Remix: Short Riders with Huge Horses – Are we compensating for something?
Krissy Singleton explains what tiny ladies on giant horses have in common with balding men in sportcars.
From Krissy:
Short riders with HUGE horses, are we compensating for something?
I am a little person with big dreams, and somewhere along the way I decided in order to accomplish those big dreams I would need a big horse. It wasn’t exactly a conscious decision, but now I am thinking that possibly I have been compensating for my small stature. After all, there is no way that little old me could ever jump the height and breadth of a prelim fence, but on top of my enormous steed, now that scary prelim table might just look like an anthill. Sure, if you saw me walking down the street you might not notice anything but the top of my head, but you would likely take notice if I happened to be leading an enormous grey Trakehner behind me, right? This makes me wonder, am I like the bald guy with the brand new sports car who feels the need to show it off?
Compensating or not, the simple fact of the matter is that I have created a rather large challenge for myself. It is even a big joke around the barn, “Here she comes again with another one of her giants,” or “Did he just grow another hand in the last few months?” Both of my competition horses stick at 16.3 hands, and I am 5-ft-2 and ¾”. (Heavy emphasis on the ¾” people… a girl this short has got to take anything she can get!)
I suppose I didn’t quite know how hefty of a challenge it was going to be for me until I tried containing one of those 1,200-lb extremely fit mammoths in a dressage test in front of a horde of “horse eating” spectators with these little stub legs. It was then that I realized just how much help an extra 6 inches of leg might be. Well, I guess you live and learn. After all this work and love put into my horses I am not about to sell them, and I think at the age of 34 any chances of me growing anytime soon are slim to none. So maybe this newfound self-awareness will cross my mind next time I go horse shopping.
Or maybe I will just go buy a sportscar….
About Krissy Singleton: Krissy lives on a farm in Parker, CO with her four horses, two dogs and a wonderful horsey-supportive husband! She owns two Trakehners and two OTTBs and is obsessed with all things eventing, dressage, jumping, racing, reining, vaulting, horse whispering… well, really ANYTHING to do with horses (other than being a lawn dart). She primarily competes in eventing, and is truly an adrenaline junky. She also works full time as a Research and Development Manager for a medical device company–not for he adrenaline surges the job provides–but to pay for all those horse bills!
- Send an email to wylie, the author of this post at wylie@horsenation.com
Enjoyed your blog! (which was passed along to me by your mother-in-law!). I am 5’8 3/4″ and I am owned by 2 horses which are both 14.3 hands. Thereby just making it in to the rank of “horse”. (I measured them on their tippy toes). My way of thinking is that as long as we are with horses we are always dwarfed by their intelligence and wit.
I’m 5’10 at 16, and I had a very difficult time finding a horse that would fit my leg haha sometimes I think I would prefer to be short! Enjoyed the article x
I feel your pain…love! I am 4’11 and 3/4 (I get that too) with a trakehner mare that is 16’3 and a big girl. My leg barely comes past the saddle pad. I am just glad not to be the only one!
I too am a petite 5’2″ and have always been attracted to big horses. My last eventing horse was 16.3. After struggling mightily to “package” this big horse with my short legs I sold him to a hunter barn and downsized to a 15.0 hand Conemarra cross gelding. It took me a while to adjust but now I’m the one who has the zippy little sports car and I love it!
I’m 5’2.25″ and done growing
my first horse is my foxhunter, eventer, polocrosse, and all around horse is 16.1hh, which isn’t much but considering she’s a Georgian Grande (PercheronXASB) she has quite a large stature behind her! I also own a 13.3hh Connemara gelding so I guess I got both ends of the spectrum lol. I ride a 17.2hh TB gelding and a 16.3hh TB gelding for lessons however. Size doesn’t matter, its the power behind those strong little legs!!
Is there a good argument anyone can give me for why I am 5’11″ and ride a 14-hand Quarter horse/”pony”?
I also had a hard time finding a horse that I didn’t look silly on being 5’8″. ( I have no idea how WFP does it!) So hard in fact that my mother took me to get xrays to see how much I would grow. I see more riders who ride horse who are too SMALL for them than those that are too big.
I’m supposed to between 5’6″ and 6′, but I don’t that will be a problem on my 15.2hh mare since her former rider was 6′ and didn’t look big on her.
Could be worse… I’m 4′ 11 (and 3/4) and am still riding ponies at “thirty-something.” And they’re not all larges. Had to school a Section A Welsh at a show a couple weeks ago… What do you think that says about me? Clinging to glimpses of my youth!?!
I think I understand now…..maybe.
I am 5’5″ but I ride a 19.1 or .2 hand full percheron…hows that for height difference! But he does dressage and jumps, and he has no clue how big he is, so I guess that helps.
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