# How's the conformation of this boy for a larger rider?



## Uze

Hi everyone. I kind of am a huuuuge lurker, as I don't have any posts despite frequenting a lot. I'm shy. Anyway, it's nice to meet you all. I'm on the hunt for a horse to buy, and the BM of where I might want to board showed me this boy:


















I'm a short heavy rider.. So I feel a lot more comfortable on smaller horses. I'm 5'2" and 250lbs. (I know, I know. But I have been working diligently to get to a 'normal' weight for my height, and also build my muscles back up.) I'm going to probably be trying him out tomorrow, but to relieve some of my anxiety, do you guys think by looking at the pictures that he might be an ok mount for someone my height and size? (I forgot to mention he is only 14.2hh) I haven't ridden *consistently* in a number of years, but when I was riding all the time I had a great seat. I plan on taking it easy for a while as I build my muscle back up. I also am really looking for a trail partner and she said he loves the trails. Thank you for any input  I told her my height, weight, and experience and she thinks he may be a good fit for me. I'm excited and nervous!


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## Corporal

He could be a very good fit for you. Is he a lesson horse? That's even better because he could teach you a lot, just like "Tyke" (QH/TWH cross, 1970-1998, RIP), that we bought as a 15yo, taught my DH how to ride and was a very safe mount for many people.
Could you provide us with some straight on side shots, both sides, with the horse standing still, no saddle? It's hard to see if there are any injuries or movements that indicate this in your pictures. THAT is often why a good horse is sold, because he is lame, and sometimes the lamenesses are permanent.
WhatEVER you buy, put the money down for a Vet to do a PrePurchase exam, so you are paying for a riding horse, not a pasture pet.
Today, it is a Buyer's market and many good horses are being sold because it's too expensive to keep them, or it's too expensive to keep that extra horse, so don't read into my comments that I believe someone is selling you damaged goods. =D


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## Uze

Corporal said:


> He could be a very good fit for you. Is he a lesson horse? That's even better because he could teach you a lot, just like "Tyke" (QH/TWH cross, 1970-1998, RIP), that we bought as a 15yo, taught my DH how to ride and was a very safe mount for many people.
> Could you provide us with some straight on side shots, both sides, with the horse standing still, no saddle? It's hard to see if there are any injuries or movements that indicate this in your pictures. THAT is often why a good horse is sold, because he is lame, and sometimes the lamenesses are permanent.
> WhatEVER you buy, put the money down for a Vet to do a PrePurchase exam, so you are paying for a riding horse, not a pasture pet.
> Today, it is a Buyer's market and many good horses are being sold because it's too expensive to keep them, or it's too expensive to keep that extra horse, so don't read into my comments that I believe someone is selling you damaged goods. =D



Thank you so much for the reply  When I go to see him I'll take plenty of pictures! And he's been kind of used as a family horse, or all around horse really I think. But yes, I would never buy a horse without a vet examining it. Once I decide whether I want to go ahead with him, I'll get a vet out to see him and hopefully they will be able to tell me how sound he is, structurally, and if he would be comfortable carrying me. But I like the look of him from these pictures and he's such a cutie, too! I'm just waiting on some more answers to my questions, but I think I may seem him either tomorrow or the next few days.

The only thing I worry about is the saddle. Since I'm bigger, I need a bigger seat, but I can't go too big because he's not very long it might not fit him. My old english all-purpose saddle was a 17" synthetic wintec but it's a little too small for me now. I think I'd feel much more comfortable in an 18" or 19" However I'm also thinking I want an australian saddle this time. It would be especially useful for trail riding, I think


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## beau159

He's a nice thick looking horse with good strong-looking legs. He also has very soft and kind facial expressions. I like him. 

Good luck!


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## Uze

beau159 said:


> He's a nice thick looking horse with good strong-looking legs. He also has very soft and kind facial expressions. I like him.
> 
> Good luck!


Ah, thank you. I thought all the same when I saw him but wanted to make sure I wasn't looking through rose colored glasses  

Thanks for the good luck! I'll update the thread when I see him  I actually used to board at this barn many years ago in my early teens (I'm 22 now) but it's since changed owners a few times. I hope I like the new owners! At least I know I love the facility~


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## Mulefeather

He looks thick, stocky, and strong - a great fit for someone whose plus-sized! 

Height has NOTHING to do with weight-carrying ability and everything to do with conformation and fitness- look at Icelandic horses sometime, most of them don't get over 14 hands and they're carrying 220+ lb people trekking for days at a time! Short, chunky horses like the horse in the picture tend to be ideal weight-carriers. 

Heck, I'm 5 foot 8 and I feel more comfortable on shorter horses. My biggest ever was 16 hands and that felt like climbing a mountain. 

I hope he works out well for you! He looks like he has a kind eye.


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## Uze

Mulefeather said:


> He looks thick, stocky, and strong - a great fit for someone whose plus-sized!
> 
> Height has NOTHING to do with weight-carrying ability and everything to do with conformation and fitness- look at Icelandic horses sometime, most of them don't get over 14 hands and they're carrying 220+ lb people trekking for days at a time! Short, chunky horses like the horse in the picture tend to be ideal weight-carriers.
> 
> Heck, I'm 5 foot 8 and I feel more comfortable on shorter horses. My biggest ever was 16 hands and that felt like climbing a mountain.
> 
> I hope he works out well for you! He looks like he has a kind eye.


I'm so glad!  I won't get my hopes up but I'm excited to try him! 

Haha I know what you mean! I leased a horse a while ago that was a 16.5hh thoroughbred (I was less heavy then..) and oh boy I felt like I was on top of a bus! lol. I even drive low height cars and put my chairs on the lowest setting  

I just got back from a nice bike ride. Before I could only do one lap around the neighborhood before getting too tired but I did two full laps just now. I'm so pleased with how my diet & exercise is going. Every pound I lose is less my horse has to carry which gives me motivation.


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## Yogiwick

He is beautiful!! Send him my way! lol.

I do think he might work well for you- BUT what do you want to do with him? If you're just riding casually mostly walk that is fine but as you want to do more it will be harder for him as well.


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## Uze

Yogiwick said:


> He is beautiful!! Send him my way! lol.
> 
> I do think he might work well for you- BUT what do you want to do with him? If you're just riding casually mostly walk that is fine but as you want to do more it will be harder for him as well.


He is a cutie x3 

I said in my first post, "I plan on taking it easy for a while as I build my muscle back up"

I've got all the time in the world, no sense in me rushing either us into something we aren't ready for


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## Yogiwick

Uze said:


> He is a cutie x3
> 
> I said in my first post, "I plan on taking it easy for a while as I build my muscle back up"
> 
> I've got all the time in the world, no sense in me rushing either us into something we aren't ready for


You did address that, sorry I'm tired!


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## tinyliny

the horse looks capable of carrying a fair amount of weight. I thought he was much bigger than 14.2 hh from the photos. a light western saddle might be best. western saddles distrubute the weight over a greater area than any form of English saddle.

good luck on your journey to a normal weight or something closer to that. there are plenty of us who are in that same boat.


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## stevenson

he looks sturdy enough. if you want to lope or canter, lope and canter as long as you are balanced and not flopping around like a drunk rag doll..(lol) Do not let people tell you cannot do something because of your weight. You did state you were planning on taking it slow so that is good for both of you to get used to each other. If you get him, more photos please.


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## Uze

Well guys I'm back  I'll tell you, I left the barn with a legit mood high. It felt so nice.. and so RIGHT. I belong in the horse world, I just let my fears control me for so long. The barn owner did a ton to relieve my fears. She was very nice, helpful, and didn't make me feel like crap for my size which was AWESOME. 

But anyways, onto the horse!

His name is Walter, and he is a pushy cutie pie! He loves to be loved on, and eat, lol! He needs to work on his personal space issues, and his foreword movement, but that's easy enough with enough miles and time. Let me tell you guys.. his legs look great in the pics, but OH BOY his legs are THICKKKK. Wow. I felt immediately great when I saw him, she was not lying that he's built like a tank. It was awesome. He appeared to have zero trouble letting me mount his back, and carrying me while riding. Didn't even trip or anything. I didn't get to ride him a lot because it was FREEZING cold and I gave my jacket to my dad because he's old and needed it more than me. So I couldn't be out for too long, and it was getting late.

But when I got there, we fetched him from the pasture, I groomed him, tacked him up, and let the owner get on first. He moved pretty good. He's really aware of his hindquarters which was nice, and is a horse to be ridden with your legs which is how it should be. He can be harder to get going but I'd rather deal with that then a bolter, which I've dealt with before and is zero percent fun to deal with. He's just so cute and sweet. I felt great on him. I felt a great atmosphere at the barn.. I felt welcome and not at all judged.

So anyways, here's a picture of Walter and I 










I didn't get great conformation pictures because I kept forgetting between asking a million questions about him and it was cold and I couldn't feel my fingers totally 










I've tried probably 3-4 horses before Walter, and I didn't feel near as good about the others as I do about him. And actually, neither of the horses I owned had me feeling this way, either. It was only that thoroughbred I leased that gave me the same feeling.


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## myhorseisthebest

He looks big and sturdy. Depends on what you mean by bigger rider. Above 270lbs I'd just have a vet make sure he's strong enough. It also depends on how hard the rider would be working him. But IMHO he looks well built.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Uze

myhorseisthebest said:


> He looks big and sturdy. Depends on what you mean by bigger rider. Above 270lbs I'd just have a vet make sure he's strong enough. It also depends on how hard the rider would be working him. But IMHO he looks well built.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Well I weigh 250lbs, but the saddle weighs some too, of course. And I really don't plan on working him that hard until I lose weight. I've been working really hard through diet and exercise, and am slowly losing mass  If I do go ahead with him though, I fully plan on getting a PPE done and having the vet make sure he's capable of carrying me with no issues.


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## MyBoySi

I think you look fine on him. He's a very well built horse. 

As long as you have a well fitting saddle I don't see it being an issue at all for casual riding.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Golden Horse

He is a very solid boy, glad you felt comfortable on him, and at the barn, both priceless feelings


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## Mulefeather

A solid, capable horse and a supportive barn owner? Man, you might need to go buy a lottery ticket because it sounds like you hit the jackpot with this place!

You look great together and he matches well with you, in my opinion.


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## greentree

That is a gorgeous horse! Is he registered? Just wondering what breed he is. I that first picture, he strikes me as having a bit of draft blood, then the others, not. Whatever he is, he looks and sounds pretty perfect!!

He has a nice shoulder, and his withers run pretty well back into his back. His pasterns are a smidge short, but it could be the hair. 

The picture of you riding finally popped up, and I think you look awesome on him!!


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## Uze

Thank you for your replies everyone  I can't tell you how much I appreciate them. 

Greentree; He is APHA registered! And yes, when the owner first saw him she thought there might have been draft blood too!  But nope. Just a really solid boy  He's also really in my price range, too. And he's only 8 years old which is perfect, not too young, not too old.


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## greentree

Cool!! You can show him in open shows and PAC....I had a "throwback" APHA gelding, too...his sire was 15 hh, and had a National Championship in halter (so you know he didn't have big feet...),his dam about 15.1 hh, he was 16.2 hh, with size 3 feet....

He was a fantastic horse...but not what we bred for in breeding Paints!


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## Corporal

Buy him. You two have 20 more years to play together. Congratulations! You have chosen wisely. =D


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## LoriF

I think you guys look great together and he's pretty to boot.  Hope it all works out well for both of you. Keep us posted.


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## Uze

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments 

I come bearing news.. His PPE went wonderful!  He isn't without his faults, but overall I'm pleased with his results. He has thrush issues and degenerated frogs on his feet which is very common where I live with the wetter conditions, also that he's on 24/7 pasture, but that will clear up with time and care and drier conditions. He's also of course pushy and lazy but I already knew that, and have been having success working with it on him. Also this was a new vet I worked with and I REALLY liked him. He's very knowledgeable, and not the kind of vet to push unnecessary things on you, which I hate. (A lot of small animal vets around here are like that.) He also works on all kinds of animals, small animal, farm animal, exotic animals, and he's worked at zoos.

Looks like Walter is going to be mine after all!!  I can't contain myself! I'll be talking with the owner either tonight or tomorrow and hopefully soon he'll officially be mine! :loveshower:


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## Golden Horse

How exciting, we will be crossing fingers with you, until he is yours...then we will expect LOTS and LOTS of pictures


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## Yogiwick

Congratulations. Sounds like an excellent purchase!! Best of luck to you both and keep us updated. A "good citizen" is worth his weight in gold.


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## Uze

...

It's official 

Walter is mine!

I'm so happy. I just know I made the right decision. Out of all the horses I've tried it was only Walter and Minnie who made me feel so right, but Minnie was sold before I could buy her. I'm so glad Walter came in my life~

Here's some pics, but it rained like hell today and he likes being dirty and rolling in dirt so he looks messy  But here's the old boy in all his glory!


















I adore the place that I'm boarding him at, and they have a ton of different options to choose from as far as where he stays on the property, so I decided to go with 24/7 pasture for him. He has this nice and roomy 3 wall run-in/stall inside a nice big pasture so he can decide whether he goes in or out. (He always chooses out, lol. Loves the rain, apparently.) The more time I spend with him the more I love him and his respect grows for me as well. He was allowed to get away with stuff in the past and was quite pushy when I first met him, but there's already a noticeable difference in that towards me in just the short time I've been working with him. I can't wait for many happy years with this boy <3


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## Golden Horse

:loveshower::charge:CONGRATULATIONS


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## Mulefeather

Congratulations!!! It's wonderful when you find a horse you just click with


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## UpNorthEq

Congratulations you got yourself a very fine horse!  you two look like a great pair too.


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## Uze

Eee you guys are too sweet ;-; It's so nice reading your lovely messages, thank you!

Today's mission was tack fitting! Unfortunately it didn't go too well lol. He's just got such low withers.. the only saddle I own is for high withered horses and it looked ridiculous on him. Horrible horrible fit. The girth was also a little too lengthy. 

On the brightside, the bridle fits and looks great, BUT he hates snaffle bits, and I don't have a Myler one which is what he likes, so I'll have to get a new bit as well as a saddle. 

My BO gave me the name and number of a really nice lady that comes out and custom fits saddles for your horse. I think that would be the best route, since good fitting tack is really important especially for a heavier rider. So I'm going to give her a call and get him a nice saddle that fits him perfectly. It's a bummer I can't ride yet but I just spent some time with him in his pasture and walked him around did some groundwork, etc. 










He's got a wonderful pasture, and the cutest little paint as a neighbor.


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## Yogiwick

Such a good horse mama, he is lucky!

Your saddle may well not fit but if it's a cutback or something and fits otherwise it may work just fine just looks a little funny. Just something to consider.


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## egrogan

Congratulations! Walter is a great looking horse, and a boarding barn you like is a real gem.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gingerscout

don't know if this has been asked before, but since he's yours are you going to keep walter.. I don't think of that as a horse name, or did you name him that?.. he's a nice looking boy regardless and you must be thrilled to have him


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## Uze

The saddle has been an ongoing thing lol. It truly looked crazy on him, but I've taken a trace of his withers and took some other measurements and am working with Duett saddles to find something good for him. I love just spending time with him, even if I'm not riding him. He's definitely a "one person" horse. I do believe he's starting to see me as his leader, and it's exciting. 

Both horses I've owned in the past were kept in stalls most of the time (Didn't have much say in the matter as I was underage and they technically belonged to my parents as they paid for them) But Walter is the first horse I've bought completely independently, so I get 100% say in his care. And I love just being able to spend time with him in his pasture. Then taking him out and letting him eat the grass in other places outside his pasture that he thinks is "better" 

Also is it just me or does he look handsome in hunter green? 











edit; Gingerscout; No I didn't name him Walter, he came to me with that name. I had planned on naming him Dexter, but he's quite popular at the barn and everyone knows him by that name so I feel weird changing it. Plus, he actually knows the name Walter too. So I'll have to see what to do about the name x3 It is growing on me, at least. But I do think it might change in the future


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## Uze

Ok so it's been a while since I updated so I figured I might as well do that~

I've finally got a full set of tack that fits him and works well! I'm actually using a western trail saddle with an english bridle, lol. But he doesn't mind as long as I let him use a myler bit. He hates snaffles, will constantly mess with it and his mouth if you put him in one. But he's very content with his myler! 

Things have been going very well, he's getting his feet done on monday. Also, my DAD rode him! My dad has a lot of health problems (Physical and cognitive) but I really see his old self when he's around animals and the barn, and so I take him with me whenever he's up for it. 

I hopped on Walter first for a while then got off and helped my dad get on him. Walter is incredible.. he is SO patient and SO forgiving. It was almost like he knew that someone fragile was on him. I led them around for a while and my dad loved it. I was just so proud of Walter!


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## Mulefeather

Aww, it seems like you struck gold on this boy! It's wonderful to find a horse that you can not only ride but share with other people in your life without worrying too much.


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## stevenson

congrats... love his name.. its so cute ! that is great that your dad can also enjoy him.


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## Golden Horse

Great to read such an update, but WHERE ARE THE NEW PICS?


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## gingerscout

I see a few new pics GH


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## EquineBovine

Omg he is so cute! Well done!


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## carshon

Really loving this thread! Glad that your BO is so helpful and was honest about the horse. Keep on posting!


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## Golden Horse

gingerscout said:


> I see a few new pics GH



Aha, I see them today....good!

Handsome looking dude still :wink:


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## Uze

You guys are so encouraging  I love you guys! I seem to always come back when I have a new update, so I'm here with a HUGE one. Like, major, for me and my boy. 

I bought a house. Correction, I bought a farm! I've been dreaming of owning a place with some land since I was a child. And finally...my dream is coming true. It's the cutest house ever, and it's not even that far from where I live right now (Same city.) It's only on 2.5 acres so Walter will be the only full size horse there as I don't think it's quite big enough for two horses. But there's a lot of space to build two large paddocks on both sides of the house (And I'm actually going to split one of large ones into two so I have a total of 3 which gives me more opportunity to rotate him.)

I've been doing mad research on things to make sure I'm ready and able to have him at home. I'm closing THIS wednesday! Thats..less than two days. I'm so excited and nervous and just, omg. Haha. 

Before I am able to bring Walter home, I have to get the right fencing put up and fence in the paddocks. I'm working on that. Luckily the inside of the house is completely renovated from the investors who bought it as a foreclosure so there is nothing I have to do inside the house. The water heater is really old so I do have to replace that, but otherwise the house is immaculate for being built in 1989! 

Also, I've broke the news to my BO that Walter is leaving, I was feeling really bad because I know he would be missed, but she was really cool about it and happy for us  They really are amazing people.

Well that's my big news for today  As always here's a particularly goofy picture of my big goofball lol


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