Are there many horses that can comfortably carry 16stone+?

phantomhorse

phantomhorse

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If so, what sort? Just seen a wanted ad for such, for someone to teach their husband to ride on. My OH is about 16 - 17 stone but Id never considered him light enough for me to teach him to ride. He'd like to, but his weight and him being a total beginner has always put me off.

Have I been wrong all this time??? :confused:
 
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Difficult. I'd be looking for a HW Shire x or Clydie type. Plenty of horses wil carry an experienced rider of that weight but a beginner is going to need something much sturdier.
 
wellsat said:
Difficult. I'd be looking for a HW Shire x or Clydie type. Plenty of horses wil carry an experienced rider of that weight but a beginner is going to need something much sturdier.
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Its not so much been the difficulty of carrying 16-17 stone, more the problem of carrying a total novice through the paces thats always concerned me. If my OH could already ride, Id have felt much better finding him a suitable horse to hack out on. But learning from scratch - especially trot (:eek::eek::eek:)
 
Many horses can carry this weight for short periods if fit and with correctly fitting tack.

My 15.2 American paint mare is easily up to it but I know TBs and large natives that could also do the job. Some draughts are not up to weight.
For a beginner you need to keep lessons short until balance is established.
 
We had two horses for my husband - when he met me he had never sat on a horse - and he is 16+ stone.

I had a homebred cob x cb, and then we bought him an ID who had the same amount of bone but was much much taller.

It depends on the amount and density of the bone.
 
When putting a relatively large weight for the size of horse ON a horse, the length of the ribcage becomes more important - a 17 stone person is going to need probably a 19" saddle and not many horses can take one. If you are forced into a smaller saddle ensure it is in balance from front to back - you may need a rear riser pad to stop the person sitting on the cantle.
 
My Westphalian (built like an large Ardennes) is taking great delight in teaching a complete novice who weighs 18 stone (although she is losing weight). The novice tires sooner than the horse and never rides for more than 20-30 minutes. The novice was desperate to ride but very aware that she might be too heavy for the horse. We assured her that the horse would be fine. The rider is very aware that the horse is a sentient being and is as careful as possible to stay in balance and not make sudden movements.
Many RDA horses are capable of regularly carrying heavy riders who are unable to balance their own weight.
 
Plenty of heavy weight horses could do it if you are careful. I wouldn't look at a clyde or Shires as they are pullers not carriers. A percheron, ardennes, Irish draft, or a big maxi cob could do it. Also consider mules, they are often stronger for their size than horses. They are used for trekking a lot in other countries because they are stronger and tougher.
 
There are plenty! A good sized cob (not a vanner as they are pullers not carriers), a M/W or H/W hunter. Or a quarter horse, or a Dales pony. Did you know that the original Dales ponies had to be able to trot most of the way from Alston in Northumberland to the coast (about 27 miles) carrying two panniers of lead,, ech pannier weighing 8 stone? If the horse is fit and well, the amount of riding your husband would be doing initially would be no problem, especially if sensible hacking. Round and round a school with an unbalanced rider - not so sure.

My vet hs forbidden me to ask him again if my horses are up to my weight - a TB with plenty of bone, a three-quarter bred hunter and a Welsh cob.
 
Fany could take it easily, she has a LOT of bone, but she would not take a 19inch saddle as she is shortish in the back, we ride in a 17in and that would be as big as I would want to put on her. Ardennes are often used for RDA because they can carry weight and because of their wonderful gentle, tolerant natures.

I think you need something like Fany or a old fashioned ID but probably not Shire or Clydesdale, or another of the continental CBs like a Percheron, they have much more bone than our native CBs.

Hope you find something and someone to teach him, although you may have to get the horse and then find the AI as I know a lot of RS have weight limits of 12-13 stone.

FDC
 
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My german warmblood mare carried me just fine when i was 16stone.. but a beginner is a bit more difficult as their balance is not usually great and they sit 'heavey' so have to agree that a nice big shire x would be perfect. Horse will happily carry more weight than we think.. we just like mollycoddling them
 
I recently purchased my horse who was 5 stage vetted. The vet advised me that my horse was capable of carrying up to 16stone.

He is an irish sports horse (i estimate he's prob 7/8 irish draught as hes quite chunky!) and 16hh.

However, he can only have a 17 1/2 inch saddle absolutly max!
 
phantomhorse said:
If so, what sort? Just seen a wanted ad for such, for someone to teach their husband to ride on.
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Well this chap would carry 20 stone now (obviously in this pic he is NOT showing behaviour suitable for a novice rider!:D) He's 17hh with 10.5" of bone.

lofty-buck.jpg


He's by my 17hh BIG RID stallion, out of a 17hh TBxPercheron mare (who'd thrown towards the Percheron!)

And this chap would carry 17-18 stone - he's actually a very good lunge horse - and quiet to hack (but I wouldn't send a novice hunting on him yet! :rolleyes:)

Rambo-1-a.jpg


(he's lost 2 stone since this pic, :D) He's 17hh with over 10" of bone - pure ID)

Both carry an 18" saddle and would carry a 19" - although both are relatively short in the back. But in a horse this size ....
 
Rose Folly said:
There are plenty! A good sized cob (not a vanner as they are pullers not carriers), a M/W or H/W hunter. Or a quarter horse, or a Dales pony. Did you know that the original Dales ponies had to be able to trot most of the way from Alston in Northumberland to the coast (about 27 miles) carrying two panniers of lead,, ech pannier weighing 8 stone? If the horse is fit and well, the amount of riding your husband would be doing initially would be no problem, especially if sensible hacking. Round and round a school with an unbalanced rider - not so sure.

My vet hs forbidden me to ask him again if my horses are up to my weight - a TB with plenty of bone, a three-quarter bred hunter and a Welsh cob.
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I am really interested that you include the quarter horse as I would love to take up western riding but my son who will be sharing with me is 16st plus, would a QH really be up to his weight?
 
Eriskayowner said:
I was 17 stone a while ago (now down to 15 and a half stone and still falling - I blame the poo-picking ;) ) and felt that jazzy carried me comfortably.

He's Cleveland bay x Hanoverian - not exactly a heavy weight!!

IMG_0407.jpg
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See, how do you measure that? Horses are very stoical and long-suffering and put up with a lot. Doesn't mean they're comfortable though.
 
I'd say by him hacking out happily with no napping, going forward (too forward!) being happy to be groomed, tacked up, girthed up with no sign of soreness and regular check ups from the physio (due to an injury before I took him on) and passing with flying colours.
 
A horse will carry 20-30% of its body weight. The lower scale is recommended for competition/heavy work/endurance etc and the max of 30% is aimed at more gentle riding but on a fit horse. If i were 30% of my horses body weight i wouldnt be asking him/her to do any jumping for example.

So take a small lightweight horse of 1000lbs and they can easily carry 200lbs and up to 300lbs (the latter is dependant then on the conformation/strength and fitness of the horse but the 20% is universal)

200lbs is just over 14 stone. So almost any horse is capable of carrying at least 14stone and some up to 21 stone (which is 300lbs)

and thats just 'normal sized horses'

Of course you then get your heavier weight horses and your weight carrying horses.
Ardennes
Irish draught
cobs
arabs
quarter horses
norwegian ford
haflingers
icelandic horses
etc

even thoroughbreds have to carry a minimum of 12 stone when racing and endurnace horses have to carry a minimum of i think its 11 stone

I have a 15'2 arab and she has happily carried a person ((a friend of mine)albeit a fit and active and not a beginner rider though) of 16 stone out hacking.
Our smallish cob is carries my 15 stone (not at all fat he is in a 17inch saddle and wears a 36 weist!) husband and will go hunting all day.
These two horses regularly have their backs checked (i do backs every six months regardless of if they need doing or not) and not once has there been any problem flagged up!

Janet George that grey is absolutely gorgeous!!!
 
I agree with Alphmare. When looking for a horse for my OH who weighs 14stone we went on the calculation of 20% of the horses body weight. When our mare was weighed at the vets she came out at 730kg so more than capable of carrying him! He had been having weekly lessons for 2 years before we bought a horse for him, so not a complete novice.
 
It does NOT depend on the amount of bone!!! Do you sit on the legs??? It depends on the back. Needs a short strong back, well muscled and fit. Doesn't matter if it's got 50 inches of bone in the leg if it's got a long skinny back with no muscle. Also the horse needs to carry itself more round to make a 'bridge' of the back, which we all know is a stronger shape. And if the horse is overweight then you need to add that into the equation, as many large horses i see with large riders are overweight themselves which must make everything harder.

In short, no i do not think there are 'many' horses which could carry that weight of beginner happily and without risk to their back. But there are some, probably the likes of working draught horses who are well muscled and know how to work. I would not say that a tb (as someone above said) with their long backs would be comfortable carrying that weight in a novice. They may put up with it, but it doesn't mean they are happy of comfortable.
 
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this is actually a lovely read it its a rare to find most comments positive to bigger riders. when i was 15stone i was told nothing would carry me and i was having a laugh after losing loads of weight i still find im being careful as everything seems to have a weight limit of 10/11 stone which i am not.

yet i remember only a few years ago that people of 14 stone were riding 14hh welsh d's, with no problems.
 
Would this not be an ideal situation in which to start lessons on a mechanical horse? At least it would allow the rider to experience trot in an environment that did not impact a horse too much?
 
xTrooperx said:
yet i remember only a few years ago that people of 14 stone were riding 14hh welsh d's, with no problems.
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my welsh D is that size, i'm 12st 10 and she finds carrying me a breeze. however we recently went treeless so i'm losing weight to accomodate that.
But my mum is a couple stone heavier than me and used to jump on her for the occasional hack and the sod was still fresh when she got home. Don't think she could do it long term without problems though
 
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