A Weighty Question!

[RedVendetta]

A couple of questions to ask about what weight my horse could carry...
He's a 15.3hh Irish Sports Horse, not particularly heavyweight and Im the only person who rides him, I weigh about 10 stone. However, he may have someone else riding him when I won't have time next year (back to uni for a year) and I wonder what the maximum weight would be?
I know its a stupid question because it depends on their riding experience, and how they ride etc, and how well he accepts a heavier person, but really the other thing Im trying to gauge is whether my beginner OH, who will be less of a beginner by then, would be able to hack him out twice a week. He's 6'1 and weighs about 13 1/2 stone...........

 

[tabithakat64]

I would have thought that would be fine for a couple of slowish hacks a week as long as your OH balance is reasonably good.

 

[lexiedhb]

I think your horse would carry your OH no problem....... especially as he wont be asking him to do anything taxing!

 

[LankyDoodle]

I think 13.5 stone will be easy for your horse, to be honest. Depends on bone and width of loin/strength of loin/horse fitness as well as your OH's fitness and balance.

Problem comes I think when people assume that because something is a cob it can carry loads more than something else; they fail to take into account the fitness of the horse and it's loin strength as well as amount of bone.

There was a pic on here not long ago of a girl who did a coast-coast ride on her TB and she was 16 stone. I would not expect there to be a problem with your horse carrying up to this weight, providing the rider is not like a sack of spuds.