BHS Magazine:fuller figure riders

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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.

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I think my metabolism is slowly getting faster
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I used to be very lean and fit (swimming lots ) and am banking on this muscle memory thing
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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?

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so your saying fat people shouldn't ride??
 
I always worry about this but come to the conclusion that if I get on a horse and it doesn't fall over, pull faces and can go for a decent hack without coming back huffing and puffing then its capable of carrying me! Doesn't stop me trying to lose weight though but depite running, riding and exercise videos every day I still stay the same weight!
 
Quote: OMG even I lose weight skiing, even in Canada, where they dont do small!!!!
Maybe you should *ahem* ski more, eat less!

haha, i was skiing hard all day, every day... but no-one else liked the death-by-chocolate desserts, so i was eating 8 or 9 a night... oink oink.
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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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Why thank you!

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I think a lot of people have a bit of an incorrect idea of how big someone looks versus their actual weight - either that or I have lead bones and am a total freak - as I don't think I look too big or heavy for her, I don't get people pointing and saying "get off you fat cow" or anything, but I think people would be surprised at my actual weight... I don't think I look it but that's my opinion (I'm not 17 stone now though, a bit less!)

Plus after 25 years riding, I'd better be riding light and balanced or I think I need to give it up as a bad thing!
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Bored with this topic now.
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Your not the only one S
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8stone of rider in "sack of spuds" position is far more unfair on a horse then 15 stone of good rider.
Seems most riding schools have a top limit of 12 stone now..wonder how many top male riders would be under that weight limit?
How many eventers/hunters do you see that cant cope with a 6ft man?

Yes of course i agree we should all try to be a fait and healthy as possable(and that of course includes carrying as little excess weight as possable) but being overweight doesnt mean you cant or shouldnt ride-just find a suitable horse!
 
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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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It's about other people telling me how marvelous I am, seeking adoration etc !!!!!!!!!
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No, going back to the original title of this post I was pleasantly surprised by the non PC responses to the original letter and wondered what others thought, if they'd read it.

As for your questions:
As I said 'of course I did it for me too' BUT my horse was my incentive. I just didn't realise my weight had crept up and up , the stark reality was when I had to really breathe in to get into my beloved breeches
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At my height and I really am large boned
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I was never obese but I was overweight . If my horse was more conformationally correct maybe I wouldn't have worried so much
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The original letter was written by a size 26 lady (no weight was given) , if she was an average 5'5" height this would make her clinically obese, wouldn't it?
Yes, I do think it is 'selfish ' to be an overweight rider, even more so if obese and especially if jumping or generally bouncing up and down on a horses back
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Im completely biased because i am tall and naturally slim so i can ride a 11hh if needed (obv, i might aswell just walk over them as im 5'7) ive never had issues with my weight so it would be unfair of me to comment on people who weigh more than me on what horses would be suitable for them.

Personally i prefer ponies because ive had too many close calls with horses decking me, but i think this subject has been done to death on here.. the last thread which i read (yup, all 18 pages last time i looked) is enough to tell anybody not to bring it up again so soon.. eeekk!!
 
I don't belong to the BHS so have not seen the magazine. What were the "against" responses saying?

At size 26, almost anyone would be clinically (dare i say morbidly) obese. Even if the lady in question was 6 foot tall, she would still be vastly, vastly overweight for her height. Being very fat makes you unbalanced, that is a fact, because fat wobbles ! If you are heavy because you have big well-developed muscles, you are more likely to be able to hold yourself well and control your body well.
 
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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.

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OMG you small mided person.... words fail me.

NO a food issue is not simply laziness.... its an ingrained behaviour/addiction which is as difficult to give up as drugs....
Over eaters (some not all), will sabbotage themselves in the same manner as anorexics do... they simply believe they are not worthy/good enough to be slim (and so fit in with society).....

If losing weight was as easy as you make out then NO ONE would be fat... as im sure NO ONE enjoys being 2/3/4/10 stone over weight.

To tar all fat people with the lazy brush is the cop out instead of getting to their real issues with food... things like their mother didnt have time for them but they always had lavish meals etc (people then associate food with love)..... food has been a comfort to people when humanity failed them... this becomes an ingrained habit, which like I said can be as difficult to break as drugs......

Please dont be so blase (sp) about the reasoning behind fatness, alot of people could/should be offended by it!
 
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Seems most riding schools have a top limit of 12 stone now..wonder how many top male riders would be under that weight limit?


But they are not (one hopes) bouncing and crashing about on horses' backs!

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Like I said, a larger good rider will be less of a burden then a light poor rider- all comes down to finding the right horse doesnt it?
you can be 15/16 stone on the right horse and not be any trouble to it,you can be 8 stone and cause back trouble.

IMO it's about compatability and ability,not what number is on the scales
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OMG you small mided person.... words fail me.

NO a food issue is not simply laziness.... its an ingrained behaviour/addiction which is as difficult to give up as drugs

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I didn't say a food issue was laziness. What I said was that I don't believe that 98% of fat people have "food issues". Calling it "food issues" takes the responsibility away from the individual. i would love to blame my size on "food issues", but its nothing of the sort - I eat too much of the wrong sort of food and I don't exercise enough. Put bluntly, its greed and laziness.

Look, i am sure that there is a small percentage of people for whom food is a genuine psychological issue. i just don't think that the vast majority of fat people can truthfully attribute their size to psychological problems.
 
I think it would be more than you think, as alot of people havent even thought about why they behave around food in certain ways.... I however am firmly with you eat too much... drink to much and dont exercise enough.....hence an arse the size of a small mountain!
 
The other thing about any addiction is that if you do not like the effects then it is your responsibility to change your behaviour. That may mean having to seek help with identifying the reasons and working through them, but it is not a reason to do nothing, and yes I work with people with all sorts of issues.
 
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OMG you small mided person.... words fail me.

NO a food issue is not simply laziness.... its an ingrained behaviour/addiction which is as difficult to give up as drugs....
Over eaters (some not all), will sabbotage themselves in the same manner as anorexics do... they simply believe they are not worthy/good enough to be slim (and so fit in with society).....

If losing weight was as easy as you make out then NO ONE would be fat... as im sure NO ONE enjoys being 2/3/4/10 stone over weight.

To tar all fat people with the lazy brush is the cop out instead of getting to their real issues with food... things like their mother didnt have time for them but they always had lavish meals etc (people then associate food with love)..... food has been a comfort to people when humanity failed them... this becomes an ingrained habit, which like I said can be as difficult to break as drugs......

Please dont be so blase (sp) about the reasoning behind fatness, alot of people could/should be offended by it!

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So if words fail you, how come you went on with your rant?
 
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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!!

[/ QUOTE ] What a breath of fresh air your reply is
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Says it all
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Why is she small-minded? Maybe I am stupid, but I think she is talking a lot of sense about her situation. She's taken the time to analyse what she does and she has made decisions to alter the way she leads her life. Sounds like a pretty big deal to me.
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Anyway I say well done to Annie. Is it not PC to say "well done you've lost weight"? I think Annie has done great and if her horse was her inspiration then I think that is admirable. Why put her down?
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I'm still overweight
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After havivg my baby (4 months ago)
I must admit i would lose weight a lot quicker if i went on a 'propper' diet, but life is too short to eat horrid food and drink herbal teas.
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It's shifting slowly i'm going by how my clothes fit and how my horses go.
Not compeating till march anyway.
But there does seam to be a lot of people riding that have a poor seat and balance, it's just a lot more noticable when they are fat!
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I am kind of on the fence on this one. I do believe that it is easier to balance/ride etc when thinner and heavier riders have to work harder to maintain balance and sympathetic riding, but that maybe sometimes that extra awareness that is required when you are overweight, makes you a better rider than a skinnier person with less awareness.

Weight loss is something I am constantly battling my greedy nature to achieve! (I'm currently a size 14 after losing a stone this summer - need to lose a couple more really). I think realistically we do sometimes make life more difficult for ourselves and sometimes our horses by being over weight - although have to say my horses have never had back/lameness issues and my current mare is long backed.

However, I also believe that MORE importantly is how a rider thinks and rides no matter what their weight. You can get some fantastically sympathetic heavier riders who ride light and sympathetically and some horrendous skinny ones who have no regard for the horse, have a driving seat etc (not nice if you have prominent seat bones!).

Interestingly the worst damage I have ever seen done to a horse mentally and physically was by a very thin, very fit, muscle bound fitness addict..............!!!

The weight of the rider is a consideration, but is not the only one or the most important one in my opinion.

Of course, if you are skinny and a lovely sympathetic nice rider than fantastic (although I hate every one of you!!!
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OMG you small mided person.... words fail me.

NO a food issue is not simply laziness.... its an ingrained behaviour/addiction which is as difficult to give up as drugs

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I didn't say a food issue was laziness. What I said was that I don't believe that 98% of fat people have "food issues". Calling it "food issues" takes the responsibility away from the individual. i would love to blame my size on "food issues", but its nothing of the sort - I eat too much of the wrong sort of food and I don't exercise enough. Put bluntly, its greed and laziness.

[/ QUOTE ] So you never ride then, you just spend time e.g. raking the sand school. Thats okay then. You better not ride though ....... that would make you a hypocrite!
 
How big is too big? Just got my BHS mag out and they are refering to a lady who is a size 26 - how much would she weigh? I'm just browsing the replies above quickly, but those of you who are size 14 or 16 are hardly in the same league.
People tend to say that heavier riders should ride a shire, but shires are bred for pulling weight not carrying it aren't they? Does that make a difference? What are the real best weight carrying breeds?
Whatever private horse owners do, I can understand a riding school having a weight limit. It may not be practical for them to keep a really heavy duty weight carrier on the yard, as they are generally a bit wide and huge for your average sized person. (Although I've ridden an Ardennes - I just looked like a Thelwell character!). I think riding schools are going to have to set a weight limit based on the horses they have. I used to help at an RDA school, where two blind girls rode. They kept getting heavier, and it was a very sad day when they had to stop coming. However, it was the right decision for the sake of the horse they rode, and for us helpers who had to physically assist them on to the horse.
 
I do wish this could just be treated as a welfare issue - same as if we were discussing how much weight a pack-pony should be asked to carry. It's a shame that all sorts of anxieties about fat and body image and so on have to get in the way of what should be a simple welfare question.

Also, it drives me nuts that everyone talks about the horse's height all the time. The height of the horse (and of the rider, for that matter) is virtually irrelevant. What is important in determining weight carrying ability is the amount of BONE the horse (or pony) has.

The simple rule of thumb I was taught is that a horse or pony (of WHATEVER height) with 8 inches of bone can carry up to a maximum of 13 stone (that's including all tack, rider's heavy clothing, boots, etc - so does NOT mean a 13-stone rider, probably more like 12 stone).

A horse or pony (of ANY height) with 9 inches of bone can carry up to a maximum of 15 stone (including tack, etc.)

Over 9.5 inches of bone is a serious weight carrier.

Factors such as the horse's age, condition, fitness, conformation etc. - and the rider's skill/experience - should be taken into consideration - but ONLY to reduce the amount of weight you ask a horse to carry. No horse/pony, however fit, well, young, etc. - and with however brilliant a rider - should ever be asked to carry more than the maximum weight for its bone size.

So it's simple, if anyone is worried that they might be too heavy for their horse - weigh yourself in your riding gear, with saddle. Then measure your horse's bone (circumference of the foreleg, just below the knee).

If the combined weight of you (in riding gear) plus saddle, etc. is over 13 stone, and your pony/horse has less than 8 inches of bone - you are too heavy. End of story. The fact that you are 5ft2 and the horse is 16.2 is neither here nor there.

The rider's BMI is totally irrelevant - this isn't about whether you are 'overweight' for your height, or 'fat' or any other emotive issues - it's about how much total weight a horse or pony should be expected to carry, same as if we were asking how many sacks of grain or whatever a pack-horse/pony can carry.

So please can we stop talking about how tall people and their horses are and start talking about rider + tack weight and horse/pony's bone.

(Yes of course a very tall rider, however lightweight, on a tiny pony is gonna have problems balancing etc. I only weigh 6 stone, so even Inky the mini could probably carry me LOL, but I still wouldn't choose to ride a v small pony cos I'm 5ft5 and I'd need roller skates! But apart from such obvious problems, your height and the horse's height are irrelevant.)

Sorry - bit of a rant!
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I think what will be asked of the horse under saddle is also highly relevant. The guidelines of bone and rider weight were developed as a guide for what a horse could carry when out for a days hunting. I am far too overweight to be happy about it (I am losing weight but very slowly). I want to lose weight to be fitter for my riding, but my horse carries me without any difficulty or objection. That said, I focus on dressage. I never learned to jump, I was never interested to. It has crossed my mind though in the last couple of years, but I would not do so until I was lighter and I wouldn't ask my mare to do a days hunting with me.

From what I see, heavy riders are very well aware of the weight and careful to take care of their horses. If a horse can do a days hunting happily with someone a few stone lighter, they won't come to any harm carrying a rider a few stone heavier for one hours flat work!
 
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So you never ride then, you just spend time e.g. raking the sand school. Thats okay then. You better not ride though ....... that would make you a hypocrite!

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Yes indeedy, the happy hypocrite, that's me. I ride AND rake. I am (fat) woman, see me multi-task
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