BHS Magazine:fuller figure riders

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__Annie__

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Has anyone else read the for and against replies to the original letter ?

My mare is still off work due to idiopathic lameless.

She is a 640 kg 16.3hh 13 year old WB/CB/TB x with nearly 10" of bone BUT I believe I must take into consideration the fact she is pigeon toed MUST have a bearing on the weight she can carry.

I'm 5'10" and have reduced my weight from 13st 13lb( overweight at Size 16/18) to 12 st 2lb(in ideal range at Size 14/16) , my next target is 11st 7lb.

Of course I want to get slimmer for me BUT the incentive was my horses wellbeing.

I desperately want her sound again and believe I have a part to play in ensuring I'm as light as healthily possible for her . Whilst she is on 'sick leave' I've taken the opportunity to do my bit.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and state I wholly agree with the 'against' replies published.

Time after time I see photo's and clinics published in the popular horse magazines with the 'problem' horse lumbered with a fuller figured rider, they may be a balanced rider with good hands BUT the extra weight must have a detrimental effect on the horse especially when jumping .

Ah well that's my piece , any comments anyone?
 
Oh holy moly.... not again..... I think that if a horse is capable of carrying 12/13/14/15/20 stone and the rider is balanced, and rides well then I really dont have a problem with it at all. I would rather the horse have a slightly heavier rider, that rode light, and well, than a lighter rider who rode heavily with "bad" hands, and was generally pants!!
 
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Oh holy moly.... not again.....

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sorry, I didn't realise the BHS Magazine had published these responses before
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I am 5ft2 and throughout my adult life my weight has fluctuated from 9st9 to over 13st it is now settled at about 11st (still overweight I know), but I do think that weight has a huge impact on horses, the most noticeable difference was when I was nearly 13st I was eventing my mum's horse and I enroled in WW, as my weight got down I noticed how much our xc times improved and also the showjumping phase (a miracle wouldnt solve the dressage
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) so I am very aware of the effect of weight on horses, I do tend to reduce my weight slightly during the summer naturally, so would probably be 10st odd during the eventing season, but well done you for recognising this and good luck!
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I know what you're saying but i've also seen plenty of horses 'lumbered' with leightweight riders who are still problem horses regardless of how much weight they carry or how well balanced the rider is, dont really think that weight is an issue, just look at racing chasers, they can often carry a high weight for their height/bone and from an early age. Dont really see the issue, if you put it in perspective its like an average person carrying a 2 1/2 stone backpack, if its in the right place there is no problem, horses that cant carry that weight ratio clearly have more problems than an overweight rider!

Dont think it is fair to be down on larger people and make out that it is detrimental to their horses performance, it really has little to do with it!
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Oh holy moly.... not again.....

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sorry, I didn't realise the BHS Magazine had published these responses before
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I have no idea if they have or not.... my holy moly response was that this arguement has been done to death over the past few weeks on this forum!!
 
i agree. the furore on here yesterday about a largeish rider on a small pony just showed how sensitive everyone is about it, though, so be prepared for some incoming brickbats!
i am not fattist, as far as i'm concerned anyone is welcome to be the size of a sofa, good for them, as long as that is what they are going to be sitting on. once you are talking about sitting on a horse, however, i think people have a duty to be reasonably fit and not overweight for the horse they are riding. if it's a shire, or a clydesdale, or another very large and strong horse, then it's not as bad, but people should ideally try to ride balanced and light with it... just because the horse can pull a few tons, doesn't mean it won't risk injury to its back carrying a heavy person. if it's a smaller, blood-type horse, or a pony, then i think it can become a welfare issue. and if anyone trots out the old "but full-grown men used to ride highland ponies all day" argument, not at speed over jumps, they didn't! maybe for a walk up a hill, to lead it back down with a culled stag draped over it!
anyway, if people are a bit large, then it's not rocket science - do a bit more exercise, eat a bit less rubbish, watch the weight go (which it will for 99% of people, i am absolutely convinced), and then ride!
 
ARGGGHHHHHHH kerelli... eating less, exercising more etc is all well and good if you dont have food "issues" which 98% of over weight people do... if it was that easy NO ONE would be fat without medical grounds ...... Over eating can have as many "mind" issues as under eating..... but Im guessing you have never been VERY overweight and so wouldnt understand that!
 
Annie - different day, different responses I'm afraid.

If you had posted this in a months time, I'm sure you would have received positive comments about riders being responsible and losing weight to "help" their horses.
 
no, i haven't. i've been a stone more than now, and that was enough for me! sorry if i'm not sympathetic enough, but i stand by my opinion that it's a rider's duty to be reasonably fit and not too heavy for the horse they're on. if they can't lose the weight, then take up driving, or something else instead. sorry, but horse welfare comes first in my book. the horse doesn't have a choice who rides it, for the most part... unless it is smart/evil enough to drop anyone who doesn't feel nice enough up there!
 
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ARGGGHHHHHHH kerelli... eating less, exercising more etc is all well and good if you dont have food "issues" which 98% of over weight people do...

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Is a "food issue" simply being too damn lazy / fond of your food to eat less? Because that's my issue. I admit that I am a fat blob, but its nothing at all to do with having "food issues" except that I like food and specifically food that's not good for me !

I also don't exercise enough, although that has changed dramatically over the past few weeks. WHat I DO find is that the more I exercise, the less hungry I get. We had a strenuous half-hour raking the sand school yesterday night and when I got home, I simply wasn't hungry !

I dont think most fat people have food issues as such, I just think its hard to get oneself into the "eat less, exercise more" mindset, and when you are overweight, its even harder. I wouldn't call that an "issue" though. That's a cop-out.
 
Come one then, who is going to say I'm cruel... I'm 5'6 and ride a 15hh 3/4 TB and am a size 18. My weightb has been up to over 17 stone before and this same mare, whom I bred and backed myself, is now 15 and has never had back or lameness issues othe than accidents or abscesses.

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So is this cruel/I'm too fat and shouldn't ride or should ride a Shire???

I eat healthily and excercise but owing to horrible genes from my dad, I've got his families diabetes tendencies and struggle to shift any weight though anyone else would be 8 stone on my diet and excercise!

Its not always that easy and horses are way tougher and can carry more than a lot of the precious people on here think!

(And mine did - with me riding - a 6 day 200 miles charity ride and came back fit and sound and with NO issues at all!)
 
*takes hat off to trundle*

and can i just add that if, like me and my boyf, you have absolutely no willpower at all, then just don't let yourself buy cake, biscuits, chocolate, ice-cream, etc. if it's not in the house, we can't eat it... funny, that!
 
I'm 5 foot 2.5 inches tall and weigh 13 stone dressed in all my riding gear. Both my riding instructors, my farrier and my vet all seem to think it would be fine to hack my 13.2hh teenage Arab x Welsh mare for up to 45 minutes in walk with the odd trot. (She was a late starter, has a reasonable conformation etc and is in good health apart from being overweight. The women who runs the rescue sanctury broke her in herself and she was 11 stone and 5 foot 8).
Personally I feel too heavy and will not be riding her again until I'm 11 stone but I know a huge majority of people on here would say I was still too heavy even at 11 stone, even though the professional people who know my pony and I think I would still be able to ride her lightly at my current weight. All very confusing and I can see why 'weight' is causing so many heated debates.
 
QR - I agree with Kerilli - who puts it far more eloquently than I ever could.

I too have never been overweight - but have found in recent years that I do have to now watch my weight. So no biscuits, crisps or other rubbish in the house for me I'm afraid. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's it.
 
Yes, this is how I feel.

I still have food issues but I address this by stuffing myself with different food
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and throwimg in the odd cabbage soup diet week !
I still love my 'cereal snacks' but I now use skimmed milk as opposed to full fat, I still love curry but I now buy weightwatcher etc sauces to go with Quorn etc
In fact I live on weightwatcher products, their cherry bakewell tarts are delicious.

I feel much better and my energy levels have risen , no one said it'd be easy BUT it is possible to kick ones own large bottom into touch
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absolutely. am currently existing on homemade veg soup, and no rubbish, and surprise surprise, it's shifting.
i know there are people with metabolism problems (i have a friend who eats very very little and stays large, it is so unfair) but i do think they are in the tiny minority.
 
My mistake was not noticing the 'wobbly' signs until a few stone later
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I'm glad I nipped it in the bud though and look forward to the day I just need to maintain my weight.
 
I am 5ft 10 and bordering on a size 16 (don't weigh myself any more I'm afraid) I have a 16.1hh TB gelding. My daughter is about 5ft 7 and a size 10/12 so obviously a lot lighter than me but I believe she is much heavier on the horse than I, just by watching him when she gets on (he pulls faces and turns to try and bite her bum) He has had his back checked on 2 occasions since I have had him and he has no problems at all. He is quite short backed though which maybe helps.
 
Absolutely - if the crap isn't in the house, you won't be tempted to eat it. I buy a lot of oranges, because for some reason they appease junk cravings (in me, anyway) and the fiddliness of peeling them is good displacement activity.

Yes, I'd much rather stuff down a giant bag of crisps, but if all there is to eat is an orange, if I am sufficiently hungry i eat it. If I really won't eat the orange, i'm obviously not hungry anyway.

PS. i am not perfect and not trying to imply that I am. i eat far too many crisps and other junk and drink too much wine. I am, as i said, a fat blob, but i am doing something about it.
 
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*takes hat off to trundle*

and can i just add that if, like me and my boyf, you have absolutely no willpower at all, then just don't let yourself buy cake, biscuits, chocolate, ice-cream, etc. if it's not in the house, we can't eat it... funny, that!

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that's me and my hubby !
 
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haha, i put a stone on in a week, fully-catered skiing! beat that! i know how easy it is to put on...
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arghhhhh, can't beat that !!!!
Nearest was 1/2 stone in a week on Honeymoon , we were very, decadent
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This post seems to have gone into a bit of a how heathy and how much weight have I lost issue!! Gingerreindeer you look great on your horse, showing that weight really isnt an issue to all horses!! You dont look that big though, quite good actually!!
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Just a question for CranberrySauce?? Would you have even started losing weight if you're horse hadnt gone lame and you thought that was to blame and if you think that being an overweight rider is so bad then why did you get overweight in the first place!

I'm not as light as I was but not as heavy as some other riders but I feel that this post is more about saying well done for losing the weight than it is about the horse, good for you for losing it but is the post really about you or your horse??
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I'm guessing I can't look as heavy as I am. I'm a size 14, and 5'6'', relatively fit. All my clothes still fitted, so I didn't weigh myself - guessed I'd be what I always was - about 11 1/2 to 12 stone. Discovered I was over 13 stone - aargh.

I always make sure I tell anywhere I ride my actual weight, but I still get put on the 14.2s, some of which really don't look particularly stocky. I'm also a novice, so doubt I ride that light... Last horse I rode was a highland/nf, about 14.2, she wasn't struggling at all.

Admittedly the horse I ride most often is a 15hhish cob, mostly because he is a sane, safe horse, and an honest jumper, even from a rubbish approach.
 
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