14.2 Pony

[Theresalotgoingon]

Buying our daughter’s first horse after many years in riding school. Wanting something safe, lovely temperament, easy in all ways but something that she can have fun with and start doing more than just riding school eg jumping and trying cross country. Seems it’s really hard to find!!! We’ve been looking for months and either the horse isn’t as simple / safe as the ad says, or it’s too young (lots of 5-7yr olds), over budget, it’s being sold by known dodgy dealers or its failed vet check. It’s a minefield.

We’ve finally found one she loves and she’s ridden it a couple of times. Exactly what we need temperament wise, 10yrs old and in excellent health. However she’s 14.2hh. My daughter is 15, 5ft 2 and is 10 stone. I’m very conscious after reading the active thread this isn’t far from the 15-20% limit. But I’m thinking we buy her and if she can build confidence in a year then we can move up to 15+ hands and our options will open up with her being a more skilled rider. What are people’s thoughts?

I'm always a fan of the buy the horse you need now, not the one you think you might need or want next year. As you've found these safe first horse types are not easy to find particularly on a limited budget so I'd go for it. If she outgrows the 14.2 in a year or two you will easily find another home/job for her, either loan or sale, and can reevaluate a bigger horse then depending on how your DD's confidence and abilities have come along in the meantime. I do feel for the taller teenagers, and maybe I'm just old but they all seem bloody huge these days - it's quite a lot for a novice to manage and ride a big strapping 16.2 horse but that is the size some of them do need... Anyway not a given, she may get lucky and be able to stick on the pony for a good few years yet.

Am I missing something? At 15 years old and 5'2 your daughter is unlikely to outgrow the 14.2. We have three 14.2 ponies (all BS/FEI measured in) and two are full-up 14.2's and one slightly smaller. But my 5'7 16-year-old can ride all three and doesn't look too big on them at all. Your daughter is unlikely to get much taller than she is now and 5'2 is definitely not too tall to ride a 14.2. Is it a particularly small 14.2 that is actually 14hh?

I think Xela (being a bit sensitive here) the OP is more worried about weight than height, based of the reference to the 'other thread'. At 10 stone and 5 foot 2 the DD is towards the upper end of a healthy weight - if that's her body type and she then grows another few inches and ends up average height but again upper quartile healthy weight, she'll weigh in the region of 11.5 stone. Possibly that is getting a bit much for a fine type 14.2 if you're going off the 15% guidance, although you'll definitely see women that weight or more riding much smaller ponies routinely and insisting it it's fine. And of course the DD may well be done growing at 15 and stay much as she is, in which case fine (both of my DDs definitely grew more between 15 and 17/18 though). I guess it's just weight is already such a difficult thing with teenagers you really wouldn't want it becoming an issue with the pony as well or for her to feel sensitive and upset about it...

you will have no problem moving on a 14.2' pony like thins in a year or two. Many many people are desperate for such a find, as you have discovered. Get the pony weighed, and weigh your daughter with her tack. Then keep an eye on her weight...

Thank you all you’ve put my mind to rest that for now she’ll be fine - and hopefully she’ll move up the levels and we’ll be able to sell on and then we’ll all be more confident with a bigger horse. Lots of people have said not to overhorse her at this stage and have been positive about this choice - apart from one person who has been vocal about it which is what has made me question it.

We’ve had a (sensitive) chat about weight and making better choices regarding snacks and movement not just for her but for this pony if we go for it which she is on board with which is positive.

What breed/type is the mare?

Irish sports horse

Thanks.

So, she shouldn't be as fine built as a 14.2hh thoroughbred would be.

If they are a good match now, then I agree that that is most important. Confidence is so easy to destroy and so hard to build back up again.

Thank you I appreciate that reassurance. We definitely didn’t want a TB or blood breed which we also found a lot were. And to answer another poster sorry, she’s definitely full up 148cm.

Don't forget that when she is doing everything for her own pony every day. She may well drop some weight or not put much on if she grows.

She will be getting significantly more exercise I would have thought than once or twice a week at a riding school.

@Theresalotgoingon it will be fine and frankly if your daughter is riding most days and looking after the pony she will likely not be 10 st for long as it really gets you fit in my experience .

I lost almost 2 stone for my 14'2 pony ! so she woudn't have to carry me at 10 st! Its a great incentive

At 10st i looked tiny on my 13.2hh and i'm 5'1. i looked like a little dot on my 14.2hh! 10st is very light imo

10st at 5’1” puts you midway into the overweight category with your BMI , it is definitely not very light .

i was in a size 8 looseish jacket, i was slim. I've never cared much for BMI for fit people. i was running 20 miles a week and riding 3 horses a day, i didnt have fat to pinch, i was absolutely not over weight.

Yeah a healthy weight for that height is about 7.5- 9 stone?

I don't do well with stones. Is that about 63kg? Doesn't sound too heavy for a full-up 148 to me. The 16-year-old boys competing on 148s must weigh at least that

Double post

It depends entirely on the pony. Our 14.1/2 is sturdy so people assume he’ll take weight but I wouldn’t allow more than about 9.5 stone. He’s short in the back and only takes a 16 inch saddle meaning weight is concentrated on a smaller area. Irish sports horses vary massively in build, size and strength so it’s hard to say but make sure the saddle fits the pony and the rider is an important point that many miss.

I'm 5ft3, 9 1/2 stone, and have both a 13hh welsh pony and a 14hh irish cob. Neither struggle to carry me.

The horse doesn’t care how loose your clothes are or how many miles you run, it does care about the weight of the person sitting on it.

@BringBackCatsEyes Hear hear.

In no way can 10st for someone 5’1” be considered “very light”. I am 5’10” and weigh considerably less than that.

I’m fed up with people trying to normalise overweight people riding. Riders are meant to be athletes. Making sure we are not overweight is the very least we can do for our horses, from whom we ask so much.

are you sure she's 10 stone? per the other comments on here

Yes she’s definitely 10st we’ve weighed her this week. However she has taken on board that this is near the limit for 14.2 (with gear and tack) and has committed to making better choices so we can monitor it (in a gentle way).

Kindly you looked small because of your height. Even still they must have been quite wide ponies to look tiny on 13.2. Height isn’t the factor here though . The 15% rule is also an issue in that an overweight pony may weigh more but be less able to carry a heavy rider. 15% of its ideal not actual weight really should be the max.