how heavy is tooo heavy to ride a horse?

AShetlandBitMeOnce said:
I am going to drop myself in it with these and say that I am just over 5ft8 and around 14st7 on the below photos - and I am not a fairy so if someone wants to criticise, you are most welcome (although please be aware that I have an air jacket body protector on over my shirt in the bottom photo).

I have a 19hh (high withered and narrow) Westphalian who is NOT a weight carrier. I don't think I look horrendous on him, although am keen to lose a couple of stone at least (it's a work in progress, I have a hip that causes me chronic pain - waiting for an operation).

However, saying that I would also be someone who would say 15 stone is pushing it for riding them in full work and 16 stone is close to a limit to safely ride apart from a wander up the lane perhaps for a well muscle man who fits in the saddle or similar, despite shamefully almost being there myself. I therefore don't think you can go solely on looks. Yes the Instagram noted looks awful and I would like to go and drag her off those poor animals, but it's quite conceivable that should she be 5ft and have very little muscle tone, she could be only a stone or so heavier than I am..

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I think you look a beautiful combination and totally in proportion to each other.

I think it does depend on the horse. A short stocky cob who has to already carry its own weight and a rider who looks clumsy and uncomfortable doesn’t look like it’s any fun for the horse.

Can someone also pm me the link please?
 
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Having viewed the pictures of this lady now but not the videos I have to say she looks to be a good rider but I agree she is obese, not sure about morbidly but she is a lot fatter than my husband who is classed as very obese. No idea what she weighs but it must be a lot. I am amazed that her own pictures don't prompt her to lose weight, they would me.
 
Could someone pm me the fb link too.

I had put on a lot of weight over the last few years but have managed to lose most of it during this pandemic. Gone from 12.5 stone down to 9.25 stone - I'm only 5'4" so still need to lose a bit more (8.5 stone is my ideal weight). I have ridden my 15.2 cob throughout, always fitted my mare's saddle and she always seemed to carry me happily but I hated the way I looked in any photos.
 
This is of course always a sensitive subject. Personally I wouldn’t be comfortable riding if I was heavier than 75 kg and I definitely feel that I’m a worse rider when I’m over 70 kg.

But it’s also very difficult to bring up. I definitely think that judges, vets, trainers etc should do it, but I’ve never heard of anyone who has.
 
I think we owe it to our horses to be as light as we practically/physically can be for our horses for the sake of their welfare. I noticed my weight creeping up towards the 10st mark, so I cut out the apple turnovers for breakfast and increased my walking distances, now back down to my happy weight of nearer 9.7st.

The person in question has 14.9k followers on Instagram, that makes me quite sad that others can over look such inappropriate combinations of horse/rider/saddle. She must be happy/comfortable with her weight, shame the same can’t be said for her horses. ?
 
sarahann1 said:
She must be happy/comfortable with her weight, shame the same can’t be said for her horses. ?
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This. Good for her if she feels well comfortable in her own skin, I would wish that for everybody. But she is way too heavy to ride a horse, any horse. I can imagine how tough that would be if you like to ride, but animal welfare should go first.
 
Rosiejazzandpia said:
I have an account in mind who I find to be uncomfortable viewing. Could you pm me the account you mean OP? Interested to see if its the same.
I used to be very large, too large for my horse so I lost weight and now although on the heavier side of most riders I fit into the under 20% rule easily. It wasn't easy to shed a few stone, but if I was expecting my horse to enjoy riding then I had to put the effort in myself.

People are too afraid to say anything nowadays for fear of being a bully or a troll, but horses welfare must come first.
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Fair play for losing the weight. It's not easy. It was good of you to do it for your horse's benefit.
 
SheriffTruman said:
This. Good for her if she feels well comfortable in her own skin, I would wish that for everybody. But she is way too heavy to ride a horse, any horse. I can imagine how tough that would be if you like to ride, but animal welfare should go first.
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exactly. If she is happy being that size/wants to be that size. Fine, she can.

but hugely unfair on her companion for her choice of sport.
 
This is why Sue Dyson’s study on the effects of rider weights on horses soundness needs to be followed up and expanded... it’s such a contentious and emotive subject, we need actual numbers to be able to apply to tell people when they’re too heavy.

i know I’m very lucky to never have to be concerned about my weight, but we owe it to our horses to try our best to make their lives as comfortable as possible.
 
SheriffTruman said:
This. Good for her if she feels well comfortable in her own skin, I would wish that for everybody. But she is way too heavy to ride a horse, any horse. I can imagine how tough that would be if you like to ride, but animal welfare should go first.
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She is short, I doubt she is too heavy for the right horse in the right saddle.
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Hmm not a pretty picture but at least the horses are not carrying 100kgs of fat they look pretty fit, my biggest gripe is that people expect the horse to carry 100kgs of blubber and 100 kgs of rider so are actually carrying 200 kgs of extra weight. As a balanced rider this person is likely doing less harm than the average obese rider riding an average obese horse intermiitently. Saddle fit aside as saddles should always fit horse and rider the point being if you dont fit in a saddle that fits the horse then you shouldnt be riding it
 
lex the raindeer said:
I have seen this on YouTube a Canada vlog family . Take offense if you give constructive criticism or just simply advice. Like they had a mare with bad laminitis the horse was very overweight they fad the horse a lot of hard feed the type that full of sugar Evan though the horse had laminitis . They blame it on the grass and not the horses diet . The horse was never ridden because they over horse themselves. If you said anything about it or give advice than you would be labeled as a hater .
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Was the horse in question named Stella by any chance?
 
ycbm said:
She is short, I doubt she is too heavy for the right horse in the right saddle.
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I agree it is impossible to tell her exact weight. To my eye, she looks to heavy to ride those horses, but of course I may be wrong.

Also, I intend no body shaming. This is purely about the horses. Apart from that, I value every person equally.
 
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