how much weight can a 13.1/14 carry

[meg456]

how much weight can a 13.1/14 hh heavy weight cob or native breed carry? i ride a 15hh medium weight cob but. i want something smaller to get my confidence back. i want something quite small, im 5'2. i know that the weight they can carry varies depending on muscle, build, fittness. no hate please, i just want to know if its possible for me to have a small pony, pictures/ sizes of your ponies and your weight will help, thanks

 

[Equine_Dream]

20% of their body weight is the general rule of thumb.
So if for example you have a pony weighing 350kg the max they can carry including tack is 70kg.

 

[GirlFriday]

You can also get rocking chairs that will easily carry a 5'2" rider...

Seriously, if you fall off a Shetland and get booted in the head/land awkwardly it is gong to hurt.

Get a horse that you aren't in any danger of squishing and a really good instructor/friend to hack with if you don't have lessons. Either of those will do wonders for your confidence and be 'safer' than just getting a pony you are only just able to ride. 13.1 is tiny. At 5'2" you'd have to starve yourself unhealthily thin to be a good size for the pony and anyway you'll be too tall.

Horse riding is dangerous compared to many there sports. You don't have to do it. Agility might be a way of enjoying your current horse for a while without the pressure of riding and with opportunities to gain a lot more confidence in your relationship.

Have a look for the poster on here who has been doing on -line agility comps. That way you can compete without even needing to leave your yard!

 

[SpringArising]

13.1 or 13.3? How much do you weigh? I would say 9 stone max. I'm 5'1, 7st5 and ride a 13 hand Cob who I feel fine on.

 

[Spiritedly]

This is my 13.1 DHP x cob with my friend. She is 5'2 and about 8 stone, he carries her fine and will happily jump courses of 90 cms with her.



And this is me on my 13.3 New Forest. I'm 5'6 and weigh around 10 stone. He is able to carry me easily.



The Forester is a complete menace to ride and will buck anyone off when he feels like it! Small doesn't mean safe and I feel much safer on my 15.1 than on my 13.3!

 

[Nudibranch]

Personally I think 20% is too much. My vet definitely does. I stay under 15% maximum (about 13 I think). Might be ok for the odd ride but long term you want to avoid issues.

ETS - loving the cob x, Spiritedly. He's the spit of my first pony

 

[meg456]

thanks for the replys, i know small doesnt mean safe but i would like to look for a smaller confidence giveras i feel safer on smallher horses/ponies. are nreeds such as fell ponies and dartmoors able to carry 11.5+ stone by any chance?

 

[Spiritedly]

ETS - loving the cob x, Spiritedly. He's the spit of my first pony

He is a little dude lol As far as he's concerned he can...and does...keep up with all the big horses! We got him wild off Dartmoor 5 years ago and he is now the cuddliest pony you could meet.

 

[Wagtail]

OP is there any chance you could lose some weight? I think 5'2" is fine height-wise for the size of pony you want, But 11.5 + stone is too heavy. You have to add another stone at least for the saddle, and another half a stone for boots, hat, coat etc. Why not use it as an incentive to lose weight? I am 5'10 and weighed around 11 stone which was too heavy to back my 15hh WBxTB. I lost a stone and a half to do it. I was too skinny but now she's older and 15.1 (and much stronger at 5) I have put a few pounds back on but have to keep a close watch on my weight if I want to be able to keep riding her. Sadly, I can't do anything about my height. I would if I could.

If losing weight is not an option, then really you need to look for larger mounts. Personally, I find that smaller ponies are much better at unseating their riders than larger horses.

 

[Leo Walker]

My 14.1/2hh HW carries 16stone without batting an eyelid

 

[catwithclaws]

My 14hh forester carried me at 11st plus tack easily

 

[Nappy Croc]

Our 14.1 HW also takes 16 stone easily- 20% is over 18 stone and 15% is about 14. My 13.3 NF build pony takes 11.5 stone + tack all day, plus some when I've not been too careful.

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

13.1 is tiny. At 5'2" you'd have to starve yourself unhealthily thin to be a good size for the pony and anyway you'll be too tall

What? Are you serious? Maybe if you're thinking of a show pony type but look at our wonderful natives. My friend shows a standard shetland at county level and is 5'3", take a look at the open classes at the vast number of slim adults on A's/Darties etc. I own a 13.3 Highland, am not unhealthily thin by any means and I'm still well under the 20% limit including tack.

 

[rara007]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=f5debe1b8f01a130e65a3c69667bf056&oe=5882E026


Both 12.3 and 5'4 (non starved) I admit I look out of proportion on the PBA but that was only for fun as he was mainly a driving pony, very fit and massive topline. For someone 2 inches shorter than me and a pony 2 inches taller I don't think they'd have to starve to be the right size

13.1 gives you more to play with but again he was a PBA:

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=de8bb3a91a0722b6837f3a29c48e560f&oe=5876460F

 

[meg456]

ThursdayNext i think that you woul be wrong in saying that someont thats 5'2" would have to starve themselves, as it is mostly down to someones weight and one person of that height could be less than 9st and another coul be 12+ stone
i agree with you that smaller horses can be as dangerous as some bigger horses but i woul feel better on a smaller confidence giver

 

[GirlFriday]

Well, OP would certainly have to starve themselves a bit... we'd be talking about 12.5 stone with tack at least and that is way too much for any pony of the sizes suggested.

FWIW all the riders on this thread look big for their mounts to me. I personally find the 20% rule of thumb too much, as per the vet quoted above. Not everyone will agree but horses are living creatures who experience stresses and strains. I don't see that the confidence of a nervous rider (or any other consideration) is more important than the well being of their mount.

But even for the 20% rule we'd be talking a 400kg pony for OP. Which is going to be bigger than 13.1 unless obese. And fat riders (or potentially very well muscled but heavy ones) on fat mounts is a disaster for everyone.

 

[GirlFriday]

Seriously. If OP wants to play with small ponies that is fine - they can be trained in hand/driven/all sorts. Just not ridden by people of OP's size if there is any thought going to be given to their long term health. The strain on the joints and back is simply not fair.

Of course there will be the odd exception but in the main it just isn't sustainable. (And OP would probably be embarrassed at havign to ride naked to keep the weight limit below 20% even on a 400kg animal!)

 

[GirlFriday]

Oh and: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/height-weight-chart.aspx

For 15% weight on a 350kg pony with a stone and a half of tack/hat/clothing/boots/etc yes, OP would have to go from overweight/obese to underweight. By NHS definitions, which we know are not perfect but are probably the best we've got.

 

[meg456]

im not saying i wouldnt have to starve myself, but that wouldnt apply to everyone that is 5'2.

 

[rara007]

Don't worry Meg, you'd look small and be well under 15% on our non fat 14.1 HW cob He takes up riders more than my old 17hh KWPN ever used to! (He is also best part of 100kg heavier- KWPN was a weed and sub 500) This is 5'4 on him again but my 5'11 sister swamped my KWPN and looks fine on him!
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=ed7a61822d417c0d284fcb32ce61843b&oe=5840AFCD

 

[meg456]

rara007 hes beautiful so im guessing then that there should be some 13.2 ponies that could carry me fine, if they were of a quite big build? i think some people may be thinnking that i was considering a small show pony type

 

[fornema]

I think some people are a little unrealistic on how much a pony of that size would weigh having recently weight bridged my just 13.2 who has a perfect body score and is reasonably fit who comes in at 367kg and has nowhere near as much bone as a NF/Welsh of the same size. I come in at under 15% with all extras of weight rule and showjump her and wins every time out at 0.95/1m, she has no problem carrying me. I would think a heavyweight cob of 14.2 with a perfect body score/reasonably fit would be around the 475 mark and i wouldn't depend entirely on that rule as cobs are bred and built to pull and carry a heavier weight rider on than a 16.2 wb as they are simply bred for the job and their conformation reflects this. I think i would stick with the 20%rule with a horse bred to carry weight.

 

[SpringArising]

FWIW all the riders on this thread look big for their mounts to me.

I agree.

 

[Leo Walker]

This is mine:

He always looks weirdly weedy in photos but in real life he is amazing! Phenomenally strong, solid, compact, more than 10" of bone, shot cannons, wide across the loins. My vet told me if he was designing a weight carrying horse it would be him.

Hes 14.1/2hh and a hand smaller version would carry you call day long for a hard days hunting, and still be ready to go again the next day

 

[Nappy Croc]

Lovely cob Frankie cob Our 14.1 HW is a Frankie!

 

[Leo Walker]

Lovely cob Frankie cob Our 14.1 HW is a Frankie!

If they get together they could no doubt take over the world. I'm sure thats what mine is always plotting as it is :lol:

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

Ok, my 13.3 Highland is a minimum of 500kg meaning that she can carry 15st 7lbs according to the 20% rule. Would I put that on her? Possibly for a slow plod around for a few minutes but certainly not for prolonged periods of time or for serious riding. She could carry 11.5st all day long! I'm on a diet and want to get under 10 stone, she shouldn't 'have to' carry my extra weight.

OP, get yourself a mature, well muscled Fell/Highland/Cob and you'll be fine. Slimming down would be a benefit to the both of you but I see no reason why you couldn't ride a pony now providing you don't ask too much of it.

 

[FfionWinnie]

My 14.2 cob tips the scales at 520kgs.

I am 5ft8. I bought her unseen at 15.1 and somehow she shrunk on the boat over from Ireland and was only 14.1 when she arrived.

However she is very well muscled and easily able to carry me.

 

[Spiritedly]

I think it's easy to look at a rider and think they look tall on a pony and assume that means they are too heavy. I don't ride my grey... the photo was me sitting on him for a moment so I could see how he went...no one actually rides him because I know I am too heavy as I have put weight on and he isn't safe to be a childs pony! However my friend has been seen riding the coloured by my vet and saddler and neither of them have a problem with his ability to carry her or any concerns that she is too big or heavy for him or that her riding him is detrimental to his health either now or in the long term and I think as they know pony and friend in person rather than just from a snapshot in time I would much rather go by their opinion than someones on the internet.

 

[BlackRider]

Just because a pony is able to carry a heavier rider, doesn't mean it should, I'm sure there are longer term implications of this.

Including tack etc I'm about 12.5% of my horses body weigh, Ideally I'd prefer it to be a little less as he is older now, I wouldn't want to be any higher than that.