I am looking at buying a horse and she is just under 14.2 hh (not real stocky). Do you think a person that is 5'6" would look silly on her?

Ah, being polite, it would depend more on how slender or how "fluffy" you are.  How do you intend to use the horse?

Trail horse.  

I am not skinny, but not fat either.

I read an article in an issue of "Trail Rider" that said it is a misconception tall/big people should ride a tall horse.  The build of a shorter / stockier horse is actually better for caring a bigger load.  Of course you wouldn't want a 6' 5" - 300lb rider on a pony--- but the point of the article was that a smaller stockier horse, usually with a shorter spine, has more strength for carrying a bigger person.  If I can find the article I will update this reply by adding the issue of the magazine.

Happy Trails!

JacciB

My son is 6'3, and about 195lbs. and rides a 14.1 stocky calf horse. They kinda look a bit mismatched, but they get it done in the roping pen.

When we recently bought a trail horse, our requirements were the comfort of the rider and the physical abilities of the horse. We have tall show horses that look good in a ring, but are less competent on trails. The "new" horse barely makes 15h with shoes.

Looks are less important at the end of a satisfying day, than the best ride of your life. If you feel good on top, and your horse is doing everything you ask, size is of little importance. How you bond with your horse, and how happy you are with your ride, are the most important parts of ownership.

Best of luck     Gard

Who cares what you look like out on the trails?  Trail horses are the SUV's of the equine world, when was the last time you saw an SUV driven by someone that matched it's scale?  You need to place comfort, mind, soundness and personality as tops on your list NOT SIZE!  At the end of a long day with you rear in the saddle you'll find these things to be highly important...example high heels, look great but kill your feet, legs and back!

I always look for the length of leg once the rider is mounted and using properly adjusted tack, but showing is a completely different world!  On the trail anything goes!

I always look for the length of leg once the rider is mounted and using properly adjusted tack, but showing is a completely different world!  On the trail anything goes!

I've never shown so maybe that's my problem, but what in the world are you talking about?

Terri, the length of leg reference is what scale the rider and horse give to each other.  Two examples to put images in your mind.

1.  Too much horse, too little rider:  A lead line class, the little kids legs barely come down past the saddle pad, this is too little leg and it makes the horse look big and rider small.  Really short women on huge horses can also look this way and make you wonder in the back of your mind if they aren't riding too much horse.

2.  Too little horse, too much rider:  Watching a youth class and having a really short horse under a girl that has hit her growth spurt gives you the idea that she's outgrown her pony...as you watch both her feet hang under the horses girth line.  (Cutting horses and six foot men also do this often, yet in that arena the look is not important and does not ruin the scoring.)  I always seem to think of the saturday night live clip with Chris Farley and the "fat man in a little coat."

You can also look at the seat of the saddle as a horizontal line, there shouldn't be more rider above the line than there is horse below the line.  It should be far tilted the other way either.

The showing reference is because it's REALLY hard to judge a horse when all you see is rider...it detracts from the overall "picture."

Having said all this, the trails are an anything goes situation...you won't have to put up with someone's opinion (judge) because you aren't paying for it (entry fees)!

I ride endurance on an Arab gelding who is 14.2 hands and maybe 1000 lbs. He carries himself much bigger  and has that little big man syndrome - hahaha.   I am 5' 7" and 160 lbs and do not feel big on him at all.  He's stocky, not slender or fine boned.  There is one rider who is a bigger girl, probably about 5'8" and 190 lbs and rides a horse that must weigh 200 lbs less than my guy - and she does look too big for her horse, but that horse is a finer build, slender and petite.  So yes, I think it depends on the horse's build and your actual size.  By the way, that bigger rider almost always finishes in the top 10 and I don't :))) 

When I get on my 18.1 hand Percheron...I use a three step step ladder...

And if I happen to get off of him out some where away from the arena...I find the BIGGEST BOULDER and climb on from there...have been developing a GPS colection of mounting spots......or the back of a pickup truck if we happen to be near traffic...

That's why I'd rather drive them...easier to get in the wagon or cart...

I am quite sure she is "big enough" for you - you aren't that heavy and she isn't THAT small.  I think that the comfort issue might have more to do with your own perception of how you feel on her AND how your leg engages.  I don't show alot either, but I will say that when you have alot of leg compared to the barrel (or very little leg compared to the barrel) it isn't quite as comfortable for proper cueing of the horse.  Unless you are a long legged supermodel type, that is probably just fine too!  I am a big gal of the undertall variety, and I ride a big horse (almost 16H).  In many ways, I would much prefer to ride a horse 2 hands shorter (except he is perfert for me in so many ways I wouldn't trade him!), but our barn owner, who is also a show judge has commented that we look proportionate together.  I think that is more in reference to what an earlier post mentioned about that balanced "look", which has nothing to with how well suited the horse is to packing your weight around.  I would say you are just fine on this horse.