How heavy is too heavy?

[Darkprincessh]

Hi all,

Just a general question really, but how heavy is too heavy?

I know it depends on the size of the horse, but how much do you all weigh and what size/breed do you ride?

H x

 

[browbrow]

Welsh d cross gypsy cob

13:3 mare

8 years old and ten inch of bone

5ft2 and 9stone 8

She carries 13 stone no messing about- she's a power house!

 

[Fallenrose]

Something I read regarding hunter type horses said middleweights can carry up to 14 stone (for a days hunting) and heavyweights over 14 stone. But depends on so many things such as age of horse, amount of bone, if he/she is in good condition muscle wise, balance of rider and so on.

 

[JenniferS]

I am 5'5" and 8.5st (last time I weighed myself but I think I've lost more! ) and my horse is a 15hh Welsh Cob.

 

[MaisieMooandCometToo]

I'm 5ft, about 7.5 stone and ride a 13.3hh section D and a 15.1hh appy x cob.

 

[Kadastorm]

i;m 5'10 and 10st 5lbs and i used to own and ride a 13.2hh fell - although i was lighter then,
still now i ride 14hh connie ponies and a lil 14hh appaloosa. i have a 16.3 chunky TB which is nice as he takes up my leg.
its different for each horse and depends on the riders ability also.
if you can ride, you are lighter in the saddle and not putting so much pressure on the horses back. but say you put a 14st novice on, they're going to be bouncing around everywhere arent they?

It also depends on the horses condition, muscle tone, age etc

 

[Stacey6897]

Depends on loads of things, standard of riding, fitness, age, build, confo and balance of horse, type of work being done, but as a general rule, I've always thought 20% of horses weight, so a 60kg person ideal on a 600kg horse, although you could go higher if you ride well and the horse is fit for the work

 

[c2b]

Pssst, 20% of 600kg is 120kg

 

[Stacey6897]

Pssst, 20% of 600kg is 120kg

Haha, oh yeah! Oops, what do you reckon the ratio should be?

 

[PendleEquestrian]

Hi, im 5ft8 and 12 stone, ive got a number of horse too embarrased to admit i collect them, but my shire x carries my fine , ive seen him carry upto 16 stone well, if the rider carries them self with tone in there muscles , what he really isnt keen on is large people who just wants to wobble for what of a better work, im a big beliver large people who ride well, in well fitting tack, are just as good as any rider! " think dead weight! or a pithed person is heavier ,lol, i thik though 16 stone would be my top limit ,and if god forbid i got heavier than i am now i think id give up or loose the weight,

 

[soulfull]

There are so many threads on weight and what a horse can carry.

Most of the time I think people are too 'PC' to be honest or we are not honest enough with ourselves

I am not a skinny person but truly believe that we often don't correctly consider the weight of rider enough!! we kid ourselves and each other

Some say 'In the old days even a small horse would carry a 15st farmer hunting' yes but he would be knackered by the time he was 12/13.

It is said 'oh I am ??st and for example my 15.2h TB carries me fine. Horse may carry you fine for x amount of time BUT it WILL cause extra wear and tear on joints etc

Doctors regularly tell patients lose weight and your knees/hips/back will be much better!!!! and it often works

My view is anyone over 12st who wants a horse to be healthy for years and years needs to chose a horse very carefully, for both bone, breeding and conformation. Obviously the more over 12st you are the more carefully you need to chose and take into account what you want to do with the horse

 

[*hic*]

*deleted*

 

[Stacey6897]

No use asking me anyway, I'm a 10st weakling on a 17hh ID, I look like a pimple on a pigs bum

 

[Wagtail]

I am 5'9" and weight 9st 12. I ride most the horses on my yard. Smallest is a 13.3 hh welsh section D, largest is a 16.1hh warmblood. I wouldn't want to be any heavier for the smaller horses.

 

[Wagtail]

There are so many threads on weight and what a horse can carry.

Most of the time I think people are too 'PC' to be honest or we are not honest enough with ourselves

I am not a skinny person but truly believe that we often don't correctly consider the weight of rider enough!! we kid ourselves and each other

Some say 'In the old days even a small horse would carry a 15st farmer hunting' yes but he would be knackered by the time he was 12/13.

It is said 'oh I am ??st and for example my 15.2h TB carries me fine. Horse may carry you fine for x amount of time BUT it WILL cause extra wear and tear on joints etc

Doctors regularly tell patients lose weight and your knees/hips/back will be much better!!!! and it often works

My view is anyone over 12st who wants a horse to be healthy for years and years needs to chose a horse very carefully, for both bone, breeding and conformation. Obviously the more over 12st you are the more carefully you need to chose and take into account what you want to do with the horse

I agree. We are far too PC about people being too heavy for their horses. I have been completely shocked and horrified by three photos I have seen of people on their horses on here. It is no good making people feel okay when really for their own health and that of their horses, they need a wake up call.

 

[PapaFrita]

There are so many threads on weight and what a horse can carry.

Most of the time I think people are too 'PC' to be honest or we are not honest enough with ourselves

And I think that people underestimate dramatically what a horse CAN carry. A healthy horse can carry 20% of his/her own bodyweight. Of course an unfit, or bad rider, will be harder to carry.

Some say 'In the old days even a small horse would carry a 15st farmer hunting' yes but he would be knackered by the time he was 12/13.

Horses were 'knackered' by all sorts of things; poor management, poor diet, poverty, lack of veterinary care, overwork (not necessarily from carrying too much weight) Horses THESE days suffer from all sorts of problems that were unheard of in the past; allergies, for a start and are sometimes 'knackered' by their loving owners who stuff them full of treats and let them eat all the grass they like so they're crippled by laminitis.

It is said 'oh I am ??st and for example my 15.2h TB carries me fine. Horse may carry you fine for x amount of time BUT it WILL cause extra wear and tear on joints etc

Any sort of work will cause extra wear and tear. As will allowing your horse to get too fat; a modern problem.

 

[Elsbells]

What about the horses that can run rings around their skinny mini riders and appear to have all sorts of ridden problems? Sometimes a bit of weight in the saddle is what's needed, hence that's why there are so many good and male riders about.

 

[Trinity Fox]

I totally agree with soulfull i am no skinny minnie but i keep check on my weight because i ride and dont expect my horses to be lugging around excess weight just because they can or are willing to.
And i think the references that are made to horses carrying all these farmers all day years ago doesnt really wash we are heavier now than we have ever been and men dont do the manual work they used to do and our diets have changed for the worse making society heavier in general than they were in the past.

I do think people kid themselves about what can be a comfortable weight for a horse to be carrying.

I would not want my horse to be carrying the very top end of what it is physically capable of i want it to carry me with ease.

 

[Time Tells]

I am a 4ft 10... 7stone midget and ride a 17.2hh stunning black blanket spot Appaloosa X cob.

Just as well he is 200% safe, (even thou he rides like he is a 5 year old) coz at times I think he doesn't know I am there! I know I am over horse'd, hence the search for a smaller one!

 

[Janette]

Putting a 12 stone weight limit out there, rules out a LOT of male riders. Men tend to be taller, and have a higher muscle mass. this equals more weight.

A local riding school did this and found that they lost ALL of their male riders. None of whom were actually fat.

I'm with PapaFrita. How many hours a day do horses these days actually 'work'? I require an hour a day of work from my mare through the week, and a bit more at the weekend.
I'm built for comfort rather than speed, my pony's heritage was bred to carry 20 stone of dead weight as the Dales ponies did when carrying Pig Iron down from the Dales. she is DalesxGypsy Cob so both are hard working, strong types.
She is not over worked, has extremely long rest periods (22 hours out of 24)

Surely, the idea is to get the horse which is suitable for the the rider. Incidentally, as I understand it, Shires are strong for pulling, but not always for carrying heavy riders.

 

[MaisieMooandCometToo]

Putting a 12 stone weight limit out there, rules out a LOT of male riders. Men tend to be taller, and have a higher muscle mass. this equals more weight.

Exactly!!! My dear father himself is 5ft11, as wide as a stick, incredibly fit but over 12 stone!!

 

[benson21]

I am one of those larger people, I rode Benson, a 16.2hh warmblood and I was over
16st. We hacked out, sj, dressage and xc and I can honestly say I never felt he was unhappy with my weight. If he had shown any sign of discomfort I would of course stopped riding, but to feel him gallopping along the beach without a care in the world I knew he was fine.
But each to their own, I quite often see a huntsman in this area who is much much larger than me riding, and he certainly doesnt seem to be looked down upon, but being female, seemingly I am.

 

[Ranyhyn]

I weigh around 10-10.5stone, I'm 5'7 and I have a 16.2 ISH.

ETA as a 10.5stone fairly novice rider I am under no aspersions that I don't feel more heavy - I am also of the opinion a 14stone rider who rides really well, could possibly feel less of a burden than me! I don't think it's as simple as weight and weight only being the factor..

 

[firstponyMinto]

I agree with Janette on this...
"Shires are strong for pulling, but not always for carrying heavy riders"

the same goes for any of the heavier breeds...I think they were all bred for the plough & not for riding?


& I agree with Benson21 about it seems only the female riders are criticized for being "heavier" .....it's so not fair!!

 

[Lady La La]

I think I'm probably pushing it weight wise with my little tb at the moment..
.. I seem to have done a rather good job of piling on the pounds just in time for my wedding
..To give you an idea, the pictures in my sig were taken a few days ago - Whilst I dont think I'm putting her in any discomfort, I do look a bit big on her and for these reasons I'll stick to light schooling and gentle hacks until I've lost a few

 

[PapaFrita]

Putting a 12 stone weight limit out there, rules out a LOT of male riders. Men tend to be taller, and have a higher muscle mass. this equals more weight.

A 12 stone weight limit is absurd; thoroughbreds, designed for speed, carry 12 stone over hurdles all the time. It's not the weight that 'knackers' them, it's the level of work. Most horses these days, bar serious competition horses, do barely enough work to keep them fit.

I'm with PapaFrita. How many hours a day do horses these days actually 'work'? I require an hour a day of work from my mare through the week, and a bit more at the weekend.

Exactly. Horses in the past worked 10-12 hour days, often on the streets. Even riding horses were required to draw carriages as well. Remember Black Beauty?

 

[MrsElle]

The weight issue is causing me some concern at the moment. I am 14st and have a 14.1 Fell who is due to be backed shortly. He is going to need regular work, albeit in small doses and although 4 years old isn't physically mature and muscled yet.

I feel it would be unfair of me to subject him to my weight when he is recently backed and learning.

Agree that a well balanced rider will ride much lighter, but on my youngster I am loathe to put my lardy weight on him

There is no general weight of rider to height of horse ratio though, it depends on how the rider rides and what the fitness of the horse is, as well as its breeding.

 

[Lady La La]

Most horses these days, bar serious competition horses, do barely enough work to keep them fit.

Very good point.

 

[muddygreymare]

I'm 5ft 6/7 and weigh about 7 1/2 stone and I ride my 15.3hh, 10yo IDxCob mare and I don't think she has a problem. But the smallest I have ridden was 12.2hh and she was happy with my weight also *not that i'm exactly heavy though haha*.

I think it does depend on the weight of the rider but also as others have said HOW they ride as light and heavy people can be 'heavy' riders which is more uncomfortable for the horse etc.

I do think it depends on the individual horse and the individual rider. If they would feel comfortable riding a horse at the weight they are at and the horse can carry them happily then I don't see the problem, I only think that it is unfair on the horse if they are struggling to carry the weight of the rider + tack etc.

 

[Elsbells]

I agree with Janette on this...
"Shires are strong for pulling, but not always for carrying heavy riders"

the same goes for any of the heavier breeds...I think they were all bred for the plough & not for riding?


& I agree with Benson21 about it seems only the female riders are criticized for being "heavier" .....it's so not fair!!

Very well said and so true!