Is it harder to work with larger horses

Sp1cer

Sp1cer

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May 18, 2004
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Hi,

Im a complete beginner at looking after horses, Im in an excellent yard where you get training by the hour on horse care/riding where Im planning on having 6 hours per week training on horse care / handeling and 2 hours per week on riding. Currently Im sharing a georgeous 15.1 piebald, but we have just bought our own horse who is a 17.1 shire x tb (needed a big one as my partner is very keen and he is 6ft 4) anyway, he arrived at the yard today and when he came out of the lorry i was handed the lead rope and oh how nervous I was he was just huge! Im only 5ft 2 and worried stiff that I wont be able to handle him.

Pam
 
Its all about technique and confidence. I have handled Clydesdales without a problem and I am just under 5ft tall....I also know a very small lady (probably shorter than me, and very tiny built) who has a full yard of horses from 14.2hh-17.2hh who are all in total awe of her and do everything she says :) In fact apart from practical considerations such as getting bridles on etc (you will probably need a box to stand on ;) ) larger horses are often easier than ponies as they take twice as long to decide to do anything and have a much longer wheel base which takes twice aslong to turn..whereas a pony can be up to mischief before you have even realised:rolleyes:

Our 16.1hh cob is much easier to handle than the ponies - he is so easy and gentle and slow to move and they are always thinking up mischief :rolleyes:

The key thing with handling horses of any size : always make them move, rather than you. ie if they try to run you over, stand your ground (if safe to do so) and growl at them/flap arms or whatever and make them stop rather than you moving. Never move out of their way, always make them move over for you. Getting this respect issue sorted at the start makes life much easier later on..

Have fun, once you get used to him I'm sure he will seem no bother at all, he sounds lovely, those big chaps are often very gentle:)
 
Esther..in a nutshell, they might be big, but they don't know it, Shetlands KNOW they are 17.2hh but think and move like lightning!

You have hours of thinking and reaction time with a big horse, use it and as Esther says, If you think you are bigger than they are they'll beleive you. You have to convince the smaller guys somttimes!:D :D

Let's put it this way, do you really think your man of 6 feet 4 could stop him either? The answer is not a hope, neither could he stop a Shetland if he wanted to do something. It is all down to respect.
 
I agree - I think it is about confidence and mutual respect.

My first horse was 15.1hh, and I was only about 8 or 9 (so fairly short!) - my mum and I both rode at the time so we had to find a horse to suit us both. Despite the fact I had to stand on an upturned bucket to tack him up, he was brilliant and never pushed me around. Murphy, who I have now measures about 17.1hh, and I'm 5'6"

Just be confident around him and enjoy! The only thing I would say is just watch your toes, as the big guys can be a little clumsy sometimes! Can we see some pics?!
 
I used to ride a 17.2hh horse in my lessons! I'm only 5ft4 now 5ft2 at the time :D

The only problem i had was tacking and rugging him up.. Because he wasn't the hughest fan of a bridle! and his bck was sooo high i couldn't reach for the saddle! hehe! But i managed! would stand on the banking of the stable and place it on his back :D

He was the best horse i've ever ridden! i learned soo much on him! He taught me how to canter, do flying changes ect. ect.

Big horses are the best! :D :D After riding Lofty for 1 1/2 years i don't like riding horses less than 14.2! I like big horses!

Lucy
 
well my firend started riding when she was just 8 or 9 months old!! she was put on a 16hh horse or something big and he looked after her amazingly aprantly!! Havent you heard the phrase 'a gentle giant' :p lol

Shetlands can be right grumpy poos!! and very strong too :p and there tiny!

xox

ps your stables sounds sooo good. i wish mine did that
 
Don't forget if you keep any horse in the conditions some Shetlands have to put up with they'd be grumpy and bad tempered too.
 
hm ... i always find i get easily intimidated by anything that's over the 15hh mark :rolleyes: although that usually only happens with big horses i don't know ... i'm usually happy to handle 'strange' ponies though, ho-hum ...

julia
x
 
i agree :) a spooked 17hh 'device' is way more intimidating than a 12hh pony. but i think that's down to the individual person anyway. some people just have *that* sort of confidence

julia
x

ps: the better you get to know your big horse, the easier it will be :)
 
Let's put it this way, you might think you are in control of a Shetland because he is small, but if he doesn't want to play he won't. Andy hates having eye drops in, Shilling hates being wormed, we have gone round the indoor school, one pony with 3 BIG adults attached like the wall of death.

All horses and ponies do what they do for us because they want to or are kind enough to comply!:) :)
 
thats right cos horses and ponies are soppose to havea 6th snese. they can feel when you are nervous and they someties act like o shes nervouse why is she and then they get nervous if you get me?......;) :rolleyes:

xox
 
Hmm... probably is difficult if you want to do limbo dancing!

I'd agree with the others - it's all down to attitude! Although, if someone had just asked you to lead this horse out of the horsebox not knowing his size, would it have been easier psychologically? Sometimes, just knowing that a horse is 17.2hh puts the brain into "He's huge! He'll squish me!" mode.

Good luck with the new horse!
 
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