Fat people...

Tiarella

Tiarella

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On small horses/Thoroughbreds... Your thoughts?

Im more on about people that do not realise their size and think thats its perfectly acceptable to be 15 stone + riding underweight horses/thorougbreds. How do they not feel guilty?!?!

Rant of today! Sorry!
 
I haven't seen the rants either but totally agree. I was gobsmacked when I came up to Scotland as seems far worse here than down in SE England where I come from. Big people on little horses yuk
 
I agree. However, I do also think it depends on how the good the rider is. If your a good rider and carry your weight properly you can get away with riding smaller horses than people who just sit there like a dollop!
 
big and fat on lw/small is jyst as bad IMHO as tiny and skinny on 17hh monsters , or short and fat on 17hh monsters. I find it gross though fat on a little horse is obviously not grat for thehorse , where as to small for the horse prob isn't going to hurt it, just looks dreadfull and rarely can the rider get the best from it. why oh why do people think u dont have to be at least moderately fit to ride is beyond me.:confused:
 
I always internally cringe when I see properly fat people riding at all. Even on the stockier horses it can't be good for them. If you are a little bit overweight, ok it's probably fine, but if you are genuinely fat then you should think whether you are suitable for horse riding or not. People don't like to be told this but horse riding is simply one of those sports that not everyone can do regardless of size.
 
even stockier horses - i dont think its acceptable......


i agree with dobby... horse riding is a hoby where weight is important.... im not saying everyone should be under 10 stone but! at least some respect to your horses build.


i think those who refuse to believe they are too fat for their horses are in denial purely about their weight.


no offence intended.
 
A girl at our yard is lets say short and voluptious and always buys tiny horses. Last horse was an arab and now has a 15.3 TB, which apparently is unrideable (unrideable by her as others have ridden it!)

Anyway, on the arab in a dressage test the judge wrote, 'a little too big for your horse' . Oh how I laughed!

Anyway, agree, very large people shouldn't ride, large people should have a horse to suit.

I have a voluptious friend, but she rides light and has a horse to suit, so thats all good IMHO.
 
I remember going to a hunt meet a few years ago and there was a very large teenager on a tb type pony. I felt so sorry for it. The master gave a very long speech and she sat on it the whole time, I wanted to haul her off it's back. Goodness knows how it managed for a days hunting or even for a few hours.
 
Well yes. And no though at the same time I guess. I think a lot depends on how well you ride.

If you're obviously too heavy for your horse then that's not ok but given that point to pointers are handicapped up to 12stone 5lbs I'm not sure that a 15 stone well balanced rider can't ever ride a TB. And they could certainly ride something more substantial.

I think if you are on the heavier side you need to make sure you are fit yourself and are balanced but there must be a mount out there for most I reckon. As long as you accept what you weigh and pick your horse accordingly.
 
a lady hunting with us is huge, actually huge, and she rides a dainty little TB, and comes with a woman who is tiny and rides a huge cob. it is comical to look at, i keep wanting to take a photo and add a caption.
but yes people should take their weight into account, im under 10st and i do ride a gigantic 17.2 shire X, but im strong and can handle him.
 
Dobby said:
I always internally cringe when I see properly fat people riding at all. Even on the stockier horses it can't be good for them. If you are a little bit overweight, ok it's probably fine, but if you are genuinely fat then you should think whether you are suitable for horse riding or not. People don't like to be told this but horse riding is simply one of those sports that not everyone can do regardless of size.
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Overweight as determined medically can be people who are quite capable of riding! they arent all 46 stone. Good grief.
 
better get the number for international horse rescue ready for my two tb's then :D I am by no means a lightweight (size 18 5'10'') and I own a 16.3hh tb and have the ride on a shock horror 15.3hh tb. The larger horse is quite happy to jump 1.30 with my weight on him,will work in an outline and is working elementary dressage. The younger one is still just hacking out but again will drop into a baby outline and will hack for 1.5 hrs quite happily at a time. There is no way I would ride either if I thought they were struggling in anyway and I get a bit sick of these types of posts - its the same as over 16's riding ponies or smaller people riding large horses - if you are compatible with your horse and the horse copes with the workload does i really matter whether the rider is a size 0 or a size 20.
 
smelly_horse said:
Yes..? If you are too heavy for your horse, you are to heavy. They'll be the first to complain if their horses have bad backs in a few years to come!
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How do you define too heavy though. If the horse is well muscled and fit and the rider is balanced and also capable of supporting their own weight it might not look pretty but it might be perfectly ok surely?

I think TBs can carry more than people assume frankly. Underweight,undermuscled horses of any kind are more of a problem than light weight horses in general IMO.
 
Then you are not compatible with your horse. A horse who is finding the rider too heavy will show this through inability to hold an outline,stopping at jumps etc etc.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=446104562210&set=t.800455152

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150225668890153&set=a.10150267281400153.530564.800455152

This is my horse - looks like he is really struggling doesn't he :D and by your definition of who shouldn't and should be riding horses I am most definately in the catagory of shouldn't. Guess on my weight then ?? I'm not shy :D
 
I think it's much worse seeing o/w people on o/w horses. I think the rule of thumb on rider weight/horse weight ratio is wrong as an o/w horse has to carry it's own excess fat and that of the rider.

I think a fit, at-weight horse can comfortably take a rider 20% of it's bodyweight out all day in well fitted tack... only remember to factor in conformation. A horse with a long back will stress at the whither and a cow-hocked horse will always end up with musculoskeletal issues.
 
toomanyhorses26 said:
Then you are not compatible with your horse. A horse who is finding the rider too heavy will show this through inability to hold an outline,stopping at jumps etc etc.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=446104562210&set=t.800455152

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150225668890153&set=a.10150267281400153.530564.800455152

This is my horse - looks like he is really struggling doesn't he :D and by your definition of who shouldn't and should be riding horses I am most definately in the catagory of shouldn't. Guess on my weight then ?? I'm not shy :D
Click to expand...

You look really nice on your horse.. :)
 
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