17 Stone beginner rider

[Goldenstar]

For a while I ran a riding school we had three weight carriers .
a 14.3 coloured section D type really good back easily carried an big man in a group lesson .
A TB tall horse mature very good back did his work daily and well he left us as an 18yo to go to a client for her husband to hack he was lovely .
Someone persuaded the boss we needed a CB so one arrived it had a back like a cab horse and was a waste of hay .
Conformation is key to weight carrying .

 

[jnb]

SOME - note i say SOME! of the judgemental phrases used in this thread are the reason people like me agonise for hours about posting pictures. Anyone who has never struggled with their weight or been on the receiving end of comments like these will NEVER understand what I mean.
I doubt there are many men riding under 12 stone, and I bet those of you size 8s/10s would be surprised how many female riders are over 12 stone too. I've just lost nearly 5 stone so I can ride my baby cob, I am still way over this 12 stone cut off. I'm having a weight crisis and struggling now & I'm more terrified of putting it all back on as it's nearly killed me getting it off.
And I think this pic summarises how i feel about myself. It might help those of you who can't/won't understand how hard an issue weight is, to understand.
I wish people would see the human inside the fat.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

SOME - note i say SOME! of the judgemental phrases used in this thread are the reason people like me agonise for hours about posting pictures. Anyone who has never struggled with their weight or been on the receiving end of comments like these will NEVER understand what I mean.
I doubt there are many men riding under 12 stone, and I bet those of you size 8s/10s would be surprised how many female riders are over 12 stone too. I've just lost nearly 5 stone so I can ride my baby cob, I am still way over this 12 stone cut off. I'm having a weight crisis and struggling now & I'm more terrified of putting it all back on as it's nearly killed me getting it off.
And I think this pic summarises how i feel about myself. It might help those of you who can't/won't understand how hard an issue weight is, to understand.
I wish people would see the human inside the fat.View attachment 50792

we all fluctuate in weight. I’m at my heaviest right now in about three years. Over the 12st mark at least. Medical issues and inability to investigate at the moment are not being kind to me but you persevere. I’ve always been told I look heavier than I am. However at my heaviest I got told I carried it well ??‍ Only because it was evenly spread out all over me, I was like a bowling pin ? weight struggles are hard and people who don’t have to worry about it can be harsh critics and make the harshest critic (ourselves normally) even harsher.

Be kind to yourself you are doing great and keep going at your own pace x

 

[jnb]

No one could hate me and my weight more than I hate myself.
If I could wave a magic wand and be able to never eat again I would. But you cannot give up eating like you can give up alcohol or smoking.
It hurts and angers me so much when people say, "well just lose weight then". If only they knew the internal conversations I have with myself about every single thing I eat, until the control slips and I stop listening to myself.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I volunteer with a RDA group who takes adult riders with Learning Disabililties, most of the riders are not well balanced and even those who are reasonable riders take a few sessions to get back into the swing of things at the beginning of each season (we only ride in spring/summer months). The horses cope with no problems at all, over the years many of them have been used to hunt in the winter and WH in the summer because they are not just used for beginners. That, of course, is what good RS do, vary the horses' work.

 

[cobgoblin]

Riding schools that have a weight limit are not 'judging' anyone, they are simply protecting their horses and livelihood. Plus true weight carriers are harder to find, more expensive to buy and cost more to keep, but at a regular riding school no one is going to want to pay more for their lessons because they need a weight carrier. Just as nobody wants to pay more for clothing in a large size, even if the clothes take twice as much material.
.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I am sure that most police and cavalry horses regularly carry a lot more than 12 st! The military saddles alone weigh goodness knows how much - far more than the usual RS horse's saddle.

Yes, if I could spare the time, I'd dig through some books about the history of cavalry and find out how much weight of kit (tack, camping gear, rations, water, weapons and ammunition), in addition to the rider, a horse would have carried in the Napoleonic and Boer wars, and in WWI and WWII.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Exactly...I'm 15st 7 but am 5' 11" so nobody ever thinks I weigh that much.
Not the best pic but me with my young lad last year...I was 15.9 thenView attachment 50787

You look a lot lighter than that. I’m pretty sure your lad can carry you fine!

 

[cobgoblin]

Yes, if I could spare the time, I'd dig through some books about the history of cavalry and find out how much weight of kit (tack, camping gear, rations, water, weapons and ammunition), in addition to the rider, a horse would have carried in the Napoleonic and Boer wars, and in WWI and WWII.

I'm sure the horses carried a great deal... They were also 'expendable'!

 

[scats]

The 12 stone rule seems a bit over the top. There are many, many horses out there who would be capable of carrying 12 stone without an issue.

I can see a riding school having a limit of say 16 stone if they didn’t have the right type of horses, but most riding schools nowadays do try to have one or two weight carriers on the yard.

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Isn’t the difference that the 12st weight limit was for a riding school, and those objecting have privately owned horses? Riding school horses might do 4 hours of work a day, almost exclusively with beginners. There is a world of difference between a good 16st rider on their own horse, who can school the horse to be able to carry their weight correctly, and (I assume) only rides once a day, and several heavier riding school clients who all allow the horse to hollow and fail to carry weight correctly, while falling heavily on the horse in trot as they have not learned a smooth rising trot yet.

Exactly this !
I'm slightly bemused as to why some people have jumped on the 12st bandwagon . Where does it say that that's the universal limit ? Who has said that you shouldn't ride if you're over 12st ? If you read my original post it says that I used to work in a RC where the owner imposed a weight limit of 12st . That was my experience and I shared it . I didn't say it was my rule , my opinion or even that I agreed with it . Other people have posted that they know of establishments with a limit of 14/15/16 stone - so there are obviously lots of different opinions on the subject .
Your horses welfare ( IMO ) is your responsibility because , as I said previously he doesn't get a say in the weight of the rider he is asked to carry , you have to make that judgement . So if, as his/her rider , you are confident that your horse can carry you comfortably then saddle up and enjoy your riding .

 

[Keith_Beef]

The problem is this ‘perceived’ welfare issue. You ‘perceive‘ there is a welfare issue because someone is over 12st. I very much doubt my old boy would have been going round common ridings in his 30s when he was in his teens in the pics I have put above if there had been a welfare issue.

I am a very forthright person, so if anyone asked me to step on scales because they perceived I was over the limit even though I knew I wasn’t I’d skelp them round the head with the scales.

This is me in size 28jodhs and a size 12 shirt after sweating my ass off riding for three hours and doing the final canter on my 30+ yr old heart horse. Don’t look light Enough do I?
View attachment 50785

This is a subject that does people harm, I have seen people mentally scarred by other people’s perceptions.

ETA I bought this picture before anyone reports it ??

I wish you'd put that picture inside a spoiler, with a warning to put on sunglasses before viewing!

No need for a high-viz jacket with that clobber!

 

[cobgoblin]

The 12 stone rule seems a bit over the top. There are many, many horses out there who would be capable of carrying 12 stone without an issue.

I can see a riding school having a limit of say 16 stone if they didn’t have the right type of horses, but most riding schools nowadays do try to have one or two weight carriers on the yard.

They are not private horses that do very little work with the same rider on board. Riding schools have the absolute right to protect their horses and business in any way they see fit.
It's good that so many have their horses' welfare in mind.
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[scats]

They are not private horses that do very little work with the same rider on board. Riding schools have the absolute right to protect their horses and business in any way they see fit.
It's good that so many have their horses' welfare in mind.
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Fair enough. I do actually strongly agree with weight limits for horses particularly horses like riding school horses who may be carrying lots of different abilities for many hours a day. But I still do think 12 stone is probably at the lower end of the scale.

 

[sbloom]

Just as a thought, quite a few people wanting, and struggling, to lose weight, have some executive function issues, worth looking up, there is some help out there. Not read the whole thread but saddle size is an issue, weight carriers are so often short backed and even if a big horse can't take more than a 17.5, so the PSI under the saddle too high, and the ability to balance the saddle correctly much reduced.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I wish you'd put that picture inside a spoiler, with a warning to put on sunglasses before viewing!

No need for a high-viz jacket with that clobber!

lol nope but it all looks fab with the show jacket on top ? just couldn’t have survived having it on in summer heat ???

 

[ester]

I absolutely have executive function issues, and that + drug side effects make for a fat but fit ester.
I'm not currently riding and don't expect I will be for some time.

 

[Auslander]

I absolutely have executive function issues, and that + drug side effects make for a fat but fit ester.
I'm not currently riding and don't expect I will be for some time.

Come and ride Alf! He's good with fat but fit!

 

[HollyWoozle]

A few riding schools agreed to accept my beginner partner for lessons - he is approximately 16st 4lbs, but he is 6'4", active and fit which I think went a long way towards them agreeing to it. I think 17st is beyond almost anywhere but if they were able to lose a stone then they'd definitely have some options.

 

[AdorableAlice]

If anyone is looking for a HW, there is a Roma Diamond Skip on Facebook page, Quality Draught and ISH page. It is orange, but a super stamp.

 

[cobgoblin]

If anyone is looking for a HW, there is a Roma Diamond Skip on Facebook page, Quality Draught and ISH page. It is orange, but a super stamp.

This one?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10220518245200819&id=1073592475
.

 

[hellfire]

Yes, if I could spare the time, I'd dig through some books about the history of cavalry and find out how much weight of kit (tack, camping gear, rations, water, weapons and ammunition), in addition to the rider, a horse would have carried in the Napoleonic and Boer wars, and in WWI and WWII.

They’d possibly carry 17st in the old day’s knights in shining armour, plus all the wars after. They were smaller stockier horses back then with weight carrying backs. But no consideration for the horse and what he felt and often the horses didn’t live to the ages we see now. My vet reckons my fell x Welsh d could carry 14st no problem. My oh did ride him shortly in the school and he’s 15st and prob sat like a 20st sack of spuds. Sparky showed no problem at all and still wanted to go. He is the type who’d tell you if he was upset! It’s not something I’d do regularly with him but there are weight carriers out there just rare. I’ve seen heavy riders who ride very light but it’s finding a horse for a beginner who will be unbalanced and sit heavy. Would have to be short sessions I expect.

 

[Shilasdair]

I remember being told by the school nurse that all girls should weigh 8 stone.

Height was immaterial in this. I'm 5'10 and should apparently weigh the same as a 4'10 shortarse. I remember thinking that the school nurse was a f uckwit. I wasn't wrong then and I'm not wrong now.

 

[Wishfilly]

Riding schools that have a weight limit are not 'judging' anyone, they are simply protecting their horses and livelihood. Plus true weight carriers are harder to find, more expensive to buy and cost more to keep, but at a regular riding school no one is going to want to pay more for their lessons because they need a weight carrier. Just as nobody wants to pay more for clothing in a large size, even if the clothes take twice as much material.
.

I agree with this to an extent, although I think a riding school with 12st as a weight limit is doing themselves out of business, that really is pretty low!

It's also worth bearing in mind a lot of people lie about their weight (I do understand the reasons behind this) or at least round down! Most riding schools won't force someone on the scales as soon as they arrive, so they have to round down their weight limit too.

Yes, if I could spare the time, I'd dig through some books about the history of cavalry and find out how much weight of kit (tack, camping gear, rations, water, weapons and ammunition), in addition to the rider, a horse would have carried in the Napoleonic and Boer wars, and in WWI and WWII.

And how long did those horses last as useful, working animals? A riding school, for example, that treated their horses like horses were treated in e.g. WWI would be quickly shut down!

I'm sure it's possible to find a horse that can carry a 17st beginner, but it's not going to be an easy thing to find necessarily.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

This one?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10220518245200819&id=1073592475
.

Pants, the link isn’t working. I”d love to see the orange horse!

 

[Wishfilly]

I do think as people are getting heavier/taller, riding schools do need to adapt and provide more weight carrying options but it is tricky.

A few years ago, I worked for a trekking center- we had a stated weight limit of 16st. We had two horses who could comfortably carry more than that- one probably up to 18st, but that one wasn't suitable for complete beginners. We'd regularly have groups of people ring up where one of them was a bit over the weight limit, which is fine, because we could accommodate that. We also sometimes had groups ring up with 3/4 people right at the weight limit, that was ok because again, we usually had the horses available that could carry them.

If you think in terms of repeat business, having one horse that can carry, say 18st, isn't really enough for a riding school to advertise a weight limit of 18st, because what if that one horse goes lame and you have to turn them away? You also don't really want a horse working right at its weight limit all the time. So, we had a stated weight limit online, but we were flexible with it in reality- and we still had people we needed to turn away due to weight.

Other people might disagree with doing it like that, but it worked for them at the time!

Real weight carriers who are safe for beginners cost £££ compared to a well behaved 14-15hh cob/cobx who can safely carry most people- and the 14-15hh horse is usually cheaper and easier to keep, too. Or at least they did in our area of the country at the time!

 

[cobgoblin]

Pants, the link isn’t working. I”d love to see the orange horse!

The ad seems to have gone.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Darn it! There was an orange horse called Tango being sold by someone in Ireland who asks everyone if they would buy from there when they ask about a horse on the Happy Hackers and Family Horses Page. I wondered if the pic was nicked, I’m so suspicious!

 

[cobgoblin]

Darn it! There was an orange horse called Tango being sold by someone in Ireland who asks everyone if they would buy from there when they ask about a horse on the Happy Hackers and Family Horses Page. I wondered if the pic was nicked, I’m so suspicious!

This was a horse that had been hunted then put out on loan to someone who now wanted to do dressage. There wasn't a price. Nice horse though.
.

 

[Red-1]

This was a horse that had been hunted then put out on loan to someone who now wanted to do dressage. There wasn't a price. Nice horse though.
.

*flicks back through thread to see if I can identify who snapped up the lovely orange horse*