Does the weight of the rider affect the horses way of going??

I think so, yes.

In all scenarios, I think the weight of the rider affects the way a horse carries itself, from small horse with heavy or too tall rider, to tall powerful horse with small, lightweight rider and every combination in between.

The condition of the horse also affects their weight carrying capabilities, as does the work required.

Much also depends on the rider too, how they ride, how they sit a horse and balance themselves.
 
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I think it's how the rider uses the weight. I'm not a heavy person by any means, and my horse is 16hh, but if I tip forward thus putting the bulk of my weight onto her withers/shoulder, then that massively stifles her way of going.

I have seen huge differences in my horse's way of going just by sitting up properly and keeping my weight evenly distributed :)
 
Yes. From personal experience, my horse rides differently when I am physically lighter. I have in fact set myself a target that I have to reach before I have any more lessons with my top trainer.

I am a 'light' rider in that I am balanced and athletic but also heavy at 16st 10lbs, I am going to get to 16st before I have any more lessons and am aiming for my 14st goal weight (my wieght when I swam for south england and was healthy). I have already lost a stone since before Christmas.

I think anyone that says weight doesn't affect a horse is deluded - however I don't think that a coupld of pounds here and there make the difference and I don't think there is a 'cut off' weigth where people shouldn't ride - it is dependent on the hrose, the saddle etc.

I always liken it to a back pack - take a soldier and give it 25kgs to carry or 50kgs to carry, it can probably carry both safely but it takes more effort.
 
Yes.

I do believe that heavier people can ride light (and lighter people can ride heavy) but regardless, a heavier person is a heavier weight to carry and this does have a bearing on the horses balance, stamina and athletic ability.

Then there is the weight carrying ability of the horse. Some stamps will be more able to carry heavier weights without ill effect, compared to others, so less prone to disadvantages caused by carrying heavier riders.
 
Definitely. I've been working on my riding and positioning and as its improved my pony has become much more forward and willing.
I need to be aware of this, and my weight, as my boy is 14hh, and though he has a decent amount of bone and his build is MW obviously the lighter I am the better.
 
How could it not?

How can someone be "lighter" than their actual weight?

These and other weight questions have been argued rather comprehensibly on several other million weight threads.

A tonne of feathers weighs the same as a tonne of tatties after all. ;). However a well strapped down load is less likely to coup the trailer so, yes, a balanced heavy rider will have less impact than an unbalanced heavy rider but it won't make the rider lighter.

Lastly, how would one strap down a tonne of feathers. Not sure. :)
 
Yes, I do believe that a rider's weight can affect a horse's way of going.

However, there are so many variables, and it is not as simple as a certain weight makes horses work better. I think weight does have an effect, but it is combined with the rider's style, balance, strength, etc. as well as the horse's suitability to the rider as an individual to produce results.
 
Yes I think the riders weight has a huge impact on the horse's way of going. If the rider is too heavy there is often a shortening of stride, more reluctance to go forward and a greater desire to stop. Often interpreted by the too heavy rider as ' ooh look, he goes much better for me!'. Nope, he just wants your weight off his back.
 
Yes it absolutely does but I also believe balance plays a huge part too. My weight can vary quite dramatically from one month to the next (hormones and thyroid issues :() and I can feel how differentially my horses go when I'm having a "fat month"
 
Yes. But there is more to it than just that they are weighed down by fat people. Individuals who gain weight suddenly will not be used to their own extra weight and the impact of this on their riding/balance, so may ride less well than an equally heavy long term fat person. It's not always that extra weight slows them down either; I know a number of ponies who were more difficult for lightweight riders than heavier ones of generally equal skill as the heavier ones had more weight to counterbalance tuggy pony necks and could collect them together and get them listening better. Ultimately when you get into high performance though, in the same way as you could run faster or jump higher carrying half as much weight, so can they.
 
Yes of course it does. However unless we are talking about the extremes here, then there are much bigger factors to take into consideration. Being balanced, having a strong core and good independent seat for example.

I have rode better than I do currently when I was heavier, however right now I am not as balanced as I should be ( re-gaining strength after having a baby). This is having an impact on my horses way of going. My pelvis is not neutral and as a result my centre of gravity is too far forward. I am using my back muscles too much, and my stomach not enough. Getting stronger and re-gaining my strength in balance will be more beneficial to his way of going than me just losing weight without re-gaining strength. ( I ofc am aiming to do both!)

I would propose that skill and fitness have a greater impact than a stone or 2 either way. Unless of course we are at the extremes and that extra stone or 2 is too much for the horse to comfortably carry.
 
funnily enough this came up at a showing conference the other day

My point was that there is only a finite size saddle an equine can take and if the weight of the person is not suitable for that saddle then yes I think the pony's way of going is affected. Flat pad type saddles are now more popular than ever not just for the lead rein ponies we used to see them on but for larger ponies too and I do think part of this is so the pony can accommodate an unsuitable rider

You often see Shetlands in the show ring with riders virtually sat on their loins

Its a sensitive subject though and any attempt to broach it could lead to shattered confidence in youngsters

I think the arguements are also applicable to height of rider so perhaps thats an avenue to look at too?
 
FfionWinnie said:
How could it not?

How can someone be "lighter" than their actual weight?

These and other weight questions have been argued rather comprehensibly on several other million weight threads.

A tonne of feathers weighs the same as a tonne of tatties after all. ;). However a well strapped down load is less likely to coup the trailer so, yes, a balanced heavy rider will have less impact than an unbalanced heavy rider but it won't make the rider lighter.

Lastly, how would one strap down a tonne of feathers. Not sure. :)
Click to expand...

However,if you drove a trailer that would collapse if you put more than a tonne on it and put a little less than a tonne on it,and then drove like a lunatic down a bumpy road ,the trailer would break. But drive carefully and you are OK . The thing about weight is that it is not the same thing as mass. All objects have a given mass but their weight depends on the acceleration due to gravity ,but this in turn can be affected by the movement of the object A rider will never apply a consistent weight onto the horse unless both are completely static ,and that will be the absolute minimum weight (for that particular location on the planet ) But during movement the rider will apply a varying weight . The best riders will not vary far from that minimum weight but an out of balance rider will vary considerably . The trouble is that they will quite literally "bounce from extremely light to massively heavy in a short space of time. And here comes the science bit. You probably understand velocity , and acceleration , but there is also rate of acceleration. The thing about rate of acceleration is that this is what does the damage. This has been proved time and time again in Aircraft ejector seats. Its not how fast you accelerate that damages your spine ,but how fast that acceleration is applied. Which brings us straight back to unbalanced riders.edited to add for scientific correctness that if both horse and rider are in free fall ,the rider exerts no weight but upon landing , the rider is able ,if he is good ,to reduce the maximum force applied to the back by the absorbtion of energy within his own skeletal and muscular system.
 
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