I just sent you a PM about Morgan/Welsh crosses. Best of luck in your search 
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Unfortunately I outgrew my top-the-line large pony (QH/TB cross) by the time I was in 7th grade because I love ponies (aka Satans in a pony suit) and wish my long 5’8” legs didn’t dangle below their bellies. 
Given that I had a 16.1hh Trak/TB cross where I felt like there was no horse in front of me, I believe it’s caused mostly by the individual animal’s conformation, so keep looking and you’ll find the right one for you!
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It’s been almost 20 years since I switched from horses to ponies. I’m 5’2," about 117 lbs. The smallest pony I’ve owned was a 13.3 Welsh cob. He was quite stocky, and I looked fine on him. All the others measured 14.0 - 15.2. My current horse is 15.2, larger than I wanted, but she is compact and looks very “pony.”
The muffin top plagues many of us of a certain age. Do your best to control it, but don’t worry about it.
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I’m 5’4" of athletic build, 145 lbs with most weight in thighs/butt. I have a 13.3hh pony who I thought would be too short but takes up quite a bit of leg and I don’t think I’ll ever have anything over the 14s again.
He’s 900 lbs fit weight, very thick neck with good length (sometimes I joke he’s 30% neck by volume in some pictures). In your pictures, the neck does look a little short - not for the pony, but it does change the balance somewhat without a nice long neck in front of you. I think almost everyone looks great on a pony, but it might affect the feeling - I haven’t ridden any ponies with shorter necks to chip in on that.
I was constrained by budget and allergies, but I ended up with an athletic and game little rocket who is so easy to mount from the ground on trails. The forward trot is quite an athletic adventure with those little legs like pistons, but now I find larger horses feel strange and huge!
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I’m 4’10". My current mare is 12.2. She was smaller than I was initially hoping for (was looking at meds and larges after losing my 15.2 mare) but for many reasons she was just what I needed. I honestly don’t see myself ever going back to a horse. I’ve always loved ponies and no longer have big time show ambitions so I’m happy having a little one to play with.
At first I felt like I was going a bajillion miles an hour on her because of her little legs but I’ve gotten used to it. I literally sat down and watched videos of smalls going around courses to make sure I wasn’t actually flying lol. I definitely have to be more conscientious of where my upper body is to not get too far over her neck. If she makes a quick move, there’s not a whole lot of time or room to save myself, but fortunately it’s not a far drop to the ground (though that walk of shame back to the mounting block seems a lot worse when you’re leading a small pony lol).
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I used to ride mostly ponies. I’m 5’6. The two favorites were a POA cross and a mare that was probably a Morgan whose papers got lost along the way. The POA was about 13.3 and the Morgan was 14 hands. Both were with me til the end. The Morgan felt like a big horse as she had a motor and was chunky. The POA was more refined and moved shorter at the trot but has a huge canter stride. They were quite different but both carried me well.
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wife on the bay 14.1h Morgan who was a regional champion competitive trail horse doing rides in the 50 to 60 mile ranges Daughter is on her buckskin 15.2 Morgan
these two did about 5,000 miles of competitive trail competitions
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This is my friends pony but she let’s me ride him and I just love him. He can be very hot and more moody then a mare.
Nothing beats the economics of owning a pony. Someone pointed out to me if my 3 yr old grows much more I will need to buy a new and taller trailer. Uh-oh.
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Thank you for that observation. I DO think I need to find a few more of similar size to ride and see if it’s the size or the individual. He is a very quiet good brained pony but also very green, so I imagine he may feel quite different as he strengthens and grows confident in his job.
Ha ha! Last July I joined a gym. It was less about weight and more about strength and naturally ameliorating bone loss. The muffin-top stubbornly hangs in there.
Man, if I was your height, there is a 12.2 hand 2nd-3rd level dressage pony for sale near me that I’d snap up in a heartbeat just to learn. I love what you say about your mare being just what you needed.
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Thanks for your thoughts, cayuse. Morgans never think that they are small. 
I love POAs; we don’t have many (good ones) here in Maine.
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You look great on that pony. How tall is he?
That is a wonderful picture!
He is about 13.0 hands.
The head carriage and way of going affects how big a pony/horse feels. My current Morgan is a shade over 15h, but everyone who meets him is convinced he is taller. I attribute that to his upheaded conformation (and his attitude). He also rides bigger due to a big step and plenty of barrel.
Shortly before I got him I rode a friend’s 15h QH. He felt tiny! He was short strided and had a lowset neck. I felt like I was riding a headless horse and going nowhere fast.
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I find it is the shoulder, rather than the neck, that gives a comfortable sense of security with plenty in front of the saddle.
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First horse was a 17hh thoroughbred. When I bought my second I bought a young paint who has grown to 14.3hh. She’s chunky but has a short neck, so while I find her barrel takes up appropriate leg I find myself wishing she was a bit longer. I’m 5’5 but mostly all torso.
I’ll never, ever, ever go back to large horses. I’m just so much more confident on a pony/hony and find my rides more enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong - my tb was put together so beautiful and he was such a joy to ride. But, at the end of the day he was just a lot of horse, and when things occasionally went sideways I was very much reminded of that (and of course how far the ground was).
Objectively, my paint is much sassier and opinionated, and probably considered a more difficult ride… but her antics just don’t have the power of a larger horse and I find it easier to manage.
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I’m 5’1" and feel made to ride the larges. I love Morgans and there are a lot of little ones out there.
This is Ancan Crayola AKA Lola. She’s a 13.3 Morgan. She’s well-sprung and fairly upheaded so I didn’t feel like there was nothing in front of me. I was, in fact, a bit too heavy for her at 160ish pounds and using my heavy saddle. I’m down to 145 now and would like to lose another 10. She’s on extended R&R in Michigan because of my life implosion, but I hope to bring her back to New England at some point. I’ll get a lighter saddle, too.
My retired mare is 15 hands when shod, and I’ve ridden horses up to 17 hands, but definitely prefer under 15 hands.
My advice is ride some more ponies and see how they feel to you.
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