Equine college problems

ROMANY 1959

ROMANY 1959

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My niece started at an equine college monday, and she flew through all the tests, riding assessment ect to get her place, college is near Gloucester area, well today was supposed to be her riding day and the instructor in charge of her group told her that she is too big to ride any of the available horses!!! Ok she is 6 ft 2 tall, and 14.5 stone, not big for her height, she was never told when she was accepted that they never had a horse to suit her. The horses I have seen are bigger than her own horse, there is a ID x 17.2. Lots of bone, and a wb similar size and a shire cross 18h ,,!!!! Yet she is 5pounds over the weight limit the college have, her mum offered to take her own horse there on her riding days, but no that is not allowed, so she is distraught.
She is wanting a career working with event horses, is this a silly low weight limit? Or are we being unrealistic . She has rode since she was 4 and has a lovely way of riding, very still with hands, lovely balanced seat. Her mum is going to the college Friday to see the principle instructor. Yes she could loose a few pounds but she struggles to keep under 14 st.
 
I appreciate that they may have some weight limits however how can they explain Robert Smith, William Funnel & Geoff Billington to name three off the top of my head. I doubt if their weight is recorded anywhere on the internet but they must be that weight or more?

You mention that she has already undergone riding assessment so the college, or one of their representatives must have already seen her? If there4 had been any issue I would have thought that it would have been raised at that time?

Quote "her mum offered to take her own horse there on her riding days, but no that is not allowed"....this I can't understand, the college would incur no cost & this would sort out the problem. It appears they have set this rule & are enforcing them when there is no valid reason for it?

I appreciate this doesn't really help you but the college seems to have left this a little late?
 
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They should have made their rules clear from the start, before giving her a place.
it is wrong they have waited until now.
surely try have a horse to suit her or as you said bring her own.

All her she and her mum can to is discuss it with them.

Hope she gets it sorted.
 
Poor thing, I really feel for her. Has she put weight on over the holidays perhaps? I would think that she must look a litte big for them to pull her up. Its actually a stone higher than the weight limit of most riding centres I know. I do agree that it is wrong and humiliating to do this at this point, and they should allow her horse to be brought in until she loses a bit of weight.

See if there is a local slimming world or weight watchers around - she could lose 5lbs easily in a couple of weeks. To be honest, to work with eventers they often like lighter weight people. I had a friend sent home from a pro's yard for being too heavy (many years ago). It would be in her interest to lose a bit really. I do feel for her - as a lifelong battler with my weight, and hope that she can sort something. My most successful diet ever was for a job that I really wanted that had a weight limit.
 
i think its a very silly weight limit rule since they had already seen her ride and offered her a place, they should not have given her a place if they didnt feel they had suitable horses - but the reason they don't allow you to ride your own horse is because for them to assess you throughout the year you have to be seen to be able to ride a variety of different horses.

i'm not condoning their actions, not at all, but i'm just saying thats probably why they won't allow her to ride her own horse in lessons - it could be construed as allowing a student an 'unfair' advantage.

also most equine colleges train you for doing the BHS stages, and obviously you have to ride several horses during the exams. it wouldn't be possible for her to ride her own horse in the exams either.
 
Sorry, but 6' 2" and 14 and a half stone is not heavy, tall yes, but not heavy. Why should she have to lose weight, total rubbish.....My horse came from a man 6' 3" tall and at least 16 stone, as fit as a flea (man not horse) You, Aunt, need to have serious word with college. 16.2 horse should carry your niece easily, particularly as you say she is an experienced and sensitive rider. I know plenty of small riders, who wobble all over the place, and yes, are heavy for their weight. Anyone watching Burghley this weekend will have seen one or two riders, who could have done with being as slim as their horses. Do not go on a diet.........
 
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Isn't it relative though? She's 6'2 so surely 14.5 is in proportion?

I'd be asking questions why she can't use her own horse and why they didn't bring it up earlier if it's now an issue, poor girl
 
I work in a college, take them down the equal opportunities route!!!!!! They will be grovelling! Having a weight limit is ridiculous. We cater for all level and 'type' of rider. This year they have got in so,e bigger cobs to cater for this years riders. Please do not give in, colleges should not be allowed to get away with letting this happen and destroying someone's confidence in a way such as this. If you need to take it higher, take it higher. The riding is such a small part of her course, if she is academic then she will make up good marks in theory which would be a waste to walk away from. I bet if you go onto the colleges website they wil have college policies about equal Opps and anti discriminatory practice. Feel free to PM me the college and I will have a look for some of there own policies that may back you up.
 
Re. taking her own horse in to college: if there may be problems as far as this is concerned this would presumably be because college horses need to have been properly assessed as it would not only be the owner who would be dealing with them.

In most colleges the horses in the yard are on various types of loan/livery arrangements and one solution may be for the OP's daughter to offer up her horse for loan to the college rather than what has been suggested. The horse would have to be vetted/assessed etc., and if on loan to the college would need to be temperamentally suitable for this sort of environment. So if the college are expressing concern about this, then this is no doubt the reason why. There is also the issue of insurance; all horses loaned to the college are covered by their insurance, whereas a horse owned by a student coming in on an occasional basis, wouldn't be.

This is difficult, and whilst not wishing to be seen to "take sides", I'm afraid I tend to agree with the college on this one. Yes it is difficult to struggle with one's weight, but there are very good reasons for colleges & riding stables stipulating a weight limit - and this student may well in the future find herself in a yard where weight is an issue, a racing yard being the very obvious example.
 
Freddie19 said:
Sorry, but 6' 2" and 14 and a half stone is not heavy, tall yes, but not heavy. Why should she have to lose weight, total rubbish.....My horse came from a man 6' 3" tall and at least 16 stone, as fit as a flea (man not horse) You, Aunt, need to have serious word with college. 16.2 horse should carry your niece easily, particularly as you say she is an experienced and sensitive rider. I know plenty of small riders, who wobble all over the place, and yes, are heavy for their weight. Anyone watching Burghley this weekend will have seen one or two riders, who could have done with being as slim as their horses. Do not go on a diet.........
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My husband is 6'4 and doesn't weight that much. And one person riding their individual horse is different to a college horse that may have to do a few lessons in a day.. Being big would limit you on the types of yard you would work on (probably hunter yards wouldn't worry, but most others would) and I'm saying this as a fat person who has worked with horses...

MijodsR... I read it as her mother would take the horse there on the days she should have been riding, not that she was taking the horse there on loan/livery, which would be totally different and I can see why it would cause more issues.

Losing that bit of weight would solve everything...
 
The NHS BMI checker suggests she is slightly overweight, but not much (BMI of 25.8). Either way, I'm not sure this is the point! It seems unlikely that this girl will have put on a huge amount of weight over the holidays (especially as OP says she struggles to stay under 14 stone), so the college should have been perfectly aware of her height and build - if they didn't have anything big enough, they should have said so then! Out of interest OP, have they proposed any solution? Surely they can't expect her to just not ride :confused:
 
I hope your niece isnt reading this thread- all these adults telling her to loose weight when they haven't even seen her!!!!
im guessing she is 16/17 ish? do you realize telling a teenager to loose weight when she isnt even over weight for her height will do to her self esteem?! the poor girl is probably distraught at the fact she cant ride at college, but then to have people telling her she is over weight etc is disgusting! why should she have to loose weight, the college should be able to cater for everyone's needs!

I hope your niece isnt too upset about this, you need to speak to the head of the college about this, IMO its disgraceful!
 
Her mum my sis in law, is seeing them Friday. They want her to do DIY for her horse if she has it at college, but her horse is quite happy at home, and her mum don't want other students riding it cos it's prone to lameness If over used. So she has said she will do best to loose five pounds in a month, niece has calmed down a bit, I do feel for her, and her weight is quite in proportion to height, she is sensible 17 yr old, I have talked to her tonight, I do understand college rules, just don't see why it was not said when she enrolled and filled out the forms including a health one!!!! Had she known she would have made sure she was on the limit and not been made to feel bad about it. I do feel the instructor could have handled it better though. She had them all line up and be weighed! Lets hope if she misses a few burgers and snacks out she will be ok in a month. Thanks for your views.
 
People under 19 I think it is don't pay college fees, the government pays it. Some colleges will try anything to fill the places on their courses because they want the money. It's awful they've taken your neice on the course then said she can't ride. Doesn't it count as child abuse or something to tell a person they're over weight for their height when they're not?
 
Oh my goodness this sort of thing makes me mad! I am about that weight and 5'11, yes I am a bit big myself but there is no way I am too heavy for my horse who is a 16.3 TB although he is chunky. Your niece is very tall and I can imagine she doesn't look remotely big for her height. I agree you need to kick up a fuss about this. Maybe involve some sort of medical assessment and perhaps assessment from a vet or back expert? I don't know, but I would be furious that they had let her in in the first place. And not letting her ride an 18hh shire x?! Absolutely mental!!

I bet she is a size 12 max, her having to lose weight is ridiculous, bless her! I do know how she feels, I would love a summer job in racing but I feel unless I lost about 4 stone I might be laughed out of the yard!
 
Well I know a girl who is off to do an HNC and she is probably 14 1/2 stone at the very least! They have seen her ride and see that she is good and they have no issues at all, so not all colleges are like that!
 
I should imagine that there are two issues running, one being the weight limit the college allow for the equine well being and not having anyone who is over the officual BMI. It sounds as if the OP's neice is both. If she is only 5lb over then it should be easy enough for her to loose that.
 
My daughter has also had this said to her,at a different college and area,this week.
No weight limit has ever been mentioned. Nor is there one on their website or paperwork.
They told her,and at least one other student,on their own after making ALL the students get on scales.
I spoke to the college,who to be frank could not give a damn about taking a teen into a room alone,without warning or parental support and told her she could not ride.
I will be writing to them once I have calmed down to be lucid in what I say.
My daughter is 6' tall and 14.8 stone,definately not obese althouh like me,of a stouter build with big bones.
My mother is anorexic,so you cannot even imagine the mental damage the college has the potential to inflict when my daughter has had to watch her grandmother have a daily battle with that :mad:
 
Its pretty standard at an equine college to weigh everyone. They have to have a weight limit, reaseheath college's is 13 stone, which I was never going to reach but at least it was well commincated and I didn't need to ride on my course. I fully support it, the horses are ridden by several students per day and some are very novice. There would be more uproar if student a was told they could ride at 14.5 stone because they rode lightly and they were tall, but student b also weighed the same but was short and rode like a sack of spuds so was told they couldn't. Reaseheath also has a lower weight limit, because that can be a safety issue too.

I'm afraid the only thing I think the college has done wrong is not informing them all of this limit before signing up. I WOULD be annoyed about that bit.
 
ROMANY 1959 said:
My niece started at an equine college monday, and she flew through all the tests, riding assessment ect to get her place, college is near Gloucester area, well today was supposed to be her riding day and the instructor in charge of her group told her that she is too big to ride any of the available horses!!! Ok she is 6 ft 2 tall, and 14.5 stone, not big for her height, she was never told when she was accepted that they never had a horse to suit her. The horses I have seen are bigger than her own horse, there is a ID x 17.2. Lots of bone, and a wb similar size and a shire cross 18h ,,!!!! Yet she is 5pounds over the weight limit the college have, her mum offered to take her own horse there on her riding days, but no that is not allowed, so she is distraught.
She is wanting a career working with event horses, is this a silly low weight limit? Or are we being unrealistic . She has rode since she was 4 and has a lovely way of riding, very still with hands, lovely balanced seat. Her mum is going to the college Friday to see the principle instructor. Yes she could loose a few pounds but she struggles to keep under 14 st.
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Sorry your neice is having a tough time :( I agree it was wrong of the college to leave it so long to mention the weight limit. Letters should have been sent out with offers of places IMO.

The weight limit itself is realistic I am afraid. These horses will not only carry your neice, they will carry up to two other riders per day 5 days a week. These riders will be of varying ability so possibly alot of bouncing on horses backs. If the college allow your neice to ride then they would also have to allow other larger riders to ride and have 2 or 3 horses taking alot of strain on their backs constantly.

5lb is very easily lost in very little time.

I can completely understand the college not accepting her own horse to lessons. In a lesson her horse would be directly mingling with college horses, hugely increasing the chance of any nasties spreading. I am not for a second implying that your neice's horse has anything contagious but colleges cannot afford to take risks like that.
 
china said:
I work in a college, take them down the equal opportunities route!!!!!! They will be grovelling! Having a weight limit is ridiculous. We cater for all level and 'type' of rider. This year they have got in so,e bigger cobs to cater for this years riders. Please do not give in, colleges should not be allowed to get away with letting this happen and destroying someone's confidence in a way such as this. If you need to take it higher, take it higher. The riding is such a small part of her course, if she is academic then she will make up good marks in theory which would be a waste to walk away from. I bet if you go onto the colleges website they wil have college policies about equal Opps and anti discriminatory practice. Feel free to PM me the college and I will have a look for some of there own policies that may back you up.
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Goodness.... Lovely to see your college give a damn about welfare.
 
china said:
Are you implying that the welfare of our animals do not come first??
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My post reads far more ar*sey than it should. I apologise, it was late and I feel very strongly on weightlimits.

Does your college have ANY weightlimit? Surely if an 18stone plus rider turned up you wouldnt expect your horses to carry them, as well as all other heavy riders?

I am not at all 'fattist' I have battled with my weight my whole life, including a lfe long battle with Bulimia. But to me welfare of the horse comes before my pride.

(sorry for any missing lettrs - keyboard playing up)
 
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