The smallest pony I could ride?

JOJOBA

Fluffy Bunny, apparently
Hiya,
Just want a bit of advice. A lady whose horse I excercise is soon moving her horse away and buying a pony to keep it company and for her kids to ride. She asked me if Id like to go along with her when she's looking for the pony (very exciting!) and Id really like to carry on helping her when she has moved. Her kids wont be able to ride the pony all the time so I was going to offer to help her out by riding it when she cant (she is much smaller than me so will also be riding it herself).
She's looking around the 13.2hh mark but may go off - a fairly well built pony but not a cob or anything.
Im 9stone and (this is the annoying part) about 5'10". Mostly leg.
What is the smallest pony (size and type) you think it would be fair for me to ride, and for how long?

Thanks for any advice.

Jo
xxx
 
Can't really offer advice on size, but when I've worked at riding schools I've often been asked to get on a pony that was being difficult for a young/novice rider. Admittedly not for very long (just long enough to chill it out and ask it to behave) or on any of the very little ponies, but they never seemed to have a problem holding my weight, but I daresay if I had tried to have a lesson or hack out on anything smaller than about 13 hands it would have started to struggle a bit! :eek:
 
I'm 5ft 10 (and weigh worryingly little at the moment..) but I personally don't feel comfortable on anything less than 16hh unless they are cobby or very well sprung. From a weight point of view, you would be fine at 13hh, it's just quite tricky balancing in a way which makes you feel secure without troubling the pony - if you lean forwards only slightly the length of torso will mean that movement is very noticeable to the pony.

Also, it can be hard to give an effective leg aid, and to fit your legs into the size of saddle the pony takes. When I was riding a smaller pony a while back, my knees had to go over the saddle flaps and I got really nasty bleeding blisters by the end of the week :eek:

However, you could probably still get away with riding the pony, so long as you are careful with your balance, and that you and the pony seem to feel relatively comfortable.
 
My horse is 15hh and middleweight cobby. I have lessons on a young green 14.2hh connemara cross who is fairly narrow, and last week rode a 14.1hh welsh cob cross. I havent ridden smaller than him in a while - I rode a very narrow 15hh connemara who I was a bit big on, mostly due to him being 5yrs old and not wanting to overburden him.
However I see some fairly large people on diddy ponies and they always seem happy enough. I know it's the balancing I will have an issue with - I had to give up riding a 12hh welsh b when I was 11 due to getting too leggy for him.

xxx
 
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top heavy

To be honest, if your long in the leg, you probably won't feel as big as you'd think, its when you're top heavy you feel enourmous, especially if they're lively because as soon as they move one way you go the other-it'll be fine, and if not you'll have to recommend me, cos i'm a short arse!
Vicki
 
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