Being asked to get on the scales..would you be offended??

I wouldn't have a problem with being weighed but as has been said 12 stone is on the low side for a limit. If you want to cater purely for children/teenagers then you could probably get away with it but you will cut out pretty much all well muscled/fit males over about 5.8 and a fair few not particularly big females over 5.9 so if you want to teach adult beginners the weight is too low. You need to get some beefcake ID's or similar to cater for those people if you want their business, if not then carry on.
 
Lisamd said:
I wouldn't be offended but it all depends on how they ride. I'm just over 14st and comfortable in a size 16 dress. But i ride all mine without any trouble (pic below is on a 16.2hh) so would be offended by a 12st rule. All 3 of mine compete and cope with my weight, never have sore backs and manage to event with my big lump on their backs! So i think it's at the discreation of the person in charge. I think there is alot off difference between a 12st 'heavy' rider and a 14st 'balanced' rider :)
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Totaly agree, im in the same boat as you. Here a pic of me on Twizzy, she is one inch bigger than yours, but you get my point.
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The only ones who would be offended are those that are too heavy in any case I would think. I can't understand why people who are obviously too heavy would lie. I just wouldn't ride if I was too heavy. A friend of mine gained 5 stone after having a baby and so didn't ride until she had lost all the weight a whole 8 years later! She had around ten thoroughbreds and her skinny husband did all the riding. Now she's back on board and looking fabulous. At least she was not so selfish as to put her love of riding before the welfare of her horses.
 
I think most riding schools and trekking centres are very unrealistic both about the weight carrying capabilities of their horses and the weights of their clients. Plenty of places advertise a 12st weight limit and then you see 6ft men riding who whilst not overweight are very likely to weigh more than 12st. You then look at their horses and they are largely cobs and draught crosses easily capable of carrying much more.

My DH would never have learnt to ride if a 12st weight limit was imposed strictly at most riding schools because at 6ft2" he would struggle to get to that weight safely within a normal lifestyle. The riding school he has lessons as have no idea what he weighs, he is a little limited on the horses he can ride but to be honest that is more due to his height than his weight. They have lots of cobs because they are very versatile (suitable for adults and children of all abilities) and relatively cheap to keep, he tends to find that his feet are dangling around the knees of the horse way before the horse has difficulty carrying him, he has had to ask not to be put on some of the smaller cobs again because he can't get his leg on, not because they struggle with his weight.

The riding school have an excellent mix of horses, including several weight carriers, and most are also fine for small riders too. The best weight carriers aren't even that big, they have a few over height cobs that are big and strong enough to carry pretty much anything but small enough at 15.3 -16.1hh for a petite woman to be happy on them. They also have an ID and a few ISHs (including two that have been hunt horses carrying a master or whipper in over long periods) that are up to carrying a decent weight so they would really be doing themselves out of business to impose a strict weight limit.

I can't understand why a riding school would turn away business from heavier adults (if you are over 5ft8" then 12st is not overweight) when they could get themselves an overheight cob or an ID type that would be versatile and up to a good few stone more.
 
I think people lie about thier weight as they are embarrassed due to the attitude htey encounter.

I would love to go have a few lessons again after retiring my horse but I dare not ring a centre because im over 14stone, there used to be big heavy cobs for bigger riders, I know there are the odd centres now which cater for us and good on them, but the prejudices and sneery comments are enough to make anyone feel small.

Im surprised also the amount of schools that no longer have the horses that can take a good weight, when i started riding at 12 and i was lot thinner then the schools i used to go to had a good variety, but Ive found it hard to find anywhere with anything over 14.2 locally :\
 
If I went to a new RS I would fully expect to be weighed before my first lesson.

However.. I would be a bit miffed if my boss suddenly decided I needed to be weighed. I ride alot of different horses as part of my work and for staff we use common sense as to who rides what.
 
PurplePickle said:
I think people lie about thier weight as they are embarrassed due to the attitude htey encounter.

I would love to go have a few lessons again after retiring my horse but I dare not ring a centre because im over 14stone, there used to be big heavy cobs for bigger riders, I know there are the odd centres now which cater for us and good on them, but the prejudices and sneery comments are enough to make anyone feel small.

Im surprised also the amount of schools that no longer have the horses that can take a good weight, when i started riding at 12 and i was lot thinner then the schools i used to go to had a good variety, but Ive found it hard to find anywhere with anything over 14.2 locally :\
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I see you are in the midlands, the place I mentioned above is in south derbyshire if that isn't too far for you. They do have a number of weight carrying horses, and the owner isn't a slave to the scales!!! There are a good number of men who ride there so plenty of horses suitable to carry 14st, and they aren't all plodders either!
 
KristmasKatt said:
I see you are in the midlands, the place I mentioned above is in south derbyshire if that isn't too far for you. They do have a number of weight carrying horses, and the owner isn't a slave to the scales!!! There are a good number of men who ride there so plenty of horses suitable to carry 14st, and they aren't all plodders either!
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can you pm me the details? thank you :)
 
Wagtail said:
The only ones who would be offended are those that are too heavy in any case I would think.
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I really don't agree with this - i'm not too heavy by a long shot but I have always been paranoid about my weight and would be very embarrassed and upset to be asked to get on the scales. Its something I have enough of an issue with in private with me being the only one who ever sees/ knows what the scales say, let alone doing it where someone else gets to see the numbers.
 
I remember once being at a show and seeing this huge (and i mean huge) woman attempting to get on a 14hh pony, 2 people held it (kept trying to run off - suprisingly), this poor pony actually buckled under her weight - made me sick so i had to go say something to her - told her the reason her pony wont stand still is because hes probably petrified.. and the fact his back buckled under her weight told me she clearly shouldnt be riding, in no kind words she told me to mind my own business, complained to the judges and they done nothing.. this disgusted me and the people she surrounded herself with needed to grow a spine and tell her. She then continued to beat this poor pony round the jumping ring till they eventually asked her to leave.

Anyway after that essay, i think it all depends on the balance of yourself and the horse, if im honest looking at the picture of said pony - i would say i personally wouldnt say to go ahead and it would be ok.
 
I have not read all of the messages but...

I really like the idea of the coloured bands on the scales to determine which horse to ride, as long as you don't do the colours green amber and red!

Work out what horses fit into which colour scheme and list their names on a chart with the selection of colours that they can carry (where possible give the horses more that one colour band).

Personally I would not like more than 15% of the horses' bodyweight on youngsters at anytime unless just backing a youngster (sitting only). Then the 17-20% bodyweight rule can come into place once 6+ and the horse is balanced, higher % with a better rider, again reducing when the horse approaches retirement age or if an injury occurs.
 
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Wow interesting question/thread. I agree with many others, some are going to be mortified. But the mentioning it on the phone thing is a great idea, though watch out for people not turning up because of it!

But you have to, it's impossible to tell by eye. I weigh well over 12st, that's 13st no bother once booted etc., but people have offered me a sit on their horses before now that I just would NOT be happy could carry my weight! But I am deceptive in that way.

It reminds me of being sat on ex boyfriend's lap in the pub, he is a socking great muscle monster of a man (bouncer amongst other things) and after a bit he was like, jeez, how much do you weigh? (That's not why he is an ex now lol!)
 
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