ADVICE PLEASE

[dalesponyrider]

Hi there! I think you have already got the reassurance you wanted but I will just say, I used to ride my 13.3 mare quite happily and didn't feel underhorsed. I am 5'8"! Her girth took up ALL my leg and all my height is in my legs which are very long!

[SuzieP]

I'm 5'4" same as you and this is me riding dalesponyrider's 13.3hh mare. I never felt underhorsed riding her. (hope this is OK, Linda)

[heathera]

If you lok at rug and girth sizes it helps puts things into persepctive. My Dales take a rug and girth size similar to 15.1hh to 15.3hh horses of lighter type. They really take up your leg as the body is deep and wide.

Here's my instructor, who rides with more of a dressage leg, on my 13.3hh Dales mare. Instructor is around 5'8"


Slowly softening by BeechTree, on Flickr

Here's my sister who is 5'9" on the same 13.3hh mare. She hadn't ridden for ten years and had a great time.


DSCF7340 by BeechTree, on Flickr

This is me at 5'4" being very naughty with my 14.2hh Dales gelding. Even bareback and with a very straight leg my feet don't come below his belly line.


Can you spot the Dragon on my shoulder? by BeechTree, on Flickr

[heathera]

It's also hard to say what height they'll make. Drummer was 13.3hh as a 3yr old and made 14.2hh as a 7yr old.

Merlin was pretty average Dales foal height as a six month old when we first met him. His parents are around the 14hh to 14.1hh region I think and we certainly didn't expect him to make more than 14.1hh himself.


Merlin at the DPS foal show by BeechTree, on Flickr

When 14 months old he had turned into this leggy, gangly fugly yearling


Snoozing in the breezy bit by BeechTree, on Flickr

He's going to be 4yrs old in a weeks time and he's now 14.3hh but still pretty narrow. Here's us in a dressage saddle so bear in mind I have a long leg, open hip joint and deep seat and heels here. By the time he's seven he'll be a lot broader and I reckon there'll be quite a gap between my foot and his belly line.


DSCF9504 by BeechTree, on Flickr

[charliefar]

Thanks eveyone the photos really help!!
What I also really like is that everyone looks so happy, thats the sort of feeling I want.
I really love my boys but sometimes its hard to look totally happy when you start cantering on the spot for no apparent reason then disappear into the sunset!!
Although saying that I used to ride a very strong dales mare that went everywhere at 100mph and dissapeared into the sunset on numerous occasions but I never felt frightened- that may have also been down to the ignorance of youth but I'd like to think thats not true..eb's was a superstar and greatly missed
Oh and I'm at the top end of NYorks near Yarm..

[Deleted]

This is great to read as I'm about to go and see a 14'3 pony who i am scared will be too small.....I am soooooo excited.....I having a great feeling about her already. xx

[dalesnfellfan]

I was a bit worried about backing Emerald in case I was too big /heavy for her at the moment, shes a tad under 14hh and looks quite narrow at 6years, and I'm 5'5'' and about 12stone but she takes up my leg and feels wider and bigger than she looks and moves forward with me on board enthusiastically, I am keeping sessions short though to give her chance to build right muscles before we do too much.

[flintfootfilly]

I have a range of 5 Dales ponies: 13.3 up to 15.2, all purebred Dales.

I'm 5ft 9 or 5ft 10, and weight 10 stone after a slobby month, ranging between 9 and 11 stone.

I would say I feel best balanced on a pony who is 14.1 or over, but I don't look or feel ridiculous on the one who is smaller than that.

However, if I was to go out and buy a pony for myself, I would probably not choose one quite so small as the 13.3. I say that because I do not feel it would be fair on him if I wanted to do activities involving more concussion (jumping), and also because I need to be a better rider to ride him well (as any slight loss in balance on my part will affect him more than it would affect a bigger, heavier, wider pony). But he's great fun.

If I had the choice between a small mare and a small gelding, everything else being equal (which of course it never is), I'd opt for the mare because mares tend to have rounder barrels and so seem to take my leg up better for the same height of pony.

But at the end of the day, it's what seems to be the best compromise for everything that you feel happy with, can manage and everything that you want to do.

Sarah