Do fat riders make your blood boil?

[kerilli]

in no other sport (apart from darts, maybe) would fatness be tolerated, but i can think of a few riders even at top level who are, imho, pretty flippin fat. (not necessarily british riders, i hasten to add.) not just 1/2 a stone overweight, but seriously fat bums and thighs, a good couple of stone overweight at least. and at lower level, when the rider's off-balance a lot of the time, it's even worse to see, even though the horse isn't being asked to do as much, perhaps.
so, i know it's not PC, but does it make your blood boil? do you think there should be guidelines, and that seriously overweight riders shouldn't be allowed to compete?
*awaits deluge of abuse*

btw i do think there is a horse welfare angle to this, it isn't just me being fattist!

 

[Madam_max]

Deary me

I don't think they should be banned from competing in the horse can carry the weight.

 

[Christmas_Kate]

If they're riding a heavyweight cob fine. But the rider in the thread below makes me sick. They should have the ILPH on their doorstep.

 

[Donkeymad]

Absolutely NOT, unless they are too heavy for the horse they are using, and some horses can carry a tremendous amount.

 

[_OC_]

TBH I have seen big riders carry them selves well in the saddle,and also the saying goes a novice/beginner rider will always ride a stone heavier than their body weight! As long as they ride a horse that can cope with their body weight,then why should they not ride!

 

[Weezy]

OMG what a contencious post

Quite frankly, as someone who has been over 2 stone overweight, all I can say is no, my blood does NOT boil

 

[Worried1]

Do I presume that you are a perfect size 10 and totally in proportion to your frame?

 

[bellaboo]

What size, in your eyes, do you see is an acceptable size to be aloud to compete a horse then?

 

[Halfstep]

I think that a good, balanced rider can be overweight without it causing any problems, so long as the horse is big enough to carry them in the first place. Its the ones who can't ride in the first place and can't carry their own weight properly who cause problems for horses.
I can think of quite a few "heavier" riders who do a fantastic job.

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

I dont have a problem with larger people riding as long as the horse is the right size and weight and up to the job of carrying the rider. I dont like seeing larger people on horses that are not able to carry the riders weight comfortably and that are really unbalanced, that does make my blood boil!!

 

[AimeeLou]

[ QUOTE ]
TBH I have seen big riders carry them selves well in the saddle,and also the saying goes a novice/beginner rider will always ride a stone heavier than their body weight! As long as they ride a horse that can cope with their body weight,then why should they not ride!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto this. Surly people would lose weight riding too, I lost loads of weight, but rode everyday.

 

[B_2_B]

No. As long as they realise they can only ride a weight carrier then it's perfectly fine. They have just as much right as anyone to ride, as long as they don't right light-weight horses.

 

[GinaB]

As long as the horse can carry their weight I see no problem TBH. If it's a case that the horse is really strugglnig then it's not fair on the animal.

 

[Benjamin]

[ QUOTE ]
OMG what a contencious post

Quite frankly, as someone who has been over 2 stone overweight, all I can say is no, my blood does NOT boil

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you Weezy. I am speechless!

 

[_OC_]

Not all Darts players are fat!

Not that I'm into darts!

 

[harrihjc]

it depends just how overweight, what they're doing and obviously the horse they're riding. If the horse can carry the weight and the rider is balanced and riding 'light' then it doesn't bother me, but if they really are huge, underhorsed etc then yes it does make me a little cross!

 

[ArleyMoss]

If weight was affecting their performance, then they wouldn't be doing so well.

 

[Equus Leather]

Crikey, what a post.

I'm overweight, by about 3 stone to be honest, and yes, I do worry about it and the effect it has on the horse. BUT, surely if the horse can carry the weight then why not?

Do you sit there and think all fat people should exercise more?? I get more exercise (and enjoyment) from riding than anything else...

 

[JadeWisc]

[ QUOTE ]
in no other sport (apart from darts, maybe) would fatness be tolerated,

[/ QUOTE ]



American Football Linebackers
Sumo Wrestling
Hot dog eating competitions...............



anyhow...lol

No, I think horses are damn strong animals for the most part and I applaud an overwieght person for getting out there and doing something! ALot of people think that all large people are lazy and out of shape...this is not true in all cases...many are far more in shape and fit than I am and I am only 135 lbs!


As long as the horse is of the right build for the rider I have no problem with it tbh.

If they are good enough to get to the higher levels of competition then they must be doing something right!

 

[lastresort]

You are opening a can of worms here???!!! what do you class as fat and coming from a mother who trys to teach her daughter not to judge people on size. There is also a difference of being over weight and seriously over weight which you have said. Also as long as people are fit enough to compete then they should be allowed. Its almost like saying should smokers be allowed to compete.

I dont think that anyone should be told what they can and cant do according to there size. Also Jods are not the most flattering item of clothing and unless you are a size 8 and down them you look fat!

By the way im not fat or am i who is to judge??!! I think that your idea is crazy!!

Sorry but i had many years of shoving my fingers down my throat to compete at another sport and was very unhappy

 

[horsegirl]

[ QUOTE ]
OMG what a contencious post

Quite frankly, as someone who has been over 2 stone overweight, all I can say is no, my blood does NOT boil

[/ QUOTE ]

Couldn't agree more, I am a little over weight now but my horse has no problems carrying me, we have lightweight tack and he has had his back checked a couple of times.

 

[burtie]

[ QUOTE ]
Quite frankly, as someone who has been over 2 stone overweight, all I can say is no, my blood does NOT boil

[/ QUOTE ]

Well quite, I'm easily a stone overweight at the moment and I think my horse seems quite happy with my riding

 

[Hullabaloo]

Definately not - as long as the horse is comfortable what business is it of anyone else's. A lot is to do with how people ride anyway - my old horse had a touch of arthritis in his back and used to struggle more with my friend who was under 8 stone than he did with anyone else as she was such a "heavy" rider.

 

[kerilli]

re: Do I presume that you are a perfect size 10 and totally in proportion to your frame?

Gosh no, i wish. my bum and thighs are bigger than i'd like, but i'm very careful about not riding anything too small for me. my usual horse is an 18hh warmblood, and i interrogated my vet about it before i broke in my homebred 15.3 (he assured me she was fine with my weight.)
for my new horse, i won't look at anything under 16.2, and i'm in the middle of losing about 1/2 a stone, more if pos.

 

[wizoz]

OOh Kerry, I would never be so bold as to ask this

I think as long as the larger person rides the type that carries weight, then that's fine but I do not like to see anyone, be they fat, thin or indifferent, flopping around on the back of a horse, or just riding badly in general, that's not good.

 

[EllieBeast]

If they are riding a horse capeable of carrying them, then there is b*gger all wrong with it

And, as you said yourself, there are some 'fat riders' at top level, so there is the proof that BMI has s*d all to do with it, if you have the ability, who cares how much you weigh?!?!

 

[moocow]

I think it depends on the rider and on what they are riding. As someone who is overweight at the moment, can't say it makes my blood boil if I see someone my size on a horse that can obviously carry the weight and more. A lot of people that are overweight, carry a lot of excess fat but have good muscle mass and therefore can control their weight. It depends on your style of riding as well. you can be a size ten and ride a lot heavier than someone who is a size 16. Also you can be a ssize 16 and have more muscle mass and can control your body weight a lot better than someone thats wafer thin and has no muscle.

My blood would boil if I saw a very light weight horse/pony struggle to carry a 20 stone man but a horse that fits the rider doesn't.

remember, a 5 ft 2 size 18 woman will probably weigh less than a 6 ft fit slim man with good muscle. (admittedly I would rather see the fit man in his jods than the woman but thats just me and for a whole other reason!

 

[JessPickle]

No I dont think like that

If you have a horse that can take the weight does it really matter, for example my dad is 16 stone but we have a chunky 17.1hh!

 

[kerilli]

agreed, wizoz.
i guess this post was prompted by the post about the very weak tb mare carrying the big heavy clueless rider.
i didn't mean to offend anyone, and i wasn't talking about riders who are just a bit overweight... we can't all look like supermodels, unfortunately. i wish.
there has been quite a debate on this in H&H, about riding schools turning very heavy riders away, iirc, but obviously they would ride heavier than an experienced rider.
anyway, apologies if i have offended... it must be just me who feels their blood boil when they see a huge rider on a scrawny but nice horse!

 

[MizElz]

kerilli - a couple of months ago, I posted on here regarding my worries about my weight (whether I am too heavy for my horse, whether it is unfair, etc etc.) Everybody who replied was overwhelmingly supportive, and i soon found out that i was by no means the only person worrying about the issue.

Now, i will be honest here: i am 5ft 2, wear a size 12 and i weigh 12 stone. Officially, this makes me 2 stone 7 pounds overweight for my height and frame. i ride a lightish-build part arab 15.2hh, but she has never shown any reticence in carrying me. i have never been the smallest person in the world, but i try very hard to keep my weight down, both for my own self esteem and out of fairness to my horse. it is not easy, but unfortunately, some of us battle against the odds. i'd like to know exactly what you deem 'too fat' - do you have to be a pound overweight, a stone, four stone? a dress size, perhaps? i know plenty of people who weigh far less than me that wear a size 16, and, if im honest, look 'fatter'.

whilst we are on the subject of being to heavy for a horse, i'd like to know whether or not you condone adults/older teenagers riding small ponies in showing classes; height, after all, has as great an effect as weight.

i apologise if people like myself 'make your blood boil', but IMO, i find it more offensive seeing a rider who is pulling its horse's mouth around, bouncing around on its back etc, than one who is perhaps a little heavier than ideal.