am i or my other half to heavy for my TB? (the how big is to big thread got me thinki

[marley and danni]

Hi!

the how big is to big thread got me thinking.....

i have a 15'2 Thoroughbred hes a lightweight TB but had a lot of muscle and is very strong.

im 5ft2 and weight 8st2

my other half is 6ft1 and weight 13st

i ride him regulary almost everyday and between 30mins-2hours (more if hacking)
i do have a very light seat (insturctor said)

my other half problery rides him for 15mins max ever 2-3 weeks and my TB doesnt seem to struggle with his weight (although he looks slightly odd because of his height lol)



thanks

 

[Tickles]

You: no problem at all
Your OH: borderline, I’ve never put anyone that heavy on a fine 15’2’’ (11st something looked tall but not heavy).

Can you borrow something a little more 'man-sized' for your OH?

(Having said that plenty of ppl would think it fine... just not me )

 

[C&C]

I have a 16.1hh full TB, not a real fine animal but a TB all the same. I am 5'5 and weigh 12 - 12 1/2 stone (weight fluctuates). He seems perfectly happy carrying me

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

Your OH weighs the same as me (albeit, I'm 4" shorter than him!) and my 15.3 TB carries me fine even with my side saddle which weighs about a stone itself. As long as your horse is fit, is working correctly across the back and from behind and has no lameness issues, then it's fine (plus correctly fitting tack).

In fact, my OH is currently losing weight (he was 18st 7lbs) and is now down to 15 st 4lbs (he is 5'11") and I'm going to let him have a go on my TB when get gets down to 14st in a few months as he has expressed an interest in riding! LOL, maybe time to get another ned in the future if all goes well??!!

 

[thatsmygirl]

Iv got a 16.2 med weight tb who is coming into work this spring, I was 13.8 stone and 6 foot tall but am on a diet ( 13 stone at the mo) by the time I get on him I want to be 12 stone max but would perfer 11.5
tbh at 14stone I wouldn't want to ride a tb but each to their own

 

[crabbymare]

If he is well muscled and fit I doubt he will have any problems with your OH doing 15 mins every few weeks, and you are fine

 

[scarymare]

Fine, for what your OH does.

You are a loving and caring owner and I'll bet your horse wouldn't swap if you asked him.

 

[SplashofSoy]

I would say fine based on workload described. Different if it was say a riding school horse doing 3-4 hours a day or something but in your case dont worry about it.

 

[muddygreymare]

You're both fine, especially because your husband isn't doing much riding at all

 

[Always Henesy]

You are both fine. Especially as your OH does very little ridden work.
You are DEFINITELY fine - I reckon my chest alone weighs 8 stone

I am 13.12 - 14 stone and I ride my medium build 17.1TB just fine.
I also rode him when I was 15 stone - and he was just fine.

It very much depends on so many factors....

 

[Wagtail]

Hi!

the how big is to big thread got me thinking.....

i have a 15'2 Thoroughbred hes a lightweight TB but had a lot of muscle and is very strong.

im 5ft2 and weight 8st2

my other half is 6ft1 and weight 13st

i ride him regulary almost everyday and between 30mins-2hours (more if hacking)
i do have a very light seat (insturctor said)

my other half problery rides him for 15mins max ever 2-3 weeks and my TB doesnt seem to struggle with his weight (although he looks slightly odd because of his height lol)



thanks

You would feel like a feather on his back! I am almost ten stone and ride TBs of all sizes including 15.2hh.

I think your OH is too heavy for more strenuous riding but the amount you say he rides should not be a problem.

 

[marley and danni]

thanks for all the replys guys!

i was getting really worried for amoment there!!

hes my little angel wouldnt give him up for the world!

my OH only goes ion the school had a quick walk trott canter (sometimes a gallop is marleys being friskey) on both reins and then he gets off! hes not rode in about 6 weeks and this is the longest up to know ussually between 2-3 weeks.

i feel much better knowing im nt to heavy and neither is he in moderation...

PS we are looking for a more man sized horsey for OH!
he wants (very specific) Grey(white) Shire standing or to make 17'2 or more!!!

anyone got one

 

[FionaM12]

hes my little angel wouldnt give him up for the world!

The horse or your OH?

You're obviously fine weight wise, as everyone has said.

As for OH, doesn't it partly depend on how he rides? Do you have an instructor or experienced person who could watch him ride and give an honest opinion? Just to be on the safe side.

 

[rhino]

I agree with Fiona

OP, my boy is a 15.3hh wb (though very thoroughbreddy) and previous ex's have ridden him, up to about 13/14 stone I think. Only for short periods and predominantly walk/trot. You will need to be careful that your saddle is suitable for both of you though - I have a 17" 'teenage' event saddle (I'm short and <8stone) and I am aware it is not comfortable for larger people (and also for the horse if someone bigger is crammed onto the same weight bearing area).

 

[marley and danni]

thanks for the responses!

i do i have a very nice and upfront dressage instructor that said he rides fine (almost betetr than me :O) he always rubs it in lol!!

saddle wise he said he feels fine in it saddler has said the saddle is ok fit for marley he said its a good fit if i keep the sheepskin half pad under it.

hes lacks a little topline (although got alot more that at the begining of the year) and carrying a good weight now ... im getting a made to measure saddle at the end of the year so untill then i shall limit the OH to his ussual 15min rides every 3 weeks... he doesnt want to ride while its cold though haha!

 

[foxy1]

You fine, OH too heavy IMO

 

[milz88]

Your OH weighs the same as me (albeit, I'm 4" shorter than him!) and my 15.3 TB carries me fine even with my side saddle which weighs about a stone itself. As long as your horse is fit, is working correctly across the back and from behind and has no lameness issues, then it's fine (plus correctly fitting tack).

In fact, my OH is currently losing weight (he was 18st 7lbs) and is now down to 15 st 4lbs (he is 5'11") and I'm going to let him have a go on my TB when get gets down to 14st in a few months as he has expressed an interest in riding! LOL, maybe time to get another ned in the future if all goes well??!!

So you are 13 st and then with a side saddle at 1 stone= 14 stone on a 15.3 tb? I could be way off the mark, but if I had a combined weight of 14 stone, I would simply refuse to ride a 15.3 tb... I couldn't do it, and I assume you compete too, so this is regular riding and training sessions.. I used to ride side saddle too so I know how much a saddle weighs combined with a habit and all the riding in you can do etc.

I am looking in to getting an ex racer and I weigh 10stone, I want to lose weight before I get one, and i'm not going to be doing side saddle.

Just throwing that out there, it could be that 14stone is fine, but I wouldn't feel comfortable if it was me and my horse.

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

So you are 13 st and then with a side saddle at 1 stone= 14 stone on a 15.3 tb? I could be way off the mark, but if I had a combined weight of 14 stone, I would simply refuse to ride a 15.3 tb... I couldn't do it, and I assume you compete too, so this is regular riding and training sessions.. I used to ride side saddle too so I know how much a saddle weighs combined with a habit and all the riding in you can do etc.

I am looking in to getting an ex racer and I weigh 10stone, I want to lose weight before I get one, and i'm not going to be doing side saddle.

Just throwing that out there, it could be that 14stone is fine, but I wouldn't feel comfortable if it was me and my horse.

Yes, I compete, showing + long distance hacking in the summer and dressage and clear round jumping in the winter (although we are predominately dressage) as well as our side saddle lessons. We ride school nearly everyday for about 30- 40 minutes. My instructor and the judges at shows always comment on my TB's excellent condition and how correctly and well muscled and worked she is. I'm obsessive about her feed and having the saddler out for her tack. That is us in our avatar photo so 13st doesn't necessarily mean you are a hulking brute who rides like a sack of potatoes but at the same time, most TB's aren't dainty flowers either!

When my OH is able to ride her, it's not as if he's going to be jumping 4' fences on her either, just walking round the school or plodding down the lane. If he gets the bug, then he can get his own horse as I'm not sharing, LOL.

 

[milz88]

Yes, I compete, showing + long distance hacking in the summer and dressage and clear round jumping in the winter (although we are predominately dressage) as well as our side saddle lessons. We ride school nearly everyday for about 30- 40 minutes. My instructor and the judges at shows always comment on my TB's excellent condition and how correctly and well muscled and worked she is. I'm obsessive about her feed and having the saddler out for her tack. That is us in our avatar photo so 13st doesn't necessarily mean you are a hulking brute who rides like a sack of potatoes but at the same time, most TB's aren't dainty flowers either!

When my OH is able to ride her, it's not as if he's going to be jumping 4' fences on her either, just walking round the school or plodding down the lane. If he gets the bug, then he can get his own horse as I'm not sharing, LOL.

I have to say, from your profile picture you don't look like you'd weigh 13st if that makes sense. I think I just have a perception that TB's are fragile, dainty things that need wrapping in cotton wool, and indeed, my opinion was altered when I took an ex racer hunting, she was so bold and just kept going all day, I was so worried about her legs all day but she was as sound as a pound at the end and she hunts regularly.

I am also probably mentally scarred from seeing someone hunt a pure TB 16hh and she squashed him, the horse was clearly very uncomfortable but I'd say this girl was tipping the scales at at least 15st if not more.

 

[rhino]

I have to say, from your profile picture you don't look like you'd weigh 13st if that makes sense. I think I just have a perception that TB's are fragile, dainty things that need wrapping in cotton wool, and indeed, my opinion was altered when I took an ex racer hunting, she was so bold and just kept going all day, I was so worried about her legs all day but she was as sound as a pound at the end and she hunts regularly.

National hunt jockeys are not nearly as lightweight as people think A good tb is well up to a decent amount of weight

 

[Fantasy_World]

OP I agree with some of the comments on here and add that both you and your OH are fine.
Now if your OH was completely unbalanced and bouncing around etc and doing a lot of fast work several times a week I would be getting a back person out to check on the horse.
If he is not, which it doesn't sound like he is then your horse should be fine.
TB's are actually stronger and able to carry more weight than we give them credit for.
My mare is a TB, an ex racer she is 15'1. She raced on the flat and over hurdles. In fact she won over both codes and actually carried 12 stone to win a race over 2m 1/2 furlongs at Huntingdon!
There are many tbs in racing which are not above 16 hands.
My mare does not have a lot of bone and to think that she carried that weight in a race and even won is a credit to her.
She has comfortably carried up to around 13 stone to 13 1/2 out hacking and has even taken off at full gallop with that weight with energy to spare.
Racehorses and indeed TBs often carry weights of 12 stone and even more in point to point and hunter chase races.
I would not consider a horse race to be light work by any standard and even more so when jumping is added to the fray.
So I doubt very much whether a few short sessions by your OH who is more than 12 stone would be detrimental to her health.
Don't fret

 

[JustMe22]

You are DEFINITELY fine, 8 stone is nothing! OH, possibly bordering on being too heavy but just for occasional use its not a big deal

 

[ThreeTB's]

My new ex-racer was sold to me as 16hh but I think he's probably 15.2-15.3, old owners sold him as too small as the main horse for the hubby who's 6ft odd and 14 stone, but he had xc'd him etc.

So, we thought we'd be fine for my OH at 5'10" and 13 stone to ride him occasionally (his own TB is a chunky 16.3) but oddly enough he can't! Don't know if it's because pony has got used to my 9.5 stone, but when OH gets on he plants his feet and refuses to go forward, most he can do is walk, pony is most unwilling to trot. OH is slim, doesn't look at all too big on him, but pony most definitely tells us he doesn't like him riding him, which is a shame as I will be on 6 weeks 'box rest' after an op soon, so will have to rope other people in to ride him while I can't.

 

[Fantasy_World]

My new ex-racer was sold to me as 16hh but I think he's probably 15.2-15.3, old owners sold him as too small as the main horse for the hubby who's 6ft odd and 14 stone, but he had xc'd him etc.

So, we thought we'd be fine for my OH at 5'10" and 13 stone to ride him occasionally (his own TB is a chunky 16.3) but oddly enough he can't! Don't know if it's because pony has got used to my 9.5 stone, but when OH gets on he plants his feet and refuses to go forward, most he can do is walk, pony is most unwilling to trot. OH is slim, doesn't look at all too big on him, but pony most definitely tells us he doesn't like him riding him, which is a shame as I will be on 6 weeks 'box rest' after an op soon, so will have to rope other people in to ride him while I can't.

How often has your OH rode the horse and how long as he been riding himself as you haven't said in your post? Could it be that the horse is just taking the piss with your fella and trying it on? I would not always assume that the weight of the rider is the reason for not wanting to go forward.
You see plenty of TB and their crosses in the hunting, x-country and endurance fields and their riders are not always lightweights, in fact the opposite in quite a few cases.

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

I have to say, from your profile picture you don't look like you'd weigh 13st if that makes sense. I think I just have a perception that TB's are fragile, dainty things that need wrapping in cotton wool, and indeed, my opinion was altered when I took an ex racer hunting, she was so bold and just kept going all day, I was so worried about her legs all day but she was as sound as a pound at the end and she hunts regularly.

I am also probably mentally scarred from seeing someone hunt a pure TB 16hh and she squashed him, the horse was clearly very uncomfortable but I'd say this girl was tipping the scales at at least 15st if not more.

Aw, thank you LOL, to be fair, it's mostly is boob 'n hip. My legs are toned and muscley and my waist isn't wide (I take a 32" waist is jods). We often do 14 mile round trip hacks in the summer to get to shows and my TB is revving for more when we get home!!!

I think most horses will let you know if they are uncomfortable or not. I rode on my friend's 16hh lightweight cob the other day and I wasn't happy riding him- he didn't seem happy either. He was hollow, dipping his back and that was only walking and a bit of trotting. Maybe it was his saddle, maybe it was me but it just comes down to what the horse is telling you.

 

[ThreeTB's]

How often has your OH rode the horse and how long as he been riding himself as you haven't said in your post? Could it be that the horse is just taking the piss with your fella and trying it on? I would not always assume that the weight of the rider is the reason for not wanting to go forward.
You see plenty of TB and their crosses in the hunting, x-country and endurance fields and their riders are not always lightweights, in fact the opposite in quite a few cases.

He's been riding years and we have 2 other TB's, I did mention in my post his horse is a chunky 16.3 and the other is more finely built but 17hh, they are both more than capable of carrying him on fun rides and jumping Pony may possibly be taking the piss but doesn't do it with me or 3 other riders the same weight as me, so really have to give him the benefit of the doubt as he doesn't seem at all happy. I would be happy to put a 15 stone rider on our chunky lad, no problem at all.

 

[Fantasy_World]

He's been riding years and we have 2 other TB's, I did mention in my post his horse is a chunky 16.3 and the other is more finely built but 17hh, they are both more than capable of carrying him on fun rides and jumping Pony may possibly be taking the piss but doesn't do it with me or 3 other riders the same weight as me, so really have to give him the benefit of the doubt as he doesn't seem at all happy. I would be happy to put a 15 stone rider on our chunky lad, no problem at all.

Thankyou for answering and it would appear as though weight may be the issue, but had to ask as it is not always the case.