Done to death-20% rule

I agree that common sense has to prevail- but this works both ways. A nicely put together section C with a good neck and bum is going to be able to carry more than a deep bodied section B with less neck and bum!
I'm about 18% of Pip at his fittest, when I should think he weighs more than he does when he weigh tapes a bit more! I'm happy to do absolutely anything on him- we go for long hard fitness building hacks, elem BD and unaff jumping. I'm not going to go get a bigger model- I've had him 7 years, ride him quietly enough and he's my national/international driving pony! He pulls 84% of his weight round marathon courses for up to 20km on varying terrain! And he's only a 13.3 new forest build pony ;) There's plenty of pictures of me on him on here, and no negative comments to date ;)
If I got down to 60KG I'd be OK to ride my old 11.1 sectionA, yet there's no way he's up for carrying more than 6 or 7 stone, yet I'm happily riding our longer/chunkier 12hh section A already.
 
Having just found out that the IDx I sometimes ride is 620kg and I am 62kg..so 10 times my weight, I can finally put in perspective what 20% actually looks like. My OH is twice my weight so he would be 20% of her weight. Would I think it was ok for him to ride her? No, really don't think so. Maybe if she were really fit it would be ok for short periods in walk but not otherwise.
I would suspect that the equation is more complex than just weight % and that some horses will take the weight ok depending on their conformation and level of fitness.
 
TrasaM said:
I would suspect that the equation is more complex than just weight % and that some horses will take the weight ok depending on their conformation and level of fitness.
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This is true of the human BMI scale also. I don't think you can judge on weight v weight in the same way you can't do weight v height for humans (BMI) as it doesn't take into account muscle and so on.
 
smanf said:
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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Only if you did a Lady Godiva and didn't use a saddle either. :eek: :p

The 20% is a maximum weight for a sound, fully grown, fit, not overweight horse in it's prime. It includes all your clothes, hat and saddle etc... not just the weight of the rider. All the equipment can add up to 2 stone (some leather saddles are pretty heavy).

So for the 350kg pony, it would be better if the rider was 9 stone as that allows 2 stone for the equipment.
 
After responding to this earlier I decided to weigh my tack etc, weigh my Welsh Cob and look at facts.

So first I weigh taped the pony, who is normally around 400kg, but she's coming out of winter and is a bit ribby so I figured she'd dropped a fair bit in weight but was surprised by how much. She weighed 345kg.

So then I looked at my weight 12 1/2 stone = about 80kg.
Then I stuck on my riding gear, got hold of my saddle & bridle etc and I was a whopping 14st 12lb = 95kg
I have a thorowgood synthetic saddle as well which is much lighter than a leather saddle.

95kg is 27.5 % of her weight - clearly too heavy which I have always felt to be the case and why I don't ride her.

She's a genuine little thing, she'd carry me where ever and whenever without complaint if I asked her, but I most definitely won't now that I realise it would be nearly 15st on her back, I truely would be a Welshie squisher :(

My daughter and I are just gonna swap, she has a big strapping 16hh cob/TB cross that carries me with ease, and she's only 8 1/2 stone, so she's fine for my little Welsh cob :D
 
Welshie squished, think your brave being so honest. There are a lot of people out there who are clearly far to heavy for their horses but refuse to accept it.

If 20% if for a fit horse, would 15% be ok for breaking a youngster or would less be needed?
 
Just out of curiosity though, what about the small natives that are designed to be small and weight carrying ie bred to carry a grown man, in some cases plus deer etc? Thinking of shetlands, bred to carry men, fells, still used on Prince Phillip's estate to carry the deer, same with welshies (although I think there may be a lot of welshie's not as true to type in terms of strength these days). 20% of a shetland wouldn't be much!

On the flip side of that, what about the shires/clydies that still have a weight limit that is less than 20% because they aren't designed to carry weight, but to pull it?

I think it is more important to be sensible and listen to your pony/horse, than to look at the calculations. Everyone is an individual, ponies and people alike, and I don't think there CAN be a rule that would fit all. Depends on age, fitness, health, riding ability - too any variables for a true rule I would say.
 
I tend to assess a horse as an individual before deciding how much weight it can carry. Conformation and how many inches of bone they have are more important.
 
So much depends on breed and build. Icelandics for example are bred to carry full grown men, despite being so small - I would feel more comfortable riding a 13.2hh Icelandic, a Fell or a small Highland than I would a 15hh slim type tb. And spot on re Clydesdales etc too - not designed to carry weight!

I think length of back is another thing that hasn't been brought up - a short, well connected back can carry more than a long one with a disconnected hind end.
 
I agree that common sense has to prevail, there are various factors that need to be considered. I have always been at around the 15% mark or less with my late mare and now with Nell, and I would not want to be much heavier. I never liked any one heavier than me riding Seren especially as she got older in truth. When she was younger I did not mind a bit more weight on such a sturdy and fit cob.
But if i think about it and work it out then 15% is around what I feel more comfortable about, but it depends on the age, strength etc of the horse, the lightness and balance of the rider and what work they are doing really, cross country or a 20 minute walk round the block, various factors to consider.....
 
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I was wondering about this recently. I am 6'1" tall and 180 lbs. I was speaking with someone who wanted to partner up flipping ponies for resale. She insisted I was 'skinny' and could ride the ponies. When I was 17 I rode ponies, but I ain't 17 no more.....

Then again, I ride a 17.2hh Dutch gelding that will suck his back down away from even a skinny little 13 year old kid if they dig their seat bones into the saddle.

I know I have sat upon stocky little critters that could likely have carried 300 lbs. But I don't know if I feel comfortable with climbing on ANY 13.2-14hh thing.
 
Not sure about the weight.
But there was a girl on her a few months ago who was about 5'5 a weighed 12st 10 or something and she broke in her 12.2h pony

-_-

Not something I would do personally.
My rising 2 filly is currently 12.3h,
I'm 5'5 and weigh 9st 11 and I wouldn't even dream of breaking something her size!

We shall see what she's like when she's 4 lol

Tabula Rasa x
 
Well 20% of S's weight is 86kgs (around 430kgs) and that 13st7lbs and I at my heaviest riding her was 13st6lbs. Shes a 14.2hh welsh D x Dales built like a brick outhouse, shortcoupled as well.

I am now about 10st so well within her limits now. Im 5ft1 long legged short bodied :)

20% of K's weight is 98kgs (when fit hes normally around 490kgs) which is 15st6lbs so again well within his limits although my OH who used to ride him is now far too heavy and with him being old the most weight I would put on him would be 12st now. Hes a 14.3hh Welsh D x as well.

My last mare competition ready, who was a 15.2hh WBxTB, was weighed in at 517kgs and classed as healthy by the vet just before she blew her tendon so 20/5 of her weight would have been 103kgs which is 16st3lbs but I would have never put that on her, not in a million years she would not have liked that since my OH sat on her just for a minute and the ears went straight back and she grumped and he at the time must have weighed about that (6ft4 and not slim built) so no way would anyone of that weight been able to ride her long term.

So yes 20% of the weight can be a good guidline BUT I think it depends on the horse, some can happily carry more and some just couldnt no matter what the math says.
 
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