I am currently looking for a new trail horse.  When I was in high school a girl I knew owned a large pony, about fourteen hands tall, and built like a sherman tank.  This mare had the sweetest disposition and the smoothest gait I had ever ridden.  She was short, but could easily carry my friend's dad, who weighed in excess of two hundred pounds.  I can't remember the breed of this pony.  Does it sound familiar to anyone out there?  I have a bum left knee, and mounting a larger horse has become a problem., especially if I have to dismount away from camp and then try to remount without a log or rock handy.  I was remembering that pony and wondering if one of them would work for me.  Any suggestions?

Marla

Maybe an Icelandic??  They can carry adults

You could also get a little taller gaited horse (Missouri Foxtrotter, Rocky Mountain etc) that is 14.2 - 14.3 and teach it to park out. I need to teach my 15.2 hand MFT mare to park as I am getting artheritis in my hip and mounting from the ground is starting to hurt a bit and it doesn't help that I am barely 5'2". It's hell getting old.

And I think the horse the gal had could have been an icelandic too. Or a gaited horse cross with a small draft type such as a Haflinger. Or a Morgan.