I’m pretty significantly physically disabled. However, I’m kind of a snob about appearances. Is there any reason not to breed a 16.1 mare to a Welsh or other pony to get a more reasonably sized (14-16 h) horse?
Temperament is important. Dressage-type is preferred.
that’s fine, if you want to end up with a horse built out of spare parts. I’m sure you can fine plenty of quarabs /small tb’s/ quarter horses that already fit your size requirements, or a smaller stud that is complementary to your mare with a little looking. the problem with the pony/horse cross is it will not make an attractive hony any more than a shire/qh will make a warmblood.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with such a breeding, people do it all the time.
However, there’s no way to accurately predict the size of the resulting foal. It might grow to be as big as the mare, or bigger, or wind up as small as the sire. (If you know what the mare produces it’s a safer bet.)
If size is your main objective, you might think about looking for a mature (as in, finished growing) horse that’s the size you want.
Hunter pony breeders might have just what you’re looking for - a Welsh/TB cross that grew too big for the pony hunter ring. They’re usually very pretty, too.
There are lots of very fancy sport ponies out there, bred for dressage. It might be easier to find what you’e looking for in that category – or, consider breeding your mare to a smaller sport pony type.
Would it better to choose a larger (14-14.2) pony or smaller (<13) pony?
If you are open to a different breed, how about a Morgan? They are wonderfully versatile and might be a nice option.
I love Morgan! As a rule they’re too hot.
Of my three, the 14 HH pony is my favorite. He’s a cute round- rumped, arched neck little dressagy looking thing. He must have some gaited horse in his family tree based on a) his huge overtrack at the walk, for a pony, and b) his blue roan sabino color. He does not gait, at all. I want to do dressage with him but I fear I’m too heavy. Working on a diet now…
OP, keep looking for one that’s out there now, rather than trying to breed one. Mine was a cheap grade, back yard pony, barely broke. I have big hopes for us. Keep looking.
There are plenty of breeders who do this - and I’ve seen some lovely offspring, but generally, they seem to size closer to the dam - you don’t usually get an “average” of the parents. I know someone who bred Warmblood mares to a smaller Welsh stallion for years - he was about 13 hands? None of the offspring were pony - they were all much closer in size to the bigger parent, but they tended to be nice horses. If you want to be sure of size (and temperament), you are going to spend less money and have more “guarantee” buying something already on the ground.
I bred my 15.2hh mare to a 16.3hh stallion and resulting foal ended up topping off at 17hh as a mature gelding. Mare’s sire was 16hh on a good day as was her dam. Not sure about the stallion’s (swedish wb) parents’ heights though…
Morgans are individuals and plenty of them are safe enough to tote around 10 and under kids. Very ammy friendly and fun horses to ride. Very sane.
And some PONIES are hot, and we’ve all heard of Ponytude!
There are some excellent German Riding ponies who cross very well on light-type mares. You don’t mention what breed/breeding or type your mare is, and that’s what matters the most. When the types are similar, and the stallion has enough foals out of larger mares to know what usually happens, it’s unlikely you’ll get the hodge-podge mix that is more likely with using a pony stallion on, say, a draft cross mare.
But you also need to be prepared to have a horse end up just like your mare, so if you really want something smaller, it’s better to buy it
No reason at all other than your mare is too large to guarantee you’d get a pony UNLESS you stick with a Section A welsh (purebred) and then I’d hold my breath.
Tinah… Im not sure where you are getting your information regarding Welsh/horse crosses, but you are completely incorrect… it is VERY possible to get a beautiful large pony/small horse by crossing a TB, WB, Arab, QH or other horse breed with a Welsh stallion… we pony breeders do it all of the time!.. and as the OP doesnt seem to care if it stays large pony or small horse, they are a wide range of lovely Welsh pony stallions for her to choose from! Here are a few lovely examples!
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There are a lot of exceptions across disciplines, including hunters (large ponies) and eventing. The Welsh TB cross has been around for many decades and has resulted in some top winners. The connemara TB cross has also been around for decades and has also produced some top winners in eventing.
if you want to downsize with a pony and temperament is a concern then stick with the Native Pony Breeds (welsh, connemara, new forest…)
When I think of Welsh or Connemara crosses, I would guess too hot or sensitive. Is this wrong?.
You wouldn’t see this if you came to our farm. 
Of course, in every breed, there are hot and/or sensitive lines. The key is finding a Stallion Owner and/or knowledgeable breeders that know their lines. It is also helpful to understand what they are trying to produce - kids ponies, high level eventers, etc.
We did have one Welsh Pony stallion that was quite hot, so we made sure that he was crossed with super quiet mares. The other three Welsh Pony stallions that we stand are super quiet. Two of our current stallions could easily be shown by children…and on the WPCSA Welsh Pony circuit, quite a few pony stallions are shown by children, as are Connemara stallions.
Truth!! My pony is smoking hot, so I started all my kids on my friends 15 hand saint of a Morgan.
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