything. Light color roofs reflect heat not absorb it so it would help keep cost of cooling the buildings down. Saves energy. You know all the fake research out there about GW.


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

Equuestriaan said:


> Simple solution. Shorten your stirrups.


That might work for some people and some disciplines but not for what I do. Get them too short and you have a real hard time cuing the horse.


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

Horse elbow:
http://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/4/50073.jpg

Horse knee:









There's a difference.


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