It depends on how wide the horse is. I am 5’11 and ride a 15.3 hand hunt horse but since he is so wide, it works. Any pics?
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There was a really interesting thread on this recently where people discussed how the length of torso and leg versus width of barrel and neck length on horse affected the visuals. I knew a 5 foot 2 woman with a disproportionately long torso who had a 16 hand Appendix with a short neck. She worried a lot she looked too big for him, and while I likely wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t complained multiple times, I did secretly see how she did look a bit unbalanced.
So it’s impossible to give any answer without seeing the pair.
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If the horse has the right mind and atletic ability you shouldn’t care how you look. Just my opinion.
Do you remember Mark Todd and Charisma , two time individual Olympic eventing gold medalists. Remember their sizes?
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I’m 5’9 and frequently ride Welsh sec C ponies who have to be 14.2 or under. I most certainly don’t feel under-horsed and, given their shape, they take my leg so I don’t look too big on them. Ponies rule!
How one looks on a horse does depend on the animal, not just their height.
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@willesdon - a Section C has to be 13.2h and under 
I agree with what others have said. Depends on your build and the horses build. What are you doing with the horse as well? Jumping or dressage? If jumping, I personally like to have a little more horse in front of me for balance (both his and mine) if I miss a spot. I like a longer neck and worry if I lay on their neck due to a bad spot, I won’t throw them off balance. But for flat work/dressage work, I wouldnt worry about that as much.
@DiamondJubilee whoops, my bad, of course they are 13.2 or under… But don’t tell them because in their minds they are just as big as anyone else! Love Welsh cobs.
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Didn’t we just have a thread on this? I ride three different horses --18 hh dressage OTTB, 14.3 and 15.0 QHs. I am 5’10. My horses fit me --all of them. I don’t go by “size” I go by feel. All of mine feel good in the dressage ring, fox hunting, or mounted archery.
14.3 doing mounted archery:
18 hh doing a free walk (our highest mark last show)
15 hh fox hunting
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There is a difference between looking too big for a horse and actually having performance hindered by a mismatched horse/rider.
How did she feel to you?
With the exception of maybe equitation, most judges aren’t going to penalize for a horse that’s slightly small or big for the rider. So if you feel comfortable and enjoy the ride, I wouldn’t stress as much as society implies we should do.
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@Willesdon - Oh I hear ya. My in-laws bred cobs at one point (C’s and D’s) and I did line shows, rode and drove some, so I know all about it ha ha!
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Yes, a lengthy one with lots of insight and pictures.
I agree, I don’t understand the obsession with “looking too big” on a horse. If the horse is physically capable of carrying your weight and you feel comfortable on them, who cares how it looks?
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I think only the English disciplines have perpetuated this rumor.
Personally, I hate big horses. Somehow I have a barn full of them… and I feel they’re prone to more soundness issues. Growing up not too long ago, I remember that 16hh was ideal - big enough to make it down the lines and look good doing it. Now that’s moved to 17-18hh.
Go watch the reiners. Those men are generally 6’+, 200 lbs+ and they’re all on horses that are <14.3hh doing VERY athletic things. 95% of the photos I see - they look fantastic:
Super Marioo and Cade McCutcheon stopping:
Same horse and rider standing:
As long as the horse isn’t hindered in its performance by weight, I think the “too big” question is mostly only in our minds.
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Most “working” breeds, as in horses designed to do a job of practical work, such as an Australian Stock Horse, the Criollo in Latin America, the Boerperd in South Africa generally don’t go above 16.00 hh. Even the Shire Horse averaged 16.2 or 16.3 in the early 1960s when they still had a practical role. In the show ring, there is a marked bias towards height.
There is really interesting academic work about height in humans, too.
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Agreed.
I’m 5’6 and have a 13.3 fjord. I could give a hoot how we look. He takes up so much leg I feel like I’m on a wobbly fence rail on non drafty horses. I also spent many years riding Section C Cobs as well, they are good at taking up leg too.
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Thanks everyone! This really helps! Unfortunately I cannot post any pictures of her due to the sellers rules. But thank you for all the pictures/feedback for help! All of your horses look absolutely wonderful as well!
To be fair a western saddle adds a good amount of “height” to a horse and takes up the riders leg in a completely different way than an English saddle. I feel much more comfortable on a smaller horse in a western saddle that in an English saddle where my leg hangs into a void.
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I’m petite and known to be a pony jock but one thing I have discovered is that a lot has to do with how long your torso is. I’m short waisted so I make most horses look big despite having a longer inseam. I rode a 13 hand welsh section C who is 13 hands on his tippy toes through PSG. I’m 5’2" so not a ‘big’ person but few new or realized this guy was under 14 hands when seeing him ridden.
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funny, I was just thinking of the McCutcheon’s too. Not sure how tall Cade is but his father is quite tall. I think so much has to do with how you feel on the horse and how much leg they take up. Lately I’ve been on a watching old western tv shows kick- nearly every 'cowboy stands a head taller at the withers of their tacked up (western saddle) horse. They look fine. Even Marshal Dillon on his buckskin who was 6’7". . I’ve seen 16++ TB who are so fine boned I’d feel like just getting on they’d break a leg vs a stocky Hony that takes up my leg. I’ll take solid bone over fine boned and little feet any time.
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This is a good point. I used to ride western equitation/pleasure, and never needed to have my lower leg “on” like for dressage. I do struggle a bit with that on my 15.2 appendix mare as a 5’9" long legged rider, even though she has a pretty big barrel. I usually wear spurs with a longer neck so I can apply aids without moving my leg as much. I ride in a minimalistic monoflap dressage saddle, so that doesn’t add much of any bulk. It is also easier in my jumping saddle with a shorter stirrup length.
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5’7, 185 ish pounds, on a 14.3 hand hony that can pretty easily pop over a 3 foot jump with me (though I don’t jump much lately, letting her jump in a couple lessons a week with kiddos and have been playing more with dressage). When I was eight years younger and 50 pounds lighter, I would OBSESS about how I looked on her. Now I don’t care, I go by how she feels and how willing she is for me. (Trying to lose the weight but damn it’s hard, I’m just always hungry).
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