Am I too heavy

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Cassy

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I am looking at a 15.2h cob x tb who is 16 years old. I am 5ft 11ins and weight 11.5 stone. Am I too big for her?
 
Depends on how 'TB' vs 'cob' the horse is built, health, fitness and what you'll be doing together. If you assume more TB and go by this: http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/calculating_horses_weights.htm then horse could be as light as 450kg when at a healthy weight. So, 15% would be 67.5 kg. You're 73kg without tack.

So, you *could* be too heavy.

If horse is more like 550kg then with minimal tack and you both in good condition you might be fine.
 
GirlFriday said:
Depends on how 'TB' vs 'cob' the horse is built, health, fitness and what you'll be doing together. If you assume more TB and go by this: http://www.towinghnorsetrailers.co.uk/calculating_horses_weights.htm then horse could be as light as 450kg when at a healthy weight. So, 15% would be 67.5 kg. You're 73kg without tack.

So, you *could* be too heavy.

If horse is more like 550kg then with minimal tack and you both in good condition you might be fine.
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^^ this. Even if you are ok don't forget to allow for times when the horse is maybe a little unfit and over weight and maybe if you are at any point too
 
I cant imagine there are many 15.2hhs that only weigh 450kgs. Even taken the conservative percentage of 15% at 500kgs then you are still within that.

So no you arent too heavy. You are not too heavy even if the horse was pure TB. At 11.5 stone there wont be many, if any, healthy adult 15.2hhs that you are too heavy for. The minimum weight for a jockey is 8stone and they are racing tiny, fine 2yr olds.
 
Without pictures, it's impossible to know how the horse is built, and therefore impossible to say. I imagine you'll be fine, but if you're not sure, take someone more knowledgeable along with you to see the horse and ask them to give you their honest opinion.
 
Leo Walker said:
The minimum weight for a jockey is 8stone and they are racing tiny, fine 2yr olds.
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And we all know how decidedly fabulous that is for the long term health of OTTBs... Minimum jockey weights are about preventing jockeys starving themselves enough to cause long term health issues, not about the long term health of horses who are racing before they would have been backed if their long term future was a concern. https://www.britishhorseracing.com/...-minimum-weights-in-flat-racing-to-be-raised/
 
The average weight of a woman in the UK is apparently about 11 stone it’s about 13 stone for men. Basically virtually no one would be able to ride if you took those calculations to the nth degee.
 
I doubt you are too heavy now. But you are tall so have the potential to be heavier... along with the horse getting older you might end up a bit too heavy. As the horse is 16 already this is probably less of an issue.

I only say this because it's kind of happened to me (slightly different situation as my old mare has a sway back which limits the weight I'm happy for her to carry more than her height and weight does). Got her when she was 14 and I was a skinny 10st. 8 years on she's an arthritic 22 and I'm 11.5 st occasionally pushing 12st and I can't really ride her regularly in good conscience any more (Although we occasionally pop out for a 20 min hack when shes feeling good). Life and weight gain happens I do think it's best to give yourself some headroom when buying a horse. My young mare could probably carry 20st with no worries... pass me the cake. :lol:
 
PapaverFollis said:
I doubt you are too heavy now. But you are tall so have the potential to be heavier... along with the horse getting older you might end up a bit too heavy. As the horse is 16 already this is probably less of an issue.

I only say this because it's kind of happened to me (slightly different situation as my old mare has a sway back which limits the weight I'm happy for her to carry more than her height and weight does). Got her when she was 14 and I was a skinny 10st. 8 years on she's an arthritic 22 and I'm 11.5 st occasionally pushing 12st and I can't really ride her regularly in good conscience any more (Although we occasionally pop out for a 20 min hack when shes feeling good). Life and weight gain happens I do think it's best to give yourself some headroom when buying a horse. My young mare could probably carry 20st with no worries... pass me the cake. :lol:
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This is my situation. I’ve been advised by saddler to do lots of in hand work to build my boys back up a bit before bringing him back into work. If would be good for me too if it wasn’t so bloomin wet at the moment so any plans of riding are on hold for now. Given that he’s 19 now it feels as if we are running out of time :(

In answer to your question OP, no I don’t think you’d be too heavy.
 
SussexbytheChristmasTree said:
The average weight of a woman in the UK is apparently about 11 stone it’s about 13 stone for men. Basically virtually no one would be able to ride if you took those calculations to the nth degee.
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I've no idea what could make anyone think that they have a right to ride simply because they are an average or healthy (or even slim for their height) weight. In just the same way that I had to tell a perfectly normal weight toddler (NOT one I have any input into up-bringing) that he was too big to ride my dog there are lots of animals bigger than a 5kg terrier cross that most (all in the dog's case!) people are too big to ride.

The toddler got it. Why adults can't is beyond me!
 
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OP you are no way to heavy for this horse. While I agree that no child should be allowed to ride any dog the other analogy is pure rubbish. No doubt girl friday you are a 6 stone rider but you are a rare body in deed if you are. The issue in most cases is that people who are not balanced riders do more damage to the horse whatever their weight than balanced heavier riders so really the only objection anyone could have would be if you deliberately threw yourself about on the saddle and didnt at least try to get better. Bad lightweight riders do far more damage than good average to slightly overweight riders.
Riders going round the old much more challenging Grand National and every 3 day event carrierd a minimum weight of about 11 stone 7 lbs mostly on very lightweight TBs years ago if a horse is fit, well muscled and neither old nor very young, average rider weight is irrelevant
 
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GirlFriday said:
I've no idea what could make anyone think that they have a right to ride simply because they are an average or healthy (or even slim for their height) weight. In just the same way that I had to tell a perfectly normal weight toddler (NOT one I have any input into up-bringing) that he was too big to ride my dog there are lots of animals bigger than a 5kg terrier cross that most (all in the dog's case!) people are too big to ride.

The toddler got it. Why adults can't is beyond me!
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I rarely see a horse that’s ridden by someone I consider way too heavy. There’s no real scientific evidence for setting any weight at the moment. Using weight of horse to decide what the weight of a rider should be is just ridiculous. A stocky Icelandic would be capable of carrying a lot more comfortably than a thoroughbred weight for weight.

More horses are damaged by simply doing high impact dressage or jumping by their competitive lightweight riders. The wastage in competition horses far exceeds that of the leisure / amateur rider.
 
Definitely not too heavy. Although I’m 5”7 and wouldn’t be comfortable on a 15.2 unless was wide and took up my leg
 
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SussexbytheChristmasTree said:
I rarely see a horse that’s ridden by someone I consider way too heavy. There’s no real scientific evidence for setting any weight at the moment. Using weight of horse to decide what the weight of a rider should be is just ridiculous. A stocky Icelandic would be capable of carrying a lot more comfortably than a thoroughbred weight for weight.

More horses are damaged by simply doing high impact dressage or jumping by their competitive lightweight riders. The wastage in competition horses far exceeds that of the leisure / amateur rider.
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Really? I see fat people riding unsuitable horses and ponies all the time. I cant bear it!
 
windand rain said:
No doubt girl friday you are a 6 stone rider but you are a rare body in deed if you are.
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They are \ complete novice who has never owned a horse. They also holds really strong views on things with no scientific basis or experience whatsoever. I only don't have them on UI as I find what they write so utterly ridiculous its amusing.
 
Antw23uk said:
Really? I see fat people riding unsuitable horses and ponies all the time. I cant bear it!
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Yes really. Maybe you’re just in a fat part of the country :p :D

I’m on the higher range of the magic 15% now due to middle age spread for my 16.1 23yr old WB but despite that he’s not exactly suffering as we only gently hack now.
 
SussexbytheChristmasTree said:
Yes really. Maybe you’re just in a fat part of the country :p :D

I’m on the higher range of the magic 15% now due to middle age spread for my 16.1 23yr old WB but despite that he’s not exactly suffering as we only gently hack now.
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Lol I think I must be :)

OP sorry I went a little off track, I think you might feel too tall but not to heavy although fitness weight and fat wobbly weight are very different things.
 
windand rain said:
OP you are no way to heavy for this horse. While I agree that no child should be allowed to ride any dog the other analogy is pure rubbish. No doubt girl friday you are a 6 stone rider but you are a rare body in deed if you are. The issue in most cases is that people who are not balanced riders do more damage to the horse whatever their weight than balanced heavier riders so really the only objection anyone could have would be if you deliberately threw yourself about on the saddle and didnt at least try to get better. Bad lightweight riders do far more damage than good average to slightly overweight riders.
Riders going round the old much more challenging Grand National and every 3 day event carrierd a minimum weight of about 11 stone 7 lbs mostly on very lightweight TBs years ago if a horse is fit, well muscled and neither old nor very young, average rider weight is irrelevant
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Agree 100% - it is so much about how balanced a rider is and, in my view, it is wrong to simplify things so it's all about weight and nothing else. There are so many variables. A super-fit 15.2 with fantastic muscle tone is going to be far more comfortable carrying a rider than a horse of similar height and weight who hasn't carried a rider for a long time.

Sorry but I just don't get the analogy about a child riding a dog. The main reason why no child should ride any dog is that the dog is likely to take exception and a very nasty incident could follow.
 
I am 11st 5"8 and my 15.3hh pure TB carries me just fine, and he is rather fine! I also have a 15hh Connie x Arab that carries me equally well although I do "look" a little underhorsed due to being a smidge leggy.
As long as you are well balanced and have good fitting tack (one of my biggest bug bares is seeing peoples arses spill out over the backs of saddles evidently putting pressure where it shouldn't be) you should be just fine. If you feel that the horse isn't well muscled over its back or is unfit start with long lining up hills as this will help but if it has been in regular work you should be just fine. That said as some others have said it would be hard to say 100% without a picture
 
I'm the same height and weight as the OP and I ride a 15.3hh Section D x TB aged 24; she's bursting with energy and goes like a train so I'm assuming she happy with the horse to rider weight ratio.
 
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