It’s pretty obvious when you’ve outgrown your pony. Your upper body will tower above your pony’s neck and withers. If you make any sudden movements, you can unbalance him.
As you grow taller, your legs get longer, too. Eventually your feet will dangle several inches beneath his belly. Making contact with your pony’s sides will be difficult. To squeeze him forward with your leg, or nudge him with your heel, you’ll have to raise your heel and swing your leg back.
These contortions give you an insecure seat and make you a less effective rider. Plus, your equitation position will be ruined. Simply shortening your stirrups won’t solve the problem. In fact, it can make matters worse. Extra-short stirrups will force you to perch like a jockey on your pony’s back. You’re more likely to pop up and out of the saddle.
Outgrowing your pony involves more than simply getting taller. As you get older, you’ll also become heavier. That’s normal and healthy. Yet eventually your weight will be too much for your pony to carry comfortably. Even sturdy ponies will begin to struggle under a heavy rider, especially if asked to jump and canter.
Here are three more ways that your growing size can affect your pony:
It can be a little scary to think about riding a horse, especially if you’ve only ridden a pony. Horses have longer strides than ponies. With every step they cover a lot of ground.
This is especially noticeable at the canter. At first, it may feel more like a gallop. Since a horse’s stride at the trot is also longer, posting will feel different, too. You’ll remain in the “up” position a bit longer than if you were posting the trot on a pony. A horse also has a more powerful jumping motion than a pony. There’s a strong push from behind when a horse leaves the ground. Such an effort means you’ll be suspended in the air longer than if you were jumping a pony.
Don’t be fearful of these changes in your riding. With a little bit of preparation, you’ll soon feel at home on a horse. Here are three tips to help make your move from horse to pony much easier:
Technically speaking, a pony is any breed of equine that measures 14.2 hands or less. Yet there are other horses that measure somewhere between 14.3 and 15.1 hands.
So, what do you call a horse that’s too tall to be a pony, but is shorter than the average English riding horse? Many equestrians fondly use the term “hony.” This unofficial label was created by combining the words horse and pony. Indeed, these little dynamos combine the best characteristics of a horse and pony.
A hony can be a wonderful option when it’s time to graduate from the pony ranks. They’re a good bridge between a true pony and a 16.2-hand or larger horse. This is particularly true if you’re a small-boned or petite person, or if you simply happen to be a bit timid.
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2018 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
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