A pony for....Mom?

[Momateur]

I really love large ponies for lots of reasons. I currently ride a humongous gelding, but he’ll retire in the not-too-distant future.

As I contemplate the next step in my riding career, I keep thinking about buying a large pony for myself. At 5’5" and 125, I’m not too big for one. Being in my 40’s, the thought of being closer to the ground is admittedly appealing. I might keep it for myself, or I might put some miles on and resell it. Not sure yet.

But my question is…can adults even show ponies in anything? And even if it’s technically allowed, would we ever have a prayer of pinning?

[trubandloki]

I think the only place an adult showing a pony is a problem is pony hunters where there are age restrictions on the various heights.
Jumpers, eventing, dressage… no one cares.

[supershorty628]

I love ponies too, and am sized such that I fit a large pony better than most horses, but your options are pretty limited, particularly if you want to compete in hunters and equitation. Technically, yeah, you could show a pony in the adult amateurs or in the adult equitation, but I think finding a pony that can make the horse step and look nice doing it is very expensive. You would not be competitive doing the adds in the lines.

I’d look for a small horse, if you’re wanting to show. Especially being 5’5" - while you can probably fit on a big-bodied large, I think a smaller horse (<16 hands) is actually going to take up your leg better.

[hairystockings]

You can show in whatever you want that you and the pony are capable of together, depending on what that is you may get dinged on suitability occasionally. I fit better on large ponies/tiny horses (14.2-15.2 is my jam) and have shown up through the 3’ jumpers with one large and now I have a hony (most people assume he’s a large just looking at him) for the 2’6 hunters and eq. We’ve actually done pretty well in some of the eq flat classes so we’ve not gotten dinged too hard on suitability (we are second a lot which is…a thing I am used to). We spent the last year in the 2’ stuff because he’s green and done well also. Next year we’ll move into the 2’6 and I suspect we’ll do just fine. I’ve seen other petite adults on larges do well also. The 2’6 ring is pretty open to that. You can do whatever in jumpers.

[LovesHorses]

Yes you can, I have…and beat the horses in the open divisions many times! Large ponies need the horse stride anyway. They one strides are often set at 24’. I’m 5’6 and fit well on a big bodied large. The green I have now is super scopey. I honestly think he may end up doing the National Derbies.

[BAC]

I’m a smidge under 5’4" and spent several years free leasing a 15.1 hony and a large bodied 14.2 pony when I was in my 50s. I have always loved ponies and had a blast riding these two, but I was only pleasure riding. I have to agree with supershorty that if you have competitive goals you are better off with a 16 hand horse. And at 5’5", no matter how well the pony takes up your leg, when they get playful, that short neck is a big disadvantage, the entire animal just seems to disappear under you during a bucking spree or big spook. But if your only goal is pleasure riding and you feel comfortable on the pony, then go ahead.

[LaurieB]

Adults can show ponies in breed shows. The Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America, for example, sponsors numerous shows each year, with in-hand, pleasure, and hunter divisions, to name a few. Welsh Sections A & B would be small and medium ponies. But Section D (Welsh Cob) might be something to look into.

[skrgirl]

I showed my 15.1h horse in hunters with all the big warmbloods. She had a huge step and springs on her feet. Did we win? No, but I did get a few ribbons in good company and she was a total blast to ride.

[Momateur]

@skrgirl, 15.1 would suit me fine. I don’t know why; I just love them small! It feels like driving a sports car instead of a Greyhound :). Realistically, I barely even show. I don’t know why I’m worried about that!

[StormyDay]

@Momateur

@skrgirl, 15.1 would suit me fine. I don’t know why; I just love them small! It feels like driving a sports car instead of a Greyhound :). Realistically, I barely even show. I don’t know why I’m worried about that!

This is exactly how I feel. It’s the difference between a Ferrari and a semi truck. I don’t know how people ride those 17+ hand monsters. I have a 17h gelding and riding him drives me crazy sometimes.

You can show anything you want on a pony. Just be prepared that in hunters you may not place just because the judge prefers the look of the larger horses.

[clanter]

my 5ft 10" daughter showed our 14.1+ Morgan nationally and she did very well. Horse really did not look like a pony but was usually challenged if entered in a open pony class

same daughter on a 18h+ Clydesdale she was working with

[173north]

You couldn’t show in the rated pony hunter divisions. But even if you wanted to do the hunters, in my area there’s plenty of shows with open 2’6 and 3’ divisions where an adult could show a large, and there are ponies who absolutely crush it in those jumper divisions too.

I’m 5’1 and love ponies, but anything compact/short-coupled and forward in that 15.2 to 16h range gives me that same ‘sportscar’ feeling. You could certainly be competitive on a 15.3 or 16hh horse that gets the strides.

[Lexibrooke1]

I’m in a similar predicament and just made a post about it. I’m 5’3 and am looking at a 13.2 pony. I ride hunters and people have told me that my torso is too tall for me to do well in shows. But, like you, showing isn’t my main priority, I just love how fun little ponies are! So if I were you I’d go for it.

[TheDBYC]

A neighbor of ours down the road short listed for the Olympics on a large pony

As others mentioned, adult on pony would be no good if your goal is rated Hunter shows. If that isn’t you, I see no reason not to other than the tendancy for huntery ponies to have a higher price tag. Something I completely discounted, though, is that it ia actually tough to find small horse hunters locally. Adults want big horses as those are what are currently competative in the show hunters. And then there’s the whole show hunter pony thing, of course. We’re going through this now with my daughter. The idea was to take a “gap year” of sorts on an animal that can help her hone certain skills before aiming for Pony Finals in '22 or '23. I thought we would have a better chance of finding something appropriate in my price range if we leased a small horse instead of a large pony. Nope! There’s not much out there under 16hh.

There is something to be said for a smaller horse & ponies, though. I worked with draft horses professionally. Trainers know I’m not unnerved by very large horses & riding during the times I’ve been horseless has been “Hey, Tiffany says you can ride her 18.2 Percheron X as much as you like! No horse use charge!” Ironically, I’m a petite adult (slightly smaller than pony rider child). I hadn’t ridden anything not super-sized in years when I tried the small build 16hh horse I eventually leased. It was shocking how much easier it was to ride well on him – I wasn’t having to work so hard to get him to supple & balance or knocking myself out keeping up with the stride arc of a giant horse.

[TheJenners]

Granted she is a long-term resale project but I’m currently riding a 13.2h pony. I’m heavier (gulp 160) than you but shorter (5’4’’), and yes I do need to loose weight, but she and I look fine together. She’s fun and adorable to ride and have in the barn and once she’s motoring around a course, she’ll make some kid a nice little medium hunter. My big horse is leased to a talented dressage rider and I’m getting a weanling that will need to grow, so the pony in the mean time is my only ride. I know it raises some eyebrows but I have no asperations to win anything at shows, and will only take her out to get miles and experience and show pics, not ribbons.

She IS a thick little thing tho, I just got my saddle refitted to a 3x wide This is from this summer, I need to get one of those Pivos things…

[trubandloki]

@TheJenners

I’m heavier (gulp 160)

You must be all muscle! I would never guess the person in that photo weighs 160. You look fine on your pony!

[TheJenners]

Aww well, thank you. I’m definitely heavier than I should be, I just pick slightly more flattering pictures to share She helps, the cuteness draws the eye away

[trubandloki]

She is totally adorable! Enjoy all the fun!

[Lexibrooke1]

@TheJenners This is so relatable. I’m 5’3, 100lbs and was worried I looked too tall on my new 13.2h pony. You actually look better on that pony than I think I do on mine. That could be because your pony is thicc and mine’s a petite thing. However, I also plan on eventually reselling her to a kid as I think she’ll make a great hunter pony. I just need to put the miles on her. I also know that I might look funny at shows but I just want her and I to have that experience together for the fun of it. I’ll get a bigger horse eventually but ponies are so fun!

[DiamondJubilee]

I’m also in my 40’s and ride ponies - I’m 5’2" and have family that has been breeding ponies for over 50 years so I’m one lucky girl! I have 2 mediums and 2 larges and do some unrated schooling shows (on my medium so I can get a bit of a show record on him as adults can’t ride mediums at rated shows) and I showed my large last year at a rated show in the 2’3" division. As someone else said, they do have some open classes so you can add a stride in the lines and probably won’t get penalized. But of course thats up to the judge.

I do feel more comfortable on my larges as they have more neck and I have a longer torso and find I can easily off balance my mediums. But my mediums are sales projects and I just needed to get some miles on them, so I did some smaller fences (2-2’3" with them).

I did ask a very well known A hunter judge and asked her if she would penalize me if I took a large pony in a rated class and added a stride. She said she wouldn’t but where it would get tricky would be an in and out. You cant be adding strides in the lines and then either add in an in and out, or leave out a stride in and in and and out. I would have only entered in the Beginner Adults and they never ask for an in and out so I wouldn’t have worried about that, but if I entered in the Adult Amateurs, that would be an issue.

I’m actually contemplating breeding my own “honey” and I’m taking a large pony mare with breeding that I adore and will breed her to a well known sport horse to hopefully get a small horse for me to show. I do love the 15.2h range horses, but who knows what I’ll get!

Did you ever end up getting a pony? Or make a decision yet?

Heres a few cute pictures of my chestnut medium who is 4 and is 13.1h and a fine build and my 14.2h boy with a bit more substance at some shows last year. They were both so much fun! Especially my large as he’s a driving pony so its always fun showing him in the hunters