Yes! He was a really fun ride and very adjustable.
[QUOTE=scubed;8098084]
Exactly! And that horse was probably short backed and catty, which is exactly the type of ride I like and why I tend to buy smaller horses.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=scubed;8098016]
All of my horses are required to fit a 75" blanket properly. For me, that is a much better size gauge than height. I currently own one that is bigger, but she is for sale and wasn’t ever for me to ride anyway.[/QUOTE]
This is my rule, too! If they don’t fit in my 75" rugs and my cob sized bridles, then no thanks.
I mi did have one guy who was just shy of 16.2 when I sent him packing that easily fit those guidelines. He was short backed, slab sided, and finely bones.
I had my 16.1 (give a 1/2 perhaps) young horse at the vet’s today and commented that he is the same height (or within a 1/2 inch or so) of my previous UL horse. Vet and the vet techs just could not believe it! My current guy seems so SO much bigger, even though he is not that heavy. He is built more (actually very) uphill with a long neck, so he appears larger and I look like a peanut on him.
He can fit into a 78" blanket although he does okay in an 81. Previous horse fit into a 75 or 78.
I like the girth and blanket size questions to save driving time or give some better idea what you are driving to. Though it’s true, if I suddenly decided to sell my herd tomorrow, I know pretty accurate heights on them all, and blanket sizes (and I’ve been teasing my one pony who “grew” from a 69 to a 72 this year. Whoops, cutting back on his hay, picking up the trot sets, we are.), but I have very little idea what the girth sizes are - and there is a fair amount of wiggle room there when you consider the distance form top of the billet to the bottom, times 2…
Still, in answer to the “why does it matter?” question, I can say a 3’6" fence physically looks different seen from the back of equally trained equines when one is 14.1 and one is 15.1. Though equally true, 3’6" looks smaller from the back of a game pony than a gangly/green/chicken horse. 
I bought a stick with level a few years back. Every. Single. Horse. In the barn was 2" shorter than the owner claimed. Everyone was annoyed.
(My 2 yr old sticked at 16.2 recently so that’s it. I’m throwing away the stick!)
Also when shopping for my (tall) husband’s horse we needed something 16.1+. I always asked sellers “has your horse been sticked at x height, or is it a guess?” well BEFORE getting in the car. Ruled out a lot, and those who hadn’t sticked would often get back to me after properly measuring with “well I never… he’s 15.2 after all!”
[QUOTE=scubed;8098016]
All of my horses are required to fit a 75" blanket properly. For me, that is a much better size gauge than height. I currently own one that is bigger, but she is for sale and wasn’t ever for me to ride anyway.[/QUOTE]
Mine all have to fit 78’s. And they have. 
[QUOTE=scubed;8098016]
All of my horses are required to fit a 75" blanket properly. For me, that is a much better size gauge than height. I currently own one that is bigger, but she is for sale and wasn’t ever for me to ride anyway.[/QUOTE]
The more I think about this, the more it makes sense. The two horses I ride both fit in a large 78 or small 81. I feel pretty balanced on both although I save my no-stirrups for the shorter, fatter one. Because chubby QH > slab-sided TB for that kind of thing.
TB is 16.3, QH is 14.1. Proof that my measure-on-the-face method mentioned earlier on this thread is, in fact, fallible: I guesstimated QH’s height at 14.3-15 hands. My cousin and I measured him with a measuring tape and level (not a pro method, per se, but it worked ok) and I now know 14.1 is upper boob. :yes:
I have a rod. Its marked every 4 inches with a stripe of tape and marker for the inches inbetween.
I buy horses off the track sight unseen sometimes. I had one who was listed as 15.3 come in and stick at 15.0 even. Went on to a polo home. Had one listed as 16.2 stick at 15.3. Its a bit disappointing but the risks you take buying from afar.
I list my horses at the right height every time. Ive had a lot of people though ask if the height is correct when inquiring on a horse. I also have a lot of people who are short (5’2/5’1) call me and say they need a 16.2 horse. Dont understand this height thing.
Im 5’11 and im all leg. I have nothing over 16.2 right now. Height not ab issue for me. But I would like people to be educated on height and tell me that the horse is 15.1 not 16.1. I mean come the F on.
Goodness it’s no wonder it took me so long to find people interested in my 15.1h Appy, maybe I should have listed him as 15.3 to account for the “guesstimate” crowd hahaha.
But in all seriousness, listing him and my TB cross at the same time was an eye opener for me. I was told (at a gullible 18years) that my Appy was 15.3h. I’m 5’7" and he took up my leg so I never questioned it. My little TB cross came along, I had him figured at 15.1 based on the difference in feel. He sticked at 15.2 at 4 while my Appy was actually 15.1! That was also the day that I realized I had a good horseman for a trainer, who understood the art of measuring and that a good horse is the one that fits you. She never told me, who constantly mentioned how I thought TB cross would grow more, nor my sister (a self proclaimed hony addict!) that she had sticked him months ago and he was bigger than either of our ASSumed heights of 15h.
[QUOTE=ryansgirl;8096195]
This drives me crazy. I’ve literally sticked hundreds of TB’s at the track over the years and very rarely do I measure one at 17 hands - very rarely (I’d say less than 15 out of hundreds). I laugh when I see people post about their 18-hand TB - sorry folks but I’ve only come across one TB that size in my 35+ years of being involved with horses.[/QUOTE]
I’ve enjoyed this thread because the height thing drives me nuts. I haven’t been in the market for a number of years now (thank goodness) but I had a heck of a time finding a horse that fit me. I am 5’10". Not the tallest woman by any means, but I have a long thigh measurement and a very long torso, and for once I wanted to be on a horse that FELT RIGHT. So, I went looking for a horse that was close to 17 hands. Like everyone else experiences, this meant that I saw a bunch of horses that were smaller.
ANYWAY, I did stumble across (very accidentally) a horse that is a papered Thoroughbred who is, hand to God, 18 hands. This was the last time I checked. We (husband, trainer, vet, friends, any curious people) stopped measuring when he hit 18. His height was also measured at his PPX. I admit that this is a true fluke - we joke that he never received the notice that he was a TB! The crazy thing is that he was a foal that came out of a breeding of his sire to six mares at the same time. No other foal in that crop topped 16.3. His breeder retained him because he was just too big to sell willy nilly (she was right, people would start him too early and ruin him - aside from being tall he is just too nice of a horse to waste). She figured she would just keep him (she could do that, no problem).
So, I did find the 18h Thoroughbred and without even looking! Cracks me up that he never even had an ad posted, but through a recommendation made by another professional the owner and I made the connection.
Oh, and you can see his photo in my profile if you doubt me. Legs for miles, and no, I can’t see over his back.
[QUOTE=FatCatFarm;8097757]
An excellent point. I’m only 5’2" but am long for my size from hip to knee but short waisted. Even so, I can absolutely tell how much my body position and balance affects a smaller horse’s way of going. Which is fine, to me for dressage and endurance/trail riding, like when zinging along on a knee knocker trail where it becomes like pole bending. Versus riding one of my big 16.3 - 17hd draft crosses. My size versus theirs can make dressage a real work out for me, but I feel MUCH more secure jumping my big guys and going cross country on them. If my balance isn’t perfect, I know that I’m unlikely to throw them off balance much and they just keep on keeping on. I’m sure everyone’s mileage varies on this. Smaller horses are fun, like sports cars to be sure. Still, I am big believer in truth in advertising and don’t fudge on size and proportion. My 16.3hd guy has considerably more body mass than my 17hder who is leaner and narrower.[/QUOTE]
Amen to this.
Non-horsey folk - and even a few riders - talk as if it is “scary” way up there on a tall horse. Heck no, it’s like being on a platform, compared with riding the rail of a smaller horse. The “what if?” anxiety factor comes down by at least half, because there is so much less “what if?”.
Unless a taller rider is exceptional in upper body control, I’ve always thought shorter horses look less comfortable with them. And particularly jumping, the horse can be a bit concerned about where that balance above them is going to go next, especially at a ‘question’ combination. Although the rider may not realize it if that is most of their riding experience.
I have far more saddle time on shorter horses than taller ones because that’s what has been more available where I’ve lived. But I finally became smart enough to draw the line on minimum height requirement before I make a long-term commitment to a horse. It just helps me enjoy the ride more and feel more comfortable.
This thread is helping me refine my inquiry technique the next time I’m looking for a horse.
I often prefer smaller horses especially if they are catty and athletic, I am not always one that feels better on a big horse especially the big WB types they are just too much work. One of my all time favorite horses was a 17hh TB mare but she was sensitive and classic hunter tb look totally different from the normal 17hh warmbloods out there that I feel like I am the one being ridden! I am only 5’2" though with a short waist so that makes a difference. My personal horse is a 15.1 hh old fashioned QH so quite round and he seems bigger than he is, he though is not quite the exact ride I really like but I also wouldn’t trade him for the world. Plenty of tall people have ridden him and the only look big if they are very tall in the torso as his barrel is very wide and can take up legs! Oh and they only start to look a little big over 5’10" or so and that is really only by hunter standards lol
[QUOTE=lovemybays;8098311]
In this day and age, everyone wants that ‘dream’ 16hh + horse, preferably 17HH. all these 5’5 girls on 16hh horses being told “You are too tall for your horse” makes me shake my head. Not bashing hunters, but I saw this stuff in hunters long before I started seeing in eventers.
Every time I see someone who is MAYBE 5’3 saying they need a 16.3+ horse to go Novice makes me shake my head. My daughter’s 14.1 Pony can easily jump training fences… and the kid is 5’1 with mile long legs. You don’t need height, you need confirmation and ability. Just because the horse meets your ‘ideal dream height’ does not mean the horse will have confirmation to do what your chosen discipline is.
As far as the lying about height, it is coming from the need to move horses that do not meet ‘ideal’. So to move these horses they are posting fraudulently so that people with more money than brains will come look at their horses or the opposite, not enough money OR BRAINS. Not ethical, but sadly that is what the world is coming to.
I’m 5’9… I’d murder for a 15hander who can make the fences and jump to die for. I’ll take a hony in a heart beat! Less distance to the ground when you take an unplanned dismount. When I bought my new guy I didn’t go looking for 17h (and he is a true 17). I went looking for something that fit what I needed. My other girl is a smidge under 16h. The one I sold in September was 15.2 - 15.3 depending on how she was standing and how you sticked her.
This same unethical behavior is seen in perm carding. I’ve seen a TON of ‘large’ hunter ‘ponies’ that were in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM under 14.2… however they lunge the pony until it is so exhausted that it slumps and it will perm card under. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has seen the 15h ‘perm carded larges’. A 15h hony doesn’t sell… a top of the line large does.[/QUOTE]
For hunters it isn’t just the height they can jump that matters. The hunters want the striding to be a lope down the lines and not a hustle. A 15.2H horse is going to appear to hustle down the line compared to most 16.3 H or 17 H horses even if they take the same number of strides. A 15.2H horse is going to appear like he takes a bigger effort to get over that 3.0’ fence compared to a 16.2H horse.
[QUOTE=Jeannette, formerly ponygyrl;8099032]
Still, in answer to the “why does it matter?” question, I can say a 3’6" fence physically looks different seen from the back of equally trained equines when one is 14.1 and one is 15.1. Though equally true, 3’6" looks smaller from the back of a game pony than a gangly/green/chicken horse. :)[/QUOTE]
I agree with this. 2’6" looks pretty darn big on a green doofus of any size. 4" not so much between the ears of a nice 14H. Size has nothing to do with it.
[QUOTE=Xanthoria;8100421]
I bought a stick with level a few years back. Every. Single. Horse. In the barn was 2" shorter than the owner claimed. Everyone was annoyed.
(My 2 yr old sticked at 16.2 recently so that’s it. I’m throwing away the stick!)
Also when shopping for my (tall) husband’s horse we needed something 16.1+. I always asked sellers “has your horse been sticked at x height, or is it a guess?” well BEFORE getting in the car. Ruled out a lot, and those who hadn’t sticked would often get back to me after properly measuring with “well I never… he’s 15.2 after all!”[/QUOTE]
I’ve never understood people’s obsession with a number. I have two horses…both stick over 16.1…but ride VERY differently. One is slab sided and narrow and much harder for me to get my leg on than another horse in our barn who is a HAND shorter. My other 16.1+ boy is easier for me to get my leg on…but has a shorter neck. So they each have things that affect how “big” they ride. But since both are good jumpers…I don’t care how tall they are.
I had someone else just ask if my horse was under16 hands (one that is almost 16.2)…she didn’t realize that I’m a tall 5’9" (long legs). I personally do NOT like super tall horses for eventing. I have bred a few that came out monster size (not on purpose)–those horses will likely not end up being my sort of quick and catty ride.
I had one lady not try my horse that she came down to look at because she sticked her at 16 hands…when the VET had sticked the mare at 16.2 and she is wide barreled. Boyd rode the mare an was comfortable with his leg on her…as have some taller male riders (+6’) to ride her. Oh well…to me…I just don’t worry so much about a number but more am I comfortable on the horse.
ETA: I do own a stick with a level…and am honest if people ask me height. But some…like my monster homebreds, I stop measuring as I’m hoping that somehow will keep them from getting taller…yeah, hasn’t worked yet.
[QUOTE=OverandOnward;8097569]
IMO, it really depends on the rider. For some riders it does not matter.
In my case my body proportions cause me to feel every inch of difference under 16.1. But I don’t notice as much the height differences in horses 16.1+ . I’m long in the upper leg bone and from hip to shoulder. This means my center of gravity above the horse has a greater range of movement than a rider who is shorter above the horse. The horse tends to be very aware of even slight changes in my upper body position. Even a small change affects a horse’s balance. I’ve envied the forgiveness shorter riders have from those horses!
I find that taller horses tend to move and carry the rider a bit differently. In my case, horses 16.1+ are not nearly so noticing of small movements of my upper body as the shorter horses. My guess is this difference is probably not noticed as much by a shorter rider, but a taller, longer rider will definitely notice the horse noticing.
So it’s not just about the barrel “taking up the leg”. I always feel fairly impatient when someone tries to justify a shorter horse for a taller rider on those grounds alone. It’s what’s going on ABOVE the horse that matters more.
The very tall WFP has some good stuff to say about this. He has been very successful with several shorter horses because his ability to carry his body height above the horse makes it work. Not every rider is as good as he is - especially those who don’t have his level of upper-body fitness.
So I suppose if I go horse-shopping again, before I drive a long way to look I should ask over the phone “and did you use a stick to measure your horse?” If they say “what’s a stick?” I should knock off an inch or so … :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]
Shorter means those taller horses can toss around our upper bodies - doesn’t seem better than being able to imbalance a horse with your upper body!
The ideal horse fits so the widest part of the barrel is at the same point as your knee. My tall guy hits the widest part of my calf, so I have stability problems on him. He’s 16.3, I’m 5’1. This is what that height difference looks like, which means I can in no way estimate - he was measured with a stick with level.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4133/5072671641_310fed39a2_o.jpg
My mare is probably pushing 16 hands. She’s hard to tell because she’s growing and her posture changes from one day to the next, so I think she would measure differently. I last sticked her at 15.3, she has grown a little since, and I’ll find out her official height at mare inspection next month. She’s a great size for me - big enough I don’t put her off balance, but small enough she doesn’t throw me off balance. She’s pretty narrow, which was something I was looking for, and just a pretty ideal fit. She’s the one in my profile picture.
I’ll also call false on tall horses not noticing differences in balance of a rider. No matter the size of a horse…they can feel a FLY land on them.
What a horse will or will not tolerate has nothing to do with size of the horse. I WILL admit that a taller rider CAN influence a horse more with their movement…they also have more leverage. But what a horse will put up with…depends on the horse, not their size. I’ve sat on many a hot, reactive TALL horse…and a calm packer short one.
I personally tend to like hotter rides…so regardless of size, my horses will tend to be ones that require you to be soft, quiet and subtle with your aids…no matter how tall or short you are.
Thank you to all who took the time to answer my question - I really appreciate it, and learned a lot
I never believe the height of a horse until I see it. It is very frustrating if you’ve traveled a distance and the horse is wayyy off the mark but then that discounts all the “quiet” horses I’ve gone to see that are a little kookoo. Lying is wide spread and not isolated to height.
I’ve had the same problem Internet dating BTW. 5’10" men are about boob height on my 5’9" self. Yea that’s a no. And that 10yo photo of you when you still had hair… also noticed.
[QUOTE=SillyHorse;8095834]
Two inches are significant,[/QUOTE]
That’s what SHE said
:lol::lol::lol:
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