Angry at rude riding stables

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Radar Lugs

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I am so annoyed. My 15 year old sister has unfortunately got the horsey bug too.
Till recently she was happy at a school but it closed down a few months ago. A new school was found and she has has several private lessons all of which went well. She was happy riding bigger horses, think she was riding something about 15hh where as before was on much smaller ponies with no problems.

Just had my dad ask for my opinion as at the weekend the riding school said that my sister was too heavy for their horses and can't come back. She is nowhere near over weight by any standards. Just standard 15 year old size! She is devastated and has now got it into her head she's fat.

I know a lot of yards have weight limits usually between 14-16 stones depending on types of horses they have, but she is nowhere near that weight. What right do they have to tell young girls of that age that they are too heavy to ride? And surely they have a duty of care not to cause girls of that age to start starving themselves!

I have 2 17hh horses neither of which would struggle in the slightest to carry her even if she put on a few extra stones. I am so annoyed.

Anyway sorry for the rant, just had to vent, and ask what you all think.
 
It seems to be normal that a lot of riding schools have a limit of 12 stones these days, even on horses that could carry much more.

Poor thing. Could she not have lessons on yours? If not what area is she? Someone may know somewhere..
 
Do you know what exactly the yard said to her?

Not that it matters much, as it's horrid that she thinks she's far because of it! But it just reminded me of my 15 year old self being told I needed to exercise outside of riding (once a week at the time!) to improve any...I took it to heart initially but now I realise it really would have helped me and my instructor wasn't calling me fat, just unfit XD
 
I hate to say it but its their horses their choice

I personally can not see why they would do themselves out of a large percentage of riders by putting such a strict weight limit in place that the average 15 year old would fall foul of the limit but if you feel its very unfair then I would write to them appealing the decision. If they are BHS approved there may be an avenue of complaint there too.
 
You need to ascertain exactly what was said to your sister and whether whomever said it had the authority to say it.

I don't know how heavy your sister is but most of the RS I know of have an upper weight limit of 12 stone which I would certainly hope your sister is below.
 
A relatives daughter was not allowed to ride at equine college as she was 12 and half stone...but she was near 6ft tall and by no means overweight for her size.. But the college had a weight limit... Problem was solved when the college allowed her to take her own horse there for the lessons ... The biggest horse at the college was a 15-3 Irish d cross shire... It was built to carry weight, but it was a college rule that had to be stuck to. It's a shame when common scenes don't prevail
 
ROMANY 1959 said:
A relatives daughter was not allowed to ride at equine college as she was 12 and half stone...but she was near 6ft tall and by no means overweight for her size.. But the college had a weight limit... Problem was solved when the college allowed her to take her own horse there for the lessons ... The biggest horse at the college was a 15-3 Irish d cross shire... It was built to carry weight, but it was a college rule that had to be stuck to. It's a shame when common scenes don't prevail
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I suppose if you break a rule for one person...then people may start to question the integrity of that rule and all others.
I personally think a 12 stone limit for a riding school is reasonable if they don't especially cater for adults (I know loads like this). But if they were more aimed at all ages, then I think it's a little unreasonable.
 
As if young girls do not already have enough pressure regarding there bodies due to the media as it is.

Reminds me of when a certain "professional" informed me I was too heavy to ride my other horse, who by the way is a 16.2hh Irish sports horse has no problems with back or legs etc, slightly on the finer sider. I am 8st 2lbs and 5ft 4ins. Does make one wonder.
 
Thanks everyone so far.

I don't know what the weight limit is of the stables but I have told my dad to find out. My sister is below 12 stones and is reasonably fit. She plays in her school hockey team and various other sports so can't see that her fitness is an issue.

Surely if they had a problem with her weight they would have said something before giving her several private lessons?

Unfortunately I live in Scotland and she is in Wales so she can't ride mine. Added to that mine are competition horses so would be to much for her at the moment anyway. If she was up here I know several places that she could ride at. Guess we need to wait and see what the stables say tomorrow when my dad phones them.
 
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Hollie&Millie said:
As if young girls do not already have enough pressure regarding there bodies due to the media as it is.

Reminds me of when a certain "professional" informed me I was too heavy to ride my other horse, who by the way is a 16.2hh Irish sports horse has no problems with back or legs etc, slightly on the finer sider. I am 8st 2lbs and 5ft 4ins. Does make one wonder.
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What? You are 8 st 2 on a 16.2 and they quibbled with that? You would be fine on a little pony. Can't quite believe that.
 
Radar Lugs said:
Unfortunately I live in Scotland and she is in Wales so she can't ride mine.
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Where abouts in Wales? South West, South East, or elsewhere? I know of a few places in and around Cardiff/Newport and Swansea/surrounding areas where this wouldn't happen if she feels up to going to a different stables.
 
I can't understand what the problem would be?? It does seen very unreasonable indeed!
Although weight limmits do seen to be getting more strict, for example I was told by a reputable professional I was too heavey for my boy, a 14.1hh Sufolk Punch X Connie, whom I compete BE90 (I'm 5ft6 & weigh 8st2).

Similarly I've just left college and the weight limmit there was 12st, I'm now a trainee instructor at a RS and our weight limmit is 14st but for that we use our Ardennes X Highland.
I suppose a responsible riding school will put there weight limmits lower than they have to to compensate for novice riders, who will be bouncing around and unable to carry any if there own weigh.

This however does seem rediculous! You have a right to be very angry. Are you not inclined to think something else is going on?
 
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