Cross Breeds - Why do most Women and Girls think 15 hand horses are too small?

Why do most Women and Girls think 15 hand horses are too small?

I even argue with my sister about this. I think horses, mainly Quarter Horses, Paints and Appaloosas, in the 15 hand range are fine and really aren't meant to be over 16 hands. I notice that most females want their horses to be over 16 hands and think they are too big for a 15 hand horse. Why do you girls want super tall horses? I am not being sexist or accusatory. I am just asking the question out of curiosity. I see a lot of girls on Yahoo Answers having 16 hand + horses and thinking they are too big for a 15 hand horse. My sister even thinks my Paint horses should be taller. Well Dixie, Its not that I think 15 hands is so great, it is that people say my horses are too short. They if they aren't 16 hands then they are too short. These comments all come from women.

Public Comments

Personally, I'm a big fan of the shorter horses. I only have one quarter horse who's tall (16.1h) and the rest are right around 14.2h. I hadn't realized women had a preference. Hope this helps!
Personally, i love my 16hh horse. i am only 13 years old and am about 170cm. I wouldnt say i am over or under horsed but i still have my 1st pony who is 13.3hh welsh cob (so is big build) and i dont look at all to big on her either. I think that a lot of people dont want to look to big on horses so they make sure they cant grow out of their horse for a while. as i am tall and slim i look fine on a big horse but i think its just a personal choice. I, being tall, probably wouldnt look for a horse under 15hh but anything from 15-16.2hh i would consider. My friend just bought a 16hh TB mare and is scared to ride it, she refuses to ride it and now will only ride horses under 14hh. Again, i think its a personal choice on what you suit best. =]
I guess they think bigger is better, and want to impress. But my mare is 15.2 and she is a great show horse, we get first all the time when competing with the large boys. It should be mainly for YOUR height, you want something that you can handle, not something that just towers over you, unless its a push button horse, the judge will see your strugles. And I do think larger is better if you are going to be a jumper, and when I say jumper I dont mean Hunter/Jumper, I mean like timed rounds...Jumper. Small little ppl just look goofey and you want you and your horse to complement each other, just like really long leged people look funny on little ponys. Good luck!
I know that alot of women like height for English Pleasue and Jumping, I have a 14.1 hand Arabian gelding and if I ever found a 15 hand Arabian I would love it, of course I am more of an Arabian person rather than a stock horse person. In my opinion if you find a good horse height really does not matter. Theador O'connor is a 14.2 even horse and he is jumping like 6 feet, so I don't really know what is wrong with people.
my horses were usually 15.2 but i perferred my friends 14.2. they were easier to get on. i ride bareback. majority of my friends had smaller horses. don't know where you get most women/girls like bigger horses.
Well I love short ,stocky horses and ponies and I am a 5'2" adult. I am intimidated by tall horses but I do think they are beautiful..just not for me. I know what you mean though. I hear alot of comments about my 13.1 hand pony. People think that ponies are just for kids and that I should get a larger horse. I think 5' tiny ladies look odd on a 17 hand strapping warmblood...lol
Not to be acusing but I think that statement is a little bit sexist and I personally have no preferance in height and enjoy riding my little (lower than 15hh) Arab!
Im 5'10 and train and show WP horses AQHA, now I like tall horses but the problem is movement ALOT of amazing pleasure horses are only 15, 15.1, 15.2 and are more balanced and cadenced than a horse 16 hands and over, now there is always exceptions and have seen many many talented large AQHA but in my experience most slow legged, deep hocked movers have been on the shorter side. I dont feel uncomfortable riding a 15 hand horse but personal preference as a woman....I like a tall horse.
The Napoleon Complex! LOL
In actuallity most people do not know how big a true 16 hand horse is. Of all the horses I have known in which the people claimed they were 16 hands only two actually were. Another lacked 1/4 inch from being 16 hands and everyone was impressed with her size and commented on how big she was. Then they would come up with their horse and say "Yeah this he boy/gal is 16 point something" I would just grin and act like they knew exactly what they were talking about even though almost all of them were one or two inches smaller than she was and I was looking down on whoever was speaking. The horse I was on lacked 1/4 inch from being 16 hands as I said. Of course she probably topped out at over that since she was just three at the time and still growing last I checked. I sold her to a man who took her to Northern Arkansas. He loves her to death. The only other two horses I know that were truly 16 hands was a giant of a mare that made the above mare look like a midget. She looked like she was a draft cross. And my three year old stud who just now measures out to 16 hands and 1/4 inch. EDIT Note I am talking about saddle horses not draft horses here. I have known several drafts over 16 hands. BTW Most trail riders prefer horses ranging from 14.2 to 15.2. Shorter than that and the person gets wet too often when crossing the creeks. Taller than that and they have to duck their heads too often under low lying branches. Or in worst case scenarios get off and walk (never had to but I came within an inch once with the big mare above. A tree had fallen over the trail and was hung up in limbs. So it rested over the trail. The horse had to go under and there was about three inches from the saddle horn to the tree. I was bent over sideways as far as I could go and cleared the tree by less than an inch. In fact my shirt brushed it.
There is a trend for bigger and bigger, you are right. But it does not relate to a more athletic horse. It may be related to the same thing as picking a tall man, do you think, vs. one only 5'2"? Us old gals prefer one 15 or under so it is easier to mount. Bones and muscles don't want to stretch more than that.
Maybe it's an inferiority complex.
People who ride really competitively want larger mounts so they dont look unporportional. Though, if you horse is on the shorter side, you cant run your stirrups up a little but more than usual to look more balanced. I looove little packer ponies, they are SO much fun and I am 5'6". Also, when you see a taller girl riding a pony in shows, usually thats their projects horse that they will sell as bombproof to younger clients once trained and finished.
because girls think they are fat. so they want a horse they are sure can carry them, even though its not true that a taller horse is always stronger.
i love ponies! however i have a 17.2hh hanoverian but i didn't buy him because he was tall, i was actually looking for something under 16 hands but i tried the giant chestnut and fell in love... he's everything i ever wanted only bigger...lol you can't pass up the perfect horse 'cause he's tall.
I just think I look better on a bigger horse. I have an Arabian that's about 15hh and I feel like I'm too big for her (granted, Arabs are a smaller breed). I prefer 16hh or taller, just because it makes me feel more proportionate to the horse. Why do you think 15hh is so great? Haha.
I love tall horses. Thats basically it. We love the height, yeah its gonna be a harder fall unless you are a master of the slow motion fall, but big horses can just be so fun, My gelding is 15.3, close enough to 16 hh, but hey, if the horse is only 15 hands as long as it is muscual I don't mind.
i have a 15 hand horse and he is still a bit tall like i have to stad on something high to mount and it's not cause i'm short or anything (i'm not short) it's just i think they are a reasnable tall and i hate having tall horses cause i then get scared to ride them bareback. i live in australia and when dad first said i could get a horse i had my heart set on getting a brumby (wild horse usally 13hh) cause my dad's friend catches and trains them but yer i guess i settled on jet who is 15.1hh and even my dad and aunty jump on him so he can't be short or small
I'm a girl..but I think that a lot of girls like to show off with bigger sized horses, and feel more "powerful." Also taller horses can feel more elegant. Personaly I think anything in the 16 hands range is to big.
I kind of think its a fad really. I mean, very few people need a 17hh horse. I have a very tall horse and I have a few in the 14.2-15 hand range. They are all great horses, and remember that there have been olympic horses as small as 14.2 remember Seldom Seen?
Not me, my pony is 14 hh. He's great, he jumps 4ft. Height doesn't stop him.... EDIT- i get where your coming from but that has never happened to me (having someone tell me that my pony was too small). most of the women at my barn do have huge dressage horses though. i think that my pony is the only pony that my stable has. i have ridden mini's before though, size shouldn't matter. if you work well with them then those women have no place to talk.
I don't care how big a horse is , if it's talented , good at what it does , fun and good to work with , then it's all good ! I have a 15hh 4yr old who has jumped out of 1.80m yards and jumps anything i point him at - he's the most amazing horse with the biggest heart :)
I actually think around 15.2 is the perfect height. :) I'm 5'4 and feel most comfortable on this size
Not me!!! I like 14hh to 16hh tops! But I ride Morgans so they are not 16hh often. LOL
the bigger the horse the smaller i look we live in a society that says size doesn't matter and act like it does lol
I've ridden plenty of different size horses; my late TB gelding was 15.3 hands, and could jump like a dream, a friend's mare is over 16 hands, there's a couple of horses at my barn at 17+ hands that seem to tower over me -- and I'm 5'6". My new Haflinger is only 14.1 hands, and the mare I was leasing in the fall was about 14.3/15 hands. I've really found my comfort niche in the 14 hand range; I like the solid tanky ponies, they're like speedy little convertible roadsters -- quick turn on a dime, zero to 60 in no time flat, easy maneuverability. Besides which, I'm a trail rider, and in many ways, the perfect size range is 14-15 hands give or take an inch or two either way. It's much nicer to be able to hop into the saddle on the little guys, which comes in handy when you're out on the trail with no mounting block in sight. In a way though, I think what we're taught to believe at times is that ponies are for kids, so anything under 15 hands is something that an adult/teenager "should not ride" and perhaps the preference at this time is for larger horses in competitive situations because that's what winning right now. That said, there's always someone willing to buck the 'trend' and ride the ponies. Seems to be pretty popular in Europe and the UK for women to ride native ponies, and it's definitely catching on here in the States. Still, it's personal preference I suppose. Some gals like their equines big, some like 'em small. To each their own.
I like small horses. I used to have a huge horse and I needed a ladder to climb on. I didn't pick him for his size, but his traits. he was a super show horse and buddy for years, but it took 6 months for him to realize that peanut on his back was a rider he had to pay attention to. Then he got a little girl complex and delighted in carting around teensy little girls wherever they wanted to go.. But I have to say, I have seen this attitude a LOT in my years. Bigger is not always better. A good mount can come in any size packaging. Period.
I like 13hh to 15hh or so.
I've noticed the same thing a couple of times too. But my mare is right at 15 hands and i think she is just perfect for me. Of course i'm only 5'1", and i dont think i will grow too much more lol!
I guess I've never thought much about it before. The tallest horse I've ridden was 16.1, but all the others were between 15-15.2 I never pick a horse based on size, it just happened that all of mine fell in that range. The tall horse I rode wasn't mine. I felt weird getting back on the smaller horses after riding the big guy for a few years, but not because I didn't like the smaller horses...I was just used to being higher off the ground..lol. I'm a petite girl (112 lbs, 5'6) and I feel just fine riding smaller horses.
Personally I like horses 14.3 hands to 16 hands smaller size preferred. I like shorter horses because they are easier to mount from the ground and when you practice emergency dismounts it is not to high to fall.
Perhaps for the same reason so many men think >6" is too small? ;) JK! I think those that tend to the larger horses are following a bit of romance + the current trend in marketing. Agree with those that feel good things come in all sorts of packages. I feel old...15-15.3hh with good "pleasure carriage is what we called a "lady's horse" bitd. Cheers, Rev
Gee...my mare is 14.3...and she's PERFECT!!! She can outpull, outswim, outrun, outwalk, outjog, outturn, and just in general beat the pants off my husband's 16+ hand gelding...[one of these days, I need to ACTUALLY measure him!!] Plus...I sneak under soooo many obstacles. Fallen trees, limbs, etc...that get me everytime I ride that big gelding. Down side...I get wet crossing water on her...bout everytime! And because he's bigger...he is smoother...shhhhhhh, don't tell my mare I said that!!! I do like the 'power trip' when people see 'little ole me' on that 'big ole horse' though. That's probably why most girls like the big horses...just my guess.
I just like big horses. I do not like small horses. It's as simple as that. I have a 17hh stock quarter horse, and my bf has a 18hh tb, and I love to ride them both. I just don't like shorter horses. It's how I am. I also know more guys who want taller horses than girls. >.>
I don't know really, my horses are both huge - 17.2 and 18.2 draft crosses and don't actually "feel" big. It's true to say that I don't feel safe on smaller horses. I rode my daughter's 14.2 a bit ago and it felt awful which doesn't really make sense when you think about it.
personally... 15 hands is the PERFECT height for a horse.. especially a paint,appaloosa, and even arabian... (since arabs are smaller horses anyway, 15 hands is pretty nice) i like it because horses that are 16 hands, are tall, and i ilke a horse i can hop up on, and have smaller children feel comfortable, but my hosre can handle bigger people i honestly dont know people that dont like 15 hand horses... so ive never heard that, but thats what i think
A lot of it has to do with the discipline. In some disciplines, the smaller horses just don't place. The judge won't give them a nod. Those disciplines, at least here in the US, seem to have more female riders than male. Nothing sexist about your question, or the situation. Just the way the chips fall. Of my riding horses, I have a 16 hand TWH mare, a 15 H TWH mare, a 14.1 H TWH mare, a 14.2 H Peruvian mare, a 14 H SSH mare and a 14.1 H SSH gelding. I prefer the low-riders myself.
You know, you are right.... I personally like horses at 15.3-16.0, but I don't want much taller, and I'm not fond of much shorter. Although, when I was taking reining lessons, I rode a 14.3 h horse and I quickly forgot how small he was, both because of the big western saddle and the very big stride and movement and speed of the little guy. Funny how large men ride small reiners and small women ride large hunters. I think that is where the difference is "size" desire comes from--- the world of hunters is predominetly dominated by women, and because hunter classes are so competitive, and judges want to see big fat hunter horses go around, it spurs women to want large warmbloods and other hunter type horses, each one bigger and better than the one before it. Western events, mostly ruled by men, also require shorter, compact and speedier horses.
It's the old size thing again. Usually it's the men who have this phenomenon as in cars. This is definitely a case where biggest is not necessarily the best. My horse is 15.2 and I am very happy with him. I can understand where tall and heavier built women need a larger horse to carry them but in general the 16hh ideal is just a myth. *** I do have to say though it has begun to annoy me when one particular person keeps on telling me how sweet my pony is and how he looks like one of those ponies that Queen Victoria rode. (I think they are 12 or 13 hands.) Her horse is 15.3
Amen brutha! I ride a 14.1 draft pony. We fit each other just fine and I have never (*touch wood*) had a soundness or serious health issue. I think some people equate big horse with the ability to look down on others, literally and figuratively. I see a lot of petite women riding 18hh + horses. I think they look ridiculous, they think they look powerful. Maybe it's a Napoleon complex thing. To each her own. :) Ponies were good enough for the Celts, Romans and Mongolians, and they are good enough for me. Knights horses were only 15hh. EDIT: I should add that originally I thought my pony was 13.3, the vet measured him at 14.1. So I thought my ride was even smaller, LOL.
theirs nothing wrong with that, my quarter horse is 15.2 hands high she good high i wonna use her for roping