How heavy is too heavy?

PapaFrita

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The clips showed her riding as a small child. She was obese then too. It's all about education and habit. It's very rare you see a fat child that does not also have fat parents. It has been proved that it i not genetics. The slim presenter on the TV programme 'Embarassingly Fat Bodies', was shown to be genetically more predesposed to be fat than the fat family whose lifestyle she wascovering.
It would've been perfectly possible to continue discussing the topic at hand without resorting to posting a stranger's videos (a minor, BTW), out of any context, for others to b8tch at.
 

Fantasy_World

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Well weight or no weight I think she looks a better rider than a lot of people I have seen over the years. Most of them folks who exaggerate their own riding abilities, over horse themselves and horsey ends up being sold.....
I have also seen and ridden with people who are slim and yet unfit, considering their 'healthy' weight. Oh yes I forgot to add yes I do carry some extra pounds. Gosh my poor, poor horses......
I also agree that it was morally wrong to post up videos of a stranger to make a point!
The point could have been made without dragging some teenager and her horse videos and photos into the argument.
As for the lady who is overweight who posted up her own videos I commend her for her bravery to do so.
She has recognised that she does have a weight issue and is doing something about it. At least she is taking part in exercise. Not like the some of the 'thin' folks I have worked with over the years who get out of breath going up stairs and even doing tasks that are about as physical as an elephant lifting up an ant!
I hope that she continues to lose weight. I think for both her sake and the horse if she continues to shed the pounds she will enjoy her horse a lot more and be able to do a lot of things. I think for an overweight rider she was balanced.
The horse was carrying a lot of weight, even though it was a well made individual and so I do think that the lady does need to lose a lot more, but she does acknowledge this.
Without sounding mean I did agree with previous comments about the horse's action in the first video though. The horse looked laboured in both walk and trot and was stiff in its gait, especially in its hind limb action. I would guess it was due to weight being carried but also it could have been due to the horse's own fitness levels as well.
The video of the polo pony though was horrible and imo cruel, the action on the horse's mouth was horrendous and the eyes :(
As other's have already said, weight carrying ability is not just down to the size and breeding of the horse/pony but also it is affected by the fitness levels of the horse itself.
I hope the lady can gain some positivity from this thread and continue to work on her own weight and fitness levels, and of that I am sure she will :) Good luck x

My own horses are stocky types that I ride. This was by choice because I do happen to like the breeds that my horses are and have ridden similar types in the past even when I was much slimmer. I do also own a tb which is ridden by someone else but when my own weight is an acceptable level for her to carry me then I would love to ride her as well. If she had been a bigger build of a tb I would not have hesitated but she is a dot and compared to my big beauties has thin legs lol. For a small tb she has carried good weights over jumps when she raced and even won with 12 stone on her back. As previously stated already tb's can comfortably carry this weight, if they didn't then we wouldn't have hunter chasing and ptp's for a start as most that partake in those events carry 12 stone and even above.
Therefore I also don't agree with 12 stone weight limits as it is absurd.
A rider should be matched to a horse based on the rider's weight, height, ability and what they want to actually do with the horse. The horse should be matched to the rider using the same formula and also taking into account the fitness level of the horse as well.
It is not all about weight as others have said.
 

guesstimation

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Interesting reading! I’ve just finally started hacking out my 12.3/13hh Dartmoor, just turned 6. He was backed last year lightly and now I plan to actually hack him out. I am 5 foot 4 and weigh between 9.5 and 9.10 stone depending on how kind the scales are being. I have been worried if I would be too much for him since I got him as a 6 month old foal! However upon riding him he is in no way struggling to carry me, in fact he’s striding out in front of others and marching on as if I were not even on him.

I am slightly concerned about long term wear and tear, I would not let myself get any heavier and ride him (I actually lost half a stone so I felt happier getting on him) and I as yet wouldn’t ride him out for really long hacks due to being new to this ridden stuff and the weight, though we shall see how we get on in the future, if I keep up at the gym I may shed a few more pounds for him!!
 

Spudlet

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My youngest brother is a six foot tall rugby player - and he is convinced he's fat (not at all - he's just built for the second row - tall and muscular). He is convinced of this because his mates tease him. And for all that he is a real lads' lad, he is actually quite sensitive about it. Leave this girl alone - have some people on here forgotten how awful being a teenager is anyway, without coming online and realising that you are being shredded by a load of older women!? And stop using the excuse of preaching about horse welfare to cover what is really happening here - a potentially vulnerable young person being ripped to shreds with no chance of defending herself!:mad:
 

jenki13

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Why are you so p*ssed PF? You got fat kids?

No but some of us might know what its like to be bullied & laughed at for different reasons.
If you didn't think that the girl/lady in the videos would be ridiculed for her weight in this discussion after comments about other users already then quite frankly maybe your to thick to be looking after a horse. (Just looking after your horses welfare here).:rolleyes:
 

marmalade76

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Leave this girl alone - have some people on here forgotten how awful being a teenager is anyway, without coming online and realising that you are being shredded by a load of older women!? And stop using the excuse of preaching about horse welfare to cover what is really happening here - a potentially vulnerable young person being ripped to shreds with no chance of defending herself!:mad:

I didn't know her age when I posted the link, she looks like she's in her twenties to me.

I had to contact my internet provider to comfirm that I was over 18 before I could view anything on Youtube, surely the same applies if you wish to post videos on there.
 

Spudlet

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Or maybe you were one of the 'popular' kids who sat around judging and ridiculing others for their weight, or their hair colour, or because they were cleverer than you, or poorer than you, or had spots, or frzzy hair... and then when they got upset, said it was 'just a joke' or that 'you were just telling it how it is'.

Speaking as someone who was driven to attempt suicide while at school by vile little bullies, I feel rather strongly about it. And I am hugely thankful that I was at school before forums and Facebook became easily available, because if they'd been able to get me online as well as in person, I'd be long dead.

If you weren't one of those people - congratulations, you are now.
 

Fantasy_World

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Or maybe you were one of the 'popular' kids who sat around judging and ridiculing others for their weight, or their hair colour, or because they were cleverer than you, or poorer than you, or had spots, or frzzy hair... and then when they got upset, said it was 'just a joke' or that 'you were just telling it how it is'.

Speaking as someone who was driven to attempt suicide while at school by vile little bullies, I feel rather strongly about it. And I am hugely thankful that I was at school before forums and Facebook became easily available, because if they'd been able to get me online as well as in person, I'd be long dead.

If you weren't one of those people - congratulations, you are now.

Spudlet I can empathise totally.
Bullies never go away..... they just age .......
 

cattysmith

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Or maybe you were one of the 'popular' kids who sat around judging and ridiculing others for their weight, or their hair colour, or because they were cleverer than you, or poorer than you, or had spots, or frzzy hair... and then when they got upset, said it was 'just a joke' or that 'you were just telling it how it is'.

Speaking as someone who was driven to attempt suicide while at school by vile little bullies, I feel rather strongly about it. And I am hugely thankful that I was at school before forums and Facebook became easily available, because if they'd been able to get me online as well as in person, I'd be long dead.

If you weren't one of those people - congratulations, you are now.

Well said Spudlet.

There are truly some vile people on this forum. It's awful to read some of the posts sometimes. Digging around the internet for videos of an overweight child and then making nasty remarks about her is pretty much as ****** as you can get. I actually think she's rather a decent rider. I also think Diet 2 Ride must have taken some courage to post her videos. She obviously adores her horse and looks after it incredibly well.

I bet there are far more horse-faced, chinless, stuck up, bitchy, snotty, opinionated, **** speaking, people in the world of equestrianism than there are obese people. I think it's obvious that not all of these "mares" are being "covered"....
 

Wagtail

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Once again people are missing the point. Nothing wrong with being fat if you are otherwise healthy and fit. But being fat is not an excuse to abuse horses! Next thing we'll know is people will be slated for being racist if they critisise a black person for being cruel.

I also know first hand what bullying is, and this isn't it. Yes it happens on here, but IMO, any person who abuses horses should be banged to rights whatever their age, weight, colour or sex.
 
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jenki13

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What about the bullying of the poor horses?

Yeh because they look like they are in pain :rolleyes: & looking at some of her other videos she doesn't even look that big.. she probably weighs a darn sight less than some people on here seem to think.

(Jumping on frozen ground is completely different scenario & off topic)
 

Wagtail

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Yeh because they look like they are in pain :rolleyes: & looking at some of her other videos she doesn't even look that big.. she probably weighs a darn sight less than some people on here seem to think.

(Jumping on frozen ground is completely different scenario & off topic)

Some of the horses look very unhappy indeed! :mad:
 

Wagtail

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One of them (the little chestnut) is either pregnant or extremely overweight herself which only adds to the abuse.
 

marmalade76

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You obviously haven't read the whole thread, Catty.

And who's the bully now?

Your last comment is rather inappropriate for this thread and forum, but since you asked, I get plenty, thanks.
 

jenki13

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Some of the horses look very unhappy indeed! :mad:

In the videos I've watched they all seem to be moving well & have there ears pricked.

One of them (the little chestnut) is either pregnant or extremely overweight herself which only adds to the abuse.

After having another look I think I know which you mean but not knowing the horses history she could be a broodmare, my friend had a broodmare who always looked like a balloon even though she wasn't fat! I wouldn't say she was extremely overweight.. but maybe I'm biased because my mare looks overweight all the time :(
 

Chloe..x

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Well said Spudlet.

There are truly some vile people on this forum. It's awful to read some of the posts sometimes. Digging around the internet for videos of an overweight child and then making nasty remarks about her is pretty much as ****** as you can get. I actually think she's rather a decent rider. I also think Diet 2 Ride must have taken some courage to post her videos. She obviously adores her horse and looks after it incredibly well.

I bet there are far more horse-faced, chinless, stuck up, bitchy, snotty, opinionated, **** speaking, people in the world of equestrianism than there are obese people. I think it's obvious that not all of these "mares" are being "covered"....

Adores her horse? I didn't realise you show you love your horse riding it while its obviously lame!

And as for your last comment, if all you fat mares were getting covered, you would be in good shape as they say sex is a good fat burner ;)
 

Trish C

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Usual craic - starts off with a collection of valid points and interesting reading with good cases for both sides of the argument and plenty of food for thought. Then descends into a slanging match :(

Anyways, for all of the 'abuse' I'm reading about in this thread, I have one for you.

I'm a big unit (am nearly 6 foot anyways and sadly piled on the pounds in my mid-teens owing to medication I was put on for and inactivity caused by a joint condition... course, ironically, this made condition worse but that's another story) but I'm making a huge effort to drop the weight and have nearly dropped four stone. Have dropped nearly a stone since pics in my sig were taken and I don't think I look too big for him in those.

However, I'm large framed - no matter how much I lose I will never be tiny. I used to be one of the fittest people in my school - played every sport I could and rode every single day - but I was never thin. I'm a decent rider, at the very least I have a balanced seat, and I ride 17+ hands of draughty ISH, so hopefully I'm not abusive ;)

However, one of the women on our yard is height and weight wise - I would guess - not that much smaller than me (she's at least 5"7 or 8 and is not by any means skinny, even slim) and rides a 13.3 little cobby thing. Now I don't have an issue with her size in itself as she's not huge, but she's 'not huge' for 15.2+, not 13.3hh. She's not a great rider (unbalanced/not very 'soft') and is quite unfit. The general issue came up in conversation one day, and she said "well when you see [insert horse's name] playing around trying to buck me off, you know I'm not too big for him!". All I could think was "why is he trying to buck you off?!" :rolleyes:

Compared to that, my horse has it pure easy :D
 

cattysmith

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Adores her horse? I didn't realise you show you love your horse riding it while its obviously lame!

And as for your last comment, if all you fat mares were getting covered, you would be in good shape as they say sex is a good fat burner ;)

Oh deary, deary me.....

Think my point is proven right there!
 

cattysmith

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You obviously haven't read the whole thread, Catty.

And who's the bully now?

Your last comment is rather inappropriate for this thread and forum, but since you asked, I get plenty, thanks.

....and was I picking out one person? Was I picking out you? Was I picking out anyone else?

No.
 
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EAST KENT

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If we are to accept that being obese ain`t good for you,apart from that it is bloody hard work(!)Surely then to suggest the way to bariatric surgery,and thus a healthy longer life,is just being caring.At the end of the day it is NEVER some real or imagined medical condition that causes obesity..it is stuffing more than you burn in your mouth,simple.
After bariatric surgery every one of these "can`t help it" people WILL lose the flab,because it makes them eat less..no choice.All of them for ,I think,about £5000 with The Hospital Group could gain a new healthy weight,no aching bones or collapsing knees.Worth every penny,and you can pay over five years too..so no excuses.In the meantime turn the poor horses out to recover until you`ve shrunk.
And NO I do not get commission!:rolleyes:
 

Trish C

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At the end of the day it is NEVER some real or imagined medical condition that causes obesity..it is stuffing more than you burn in your mouth,simple.

Seriously?! :rolleyes:

As I said above, I played sports/rode every single day when I was younger, was as fit as anyone. Suffer with a joint condition (which my mother and sister also have - joint condition is not weight-related i.e. it's not caused by weight) but because of the joint condition I a) had to go on a course of drugs which caused weight-gain, and because of the joint condition I could no longer be anywhere near as active - when at it's worst I could barely exercise at all - so that caused weight-gain. I still ate very healthily - both of my parents are doctors and we were NOT allowed to eat crap. Still, I put on weight, as a direct result of the medical condition.

Also, my cousin who has always been very slim and fit, but who has an endocrine disease would beg to differ with your statement.

Would like to hand out a bottle or two of 'cop on' here :D :rolleyes:
 

PaddyMonty

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I really must pay a visit to this absolute black and white world that apparantly exists rather than the varying shades of grey world I seem to live in. :rolleyes:
 

Chloe..x

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Seriously?! :rolleyes:

As I said above, I played sports/rode every single day when I was younger, was as fit as anyone. Suffer with a joint condition (which my mother and sister also have - joint condition is not weight-related i.e. it's not caused by weight) but because of the joint condition I a) had to go on a course of drugs which caused weight-gain, and because of the joint condition I could no longer be anywhere near as active - when at it's worst I could barely exercise at all - so that caused weight-gain. I still ate very healthily - both of my parents are doctors and we were NOT allowed to eat crap. Still, I put on weight, as a direct result of the medical condition.

Also, my cousin who has always been very slim and fit, but who has an endocrine disease would beg to differ with your statement.

Would like to hand out a bottle or two of 'cop on' here :D :rolleyes:

Surely if you have a joint condition, a drug that causes "weight gain" would make the condition far worse?
 
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