Find a horse for a 18stone + rider

racingdemon, I agree.
Back when eventers had to carry lead one or two who were ridden by lightweight female riders were notorious for playing up in the saddling enclosure when being saddled with a stone or so of lead. I knew someone who had lead built into the trees of both her saddles so that the mare got used to carrying that much weight (rider was 7 stone). There was a brilliant little 4 star horse called The Black Magician, he was about 15.2. He had a fatal fall where he tipped a fence, fell, and broke his shoulder. His rider blamed the lead for the fact that he couldn't save himself (he tried very hard). Weight makes a difference. Live weight is better than dead weight but lower weight is better than higher!
I'm not intending to insult anyone, but sometimes people kid themselves that they're not as big as they really are, or that it's not an issue to the horse. 'Vanity sizing' by high street stores doesn't help... e.g. have a pair of 'size 8' Next jeans that fit me perfectly. Ha. Me - size 8. Get real. No way, not in the real world. Nice to be flattered though, but not fooled... ;) ;) Sizing nowadays is nothing like it was years ago, so it's easy to be misled.
Eventually everyone comes to a point when they say 'enough'... maybe at 12 stone, or 14 or 16 or 18 or whatever. the earlier you decide, the easier it is to get back to where you want to be! ;) ;)
 
kerilli said:
racingdemon, I agree.
Back when eventers had to carry lead one or two who were ridden by lightweight female riders were notorious for playing up in the saddling enclosure when being saddled with a stone or so of lead. I knew someone who had lead built into the trees of both her saddles so that the mare got used to carrying that much weight (rider was 7 stone). There was a brilliant little 4 star horse called The Black Magician, he was about 15.2. He had a fatal fall where he tipped a fence, fell, and broke his shoulder. His rider blamed the lead for the fact that he couldn't save himself (he tried very hard). Weight makes a difference. Live weight is better than dead weight but lower weight is better than higher!
I'm not intending to insult anyone, but sometimes people kid themselves that they're not as big as they really are, or that it's not an issue to the horse. 'Vanity sizing' by high street stores doesn't help... e.g. have a pair of 'size 8' Next jeans that fit me perfectly. Ha. Me - size 8. Get real. No way, not in the real world. Nice to be flattered though, but not fooled... ;) ;) Sizing nowadays is nothing like it was years ago, so it's easy to be misled.
Eventually everyone comes to a point when they say 'enough'... maybe at 12 stone, or 14 or 16 or 18 or whatever. the earlier you decide, the easier it is to get back to where you want to be! ;) ;)
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^^^ LOTS of common sense here ^
 
Agree with kerilli too. In my late teens I had an 19stone boyfriend. He was 6'3, big boned & seriously into weight lifting. Think Arnold swartsanotevengoingtotry&spellit in conan the barbarian. Very few people are that weight & healthy.
No idea why anyone would be offended by this thread at all. It's not fair to overload a horse because to not do might offend someone. Unfortunately, too heavy is too heavy.
 
I think this girl could manage quite well......
IMG_0123.jpg
 
BMI is a funny old thing isn't it. I have recently lost a bit of weight but the BMI thing says I should lose another two stone. One friend has asked me if I have an eating disorder and another few have said well done on the weight loss but please do not lose any more you look anorexic (I think that's an exaggeration and not because I have an eating disorder and am in denial, honestly!!). Two other folk have asked if I am ill. :o.

I'm not really trying to lose any more but I feel myself about another stone would be nice. Then I'd be a size ten in jeans.

So I wouldn't get too hung up about the BMI thing.
 
FfionWinnie said:
BMI is a funny old thing isn't it. I have recently lost a bit of weight but the BMI thing says I should lose another two stone. One friend has asked me if I have an eating disorder and another few have said well done on the weight loss but please do not lose any more you look anorexic (I think that's an exaggeration and not because I have an eating disorder and am in denial, honestly!!). Two other folk have asked if I am ill. :o.
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You can be any weight and have an eating disorder :) It's funny that people always associate them with 'skinny' people though.

Sudden and dramatic weight loss is not a good idea, so maybe people are just worried. Or jealous :)
 
jesstickle said:
O wow Booboos. He is absolutely lush! Is he really called Cakey?
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Thank you! He is indeed called Cakey! Apparently he came over from Ireland called 'Ginger' but his previous owner didn't think it suited him and changed it to 'Jaffa'. I heard Jaffa, Jaffa Cakes came to mind and he's been Cakey ever since (10 lovely years now!).

For what it's worth Cakey's back has always been regularly checked by the physio who does all my other horses and she has never found any problems caused by the weight of his rider or anything else. In fact of all my horses he has had the lowest vet bills and nothing back or weight of rider related.
 
hollieeb said:
ohhhh she's lovely!
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Thank you :) She is Pearlsasinger (my sis)'s horse and a very very lovely lady, who we are very fond of. :)
She is teaching a friend of ours to ride, the friend has a number of medical problems, which mean that at 5'2" weighs 18st, our big girl loves it when the friend comes to ride and has no problem whatsover with the weight. :)
 
rhino said:
You can be any weight and have an eating disorder :) It's funny that people always associate them with 'skinny' people though.

Sudden and dramatic weight loss is not a good idea, so maybe people are just worried. Or jealous :)
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Yes I know that but I don't have an eating disorder. I've lost it over the course of a year and a bit but I am designed in such a way I look bigger than I am if I wear anything other than a tight top :o;) so I think it's just more noticeable in the summer.
 
Can I hazard a theory that it's not so much the weight of the rider (within limits) as what you do with the horse. Hacking gently about in trot and brief canters with a heavy rider For an hour or so can't possibly put as much pressure on a horses limbs as an average weight person jumping, hunting or doing x.country ...just a theory ?
Please can someone do me a favour and look on YouTube for
Fat Man vs Arab..I can't seem to get the link to work but think it might be worth having a look :eek:
 
Jodie3. Just saw your response to my post about the Suffolk Punches x TBs. I do have an old picture, but it's in a frame in Northumberland! The horse in question, rather inappropriately named Tinkerbelle, looks to be about 16.3. She resembles a HW hunter type, with abolsutely clean unfeathered legs (which of course Suffolks do not have anyway), appears to have the Suffolk colour (photo taken in 1935 so b/w), and a really nice head, with a tad more quality than a Suffolk but in no way too TBish for the rest of her body. Deep bodied, very powerful chest and quarters, not overly long legs but not out of proportion, short cannon bones and moderate hooves. Altogether a very pretty buxom girl. They used to fetch several thousand then - plus of course the shipping costs!
 
Booboos said:
Thank you! He is indeed called Cakey! Apparently he came over from Ireland called 'Ginger' but his previous owner didn't think it suited him and changed it to 'Jaffa'. I heard Jaffa, Jaffa Cakes came to mind and he's been Cakey ever since (10 lovely years now!).
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Love it. If he would fit in my trailer and you didn't live so far away I would be on a mission to steal him. He must be like riding a sofa :)
 
Leah3horses said:
The posts 'no horse should carry 18 plus stone' amaze me..sheer ignorance.How much do you think the likes of Nick Skelton / Geoff Billington plus all tack weigh? Must be in the region of 16 stone, AND they are showjumping on warmbloods!
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Well I consider 18 stone too heavy for any horse to have to carry..

Re Nick Skelton...

http://www.teamgb.com/athletes/nick-skelton

and for those who say tall men must weigh more etc..

Have a look at 6'5" William Fox-Pitt's weight.
http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fo/william-fox-pitt-1.html
 
For me, a person (I assume the OP is female) weighing 18+ stone needs to lose weight for their own benefit first, and for the horse's second. Even a taller than average lady shouldn't be as heavy as that. It isn't good for your joints for a start. I'm really glad the OP has already started doing something about it. Don't rush it, just watch exactly what you eat and be more active. Once your body gets used to using the muscles more it will get easier, so you will be able to do progressively more and more. As for snacking, despite the "healthy" tag of fruit and nuts, they contain alot of sugar and nuts can be fatty. Best to stick to more veg if you can. A bit less meat, a bit more fish and drink plenty as it fools your stomach into thinking it is already half full. Soup keeps you feeling full for MUCH longer and is cheap to make and freeze. Don't be obsesses by the scales, just weigh yourself once a month. Your clothes will tell you if you are losing weight!
 
There was an interesting letter in H&H last week about weights of children and ponies... Surely if a 13hh SHP can carry a 10st child (I've seen them!) would a heavyweight 18hh horse not manage 18st?? I'm being hypothetical now before.

Tin hat at the ready...
 
fatpiggy said:
For me, a person (I assume the OP is female) weighing 18+ stone needs to lose weight for their own benefit first, and for the horse's second. Even a taller than average lady shouldn't be as heavy as that. It isn't good for your joints for a start. I'm really glad the OP has already started doing something about it. Don't rush it, just watch exactly what you eat and be more active. Once your body gets used to using the muscles more it will get easier, so you will be able to do progressively more and more. As for snacking, despite the "healthy" tag of fruit and nuts, they contain alot of sugar and nuts can be fatty. Best to stick to more veg if you can. A bit less meat, a bit more fish and drink plenty as it fools your stomach into thinking it is already half full. Soup keeps you feeling full for MUCH longer and is cheap to make and freeze. Don't be obsesses by the scales, just weigh yourself once a month. Your clothes will tell you if you are losing weight!
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sorry please read my post in full, i am not 18stone+
 
If the animal is happy, healthy and fit enough to do so, I don't really see the problem. I used to work for a lady that due to health reasons and a disability was rather heavy, however, her Shire x used to do a full days hunting twice a week with no ill effects at all. A heavy rider may ride more sympathetically than the lightweight rider at times.

People may see a 14st lady riding a light 15hh tb and not blink an eye because perhaps that animal is capable of carrying them. Why shouldn't a heavier rider be able to have the rights to having a horse than anybody else? I mean if we were talking about the above 15hh light tb carrying 18st I might baulk but on a heavy horse, what's the problem. These animals were designed to pull tonnes of weight over their shoulder and backs.
 
The wife said:
There was an interesting letter in H&H last week about weights of children and ponies... Surely if a 13hh SHP can carry a 10st child (I've seen them!) would a heavyweight 18hh horse not manage 18st?? I'm being hypothetical now before.

Tin hat at the ready...
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What concerns me most is the idea of a 10 stone child :eek: what age were they talking about?
 
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