Done to death I know but rider weight?

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poiuytrewq

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What kind of weight would it be ok for a 15hh lightish cob to carry? He's a little toughie who always gets a clean bill of health off any and every back person/physio etc who has ever seen him.
Rider is a decent rider and well balanced.
 
If it is a show type cob then I believe in the 'ring' a lightweight cob should be able to take up to 14 stone, and a heavyweight over 14 stone......

My cob is 15hh and would describe him as a l/w and has no problem with my 12 stone partner on him if that helps!
 
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Thanks. It's such a sensitive issue!
My daughter has gained a fair bit of weight and I'm worried about her riding!
I have no clue what she weighs and she would never tell me (she knows she's not skinny)
 
If he is managing and is getting a clean bill of health, then I wouldn't worry to much if she is well balanced in the saddle.
 
the RIDER , dressed to ride ( wearing at boots etc not naked on the scales at home!)to be no more than 15% of the horses weight assuming the horse is at condition score 3 ie not too fat or too thin. less if horse is overweight or undeveloped eg a youngster. And I don't want to hear any rubbish about the horse carrying a heavy person who can ride well they are still too heavy no matter how good a rider they are.
 
That's me never being able to ride my 13.1, leg at each corner micro cob again !
So this rule applies whatever the build of the horse/pony and the rider ability ?
 
Went on a fun ride at the weekend ... my god some of the riders ... too overweight and on too small a pony/ horse. Its pretty disgusting how some people think its acceptable to ride when there arse is bigger than the pony they are riding! It makes me so angry!

Yes shout me down, tell me im insensitive and rude, I do not care. Fat people riding horses and ponies is not healthy!
 
Downton Dame said:
the RIDER , dressed to ride ( wearing at boots etc not naked on the scales at home!)to be no more than 15% of the horses weight assuming the horse is at condition score 3 ie not too fat or too thin. less if horse is overweight or undeveloped eg a youngster. And I don't want to hear any rubbish about the horse carrying a heavy person who can ride well they are still too heavy no matter how good a rider they are.
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I agree with this, I think there are a lot of riders are way over this and don't admit it whilst their poor horses tolerate it.

I really wish their were a general ruling across the board as debatable as it may be because some of the shocking sights I see, especially at dressage should be stopped, there is no rule for the judge to refer to so nothing can be said, its really sad and desperately needs looking at. I feel so sorry for some horses :(
 
Downton Dame said:
the RIDER , dressed to ride ( wearing at boots etc not naked on the scales at home!)to be no more than 15% of the horses weight assuming the horse is at condition score 3 ie not too fat or too thin. less if horse is overweight or undeveloped eg a youngster. And I don't want to hear any rubbish about the horse carrying a heavy person who can ride well they are still too heavy no matter how good a rider they are.
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I agree with this, but such a difficult and delicate situation for the OP. Often people can be a lot heavier or a lot lighter than they look too.
 
jgmbng said:
That's me never being able to ride my 13.1, leg at each corner micro cob again !
So this rule applies whatever the build of the horse/pony and the rider ability ?
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My own view is that the smaller the horse the bigger percentage of its weight it is able to comfortably carry, so long as it never goes beyond 20% including tack. For the average medium-sized horse I think that 15% is a good rule of thumb.
 
There can't be a general ruling because there is no decent info to back it up just a whole heap of opinions and far too many variables. Having never had frank on a weighbridge fit or otherwise I'd be guessing anyway :D but going off what he was doing aged 23 and how happy the vet and Physio always were with him I reckon we did ok :p
 
ester said:
There can't be a general ruling because there is no decent info to back it up just a whole heap of opinions and far too many variables. Having never had frank on a weighbridge fit or otherwise I'd be guessing anyway :D but going off what he was doing aged 23 and how happy the vet and Physio always were with him I reckon we did ok :p
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Agree..

My vet and physiotherapist have both said my weight/height not a problem, for my micro cob and I don't really care what I 'look' like.
 
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Antw23uk said:
Went on a fun ride at the weekend ... my god some of the riders ... too overweight and on too small a pony/ horse. Its pretty disgusting how some people think its acceptable to ride when there arse is bigger than the pony they are riding! It makes me so angry!

Yes shout me down, tell me im insensitive and rude, I do not care. Fat people riding horses and ponies is not healthy!
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I saw quite a few there... I wonder if the organisers said anything?
 
ester said:
There can't be a general ruling because there is no decent info to back it up just a whole heap of opinions and far too many variables. Having never had frank on a weighbridge fit or otherwise I'd be guessing anyway :D but going off what he was doing aged 23 and how happy the vet and Physio always were with him I reckon we did ok :p
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Agree having just ridden over 200km over 6 days on small Icelandic horses carrying various size adults often at fast paces with no problems and still full of energy at the end it's very much dependent on the particular combination.
 
Antw23uk said:
Yes shout me down, tell me im insensitive and rude, I do not care. Fat people riding horses and ponies is not healthy!
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I am going to assume you mean that fat people shouldn't ride horses/ ponies that are too small for their weight. Rather then they shouldn't ride at all. That would cut a lot of people out and make a lot of horses homeless and put them on the slaughter truck.
If that's what you mean I agree ALL riders , fat or thin, tall or short should carefully select their mount.

As a fat person I do so. However I would like to point as a short fat person my weight would still be below that of an average man, even through I could do with shifting three stone !?

It's often hard to accurately measure the weight of a person by looking at them , body shapes can often be misleading.
 
Sukistokes2 said:
I am going to assume you mean that fat people shouldn't ride horses/ ponies that are too small for their weight. Rather then they shouldn't ride at all. That would cut a lot of people out and make a lot of horses homeless and put them on the slaughter truck.
If that's what you mean I agree ALL riders , fat or thin, tall or short should carefully select their mount.

As a fat person I do so. However I would like to point as a short fat person my weight would still be below that of an average man, even through I could do with shifting three stone !?

It's often hard to accurately measure the weight of a person by looking at them , body shapes can often be misleading.
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I think you are right it can be misleading and obviously a very sensitive subject. I think I mean a bit of both to be honest. I think very obese people shouldn't ride until they are fitter but I also think heavy people should consider what type of horse/ pony they ride.

I think all too often people are quick to say 'oh he's a weight carrier/ bred to carry weight etc' when in actual fact people should be saying no, you are obese and you need to stop making excuses, lose some weight and be fitter to ride that horse!
 
Antw23uk said:
I think you are right it can be misleading and obviously a very sensitive subject. I think I mean a bit of both to be honest. I think very obese people shouldn't ride until they are fitter but I also think heavy people should consider what type of horse/ pony they ride.

I think all too often people are quick to say 'oh he's a weight carrier/ bred to carry weight etc' when in actual fact people should be saying no, you are obese and you need to stop making excuses, lose some weight and be fitter to ride that horse!
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Definitely! but what is the answer? with the way things have changed over the years its becoming more accepted and nothing is ever said. If there was a ruling for the welfare of horses in general surely nobody would have a problem with that?

I would be shocked if anyone would send there horse to the 'slaughter truck' before they lost some weight?
 
Antw23uk said:
I wouldnt consider you 'fat' at 9.5 stone .. but if i saw you on a 13.1 pony I might think you too heavy/ big!
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jgmbng said:
Lovely...thanks.
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Hmmm....I'm quite tall and was 9.5 stone by the age of about 15 - the pony I rode regularly was a 13.2 NF built like a small house, and we used to bomb around the local army training areas, jump small jumps and generally have a whale of a time. I looked like a bit of a tool with my legs at the bottom of her tummy, but she never seemed to notice. And I know very well that if she had been at all unhappy I would have been decked. I think I'd probably agree with the poster who suggested that smaller horses (presumably including natives) can carry a bit more.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
what if they were riding an Exmoor? or an Icelandic? or a Haffie? Or a Fell/Dales/Highland?
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This post isnt about me or about me knowing the answers and from experience I am not getting any further involved in the too fat for your horse/ pony debate. As far as im concerned if your arse is bigger than the steed you are riding then you are too fat to be riding it!!
 
L&M said:
If it is a show type cob then I believe in the 'ring' a lightweight cob should be able to take up to 14 stone, and a heavyweight over 14 stone......

My cob is 15hh and would describe him as a l/w and has no problem with my 12 stone partner on him if that helps!
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I honestly think 14stone- and I am assuming you dont mean 14stone rider + tack - is too heavy for ANY lightweight 15hh horse, cob or not.
 
Sukistokes2 said:
...It's often hard to accurately measure the weight of a person by looking at them , body shapes can often be misleading.
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Definitely.

I'm 5'6'' and weigh just over 13st. I wouldn't say I was vastly overweight, but overweight I am.

By contrast, my OH is 6'2'' and slim build. He also weighs just over 13st.

I wonder how many people would look at the two of us and guess that either I was much heavier or that my OH was lighter.

A huge problem I think is that people do not know how much the actually weigh and just take a guess (or are in denial about it). I know someone who is much larger than me, but when it came up in conversation once, they put themselves at 12st.
 
My daughter isn't fat but it's something I may have to bring up at some point if she keeps gaining! I weigh roughly 9.5 ish and she's bigger than me- height and weight wise. They currently look ok together but like I say it's something I've become aware of since she became more independent and I'm no longer her sole source of food!!!
 
I do think these ponies can carry more than just a child of 6/7 stone , 50 odd Years ago when I had my first pony he was ridden by my mum also , it wasn't unusual for 1 pony to be ridden by all the family members.
 
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