How is this rider's size?

This is my daughter on her 14.1 pony. She has been getting comments from some judges that she is too big for her horse. What do you think and how can you tell? I've read where you take the total weight of the horse & rider and divide it into the circumference of the canon bone, but I'm more interested in a judges perspective. Thanks!

I personally think she looks ok. But to really tell, I would have to see her leg stretched down and not in a jumping stirrup.

She's got a long torso which is why it is giving the appearance that she may be a bit too big. But as long as the horse isn't hurting... I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks, Drew. I'll have to get a shot with her leg stretched out. He seems to handle her just fine, but when she competes, she is getting more and more comments that she is too big. Are judges just getting use to seeing little kids on big warmbloods?

She doesn't look too big to me. Perhaps she's not what the judges are used to size-wise (i.e. Tiny kids on ponies, & everyone else on large horses), but she certainly isn't big enough to be causing the pony any problems. I can see where her long torso may give the illusion that she might be a bit mis-proportioned to the pony, but when you look at her leg, it appears to me that even when stretched all the way down, it'd still be hitting her pony at an appropriate spot. "Too big", to me, means that either a) you physically weigh too much for your pony, or b) your legs are too long to properly give aids, neither of which appears to be the case here at the moment.

I agree, its her torso that gives her the illusion of being to big, I have had the same problem in the past. But in my honest opinion she looks fine, and as she is very slim she shouldnt be causing the pony any problems.

If I were you I would ask the judges why they say she is to big...get it straight from the horses mouth (no pun intended!) that way you can have the insight of hearing exactly what they are seeing and why.

Bellybaby x

Is she a hunter rider? Physically, no she is not to big. But if she is interested in the hunter world you may consider a large mount. A judge likes to see a horse and rider that match and are suitable for the level they are jumping.

I agree with bellybaby - your daughter looks fine to me, too! I think bellybaby's suggestion about asking the judge to explain exactly what they are talking about is a great idea!

Honestly they look great to me. However if they are in equitation or hunt, I'd be willing to bet the judges are looking for a matching pair.

Thanks everyone! She is in Equitation & hunt. This past year, she's only done a little EQ as he has been recovering from a bowed tendon from last year (We think he kicked himself, as the vet said it looked like trauma damage.) We'll have to ask the judge about why she feels this way. We have one judge in particular that doesn't seem to like them, but a few have made comments about the size. My daughter had this one judge at a National horse show in our area, and the judge either didn't place her or placed her poorly. The next day we had a different judge and she did much better and managed to win champion in her age division (13 & under) as well as best overall flat rider. My daughter got this same judge in the last local horse show this year. She was placing first & second, but this judge placed her last. She was going to do a medals class in that show with another judge, but at the last minute they switched arenas and she would have had the same judge. She decided to not take the medals class as she knew she would be placed last and she didn't want to waste the money. Next year's season, I'm sure will only be worse. He such a great pony that we hate the thought of having to look for a larger mount.

Well how old is your daughter? If she's 12 or 13, then she should be getting another growth spurt soon, if it hasn't already started, and you may have to look for a larger horse anyway.

But I do agree that her torso is a little long.