Find a horse for a 18stone + rider

[CanteringCarrot]

You misunderstood, I meant the fact it will be hurtful to some people is a result of society's general fatphobia. If Cheeky Chestnut or myself or any number of people hadn't been damaged by it already then being weighed wouldn't have any negative feelings attached to it at all. And really it shouldn't! I did specifically say the school were doing nothing wrong so I rather feel like you've misunderstood me on purpose there.

I was absolutely desperate to put my butt in a saddle, nothing was going to stop me ? It nearly ended up better that way tbh, if I had thought about it and realised of course they were probably going to weigh me I might have let it stop me going and that would have been a bigger shame in the long run.

My go-to's as well! Next for nice dresses, DP for work dresses ?

Ah, I see what you're saying there. That makes sense.

I DID NOT purposely misunderstand you. How strange. But thanks.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

How is not wanting to put too heavy of a rider on your ponies part of a "fatphobic society"

I am not arguing that the fatphobic society doesn't exist, just that I don't think they're part of it.

Yes, it could be hurtful to some, but a lot of things could be hurtful to some.

My horse is not a good weight carrier, I've literally seen this when my OH (also a rider) hoped on him just to see if it could work. He is well balanced and doesn't interfere much with the horse, but his sheer weight was just too much. There was a visible change in my horses posture and way of going. He's not a weak horse, but has a limit regardless. So I can understand limits regarding weight.

But what is the place to do in order to not he hurtful? They're either hurtful to their ponies or potentially hurtful toward some people.

I am not dismissing anyone's feelings or hurt.

not a go at you personally.

Someone chosing not to allow a heavier person on Their personal horse is their choice completely. Condemning people for riding their own at more than the perfect weight or for buying one when at more than the perfect weight is something else entirely.

Businesses may do what they wish with their horses, nobody is contesting that fact. I personally just wouldn’t go anywhere that asked me to step on scales. The welfare of our horses is our priority, however you don’t know how someone else is caring for their horse. That heavier rider that you may be saying shouldn’t be riding may be having regular checks done on the horse, may have had a made to measure saddle fitted, horse could be better looked after than your own in that regard.

Clearly everyone has differing opinions but unless you are all up in everyone’s business then judging people by weight alone isn’t fair. 16st of heavy female is the same as 16st of lean male but the latter will always be acceptable due to the picture it presents.

 

[Rosemary28]

You misunderstood, I meant the fact it will be hurtful to some people is a result of society's general fatphobia. If Cheeky Chestnut or myself or any number of people hadn't been damaged by it already then being weighed wouldn't have any negative feelings attached to it at all.

This resonates with me hugely. I was called fat by my family when I was a size 12, so imagine what they said when I hit size 22...

 

[Kat]

Ok, so go somewhere that doesn't weigh their riders ?‍. I look at riding centres that are prepared to weigh riders (Adventure Clydesdales in Devon do the same, but their weight limits are higher) and think 'Good for them'. It's published on their website, so no need for anyone to be taken by surprise.

Pussy footing about overweight would be riders and their feelings must not impact on the horses. If an overweight (for the horse) rider turns up, then they need to be turned away.

It is not fat shaming to have a strict weight limit for a horse riding business. If you cant do the weight (just weigh yourself at home first), then don't book, simples.

I did weigh myself at home (regularly) before signing up for a course at an equine college with a weight limit. I declared my weight honestly before it started. However your weight can vary day to day and depending upon what you have eaten, water retention, the time of the month, when you last went to the toilet etc. Then add in the variables of exactly what clothes you are wearing. Then consider the accuracy and calibration of different scales.

I came in over the weight limit and it was horrible having that discussion. Especially as actually they had plenty of big horses capable of carrying my weight and much higher, it felt like I was being told I was too fat to ride the huge ID type horses I could see. I wasn't even overweight at that weight for my height.

They allowed me to do the course anyway and didn't weigh me again during the course, just gave me the larger horses (I'm tall so needed them anyway).

I fully understand the reasons for having weight limits but I wonder how that would have affected a 16yr old signing up for a college course.

I don't know what the answer is, just posting an experience.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

You look amazing! I am really sorry you have been made to feel badly and I agree that fat shaming is horrible - emotionally destructive and totally counter-productive. It is great that you are starting to feel like yourself again. I have much sympathy too also being an hour-glass, curvy sort of shape that weighs in rather well!

Its hard isn’t it! No maxi dress in the world fits me without taking about 5 inches off the bottom ???

 

[ihatework]

That’s a shame SM that they blind sided you with that. I’d have walked personally. As I said in my above post I wouldn’t book anywhere that asked me to do that even if I knew I was well below the limit.

Was a next dress I think ? so probably was lol theirs and DPs petite range were my go to ?

Whereas I would see it as a positive, although would also hate standing on the scales.

But if I’m paying to ride a horse I want a well looked after one who isn’t stale from having to lump around riders too heavy for them. People lie or genuinely don’t know what they weigh. And as we have seen from this thread it’s not always easy for a third party to tell just by looking.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

not a go at you personally.

Someone chosing not to allow a heavier person on Their personal horse is their choice completely. Condemning people for riding their own at more than the perfect weight or for buying one when at more than the perfect weight is something else entirely.

Businesses may do what they wish with their horses, nobody is contesting that fact. I personally just wouldn’t go anywhere that asked me to step on scales. The welfare of our horses is our priority, however you don’t know how someone else is caring for their horse. That heavier rider that you may be saying shouldn’t be riding may be having regular checks done on the horse, may have had a made to measure saddle fitted, horse could be better looked after than your own in that regard.

Clearly everyone has differing opinions but unless you are all up in everyone’s business then judging people by weight alone isn’t fair. 16st of heavy female is the same as 16st of lean male but the latter will always be acceptable due to the picture it presents.

Yes, I did not get into the subject of people and their personal horses and/or potential personal horses. If horse and rider are sound and happy, condemning them is ridiculous.

I am not even going there.

 

[TPO]

It's not fat shaming; as said above its animal welfare.

Where does this sense of entitlement that if someone wants to ride they should regardless of their weight come from?

I'm 5ft5, fat and ugly. Should I get to be a model just because I want to despite not meeting any of the criteria? I don't meet the criteria but perhaps I could be a surgeon? Who cares if its detrimental to the patient if *I* want to it.

Gravity dictates that, on earth under normal circumstances, X stone is X stone. As force = mass x acceleration then an X stone unbalanced rider may exert a greater force on the horse if they are bouncing about out of balance. However that doesnt make an X stone rider any lighter just because they feel that they are balanced.

Places that weigh riders should be commended for taking the welfare of the animal into consideration and ensuring that a rider is assigned to a horse that can comfortably carry them.

Previously when I've been a healthy or slight overweight weight people have seriously underestimated my weight and been shocked to find it out. Not so much this time as lockdown has undeniably unleashed the blob! That's why you cant use your eye and scales are required.

Theres an account on Instagram (erika_slimming world) who made like a collage of 11st women to show that weight doesnt look the same on everyone. Obviously height plays a big part but even women of the same height carried their weight so differently they disnt look like they could possibly weigh the same. That why scales are required.

Like I said I'm overweight so for now I wont ride mine until I lose 2st. As someone else said my balance/centre of gravity goes to pot when I'm overweight too. My horse is sharp and fast so I need to be able to hold myself and I'm just not as good at riding when I have all this fat around me.

He's a QH so when I answer questions about why I'm not riding I get told "oh but big men compete them" (some of the reining pairings ?) or "they're ridden all day by cowboys". I appreciate than half an hour of carrying my lard about wont cause him to drop to his knees and pop his clogs but stress and damage builds up from the minute we sit on them regardless of if it's an 8st or 18st rider.

I dont understand the mentality that because X is worse then it's ok for me to do Y, which isnt great but not as bad as X.

Obviously I feel for anyone who had gained weight due to a life change and/or medical issue. I know that while losing weight is simple it's not always easy. If it was easy everyone would do it and there would be no diet culture or fat shaming for starters. But really the horse has to come first in every instance and above any human desires, wants or sense of entitlement to do as they please regardless of the consequences on another being

 

[Hanno Verian]

The Household Cavalry's full uniform weighs around 4 stone - add this to the weight of a tall man for the duration of a state occasion or a parade.....surely this should be considered a lot more wear and tear on the horse than an average large overweight rider pootling around for half an hour or so?

I know this one has been done to death but HHC horses are extremely fit, they are under a high degree of veterinary supervision, on parade they will be only in Walk/Trot on level suraces as previously mentioned both horse and rider are closely monitored and rarely carry the full weight. They have an active working life full of variety and are retired into a second career when it becomes too much for them.

People are talking about Knights/cavalrymen in armour as a comparisson, people were smaller then and generally leaner than they are today a knight/cavalryman would only be mounted in full armour for a short period of time when there was an expectation of battle, this armour although heavy is not as heavy as people think, in a battle the horses energy would be conserved they would walk and trot, only breaking into a full charge at the very last minute. Unfortunately war horses lives where short they where a disposable commodity, when they reached the end of their usefullness they were eaten. They certainly werent expected to jump round a course of fences or go XC carrying full battle load. I would like to think that we have better welfare standards now than then and that we want our horses to have as long and happy a working life as possible rather than break them and discard them.

I appreciate that there are a lot of reasons for people carrying more weight than they should/would ideally, I'm 6' I weigh just on 14st I'm working to get my weight down by a stone because I worry that my 16.3 Warmblood X Irish SH is carrying too much in me and know that it will benefit both of us. If I gained weight to an unacceptable level I would stop riding and work hard to lose it before restarting riding for my horses sake.

 

[Annagain]

I really think we need to separate being heavy from being fat both in general and especially when it comes to horses. Many international rugby players - some of the fittest sportspeople around in terms of strength and stamina - are morbidly obese according to BMI but they're not fat. I know it's an emotive issue and that weight and fat has been linked for so long as one can be a measure of another but they don't mean the same thing. I think some of it has been borne out of people not wanting to use the word "fat" so substituting it with "heavy", "curvy", "big" when it's possible to be all of these without being fat and it's possible to be fat without being any of those.

When it comes to horses, weight is the issue, not fat. I've recently lost 3 1/2 stone. I was fat before, but because my boys are big chunks, I was never too heavy for them. Equally, I would never be able to ride a small pony even now, as despite not being fat any more (well, a lot less fat than I was) I am still (and will always be) too heavy. That isn't a personal failure on my part, it's just biology.

 

[Mildlander]

I wouldn't want to fat shame anyone but riding schools weighing clients makes sense to me for animal welfare - but they should make it clear before you get there.
It's not just riding schools I did the mile long zip wire in Wales - everyone was weighed as they have to make sure that it's safe, over the weigh limit you can't go, if you're light they add weight to you to make sure you get down, getting heavier they put a sail on you to slow you up - if you don't get weighed you don't get to go on the zip wire - funnily enough no one was complaining about that.

 

[palo1]

Yeah I was asked to step on scales at the first place I went to after my long break from riding, having been at the same stables since I was 7 previously I had NO IDEA that was even a thing so it took me a bit by surprise. I wasn't long out of the Dark Place RE: my eating habits and it wasn't a nice experience. Of course I just put a smile on and tried not to think about it too much, they had no idea it would be any sort of trigger for me so they can't be blamed. The school had no intention of shaming me at all of course, everyone gets weighed, they don't single anybody out and it's just a practical thing but that didn't make it any easier on my poor broken brain!

You look class in that dress! I feel like it's been in my online basket before tbh, which isn't that unlikely seeing how limited the petite options usually are ?

It's an unfortunate part of a sh*tty fatphobic society tbh, the riding school aren't doing anything wrong but it doesn't mean it can't be hurtful.

I hope you don't mind me challenging that word 'hurtful' as that sounds kind of personal; I think weighing in can be difficult in that situation but not hurtful. Sorry to be pedantic! The thing is that there is a real difference between weighing as part of a policy for animal health and weighing yourself for personal or medical reasons. I know that the two can collide but the intentions are wholly different.

 

[palo1]

possible option for the fourth bagel would be to go bare back...........saves the weight of the saddle and possibly opens up the opportunity of a biscuit with a cup of tea?

Ooh I like your thinking!! Lol...

 

[ester]

Re. what CC says about it being different being RS or your own.
I think with your own they are used to carrying you at your weight, and knowing exactly what you are asking of them when you are riding, in a saddle that is fitted to both them and you.
An RS mount doesn't tend to get those things which automatically makes it more problematic.
There was one point I had a chat with my instructor re. riding Frank - when I was living away and only back at weekends, but that situation resolved itself once I had him on DIY (less time for eating, more time just generally moving, and a lot more riding!). I never had any concerns riding him at the weights I was after that (13st +) and he didn't seem to either, he was fit, conditioned and with plenty of topline despite being in his 20s by then.

When he'd had to have a few months off at 24/25 I wouldn't have got back on him again, it wouldn't have been fair or appropriate, Mum could have (a few stone lighter than me) but didn't ever really enjoy riding him so opted not to.

I am finding it easier now than a few years ago to find weight limits for RS on their websites, which I think is a good thing, as a teen we never asked anyone. A few do say please contact us if you are over X weight to discuss

 

[smolmaus]

I hope you don't mind me challenging that word 'hurtful' as that sounds kind of personal; I think weighing in can be difficult in that situation but not hurtful. Sorry to be pedantic! The thing is that there is a real difference between weighing as part of a policy for animal health and weighing yourself for personal or medical reasons. I know that the two can collide but the intentions are wholly different.

No that's fair! Word choice is important when having this kind of discussion! Of course nobody is being deliberately hurtful in this particular situation, as you say it is a welfare issue and should be completely normal, but it can still cause someone pain unintentionally.

I sometimes hesitate to use the word "triggering" as it is so often a trigger (ironically) for more arguments, but here it might be the most appropriate word, as the "hurt" is internal rather than external and based more on previous experiences rather than what is currently happening.

 

[sportsmansB]

I do a lot of riding holidays
They almost always specify a maximum weight
I have never actually been weighed, but I do think they would have been entirely within their rights to do so given that I had accepted terms which included a maximum weight.
Often we have been riding horses which are smaller than I would ride at home and I can completely see why weighing customers could be necessary.

 

[palo1]

No that's fair! Word choice is important when having this kind of discussion! Of course nobody is being deliberately hurtful in this particular situation, as you say it is a welfare issue and should be completely normal, but it can still cause someone pain unintentionally.

I sometimes hesitate to use the word "triggering" as it is so often a trigger (ironically) for more arguments, but here it might be the most appropriate word, as the "hurt" is internal rather than external and based more on previous experiences rather than what is currently happening.

Absolutely right. The way that everyday stuff can trigger really difficult emotions and responses IS a problem for people experiencing that. I do think that is one reason why 'fat shaming' is so appalling - I have no idea why anyone would think it a reasonable thing to do but I also think that (having never been on the receiving end of fat shaming to my knowledge!) some things can feel like deliberate hurtfulness because of the internal triggers that are there. It seems to me that is one reason why really objective weight limits and open discussion are important in fact; then the discussion isn't potentially so personal and triggering for individuals. As it is, we are all very anxious about talking about the state of our bodies and like any stigma that puts people who are struggling in a horrible place. A cancer diagnosis used to carry terrible levels of shame with it; by open discussion and acknowledgement of really difficult stuff it has become far easier for people to deal with. I would think, possibly that by really opening the discussion about our weight and issues around that in equestrianism we might all get more comfortable and confident about that?

 

[Wishfilly]

I think weight is a really tricky issue for any business that allows others to ride their horses. Obviously it needs to be handled sensitively, but it is a welfare issue, and obviously an issue financially if a horse is out of action due to having to carry too much weight.

And the fact is people do lie about all sorts of things- when I worked at a stables we even had clients lie about the age of their kids. We didn't weigh people, but were somewhat flexible around weight anyway- we had a few weight carriers which could take someone 16st+ for a steady trek once a day, but equally we couldn't accommodate, say, a group of 6 who all weighed 16st and wanted to go for a fast hack.

It's also worth bearing in mind that for people who can't get on and off without assistance, heavy riders can be a welfare issue for staff, too!

I think it's very much about what you ask a horse to do, too- there's a difference between a rider going out for half an hour at walk, and asking the same horse with the same rider to do fast work/jumping in the school. We did have to have difficult conversations with clients occasionally who wanted to ride a certain horse, but were too heavy, or wanted to progress something like jumping, but were limited in the horses they could ride due to weight.

I do think asking someone to step on scales with no warning perhaps isn't the best way to handle things- I think clients should be warned, and privacy offered.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I fully understand the reasons for having weight limits but I wonder how that would have affected a 16yr old signing up for a college course.

It must have been a very unpleasant experience for a young you to come in over the college weight limit.

But as a general rule, it would not be wise to be relying on being on the nail with the target weight at home on the bathroom scales, you do need to allow for different scales reading weight differently along with time of day/time of the month/wearing different clothing. So if I was to go a place with a weight limit, I'd want to be consistently coming in at an absolute min of 4lb/preferably 7lb under the weight limit fully dressed in riding gear, to allow for fluctuations.

I'm a yo yo dieter, I'm no twig myself. There are times when I have not ridden because I've been too heavy. My horses couldn't give a flying f@rt whether I look good in a dress/look 2 stone lighter than the scales weigh me at.

There are other sports and courses that people can take part in where their weight is not an issue.

This is equine welfare, it is not fat shaming.

I do think asking someone to step on scales with no warning perhaps isn't the best way to handle things- I think clients should be warned, and privacy offered.

I do agree with this too, there should be both prior warning of and privacy for a weigh in.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Just before the Melbourne Cup last year or the year before a rather large lass (that no one in their right mind would let on a horse) popped her head up and said that racing was sizist and the whole industry was fat shaming etc and that if anyone wanted to ride in a race then they should have the option to. There should be weight limits and optimum weights etc. It should be an open and fair sport.

Well I would love see how many owners would choose the 18st lass over the 8st professional jockey ...

 

[palo1]

There are weight limits and allowances in a huge range of sports; F1 drivers have to manage their weight as do competitive sailors and cyclists. Even Tug of War teams have to manage their individual and combined weights! I know that not all horse riders are competitive nor certainly at an elite level but in just about every sport, weight has a bearing on things. It is a pretty fundamental element of any aerobic/balance/weight carrying activity even without the animal welfare aspect. It is just really difficult when our emotions rather than the hard facts get in the way of thinking about it.

 

[smolmaus]

Absolutely right. The way that everyday stuff can trigger really difficult emotions and responses IS a problem for people experiencing that. I do think that is one reason why 'fat shaming' is so appalling - I have no idea why anyone would think it a reasonable thing to do but I also think that (having never been on the receiving end of fat shaming to my knowledge!) some things can feel like deliberate hurtfulness because of the internal triggers that are there. It seems to me that is one reason why really objective weight limits and open discussion are important in fact; then the discussion isn't potentially so personal and triggering for individuals. As it is, we are all very anxious about talking about the state of our bodies and like any stigma that puts people who are struggling in a horrible place. A cancer diagnosis used to carry terrible levels of shame with it; by open discussion and acknowledgement of really difficult stuff it has become far easier for people to deal with. I would think, possibly that by really opening the discussion about our weight and issues around that in equestrianism we might all get more comfortable and confident about that?

Yeah I think that would be the best case scenario outcome. But I do think it needs to be handled sensitively until we get there. The day when your scale weight just means nothing other than the force you exert on the ground as an objective number is a long way off for a heck of a lot of people.

We exist as people in a wider society before we come to equestrianism and just because when it comes to this one thing, yes it is an objective welfare issue, says nothing about you as a person, a saddle isn't ashamed of itself for being too long for a pony's back etc. we all carry over our feelings from our everyday lives into it. And everyday life is saturated with fatphobic messages, even if they aren't directed at you and even if they don't consciously affect you, it's still just part of the background noise of life. You can't necessarily fix that by just choosing to see things objectively, getting into that frame of mind takes work and it takes more work for some people than others.

On a personal note, sometimes I think I am getting there, I do my best not to give in to smaller-is-better messaging but I have 2 new pairs of riding tights in two sizes and they've been sitting a week, one needs returned but if I can bloody make myself send back the smaller pair without telling myself "well you could just make yourself lose 10lb then you'd fit the smaller pair" ??? it is so annoying

 

[Wishfilly]

Yeah I think that would be the best case scenario outcome. But I do think it needs to be handled sensitively until we get there. The day when your scale weight just means nothing other than the force you exert on the ground as an objective number is a long way off for a heck of a lot of people.

We exist as people in a wider society before we come to equestrianism and just because when it comes to this one thing, yes it is an objective welfare issue, says nothing about you as a person, a saddle isn't ashamed of itself for being too long for a pony's back etc. we all carry over our feelings from our everyday lives into it. And everyday life is saturated with fatphobic messages, even if they aren't directed at you and even if they don't consciously affect you, it's still just part of the background noise of life. You can't necessarily fix that by just choosing to see things objectively, getting into that frame of mind takes work and it takes more work for some people than others.

On a personal note, sometimes I think I am getting there, I do my best not to give in to smaller-is-better messaging but I have 2 new pairs of riding tights in two sizes and they've been sitting a week, one needs returned but if I can bloody make myself send back the smaller pair without telling myself "well you could just make yourself lose 10lb then you'd fit the smaller pair" ??? it is so annoying

FWIW, I do get it is really really bloody tough, and it's easy for people to say it's not intended to hurt feelings, as it's just about welfare- but clearly weight does come with a lot of complex baggage for a lot of people. There are ways of handling things other than whipping out a set of scales, IMO- I say this as someone who's never likely to be over the weight of a RS weight limit, but would nonetheless be upset by certain numbers on the scale.

Competitive sport is different, and it's totally normal in a lot of sports to need to keep yourself within a certain weight class.

 

[Michen]

possible option for the fourth bagel would be to go bare back...........saves the weight of the saddle and possibly opens up the opportunity of a biscuit with a cup of tea?

I've switched to crumpets today as discovered they are literally half the calories! So that's great. 4 of them- no problem.

I can't have biscuits in the house I literally eat the entire pack....

Bloody weight and age, 5 years ago I could have eaten 3,000 calories a day and still stayed within 9 stone..

 

[ester]

that's cos they are half air .

 

[Tiddlypom]

There are ways of handling things other than whipping out a set of scales,

Genuine question - what other way of assessing rider weight would you suggest without using scales (assuming prior warning of using them and privacy)?

Would it not be worse to say 'You appear to be fat, so you can't ride, but he is not fat, he can?'

 

[Kat]

It must have been a very unpleasant experience for a young you to come in over the college weight limit.

But as a general rule, it would not be wise to be relying on being on the nail with the target weight at home on the bathroom scales, you do need to allow for different scales reading weight differently along with time of day/time of the month/wearing different clothing. So if I was to go a place with a weight limit, I'd want to be consistently coming in at an absolute min of 4lb/preferably 7lb under the weight limit fully dressed in riding gear, to allow for fluctuations.

Sorry, I wasn't a teenager, I was doing an evening course as an adult.

I found it pretty unpleasant, as I say I'd been weighing myself and had checked that I was under fully dressed at home several times because I was worried about it. Then on the day on their scales weighed over.

I'd ridden at riding schools, on riding holidays and trekking places and had never been asked to get on the scales before so doing it in front of others then being pulled to one side was pretty horrible.

I totally respect their need to have some sort of system, but I think care needs to be taken, especially for a college dealing with teenage girls.

I like the suggestion of "contact us if you are over xxx weight" it then allows for them to discuss their limits, your expectations, available alternatives and arrange to do a weigh in discreetly if you are happy to proceed.

I was doing an evening course for pleasure but really worried about the effect it would have if you were a teenager signed up to do a vocational course.

 

[Wishfilly]

Genuine question - what other way of assessing rider weight would you suggest without using scales (assuming prior warning of using them and privacy)?

Would it not be worse to say 'You appear to be fat, so you can't ride, but he is not fat, he can?'

Basically, we just tried to avoid ever getting in that situation. Obviously sometimes, it can't be avoided and you have to have a difficult conversation with someone, but if you get to the stage where someone's turned up and they are too heavy, regardless of how you handle it (scales, personal judgement), it's going to be difficult and upsetting, and not something you want to handle on a public yard.

We didn't state a weight limit, but obviously asked for weights on booking, and gave ourselves flexibility in that if someone turned up and they were a bit heavier than expected we could bring out a big weight carrier. If there were a lot of people in the group at a "borderline" weight, we usually turned away over the phone rather than risk having to do it in person (and have an empty slot on the day).

I think if places state a weight limit, then people know what to say when they lie to say they're going to be under it. But equally, I do understand why places do.

Also, my boss was of the view that a tall fit person was better on a horse's back than a short, fat one, so she would use a bit of personal judgement. I'm not saying that's right, but they were her horses, and I would say it's obviously easier for a tall, muscly 16st to get on than a shorter, fatter one to get on, just as an example- which is an issue you have to take into account with beginners.

I think the worst situation I've seen a yard put in was on a school residential trip, where a student (or her parents) had clearly lied about her weight, and that was a bit of an issue, because turning her away from the trip would have been a nightmare for all involved. The centre just put her on the most suitable horse they had, and limited the activities she did- which isn't a great solution, but I don't think there was one available. But making a lot of teenage girls weigh themselves in front of a person at the start of a trip wouldn't have been pleasant either (and if one downright refuses, what do you do then?).

 

[stormox]

not a go at you personally.

Clearly everyone has differing opinions but unless you are all up in everyone’s business then judging people by weight alone isn’t fair. 16st of heavy female is the same as 16st of lean male but the latter will always be acceptable due to the picture it presents.

I think judging by weight is perfectly fair. I have seen amusement rides judged purely by weight and overweight people not allowed. Why should riding schools be any different?

 

[Kaylum]

If you have a bit of weight on you and want to ride at a riding school try a mechanical horse. Riding is extremely physical and being bigger will not help you or the horse. The mechanical horses can take up to 16 stone and you are not going to hurt the horse if you get tired. I think its a great way to ride and get fit. Our local riding school has one you can hire and use yourself once you have been shown how to.