If you were a tall rider as a child then you likely experienced some unique situations that your shorter friends just could not relate to.
Here are six things only those riders who were tall as children have experienced…
1. You became accustomed to selling ponies
Most riders will have distant memories of at least one beloved pony being waved off in a new lorry to pastures new as you cry your eyes out in the arms of your parents. However, if you were a kid of the taller variety then this horrible situation became all too familiar as the cycle of buying a pony, out-growing it and moving it on so you could buy another was an almost annual occurrence. Your parents, especially if non-horsey, also dreaded the routine, as they dealt with a devastated child, combined with the stress of looking for a new pony.
2. You spent your childhood looking down on your friends
While your friends went up the heights as usual – progressing from 12hh to 13hh and so on – your random growth spurts meant you advanced pretty swiftly from your little Pony Club pony to something noticeably bigger, possibly even a horse. You were never able to experience the “growing into your pony” phase that many children do. Your childhood riding career was likely littered with struggles as while you were tall, you still lacked the strength to keep a bigger animal together. It also meant that you were competing against adults in many classes, and so you had to grow up before your time.
3. You were always put on the cheeky ones
When looking around for someone to sit on the cheeky pony with an unpredictable streak, you were the one who was always called on due to your height. While likely terrified, you learnt how to sit to the quickest drop of a shoulder, and you developed an enviable stickability that has served you well to this day.
4. You would excel in equitation…
Those long legs can still keep even the most uncoordinated horses balanced and working correctly, and when you were a child you impressed those around you with your seat, hands and leg position. You were a bit of a teacher’s pet at Pony Club rallies, and you’d always smash equitation as while some of your contemporaries were often bobbling around in the saddle, you were poised and correct, showing riding abilities well beyond your age.
5. …but not in lead-rein classes
Even your first-ridden career was short-lived as you never really got the chance to showcase any cute factor that serves riders so well in mini classes. You looked much older than you actually were and your parents’ attempts to make you look more endearing, such as adding pig-tails or a bow tie, never really did it for the judges.
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6. You out-grew your riding clothes often
Finding riding attire to fit your frame was always a nightmare and shopping for your next batch of gear was a dreaded affair for everyone involved. When you tried clothing for your age category you got jodhpurs that barley grazed your ankles and jackets that were more like crop-tops. But when you sized up, the clothes hung off you. You were also the go-to family for hand me downs as you out-grew everything after just a few wears.
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Former H&H showing editor and deputy features editor
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
