Next pony- or horse?

[Lubyl00]

How brilliant to discover a horsey section on here. I am looking at my daughter and realising she looks quite big on her pony recently, which is fairly irritating as she's not even had him a year and he's fab, but she can't help growing.. Problem is what to look for next. We have gone 11.2 old Welsh A, 13.1 NF and now 14.1 Irish Sports. She is only 11 and lightweight but 5ft 4 tall. Competes at 80/90. Am concerned she's not ready to deal with a horse, but dreaming I might find a ponyish 15.2... Anyone else got tall children?!

[Snowman41]

My sister is 5'7 and stuck with ponies.

She has done endurance, dressage and cross country at high local level for years, all on a pony.

[DiseasesOfTheSheep]

There are ponyish 15hhers out there - and they can be brilliant. But I'm sure she will be fine on a 14hher for now, even if she looks a bit leggy. Better a little underhorsed and having fun than overhorsed and struggling.

[BehindLockNumberNine]

Dd has a 14.3hh connie x / irish sports type.
She is 15 and 5ft6 and looks absolutely fine on him. Are you sure dd is looking tall on a 14.1 at 5ft4?

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[BehindLockNumberNine]

Apologies, tried to add picture.

Unless I am deluding myself and dd is getting too tall for her pony?
(I hope not, he is not an easy boy, and she is only now, at 15, beginning to get to grips with him)

[britnay]

I'm 5ft3 (and 30 something) and my pony is 13hh on his tippy toes. Are you sure she's too tall? Maybe with the pony and progress together a bit longer rather than potentially over horsing her. She has plenty of years to ride something bigger if she wishes. What does she want?

[Jeffers3]

I've had my 14.2 since I was 15 and I'm now 29. I also ride my friend's 13.2 and don't think I look too big :)

[QuestionableMouse]

It can depend how narrow said pony is too. A pony with a chunky barrel takes up more leg than one built like a sheet of paper.

[Greyhorses]

Plenty of adults ride ponies, I think the must have a horse asap is overrated.

No reason to sell if she's still enjoying him and you run the risk of scaring her if she's overhorsed.

For what it's worth I'm an adult and my 'horse' is 13hh

[Frouby]

Some of the bigger natives will be your friend here. I came on to recommend a highland as being good for taking up the leg but still retaining pony height and brain but if she likes jumping maybe a welsh cob or welsh cross?

Welshies are fab if somewhat emotional beasties tho.

But don't be too keen to move up a level. At 5ft 4in and on a 14.1 she should be ok for a while yet. Height isn't the only thing to take into consideration. As long as she fits her saddle and her saddle fits the pony a bit leggy isnt a massive problem.

Problems start when people start shortening their stirrups to look less leggy which alters their seat and tips them back in the saddle.

As long as she isn't too heavy and is sitting correctly still I wouldn't change anything just yet. She might have finished growing for now.

[Honkyzeke]

My sister is 5'7 in her 30s and rides a 13.2 cob and doesn't look out of place.

[NewYearsEveEve]

Ponies are fab and it sounds like she'll have plenty of time left on her's but just as another perspective, when the time comes, horses are not necessarily harder to manage

In fact sometimes it's the cheeky clever ponies which are more tricky!

I remember discussing this with the owner of a mountain trail riding business I worked at in Australia. He commented that all the backpackers who had worked their shared stories of quirky horses at home and we agreed it sounded like the one connemara x they had. The stock horses, quarter horses, Standardbreds, TB crosses and Clydesdale crosses were all very straightforwards!

Our natives and Irish types on the other hand.... 😀 Clever but briliant

You're right though it's more "horse" to manage and keep together, longer strides to keep balanced etc

[BehindLockNumberNine]

I agree, irish sports or connie x are cheeky! More fun, more attitude.
(also more capable of giving mothers grey hair, but we won't go into that...)
Dd is relatively short for her age and quite a few of her leggy friends have moved up to 16hh horses. Gorgeous horses, all of them, but none of them as quirky as the connies, NFs and irish sports ponies they have left behind...

[DiseasesOfTheSheep]

horses are not necessarily harder to manage

Depends what you buy! The market over here is a bit flooded with warmblood types, many of which are more towards a professional ride than a child-moving up ride. Good, sensible types with any sort of aptitude are expensive. We don't have lots of good QHs over here, which is a shame as their mentality is far more appropriate for a lot of the amateur market than many!

[DraughtyWindow]

My daughter is nearly 15, 5’4” and just under 8st. We have a 13.2 BRP that she jumps and does Dressage with. Had her for nearly 3 years and not looking to replace! We get the ‘comments’ but even the vet says she’s fine until she gets over 8.5st. Pony is quite happy and has no issues carrying her at all.
I’d have thought your daughter is absolutely fine with what she has at the moment and agree with previous posters.

[RatherBeRiding]

I really think a lightweight 11 year old at 5'4" is NOT going to be outgrowing a 14.1 anytime soon, and unless you find an absolute saint of a horse there is a risk she isn't experienced or strong enough to cope with a horse.

My adult daughter is 5'4"(ish) and is just fine on my native cross 14.1 pony, who is also ridden by someone who is about 5'7" and definitely not ridiculous on him.

I wouldn't be in a rush to "horse up" with a child that young, no matter who good a rider she is.

[Lubyl00]

Thanks everyone. Trying to feel reassured. Certainly not in a rush, but also finding it hard to ignore the comments from everyone who knows her about how tall she is and at PC how she won't have much longer on her pony. Been trying not to listen, but now I've noticed it too! I'd put a photo on if I knew how. Completely agree a stockier native/cob build would take up her leg better, unfortunately he is very narrow. Frouby I'm going to go with a lot of your suggestions, but most of all the one that she might have stopped growing for a while!!

[BehindLockNumberNine]

Give her next season on this pony. She may be leggy, but she won't be too heavy.
She may actually not grow for a while, growing happens in fits and starts.
Think again this time next year when she is 12 and has had another year to gain experience and grow in strength, maturity and ability, on this pony.

[DraughtyWindow]

People will always comment and give unsolicited advice. It’s the norm. You don’t have to take any notice OP!

[wouldbeexlondoner]

My dd is 15, nearly 5’9” (most of which is leg) and very slim. She can still ride ponies and doesn’t look ridiculous on them but looks most comfortable on a 15.2 friesian x (so not the slimmest horse around but not barrel-like either!)

[krustykittens]

My 16 year old daughter has refused to go back to PC this year because of the negative comments about her ponies. She is 5' 7", 8.5 stone and has two tough, forward going native crosses with big barrels who do everything and anything they are asked. She does not want to sell because other people think she should be on a horse. So she is off to try out things like endurance, where she hopes people will be less judgemental about height and breed. I appreciate you have a finer type of pony, OP, but I do hate this rushing to get kids onto bigger and bigger animals!