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 think just be careful about too much encouraging your DD to lose weight, however gentle and focused on healthy choices etc. I wouldn't want her to get the message she's fat or unhealthy or anything other than perfect as she is - teenage girls are so sensitive about their bodies and other girls can be really horrible to them so she may well be getting that message outside the home even if not from you. At 10 stone she's overweight for her current height but only just, if she grew even a couple of inches without gaining weight which she might very well do in the next year or so, she'd be well within a healthy weight range. So I don't think she really needs to lose weight as such.

And as we've concluded on the thread she'll be fine to ride the 14.2 pony fine at her current weight/height and should still be OK even if she grows a bit more. Maybe just ensure she's active, focus in talking to her on the positives of what her body can do in terms of her sport/riding and fuelling it well to do all those things, plus provide a good balanced diet for the whole family (nice home cooked meals, fruit bowl available as a choice for snacking etc) without restricting her?

Well done to you but I really don’t think one can rely on losing weight in order to buy a pony. I’m massively in the camp of having a pony/horse that can easily carry current weight. Sorry OP but as much as you like the pony, I think it’s a short sighted purchase

Totally agree. Having had horses for 25 years, I’ve seen so many riders on yards and at events who are too heavy for their horse.

It is unfair on the horse who has to lug them around

Absolutely HATE seeing overweight riders (and I'm fat myself but that's why I wouldn't get on a horse). There are people I know who look my weight (i.e very fat) who ride and sometimes on not very big cobs 😣 Even on big horses I think it's horrible. Some normal (but not light) weight adult/teen riders get on tiny 11-12hh ponies to "school them" at our yard and it's horrible! I would never allow them to get on our quite tall 14.2's!

But as for the OP, if 10 stone equals 63Kg (according to online converter) then I think it's ok for a 14.2

A 148 cm is probably going to top out at around 400 kg, many will be less ( my ISH 16.1 is 613 kg and could easily lose the 13 kg)
if the rider is 63, you probably need to add 10 kg for tack and riding clothes, so 73 kg so heading quickly towards the 20%, and most of us want to be at the 15% max or less so definitely heading towards too heavy.
ZelaM i think the height thing is a specific junior jumpers view.
I am also 5’7” and find a pony ridiculously small, i did used to occasionally school my sons 144cm jumper and felt so underhorsed. If i dropped my stirrups from jumping to dressage length they were way below her belly.

I must add that one of our 14'2s has juuuuuuust by the skin of his teeth been measured in at 149.5 (with shoes) and was originally measured out so he's probably more of a 15'1/15'2 on a normal day 😃

But it's true that tall kids ride 14'2 in juniors, but then they are usually slim and very balanced.

Remember that Stroller was 14.1hh and got Silver in the Olympics with Marion Coakes. She was 60kg. www.teamgb.com/athlete/marion-coakes/7G8fIJVA3OCXgKyoKS0QIa

I had a 14.2 from the age of 12 until the last year when she sadly passed. I was perfect height for her at 12, but coninued growing to 5'7, and frankly was still ok with short stirrups so long as I kept my weight at a sensible level, and mum and sister (shorter than me) rode her too. Is this a native? Their weight carrying capacity is far better than a horse.

who else is going to school them?

Well, at my yard they're started and kept fit/well mannered largely through ground work, lunging, long lines, in hand stuff. For ridden work, either the more capable slightly older children (there's a few brave little 9-10 year olds with a good sticky bum and quiet hands, mostly the kids of staff or long standing clients who've been riding since the womb (literally, often), who are much in demand to start off a youngster or reschooling an older one) or in extremis the smallest/lightest staff member who is tiny and probably weighs about 7 stone pops on - the latter very much not a regular thing for the small ponies, she'd do a maximum of about 20 mins work with them and only when they really, really need it. I'm an 'average' or maybe below average adult rider at about 9 stone and there's no way I'd get on a pony that size, ever. A 13hh+, sure, not as my regular ride but for the odd sit on/quick session to remind of manners, used to do it all the time before I got old and creaky, but not a genuinely little kids pony.

You do see it though, it used to be relatively commonplace in showing that adults about my size or heavier even would be beasting the first riddens or small breed m&ms around the lorry park with their feet dragging on the floor until the poor things were knackered and docile for the kiddie to be popped on for the ring - you don't see it as much in public any more but I don't doubt that sort of thing still goes on behind closed doors...

Agree with this. Ive lost 2 stone since I bought my horse last year just from being busy and doing more exercise!

how big are those ponies?

Which ponies do you mean? First riddens? In showing terms up to 122cms or 12hh on the button, although that's measured without shoes so they can seem a bit bigger IRL ... In general terms in my post I was replying to Xena who referred to 11.2-12.2h ponies, which I stand by is too small to ever be ridden by any adult that is not unusually small and lightweight, particularly at the smaller end, i.e 11.2, even a stocky native type, even for the purposes of being trained or broken in...

I know 5"3/4 friends that still ride their 11.2hh ponies fine...

Sorry the @TheQuaintLemonDuck they almost certainly do not.
Most 11.2 are going to weigh in at comfortably under 200 kg. A 5’2” adult even if underweight is going to weigh 40-45kg, add in hat, boots, saddle etc and they are topping out at well over 25% of the ponies weight, not ok.
For it to be fine, eg under the 15% rule ( which for many is the absolute upper limit of comfort for their horse) their total weight including saddle and fully dressed for riding would need to be under 30kg.

I don't really want to argue with you, adults on small ponies has been done to death elsewhere and isn't the point of the thread, but quite aside from the weight and welfare argument, 11.2 ponies are little. Height wise I mean - 113cm at the wither - that is obviously a child's pony and not a sensible or fun experience for an adult rider never mind the pony, you'd be massively unbalanced just from the length of your legs and torso relative to the pony, legs either so folded up jockey style you're hugely top heavy or trailing 10cms off the ground, and frankly that looks far from 'fine' in my humble opinion. I don't understand at all why anyone would want to have a pony that size as their regular ride.

5"4 on 11.2hh would be ridiculous. My DD is 5"1-2 and still rides her 12.2hh at nearly 12 stone but not for long periods of time x

@BeAmberPanda I sincerely hope that you are on a wind up

?

I have a 14.2 pony and I’m 5”3 and about 10 stone too, I fit her well.

Is the one your are looking at definitely an ISH not an Irish sports Pony, I.e Connie mixed with the thoroughbred not draught?

Either way mine is definitely more solid than a TB with lovely big sturdy feet! It’s a lovely cross by the way, smart, hard working and nice natured (mare moments aside!).

what do you mean

At that weight your daughter is way too heavy for a pony of that size irrespective of its build .

that's not true. You haven't even seen her or the pony.

@BeAmberPanda I think I can use my imagination and let’s face it you’ve posted that a 12 stone person is riding a 12.2 on a thread where the issue being discussed is a 10st person riding a 14.2 hh .

You are being told the same on another thread. It’s really not ok. I wouldn’t allow someone your daughters weight on my 14.1/2 and he’s sturdy, fit and well muscled.