Adults riding ponies - what size?

[TataClaire]

Im 5'3 and usually weigh between 6.5 -7 stone and my inside leg is 30 inches. Am thinking of going down to a wee pony but the question is how low can I go?!
I havent ridden ponies for ages as I've been on horses, but would like something suitable for kids to share as we're planning to adopt school age kids (and if they're matched with us they'll have to like animals!) so want something suitable for our potential future situation. Any tips/size guides?

I would stick with 13-2 but at 7 stone anything from 7 hands. Think my inside leg is 28 I'm 5-2 and the smallest I ride is a 12-2 New forest and it is ok.

Traditional Shetland upwards! At 5'3 and 7 stone, most ponies will carry you. The only barrier is you. There are a lot of people out there who are embarassed because they think people will laugh at them for having dangly legs etc, you just need to not think about it!
I used to ride my 10hh traditional, she has a lovely big body, (5'3 rug!!!) and I fit her nicely in terms of where my legs come to, I just look like I'm riding a 13.2 in a ditch because her legs are so short! I don't care what people think!
You need a thick skin though sometimes. My tiny friend rides a 10hh Shetland stallion regularly. She has been verbally abused many times for this by passers by and car drivers. She gets the RSPCA called on her once a year or so. They come out, check him, look at the size of her, and leave. They don't care a jot, but the ignorant do judge.
Riding ponies is great fun. They are often challenging and it requires balance and skill. I'd love to see a few less warm loose and a few more natives out there!

I'm 5'7" and I'm planning on riding DD's next pony who will probably be around the 14hh mark. I have absolutely no interest in riding the biggest possible horse available - people who completely over-horse themselves are either very insecure about their ability or have a superiority complex. I much prefer horses around the 15hh mark and if I ever get my own it will be a native type of this size.

Saggy - love that your 10hh had a 5'3" rug - DD's 12hh Welshie needs a 4'9" and the 11hh Sheltie devil wears 4'3".

She is lovely my Ducky. she is basically 13.2 on tiny wee legs, but she doesn't look out of proportion! When she is all moulted out and plaited up, she looks like a perfect miniature Percheron! ill see if I can locate my profile and get my pictures back onto this nickname.

One of my fav ever pony 12-2 Dales he had the body and the head of a Clydesdale and short fat leg, a complete rig. Would have another in a heart beat.
I also get you can't control/ride a horse that big for riding DS horse16-2 warm blood ????
As for the 'ladies with handbags' you can not win so don't worry!

She sounds adorable, I'd love to see a pic.

Im having profile problems, but there is a picture here.

Omg - with my 17.3hh HW I must have had the biggest insecurity/superiority complex out there! Either that or he was just a stunning, friendly horse who was fabulous fun.

OP, I would say you could get away with riding any size child's pony. I've had a potter around on my kids' welsh A, and I have lots of friends riding ponies, some of them quite small. From an aesthetic pov, I would say with your height and weight, and the fact that you want school aged children to be able to ride it, I would go for a less-stocky but slightly taller pony though, about 13-13.2hh.

Depends how big you are really and how well you ride. There are an awful lot of small women riding vast horses around here who can't handle them. It's kind of like the nouveau riche buying ostentatious houses and cars just to show the world they have got pots of money. These women seem to fixate on huge horses to show the world that they can really ride and it is basically an insecurity.

She is gorgeous Saggy - and no way does she look 10hh!

lovely pony Saggy
im 5'7" and used to ride a 12.2hh new forest x with no problems (this was when i weighed 8st, pre children)

i now weigh 10st (am slowly loosing it) and ride a 13.2hh

My first pony was given to me because she was 7, unbroken and kept jumping out of her field.

She was 12.3 and I was 5'7" and probably weighed about 10st.

She was quite stocky and carried me with no trouble. We used to go for MILES. My legs were a bit long I suppose but you can't be fussy when you've been given a pony :)

I am 5'5'' and 10.8st and ride my daughters 13.2hh newforest no problems.

I'm the same height as you, Callisto. I've seen plenty of people overhorsed on small horses and ponies too. A poorly mannered, poorly educated horse is going to run rings around a 10stone woman whether it weighs 500kg or 750kg. It's a false sense of security you have if you think a 15hher is safer than a 17hher.

Fwiw I ride, hunt and compete a 15hher at the moment. He's just the right horse for my circumstances at the moment. I call him my go-go-pony, he's fab. I frequently argue on a certain horsey forum that the right horse for the job cannot be too big or too small, if it is the right horse for the job. Your posts regarding larger horses smack of inverted snobbery - it's not ok to be disrespectful to people who choose to ride something smaller yet it's ok to label anyone on a horse bigger than you feel safe on as insecure and ostentatious?

I didn't have to time once I'd had children to do my fabulous big hunter justice, and he was a horse who liked to be busy and the kids didn't give me the time. But I'd have him back again in a flash if his new owners didn't want him any more. It used to make me laugh when he frightened supposedly experienced riders just by standing still - he wasnt going to eat them! I could, and did, put children on him and know he would look after them. I miss my gentle giant.

Thanks everyone that answered! I've currently got a 16h lawn ornament that the vet has declared fit to be a light hack and a 15.3 h cob, but thanks to several of illness, and my recovery likely to take a long time, Im no longer fit enough to keep the 15.3 as he needs a job to do and also needs someone assertive on the ground as if he can push boundaries he will, and it didnt take him long to realise Im not on top form! So think I'll potter round on the 16h shire cross - ridiculously huge I know but he's as gentle as a lamb both on board and on the ground and then when we see how things have gone with the kids (fingers crossed!) we can look for a mother/daughter share. Exciting times ahead!

Im sorry, but I'm with Callisto. I live in a fairly affluent area, close to a large equestrian centre. It is de rigeur to own a large, bay warmblood and take on dressage. Regardless of whether you can control said warmblood, and regardless of your ability. Far too many of them bear bald patches from spurs, cant go anywhere unless doped to the eyes on ACP and spend 5 days a week standing in stables doing their nuts, so that these women can show off on them at the weekend. Ill sign up for being inversely snobbish if it means I can speak my mind about it!

I love ponies. As I said before I was given my first pony when I was 17, broke her and ended up selling her back to the lady who gave her to me!

Bought/worked on/sold a couple of ponies after her with a view to saving up for a "proper" horse.

Bought a gorgeous TB show hack type. Broke him and brought him on. Sold him.....and went back to ponies. They're far more fun and you can roar across stubble fields without worrying about them throwing a splint on their spindly precious leggies or getting a scratch that might flaw them for the show ring.

Best rides I ever had were on ponies.

Nope, not inverse snobbery at all though you can cal it that if you like (always happy to speak my mind ). As I say, if you can ride that's fine. However, I do also think that there is a physical problem with the small rider on huge horse where the lower leg does not come down low enough to give the correct aids to properly engage the horses back end. This is why the idiots that Saggy mentioned need spurs.

another pony-rider here - I'm 5ft 8, weigh 10 stone and ride my daughter's 13.2 gypsy cob. My own cob's 14.2

At 7 stone there would be very few ponies incapable of carrying you. Perhaps you need to try horses of different sizes to see what's most comfortable for you . DD1, aged 16, is a similar height and weight to you and regularly rides 11.2hh with no problems.

Agree entirely with Callisto. A friend has a beautiful 17 h and she is 5 ft. it cannot work on teh bit with her and take steh piss thoroughly. With other women h eis fab and comes down beautidully.

Me? I ride a 14 2, a 15 3, a 15 hh and about to ride a friends 17 2. What that says about me I dread to think!

I,m 5 foot 3 and weigh 9 stone is that to heavy for a pony. I would love a Connemara pony?

Hi Ponycrazy, I think you'd be fine. I'm about the same height and weight and currently ride a 14.2 connie no bother. He's actually a little taller than my own mares who I'm not riding right now for various reasons, who are more like 14hh, but chunky cob x types who take up the leg and are good weight carriers - I'd hazard a guess you'd be fine on that type too. I quite often sit on much smaller kids ponies for a quick school/reminder of their manners - the smallest height wise I've ridden was a 11hh shetland, my legs were virtually on the ground - that's only for 20 mins at a time here and there mind you, I wouldn't take a little pony out for a long hack or days competition or anything.

As others said earlier in the thread it does depend to an extent on your abilities as a rider, even slim/slight beginners will ride 'heavier' due to not being as balanced, and its not all in the height of the pony either, the aforementioned shetland is built like a brick sh*thouse and could probably carry someone much heavier than me, they were bred for strength and endurance not size! Whereas a very slight pony might struggle to take the weight even if a bit taller. Check with your instructor or another experienced person if in doubt!

I own a chunky 14 hh cob (mine!) and a 13.2hh fell, both of home will happily carry myself at 10 stone and more, without batting an eyelid.

So yes, as others have said you can ride just about any pony you feel like!
Can't recommend fells enough personally. Sturdy, dependable, with their own lovely pony quirks! (Ours likes checking if you're awake by going sideways. :) )

I'm 5ft 5in, haven't seen 10st in years and have a 14h highland pony. I definitely don't look too big on her, she is a real leg at each corner type.

All I would say is its not necessarily height you need, but also width and something in front of you. A 14h show pony would feel very different to a 14h cob or native pony, and sometimes the less there is, the more insecure your seat is. Also look at how and what size saddle it would take, a 15in seat will feel very different to a 16in seat and will have you sat in a different way. You need to be able to fit in it, both seat and thighs.