Is finding the right size horse important? Absolutely? If you are knocking over jump rails with your own feet it’s a good indication that your horse is too small for you! On the other hand, if you can’t get your legs around your horse’s body you won’t be able to communicate your aids. What’s the point here? Size really does matter!

But here’s something you may not know. When it comes to size, height isn’t nearly as important as the relationship between the horse’s barrel and the rider’s leg. Just because a horse is tall and the rider is small doesn’t mean they won’t fit together. If the horse has a small, narrow barrel he might be just the right fit! Similarly, heavy riders often go for taller horses, whereas they should really be going for horses with thick, sturdy barrels. Sometimes horses with heavy barrels happen to be tall, but just as often as not they are not.

Whether or not your leg fits your horse depends upon your conformation, as well as the horse’s conformation. If, for example, you have short, thick legs you are going to have a hard time sitting correctly on a wide horse. If you can’t sit correctly you can’t use your legs correctly. And communication is tough if not impossible.

Here’s another misconception: many riders believe that their feet should go only partway down their horse’s sides. But if you look at top-level dressage riders who really know what they are doing, you’ll notice that their feet sometimes extend below the horse’s belly. A longer leg is more secure for the rider, and is a big help when it comes to balance. Riders whose feet come midway down their horse’s body aren’t really riding the whole horse.

It’s sometimes hard not to get caught up in the trend of huge horses. Go to any horse show, and you’ll notice that many of the horse’s are huge, and their riders tiny in comparison. This is a silly trend, and definitely not worth emulating. Bigger isn’t necessarily better!

When you first get on a horse, it’s relatively simple to determine whether he’s a good fit. You should be able to put your leg against the horse, both at the girth and behind the girth, and comfortably apply pressure with your calf without straining yourself. The point of pressure should be below the widest part of the horse’s ribs, on the lower part of his barrel.

If your legs contact the top of the horse’s barrel instead of the bottom, you’ll know he’s too big for you. While it’s tempting to buy a horse with the intent of “growing in to him,” you’ll spend some frustrating times getting the horse to understand your signals. And being unable to correctly give aids won’t be a good experience for either one of you.

Remember, big and tall doesn’t necessarily mean better. When buying a horse, don’t be impressed with size. The best size horse is the one that fits you just right.