If she hits 14 hands, at your weight and given that you are an experianced (balanced) rider, all should be fine. She may not grow much taller, but she will broaden in girth. She will be able to take up more leg. Mostly, I would check her cannon size and take a serious look at how she is put together. If she is short backed, with a good loin coupling, as well as having thicker cannons, you are good to go - as long as you take your time in conditioning her for the activity that you want to participate in.
Rule of thumb for regular riding horses has been that the horse can carry comfortably 20% of it's weight. So, a 1,000 pound *regular* riding horse could carry 200# of tack and rider. I venture to say that Haflingers are put together a little differently than regular riding horses, and should be able to carry a little more weight due to a thicker, shorter cannon and a shorter, broader back.
I may very well get in trouble for saying this, but I do not think a 13 hand horse should be carrying a 240 - 290 pound woman. I found the photos and the story quite disturbing, and not funny at all. There are so many dangerous things going on in those photos that it is disturbing. To me, riding is about being responsible and looking after the well being of both the rider and the horse.
Maybe I am just a kill joy... but mostly I am a person who puts safety above carefree fun. There is nothing fun about an accident that results in an aborted baby, or a mother who is brain dead from not wearing a helmet, or in having a broken foot from wearing flip flops around horses. There is nothing fun about caring for a young horse for the rest of it's life who has sustained physical damage from carrying too much weight at too fast of a gait. Resulting in lameness - due to stress fractures, bucked shins, OCD and a zillion other things. A swayed back. Permanant back damage due to compressed disks, misalignment, muscle atrophy... The list goes on and on...
I would ask of all of you out there who profess to love their Haflingers: Please do take safety precautions. Think it out!! Take it slow, no matter what. Do things with thoughtfullness and caring. Always consider the horse first. They aren't going to tell us that they cannot do it - especially the really good ones out there who will give thier all, no matter what (which is what I think Rosie is).
This is how I feel, and I back my statements with all sincerity and conviction.
Your Haffiefriend,
~Kiola~
Brier, WA
--- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "horseygirl422000" <horseygirl422000@...> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> I think I have found my dream Haflinger mare, I'm just concerned she isn't going to be big enough. She will be 4 in April and is between 13.3 and 14 hands. Her parents are 14.1 and 14.3. Her mother is very drafty and her dad is a more modern type. Can I expect her to reach at least 14.1 or is she finished growing in height? My gelding I ride is 14.2 and drafty. I feel comfortable on him but don't know about anything smaller. I am between 5'7 and 5'8" 155 pounds. Thanks so much for being here to answer all or our questions. Tina in VA
>
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