Done to death-20% rule

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Megibo

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Who else keeps their horses at a healthy weight then? And do you follow the 20% rule for their carrying ability based on that? I'm in the 20% rule for my 14.3 based on a healthy weight she's been before-she is on another diet! But I'm 12 pounds over the 20% for my 13.3 who is slim. That doesn't bother me very much anymore as have lost 8 pounds already and still losing, and she's working inhand at the moment or goes for the odd hack until I've lost the rest of the weight. But does anyone else care about these things??
 
This 20% rule is causing mad paranoia in me :(

I have had my pony since she was a foal and she hasn't grown as big as I thought she would, although being Welsh she may well make the 14.2/3hh eventually.

She's 14hh at present and I am 5'3" - height not an issue.
But I'm also 12 1/2 stone in my PJ's.

She is a 400kg pony, so I am a bit over the 20%.
She will of course get bigger and fill out (she's currently 4) and a miracle may happen and I may loose some weight.

But I feel selfish for wanting to ride her, and have only done so once to date which was just for a potter and to get a photo so I can look at my size on her.
It of course doesn't help that we are coming out of winter and she's trim and lacking in muscle after being turned away for winter, this just makes her seem so small to me.
Selling and buying bigger isn't an option, she's my pride and joy and is with me for life, so lettuce leaves it will be :(
So yes, I do think about this 20% rule a lot.

I'll see if I can find a pic, you'll see why I am Welshie Squisher :p
Here she is: My beautiful SMALL welsh cob being squished :eek:

photo3.jpg
 
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I have never, and will never, abide by any 20% rule. I work on between 12% and 15% maximum depending on the rider and horse. No-one at 20% gets on my horses I'm afraid.
 
Spring Feather said:
I have never, and will never, abide by any 20% rule. I work on between 12% and 15% maximum depending on the rider and horse. No-one at 20% gets on my horses I'm afraid.
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Is this because you believe this is all they can carry comfortably or are you very protective of them?
I ask as my riding instructor thinks I am fine to ride my Welsh Cob, and I don't really agree, they think I am being soft and over protective of her.
She's my baby and I'd hate to hurt her, but I do sometimes wonder if I am just being silly and missing out on all the fun my much lighter daughter has with her.

I am truely envious of her riding my pony all the time :mad:
 
No, I'm only protective of my broodmares ... and they don't carry anything but babies :D I own loads of horses so am able to generally find one which will carry people using the 12-15% weight rule. I don't need to overburden any of my horses so I don't. If a friend came who wanted to ride my horses and they were over this % for all of my horses then I wouldn't let them ride, sorry.

There was a HUGE long thread on exactly this a couple of months ago. If you run a search it should come up :) One person was even going on about some mythical 30% rule ...
 
The 20% rule was made by the american cavalry for fit horses doing long campaigns sometime for 2 or 3 months being ridden for 8 hours a day day in and day out.

I would think our leasure horses and ponies are quite capable of carrying more weight if they are fit and healthy. I know my Fell pony carries me at about 25% her body weight for hacks of about and hour to and hour and half mainly walking and a bit of trotting.

I dont worry to much as I know she copes well and has well fitting tack which is checked regulary :)

Just enjoy your horse.
 
Native Lover said:
The 20% rule was made by the american cavalry for fit horses doing long campaigns sometime for 2 or 3 months being ridden for 8 hours a day day in and day out.

I would think our leasure horses and ponies are quite capable of carrying more weight if they are fit and healthy. I know my Fell pony carries me at about 25% her body weight for hacks of about and hour to and hour and half mainly walking and a bit of trotting.

I dont worry to much as I know she copes well and has well fitting tack which is checked regulary :)

Just enjoy your horse.
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Your fell is lovely, she's looks a real strong girl.
Well fitting tack definitely makes a difference, just as a balanced rider also makes a big difference.
 
I stopped riding as I felt I was too heavy for mine.

I'm now under the 20% rule including riding wear and tack but ideally I want to get under the 15% rule of both my boys healthy weights (1 is overweight).

I just think that if I'm fit and of a sensible weight then it's got to be better for them and me too :)

I have ridden my pony and the fell i used to own at more than the 20% rule but they were fit, as was I and I have owned my pony for 16 years and she has never had any medical issues that could have been attributed to her being ridden by someone who was too heavy.
 
I find it unethical to 'just enjoy your horse' if you don't first consider whether your horse enjoys you. Too many people use the horse as a 'single people-carrier'...

I think the 20% rule is fine as a rough, absolute-maximum bar.

Btw, well done, Welshie Squisher (great name!), for feeling doubt despite the complacence of other people! That is actually not an easy thing to do. ;-)
 
20% of the your body weight feels heavy. Jut try putting a rucksack on your back on 20% of your body weight. I know a horse is different, but still 25% is too much imo especially if you want to do faster work.
However, and a big however, I also think your weight is a small factor here, more importantly you need to be FIT to ride. If you are slightly bigger person but fit and balanced then you are less of burden.
 
There are soooooooooo many horses to choose from in this day and age at knock down rock bottom prices...

If you happen to doubt you are a good weight for the horse you currently have... Get another one!

It's not hard.

If my filly doesn't make height or bone, then tough ****. She's going and I will buy one that fits me.

Do you wear a size 8 when you're a size 12? Then why do the same with what you ride?

Either buy a size 12 or get down to a size 8.
 
I think it's rubbish I mean if you take it seriously all you would have to do is feed up your horse and problem solved.
My OH's ID is two hundred kilos lighter than he was ,does it means he can carry less wieght , no in fact you could argue that he can carry more as he's fit and not lugging around extra fat himself .
 
Goldenstar said:
I think it's rubbish I mean if you take it seriously all you would have to do is feed up your horse and problem solved.
My OH's ID is two hundred kilos lighter than he was ,does it means he can carry less wieght , no in fact you could argue that he can carry more as he's fit and not lugging around extra fat himself .
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Excellent point well made! Gold star for Goldenstar! :)
 
Common sense has to prevail

If you have to sit down with a calculator to reassure yourself that things are fine then they probably aren't fine.
 
I too think a fat horse will not be as well suited to carry a larger person as a slim but fit horse. The difference is you will look better on it when it's porkier as it will take your leg up better. This is a subject close to my heart as currently trying to bulk up our little TB as she looks ribby and babyish with the bad winter. I wouldn't be over 20% and probably quite a bit less but I still worry about it and hope she will grow just a tad more (although not too much as using her for polo!)
 
I think it's better to check whether the horse is managing the work from the horse's response than from any arbitrary values. When a horse does endurance rides it is vetted to check it's recovery rate by testing its heart rate and respiration. If its athletic abilities aren't being affected by the rider and it recovers from its work well within a normal time then it's likely to be coping. If it doesn't than it needs to be looked into why, whether the rider is too heavy or it's just not fit or muscled enough or if it has an underlying problem.
 
I think going on your horse's ideal weight (NOT the weight they are, and pulling the weight carrying DOWN if they're over / under weight), 20% is reasonable. That includes tack.

i.e. My 14.3hh HW cob has an ideal weight of about 440kg. 20% of that is 88kg, which is 13.5st. I know that if I stand on the bathroom scales in full riding gear, holding his saddle, my weight jumps up by 1.5st. That means he shouldn't have a rider of more than 12st. Me + tack = 16% of his bodyweight, so I've never really had to worry.

He CAN carry more, in fact he's had a 15st rider on him for a short ride and barely batted an eyelid. However, for regular, hard work - 20% rule sounds about right to me.

In terms of people and weight carrying - I lug a third of my body weight around every morning / evening (saddles, yard stuff, work stuff, to and from the car which is a fair distance). It's not un-doable, but it does knacker you out!
 
Weigh yourself first. Take note. Pick up your horse and get back on scales. You can now work out how much he/she weighs. Easy. It's how I weigh all my dogs anyway ...
 
I sold my 14.1hh 7 3/4" bone 340kg (according to tape) welsh D for precisely this reason.

I now have a 15hh 10" bone 470kg cob who isnt a fat cob and needs more muscle in places.

And I still do nothing but worry about it!
 
WelshD said:
Common sense has to prevail

If you have to sit down with a calculator to reassure yourself that things are fine then they probably aren't fine.
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Well put.

There's no way that I would consider putting 20% on either of my horses.
 
Glad its not just me. Welshie Squisher-I was 12 stone and a half sometimes more (but never 13 stone) when regulay riding my 13.3. She never batted an eyelid and still doesn't when I get on but I still would rather be under her 20% for my peace of mind! So she can carry me as she has for the last 8 years as I've slowly gotten heavier but doesn't mean she should anymore especially as she's 14 this year and not going to get younger!
 
Copperpot said:
Weigh yourself first. Take note. Pick up your horse and get back on scales. You can now work out how much he/she weighs. Easy. It's how I weigh all my dogs anyway ...
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Better idea than relying on a weight tape :D

welshiesquisher your pony will change dramatically. There is a welsh cob picture thread dedicated to this very subject.

4 yrs (she is a cxd)

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7 years


CE18EF08-0067-435F-8A97-E92ED2C583CD-11149-00000D8E0667F9AC.jpg
 
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I have a young (3 next week) welsh D, 14 3, I'm 11.5 stone and will not consider getting on his back until I'm 10.5 stone. I've shrank by a stone so far, he's young not got any muscle as yet so why would I think it was ok to start him off with a chunk of a rider. I've dieted for the simple reason I am too big for him (weight wise), if I want to ride him, I have to stop eating :D
 
Ditto spring feather, Tallyho, Welsh d etc. I wouldn't ride anything I was 20% of. And tbh even if I include very small ponies I've had very quick sits on, I've always been under 15%. And have in fact refused to ride some ponies that I was approx 15% of as I didn't feel at that time they were up to it.
 
20% is a hell of a lot - if I went by this rule with my horse, it would be acceptable for him to carry 22 stone - and there is no way in the world I'd put more than 18 stone on him, and only then if it was a competent, fit rider.

I'm pretty hefty, so can't possibly be accused of bashing the larger rider. If I were to get anywhere near 18 stone, let alone 22, I would not be getting on my horse until I'd sweated a few stone off in the gym!
 
I've never even thought about it, but am bored enough at work to have just got the calculator out. I am not sure what my horse weighs, so I did it the other way round.

By my calculation, I at 11 stone (and 5'11") can ride a horse (or rather pony) of 350kg. I bet that would look well!!!
 
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