That’s interesting, Willesdon. Can you explain a little more what you mean? Do you mean a sloping vs. a straight shoulder? Thnx.
Sounds like my QH that I just moved along.
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Working on making that happen. Hard to do where I’m at, but I’m looking at making some visits during our April school break.
I’m a 5’5" 112lb. woman with a 13.1h pony. My only problem was finding a saddle that was the right size for us. Not to get too personal, but how big of a seat do you need in a saddle? And how much space does the pony have for it? My guy is short-backed and my saddle fitter relocked an old Passier dressage saddle to fit. She was also able to make the panels even more upswept; gussets won’t work if you don’t have the space for them.
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Well, well…I grew up with a Morgan heritage. Family literally bred them for centuries. I go back to them every now and again because I do have an affinity for the breed. However, being a bit of a black sheep of my family when I finally decided that all the Tbs and warmbloods were not really making me as happy as I thought I’d be, I decided that going back to the ‘ponies’ was for me. I’m 5’2" and when I made the decision to go ‘back’ I took two years visiting breeders and researching breeds, mostly connies and welsh. I had already owned both as a kid (pony club mounts) but quickly got swayed into thinking that I ‘needed’ the breed du jour being young and impressionable. Suffice it to say that when I decided that Welsh were the way to go, I never really looked back. Now having said that I must first say that one of my absolute favorite ponies was a 14.1 hand Welsh Cob x Morgan mare. She was a delight and could do absolutely anything. I also owned a few section C welsh cobs. Mine always seemed to be right around 13 hands. One carried me through to Prix St. George. I still have him, retired and now 23 years old. My current mounts are a 14.2 welsh cob gelding and a 15 hand welsh cob gelding. While I prefer their sizes to my 13 hand guy, there was never a problem with him taking up my leg and his neck was not too short. He was and is the bomb but having a wee bit taller Cob is just a little easier in terms of saddle fit, making the fit in the dressage court and the like though not by a lot. If I were in the market and the right section C came a long I would definitely jump on it and be smiling like a loon. As they say you never outgrow a Welsh.
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A good shoulder will automatically put more horse in front of the saddle than will a straight one, regardless of the neck.
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You make a good point. This pony has a very short back. Although I haven’t ridden English in about 8 years, I’d guess my seat size to be 16.5-17.5 depending on the saddle and the seat. I should have asked what size saddle was on him when I tried him. I know she said he needed I wide tree.
exvet, I’ve read many of your posts here on CoTH about your cobs. I have not excluded cobs from my search, but I know many of them will be hotter than I want. My first Welsh was a section B, and I did absolutely everything with him. I’d like to find a larger B or a cross, but there are not a lot available where I am, and the ones that are have hunter pony prices. This pony I tried is sired by an A and out of a B/Arab mare. I understand that saddle fit might be an issue. 
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we looked seriously at the Connemara when we were first searching for a horse for kids, we had narrowed the breeds down to Connemara or Morgan, just could not find enough Connemaras to even see. Went back to Kentucky to find our first Morgan as many Saddle horse breeders also had Morgans.
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You look fine on him, but his short neck really gives me pause. What are you hoping to do with him? Also, is he wearing a standing martingale, or is that something in the background?
I’ve ridden horses with short necks before, and they just never seem to figure out how to use their neck and back; you’re always fighting their conformation.
If you like Welsh ponies, you might consider Anglo-Arabs and German Sport Ponies as well.
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I’m about to go on a trail ride on my 12 hand pony (my only sound horse at the moment). He’s super fun to ride but really about a hand too small. Rescued as a yearling with a bunch of other horses, it’s most likely that he’s a Shetland/Arab mix, who looks like a Welsh pony. If I were buying a new horse, I wouldn’t go that small, but something in the 13.2-14.2 range would be good. The horse that I regularly ride is 14.3, and we had a 13 hand pony for a while, but she had a very short neck and felt smaller. I’m 5’3"/105lbs.
Yes, he is wearing a standing martingale. I didn’t ask them to take it off on this first visit. I think it’s part of the hunter pony dress code.
It is his neck that is giving me the most pause for sure. I am looking for a lower level all-around. Trail riding, dressage and/or western dressage, local pleasure shows, possibly driving.
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That’s what I’m thinking with this pony. He is 13.2, but he felt smaller. I may be misremembering, but I’ve ridden 13.2s in the past who felt bigger.
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I’ve started a lot of young horses, but I’ve never used a standing martingale on any of them. You want a baby to have freedom of his head/neck so he can learn to balance under saddle. The neck is not only short, but it’s upside down, and I think that martingale is part of the reason for that. If they’re using it on him now, I have to wonder why.
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YMMV, but I’ve seen a lot of hunter ponies going in a standing martingale just because they all go in a standing martingale. 
I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do or that it would be my choice, but it didn’t set off alarm bells for me because of the way this pony is being prepped and marketed. As I stated, the neck is what is giving me pause. I’m not an impulsive buyer, and I’ll be trying more ponies before I make a decision.
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If I ever get another horse, I would seriously consider an Icelandic. Sturdy little guys. I’m 5’3” and, shall we say - “sturdy” myself. A farm in my area has them, both her and her hubby ride, and they do great. I took a few lessons on one years ago and had a blast. Dressage lessons at that!
I had TB’s or TB crosses for years. I’m older, and the ground is not as forgiving. I went to a 14 hh haflinger, then sold him to a friend. I’ve been horseless for 7 years or so. I have RA, and my hands are weak, and I get exhausted easily. It’s tough to admit, but I’m really not up to keeping one any more. If ever get another, I’d likely board.
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Re-short neck. It is hard to judge from just a couple of pictures but the pony’s way of going might be a little artificial, pushed to go faster with his head constrained. And perhaps the saddle could go back and inch or two as well. With ponies it is easy to push them into going faster, particularly if one is used to riding a bigger horse, rather than stepping out into a longer stride. It is hard to do a relaxed, long stride when the neck isn’t available as a counter balance.
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I am not really pony sized at 5’7", but I still own two larges (14.1-2) 
one has ample neck length and wide shoulders and honestly feels like riding a big horse with very short legs (and has since I got him at 3). The other is short-necked and slightly narrower through the shoulder, though he’s still got some time to grow so it’s possible the neck fairy will visit him eventually. He feels like riding a bicycle with no handlebars, not my ideal. At least it’s a good reminder for me to sit UP and sit back. 
I got him as a wee peanut yearling, so had no real idea what he’d grow into.
I would pass on this pony for now, personally. I don’t like that feeling that there is not enough horse in front of you.
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Go give him a look. I’ve got a 12.2 pony that takes up A LOT of leg. Her harness is basically horse size (except for the backstrap). At 5’1" you wouldn’t look at all out of place on her. You might be surprised.
I’m so jealous of people who can ride ponies. I was 5’8’’ by the time I started riding at 12, so straight to horses for me. 
The older I get, the more I appreciate a stocky, strong, smaller horse. Somehow I keep ending up with giants, but if I had a money tree - I’d go find a pony tomorrow.
In college, I did buy a POA as a flip - she was lovely, 14,1hh, but it was never a great equitation picture. My long time jumper was 14.3hh and, while you wouldn’t think those two inches made a lot of difference, they really did.
POA Mare
Hony Mare
I do think a lot of it comes down to the individual horse. And camera angles.
This is a current mare I own, photographed for ads in Spring 2024 - she’s 16hh.
But, two months later, at the 2024 World Show - here we are in the pen… looking like I’m crushing some poor child’s horse. 
I can’t explain it. lol
But then on the rail from the same class, totally reasonable?
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