Re: Tall Horses

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

> I guess
> the point I'm making is that size is relative.  A big (tall) horse
> can give a small ride, and a small horse can give a big ride.  I
> like to sit on something with a nice, cresty neck, wide shoulders and a
> barrel chest.  I like to feel as if my legs are encompassing a round
> barrel, and not just draped around a little tummy.  And most
> importantly, when I ask that horse to move forward, I like to feel as if
> his back feet come underneath him.

I agree here 100%!  Darby, my Welsh/Arab mare,
is just shy of 14h...but she has unbelievable stride length.  She's
also got a very round barrel, wide back, good bone with short cannons,
and takes up a lot of leg...hence normal sized people can ride her. 
I ride Blaze and Cabby who are 15.1 and 14.3 respectively.  Blaze is
more short strided (Darby can fly by him at a trot) and Cabby has an
enormous extended power trot.  He has a better stride for his size
than Nimmi, my 17.2h giant, had!  Size is not relative to how it
feels when you're riding...Nimmi didn't feel that tall and Cabby doesn't
feel that short.

Sue 

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.