How tall should my future horse be?

Question

I am looking to show hunters and equitation. I am 5'7, but I have extremely long legs. How tall should my horse be?

Answer 1

You should look for a hack over 15.2hh, (157.5). Many riders of your height look good on 16hh plus, but I've seen some tall neat riders on small horses winning everything - temperment and class obviously come first.

Answer 2

15 hands +

Answer 3

It depends I'm 5'6 and my horse is 16.2 hands and we are the perfect match. Its really comfortable riding her. I'd go for a 16- 17 hand horse. TALL HORSES ROCK!

Answer 4

I know exactly what you're dealing with. I show in equitation and I am 5'9" with extremely long legs lol. What I have found is that Warmblood horses are very stocky, which makes it look better with a tall person on. Their size helps your legs not hang below their belly. (It also helps your equitation bc they are really good movers in general.) I would recommend looking for horses that are 16 hh or taller. (Mine is 17) You just have to sit on alot of horses to get the feel. It depends on what kind of mover you like. Its really not the height you are looking for, more the build. It wouldnt help if the horse you were trying was REALLY skinny, b/c your legs would hang. But the stokier the horse, the more your legs fit him.

Answer 5

Great question!

A lot of people mistakenly pick horses primarily for height. This is somewhat like choosing a horse simply for color, when a horse of a different color (heehee) might be even more suitable.

Of course, at 5',7",  you will probably not find a Welsh Pony ideal, particularly for jumping. But you could choose anything from a 15.2 hh Arabian athlete to an 18 hh Warmblood.

A lot of hunter-jumpers these days favor thoroughbreds, who usually measure out around 16 hh. (Enter "Thoroughly Thoroughbreds" in your search bar, if you want to read my online article on this.)

Others choose refined half-Arabian sporthorses. And others still favor those Warmbloods.

How do you measure a horse? Check the SOURCES link (below) for a simple explanation and basic instructions.

Good luck with your jumping and riding!