Advice wanted

Machaelaj

Machaelaj

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Hey guys.
I’m after some advice after reading mixed reviews

I want to know if it’s okay for me to ride my gelding
He’s 16.3hh TB decent bone 5yr old, he’s been hunted by men and so forth

I’m not sure on my weight, maybe 15st, decently balanced rider and Im on my way down the scale. A lot of it is muscle weight but I’m worried I’m too heavy

Attached photo of him and one of me

Please advise

My Instagram tag is mjayc_110 if anyone wants to look there aswell
 

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Get the horse on a weigh bridge, get yourself weighed including tack, clothing, helmets etc, and then do the sums from there. Recommendation seems to be around 15% of the horses weight, and no more than 20%. Bear in mind he's only 5, so still developing and growth plates still fusing etc.
Another consideration is whether the saddle that fits him, fits you. If he's short backed and can only really take a 16" saddle, and you need a 17" saddle, then that could be a problem.
 
Nasicus said:
Get the horse on a weigh bridge, get yourself weighed including tack, clothing, helmets etc, and then do the sums from there. Recommendation seems to be around 15% of the horses weight, and no more than 20%. Bear in mind he's only 5, so still developing and growth plates still fusing etc.
Another consideration is whether the saddle that fits him, fits you. If he's short backed and can only really take a 16" saddle, and you need a 17" saddle, then that could be a problem.
Click to expand...
He’s quite a long wide type
 
Machaelaj said:
Hey guys.
I’m after some advice after reading mixed reviews

I want to know if it’s okay for me to ride my gelding
He’s 16.3hh TB decent bone 5yr old, he’s been hunted by men and so forth

I’m not sure on my weight, maybe 15st, decently balanced rider and Im on my way down the scale. A lot of it is muscle weight but I’m worried I’m too heavy

Attached photo of him and one of me

Please advise

My Instagram tag is mjayc_110 if anyone wants to look there aswell
Click to expand...
I would say no your not to heavy, I am similar weight and my mare is 16.1hh she copes with me no problem.
 
Patterdale said:
Well in that case I will answer in good faith.

Yes, you look far too big for him. But good on you for asking, and if you’re looking to do something about it then I wish you the very best of luck, I’m sure you can succeed 🙂
Click to expand...
Thanks for your honest opinion
I’m definitely looking to lose more as I’ve lost a bit already, he also is going to have downtime before I even begin riding so he will be putting on quite a bit more muscle and fat before I ride
 
Machaelaj said:
Hey guys.
I’m after some advice after reading mixed reviews

I want to know if it’s okay for me to ride my gelding
He’s 16.3hh TB decent bone 5yr old, he’s been hunted by men and so forth

I’m not sure on my weight, maybe 15st, decently balanced rider and Im on my way down the scale. A lot of it is muscle weight but I’m worried I’m too heavy

Attached photo of him and one of me

Please advise

My Instagram tag is mjayc_110 if anyone wants to look there aswell
Click to expand...
I’ve included a better pic of me on another horse for reference

The pic is very zoomed due to this thing not allowing me to upload a certain file size

I’m 5’5 for reference aswell
 

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Just to give you something to aim for.

My chunky 16.3 tb weighed about 580kg when fit and in work, that's from a weighbridge. He had just under 9 inches of bone plus deep and broad chested.

ROR recommend no more than 17% including tack which for mine was 15st 6lb. At the 15% guidance, it's 13st 9lb.

At 550kg it's 14st 10lb or 12st 13lb

A saddle could weigh from just under a stone to 2 stone, then there's your clothes and boots.

So rather than try and guess from pictures, weigh yourself with tack and try and get your mare on a weighbridge to work out what the maximum is.
 
Sorry but I would say you’re too big currently, add at least another stone for saddle. TB types aren’t great weight carriers , sorry I feel mean but I think it would be fair to your horse to be honest. Can you focus on ground work ? When I was previously a bit worried about weight I took my horse for walks in hand , miles of it, good for both of you.
 
motherof2beasts! said:
Sorry but I would say you’re too big currently, add at least another stone for saddle. TB types aren’t great weight carriers , sorry I feel mean but I think it would be fair to your horse to be honest. Can you focus on ground work ? When I was previously a bit worried about weight I took my horse for walks in hand , miles of it, good for both of you.
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Yea I’m definitely going to do inhand and groundwork before any riding attempts
 
From the off horse pic you are not currently going to fit into most, if any, saddles. Most of your weight is in your bum and your legs. You would be crammed in and that would unbalance the saddle and cause pressure points on the horse.

It’s not for nothing that Cumbrian Heavy Horses have a sliding weight limit, as they find shorter riders of the same weight as taller riders are more likely to fall off as they are more unbalanced. Many a taller bloke of 15 stone looks fairly trim.

Definitely get on the scales as you only *think* you are 15 stone. Add 2.5 stone to your naked weight for all your riding clothing inc hat and boots, and the horse’s tack (this is a fairly reliable average to add).

The horse looks to be a middleweight type, not a heavyweight.

Whilst you do need to lose weight to ride, you are aware of that, which is a big bonus. It is a very good incentive. Keep to ground work for now.

Good luck.
 
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