Do you think I'm outgrowing him?!

You don't look too big on him, but you are still growing and may need a bigger one at some point. As for crazy maniac horses it's all about what you are getting and how you train. You can get (or train) a bigger horse that will be gentle and well-mannered. It has nothing to do with the size really.

Last week, I rode a 14hh mustang mare. This week, I rode a 18hh thoroughbred gelding. I love the impulsion of the thoroughbred, and his ground covering stride. But at 5'11", I will say I had a lot of fun on that little mustang mare. I'm not afraid of the little mare, and the ground is a hell of a lot closer if she decided to duck out from under me over a jump!

Now, that 18hh tall gelding and his HUGE impulsion, I am actually a little bit afraid of jumping him. I know he will have a ginormous jump, and I don't know if I will be able to stay on it. I can imagine his huge leap, with his long legs, and his arching back, tossing me right off over even a short jump. I know it will be huge. I rode a 16.2hh Appy that had a big jump, and it took serious effort to stay on him when he over jumped. So I can say I am actually afraid of that 18hh'er and the LONG way down to the ground, even though I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. He won't even pick up his butt high enough to give me a decent crow hop.

I "fit" a 16.2hh horse or bigger; I can sit the longer stride and impulsion really well, and I have the leg to stay on if they decide to get funky. However, I started riding on 15.2hh horses, and I spent a lot of time on dinky little QH's, short Walking horses, and a few shorter than 14hh ponies, so I am very comfortable on a short horse, even if my feet reach their knees. It looks silly as all get out, but I ALWAYS end up riding a pony, just because they're so much fun to ride.

As far as I know, western disciplines don't care so much if you ride a shorter horse, mostly because QH's aren't always that big, and supposedly western riders sit with a really long stirrup. It's really the dressage ring where they seriously care about the length and the aesthetic "value" of matching heights.

So no, I don't think you have outgrown your pony. Your feet aren't to his knees, and so long as you can still give him clear leg signals, he will never be "to small" for you. Good ponies are worth twice their weight in gold. Keep him.

Speaking as a 5'10" over 200 pound woman....keep your pony. I rode a 14 h mare for a very long time. Best horse I ever owned (sorta...LOL I raised her from a baby so kinda biased) She could and would carry me all day long if we were actually working. I rode her til her nose hung on the ground chasing cattle a time or 2. I got teased a lot too about my "horse needing watered to make her grow". Wish I had her now that I have a little girl trying to get into horses. In fact, I kept her long after I could truly afford her and was with her when she got put down at 20 (she had some health issues such as being allergic to alfalfa, etc). Keep your pony and enjoy her for as long as you want.

I'm a little bit shorter than OP and currently ride a 13hh half-Arab, a 15.1hh Anglo Arab, and occasionally a friend's TB because my tall TB is too young to ride yet.

The pony is SO MUCH FUN and I wish his back wasn't so ridiculously short, because if I could find a 16 inch saddle that would fit him I would be able to ride him in a saddle instead of bareback... but he's so much fun and so easy to ride bareback that it doesn't matter anyway. He's not mine, he's a friend's, and he's with me for some lessons in manners.

The 15.1hh is almost as wide as he is tall, I swear he is CHUNKY, but I feel too tall on him. Apparently I look just fine, but I ride a lot better on bigger horses. The horse I had before Monty was also 15.1, not quite as solid, but I rode him HORRIBLY.

The friend's TB is around 16.1 or 16.2, and there is nothing of her. She is SOOO narrow! But I feel so secure on her, I feel like I ride a lot better on her and because she's green there's no pressure to "get it right"... because I basically learned to ride (REALLY ride, not plod around on school ponies) on greenies, so it's second nature. There are a few factors, but basically, give me the chance to ride her and I jump at it. I LOVE HER <3

The 15.1 is the best height for mounting, for me, because I'm not hugely flexible, but I can mount 17hh from the ground (it's just difficult) and I can mount pretty much anything from a block. Or a log, or a small hill, or... you get the idea.

I'm one of those who like to be either over-horsed height wise, or under-horsed. Ponies are FUN. Big horses are also fun. Anything from 14.2-16hh is in an odd height range for me where technically it's a perfect fit, but in my head it ain't right.

You do not look to big for him at all !! Enjoy your nice pony ! I know how you feel, when I was your age people were always telling me to move up to a bigger/fancier horse and my pony would beat them all =]

I have been dealing with the same thing. I'm 5'8 and my horse is 14.3. My boss constantly nags be about getting a larger horse. He's stocky. And Im a Reiner. So I don't see the problem.

You do look big on him, but its nothing compared to me 5'8 on my moms horse 15hh(maybe a little smaller) I've always thought I look big on him but its not my horse, and my moms short and likes little horses. I've gotten new horses (big horses) as im taller and feel better on them, I didnt upgrade as im training them so I have to put a lot of work in them.
If you want to upgrade then upgrade if you feel fine then I wouldnt worry about it.
I still have my 16hh QH from 5 years ago he doesnt barrel race adn acts up a lot but I still keep him around.

Haha I realize that, but I was just saying that to describe the type of rider's the comments were coming from.
(the people who were telling me this ride barrel horses that they can barely control... Not saying all barrel horses are big, mean, crazy, like that, but I'm saying that their's are, lol..)

Here's another pic!

And another!!



Thanks guys.
I owned a 15.1hh QH mare once who I sold because we just didn't 'click', (and she was extremely dead to the leg when we bought her which I couldn't get over... so we had to part.)

Me and Putts just 'clicked' and I don't think I can just sell him away. He's been my best friend for so long It's just really hard to actually think that I'm 'outgrowing' him. :/

I sat down and talked to my parents about the issue. They understand, and since I have a bunch of little siblings who occasionally love to ride Putts, they aren't going to make me sell him even IF I decide to get a taller horse. (still haven't decided whether or not I want a bigger one.)
A good thing is, we already have 2 horses in boarding and the deal at my barn for 3 horses is extremely discounted, which is great. And since I'm getting a job here soon, I can easily pay for the 3rd horse to be boarded (my parents say I don't need to, but I insist that I must help them in some way!! At least to purchase the 'horse' itself.)... Still not sure I want another horse yet. Time's limited for me. Maybe I'll wait a few years before I buy another, but now I'm considering doing high school rodeo, so I may have a good reason to buy another horse (to have Putts as my pleasure horse and the other as a games horse!)...
Still debating that idea.

Lol Tasia I'm 6' and my horse is only 14.2. I know we look ridiculous but I don't care. Well, I try not to anyway. (I did get the lightest-weight saddle I could find, because I was concerned about her carrying too much weight for her size - but we're within the 20% body weight recommendation and she's never shown any signs of strains or uncomfortableness)

I know exactly what you mean about 'clicking' with a horse, OP - that's why I got my shrimpy lil' girl. She was just... right for me somehow.

(At least I'm pretty sure I'm not going to grow any more! )