It is training that should be marked, not the horse. However @netg is correct in saying a quick tempo can be an issue. Again, training. Adult pony riders may try to compensate for what they perceive to be small size by pushing for more speed. It pushes the pony out of its natural rhythm and so marks drop. Someone to watch on the ground during training is helpful here.
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daughter who is 38 has a Morgan mare she uses in Dressage (and other disciplines) Horse is 14 hands even, daughter is 5ft 10 " … at Morgan nationals last year there was a note on her Dressage test sheet by the scribe to keep track things “teenager in tan”
Daughter was very pleased with that note
I do not think she looks out of place on her “pony”
this her with her 14h Morgan, they won their division National and World Championships
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Having owned both big and small at this point, 16hh is my new max. I swear they are sounder and cattier/more athletic than their big counterparts.
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My Highland is 14hh and my PRE is 15hh. I ‘downgraded’ from a 16.1hh Shire-TBx. 21 years of that was enough. When she died, I didn’t want another big horse. I’m 5’4 and about 114lbs.
I love wee horses. Obviously not too wee – big enough to carry you – but it’s nice not to feel like the fronr end of the horse is in one county and the back end is in a different one.
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See, for me this is the perfect size (and for you)!
Now sometimes a great horse isn’t the perfect size, and a rider makes it work…but I’ve never understood why some ammie riders my height (5’1) go looking for massive mounts (or trainers who try to match them with huge horses).
I mean, there is a dressage pony cup… https://dressageponycup.com/about
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I’m 5’1” and have a 14.1h GRP I event. I’ve never had a negative comment from a judge and mostly I get comments (from judges and other competitors!) about how cute he is. Honestly it’s inflated pony’s ego which is now larger than he is. Going to a pony was the best thing I ever did, I love his size, but he’s still incredibly athletic (honestly the most athletic horse I’ve ever had) and a fabulous jumper. Added bonus, the small dressage ring is far easier to navigate on something smaller than a 17h massive one.
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good for you. I wish this would happen more often. Not dressage related, but in the mustang world, where anyone can buy a horse for 125.00, and mustangs are small horses…and American women are large people, there’s a lot of that. I cringe at the photos shared online daily.
…that said lol, i have a 13-ish hand pony mare, sweetest cutest little mustang. And i’ve not trained her because i thought she was too small for me. i’m 5.0 but 135. This thread is tempting me to go for it. i DO ride my 13.2 pony mule though. But he’s a tough little monkey. The mare i’m speaking of is petite looking.
Anyway, OP…i would be more concerned about weight than height. And you’re light enough. Looking silly?? Phepzt! It looks really silly (to me) seeing tiny little people on big giant horses, and that occurs all day long in every ring. The balance of that?..it’s an odd aesthetic and not one i’ve acquired.
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I really hate to have to have the conversation. My question always is why is it the saddle fitter’s job and not a trainer or Vet? After all, they interact with them much more frequently than we do as saddle fitters. Then we get labeled as the bad guy.
The visual to me is the least important part. They change of gait even if you can get a saddle to fit us really the no go point for me.
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If you’re on FaceBook, check out Diamonds in the Rough Dressage. One of the sisters decided to be a “pony squisher” and has been campaigning and adorable Welsh stallion. I think she might have another one now too.
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Yes! She has two lovely Welsh stallions.
My PRE is 16hh at 3. He’s compact, but I don’t want a tall horse. It’s harder for me to get on from the ground when doing gates and whatnot. I’m 5’4 and really don’t want anything taller than 15.3hh at the most, just for practical purposes. He will make a nice horse for someone else though 
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Yeah, I’m 5’1" and my older mare is 16.1. She was so comfortable for me size wise, I said I was never going bigger again. Then along came my younger mare who is a unicorn in every way except height, and it took a lot of convincing for me to be willing to go to 16.3. She’s so perfect in every other way I succumbed. But my ideal height is probably 15.2, of course depending on the horse’s shape. I tend to prefer more leggy and narrower horses because of pelvis shape, so therefore tend to be less likely to delve into pony sizes.
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I’m laughing because I used to regularly tell my baby WB I’d have to sell him if he got too big (16+). He did top out at almost 16.1, but he stayed narrow enough to be comfortable and was just a really nice character. I stopped measuring when he reached 15.3 1/2h and pretended he stayed there for years. 
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There are times I think about going on one of those awful weightloss shots so I could be light enough for Lola. I truly am happiest on a stoutly built large pony. That said, my saddle is a Black Country and very heavy. BTW those flaps look long, but they are 3 inches shorter than the off the rack model! I have very short femurs. I just think she’d have been so much happier carrying 135-140 pounds (including tack) instead of 180. She’s 13.3, and now enjoying R&R at her breeder’s farm while I try to figure out what to do.
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The British cavalry horse carried 252 lbs, 18 stone, with rider and full campaign equipment. They did have a rigid regime of rest and care. Most remounts were about 14.2 and of a cob type. It isn’t height that matters but “bone”, the circumference of the cannon bone measured just below the knee. Also the type of bone, denser being better. If you measure your mare’s leg you might be surprised. 9 inches can carry 196 lbs in the Land of Ponies.
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She’s basically a horse on very short legs, so long in the body - wears a size 70 or 72 blanket! Like a lot of her breed (ETA: Morgan), she has a dippy back and hind end a bit too far “out behind.” So her weight carrying ability isn’t quite as high.
She has some other needs, most importantly living out in a herd, which is very difficult to find in my area. And definitely needs a bit more time with a more experienced rider.
I still miss her and want to bring her back, though.
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My old Arab WP horse was 14.2 on a good day (which means wearing shoes and hadn’t had a reset recently). I’m 5’8; my trainer at the time was 5’11 or 6’. Neither of us looked big on him. To be fair, my horse was pretty old-style substantial and when on him bareback, you felt like you were riding a barrel and could roll off him at any time - lol!
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If that photo is meant to demonstrate a size mismatch, I think it failed. I know there are other factors but IMHO you look lovely together!
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Agreed!
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Thank you! I would have to do a lot to have her back. Starting with more riding for me; I’m not really able to afford lessons right now. And she is a bit hot and a bit green for me. A very good brain and very forward in a good way, very trainable (to the point she will do things that she’s not really fit enough for.) I’ll figure it out.
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I saw a New Forest Pony (whose height I don’t know, but he was SMALL) a couple of weekends ago being ridden 2nd & 3rd level by an adult. Said adult is pretty tall, but very thin. She chose to ride in a close contact jumping saddle so that she could get her legs up shorter.
The judge I was with did not have an issue with the height of the girl in relation to the pony, but she did have to check the rule book to make sure that the saddle was legal. I knew it was, but not my place to say anything to the judge.
