My point was any horse is capable of jumping 4’ from a standstill.
Saw it done in a Bruce Davidson clinic, with adults, on horses.
So crossrails are hardly a limit for a 15h horse.
Rider ability may determine otherwise 
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Absolutely a horse can jump but my concern is would they stay sound packing my weight.
Especially since I haven’t jumped in a long while so would probly flop around like a potato sack. 
Jumping is not my primary goal, just one of them.
I’m also 5’8" with long legs/short torso and usually wear a size 10, so it sounds like we’re pretty close in size.
I’ve always had horses in the 15–15.3 range and look fine on them (IMO 
). I also have one 23-y-o who is 14.3 on a good day (APHA who’s basically a QH). I bought her as a weanling and expected a bit more height, but oh well. She’s the one in the b/w picture in 2003 on the day of her first ride under saddle. I look too big for her there, but she really filled out as she matured and her barrel took up my leg more than I expected.
The other two are some of my late OTTBs who were both in the 15.2 range. I did have a 16.2 OTTB who stayed very slim and angular her whole life, and I always felt like she was a little too large for me in a number of ways).
(BTW, I’m thinking about linking these photos to the full-chaps-appreciation thread in the Hunter/Jumper forum! 
)
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Wonderful pictures! You look great!
I would like to say a huge thank you to all who posted pictures!!
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Pics cause I just want to join in!
16.3 WB
15.3 TB when he was younger
15.3 TB at his chunkiest (don’t mind the awful screenshot)
Imperfect angles but if we just look at my leg, it hits the barrel almost in the same spot on both horses.
As far as jumping, it really just depends. More bone + rider getting fitter and more balanced = no reason the horse can’t jump more than crossrails. Plenty of big TBs out there less capable of holding up to the job than a 14H cob or QH.
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A smaller horse with good bone and feet and a solid back will have no problem! Tall horses with spindly legs are probably going to be more injury prone regardless of the weight they are carrying.
ETA: I am thinking back to a horse I tried several years ago. I think he was an RPSI/half Arabian. The seller told me he was 16H, but he was more like 15.2, as it goes. It wasn’t the height so much, but he was compact front to back. I bet he would have worn a 72" blanket, and when I rode him, I probably could have reached forward and touched his ears. I didn’t by any means feel I was too heavy for him, and he was round enough to take up my leg. BUT, I just felt like I was on a pony, and the longitudinal balance was all wrong, if that makes sense. I think he would have been a blast for someone 6" shorter than me. My smaller mare wears a 78-81" blanket and has plenty of neck out in front, so the longitudinal balance is more matched to my vertical balance with the length of my legs and torso.
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For jumping, be sure you don’t buy something with a straight hock. Those poor horses struggle even with crossrails. An articulated hock, you’ll be just fine, even on the smaller horses.
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Yeah, but what about THEIR weight? Most people I know keep their horses about 100 lbs heavier than they “should” be. Take those extra 100 lbs off, and you have more wiggle room in the total weight package.
Soundness is a gamble in anything. An 18 hand horse has just about as much cartilege between his fine bones, hock and knee, as a 14 hand horse. A well built 14 hand horse has less stress on his tendon and ligament attachment than a badly built 18 hand horse, even though the 18 hand horse has “more” tendon and ligament. I’m exaggerating here: I know you aren’t out searching explicitly for an 18 hand horse, or a 14 hand horse, but the point is, you want the best built animal you can find, and even then soundness is a gamble.
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My mare sticks 15.3, if you make her do a tummy tuck backlift she sticks 16. I feel like she’s big enough for almost anyone.
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There used to be a Pro on my H/J circuit who was {ahem} “fluffy”.
But she was a very balanced rider & even at her (likely) ~200#, rode her TBs to the big fences very effectively.
Whenever there was a Gamblers Choice, most placed bets on her.
& Took home the $$
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Who cares what it looks like as long as you are comfortable and the horse can comfortably carry you. One of friends who is over 6’ often rides my 14 hand Arab and has taken him to a 30 mile endurance ride. They are totally fine together.
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That was exactly the horse I was imagining. 15.1, straight behind and very down hill. But extremely biddable with lots of heart and he had no problem with a 2’ 6" course.
Some ODG said that all sound horses can jump a 3’ fence. Not a course mind you, but a single fence. It’s just part of their DNA as prey animals.
But you’re right, of course, that you don’t intentionally go buy something that has conformation that makes it really hard for them to do what you want to do with them!
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Yes, the single fence is much easier than a course where you need to stay in balance, rate your speed, count strides, and change directions. Worth keeping in mind when you see impressive sales videos of horses free jumping in chutes or just doing one fence on the centerline.
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I went from a 14.1 half-Arab to a 16 hand Thoroughbred with those famous shark-fin withers. When adjusting for wither height, they’re pretty much the same height, and the half-Arab had a much wider barrel while the thoroughbred had a significantly deeper heart girth. Same size saddle girth for them both.
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I am 5’9, long legged ( pants sized 8-12 depending on maker) and my mare and gelding both top out at 15-15.1. They are big bodied and I feel and look just fine.
Look at horses with a decent build and you won’t notice the lack of height.
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I’m 5’10, over 200 lbs, and have been riding/retraining a 15.1 OTTB mare. I think my torso looks a little long in proportion to her neck length, but she has had no issue carrying me around.
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Absolutely! In my mind 15.3 is quite a bit bigger than an even 15.
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I think you should hunt for your perfect horse. It’s not often one gets to seek their next equine partner. Heck, that’s the FUN part!
Wish you’d been looking a couple of years ago. Someone tried to gift me this mare but i felt her too big for me. And now i’ve ended up with 3 horses i’m training with that size anyway lol.
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She looks lovely, I love red mares!
To me that looks like a confirmationally short neck rather than a rider torso length mismatch.
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