How much weight to lose before I can ride

[Surbie]

Saw this on Facebook the other day. It’s got a few different ways to calculate and obv it’s only a guide. have to say though, I felt like it was coming out as being overly generous ie horse could carry more than I would have thought. views?

https://good-horse.com/tools/calculator-much-weight-can-horse-carry/

I think the calculator is very basic & assumes that the horse is fit and is not overweight - but that caveat is in tiny print at the bottom. According to this, my 15.1hh cob could take 17st, plus tack. He's never going to be asked to carry anywhere near that.

OP, congrats on the weight loss, it's hard to do. I lost nearly 3stone to ride my horse and another stone came off as I rode more. (sadly gone back on in lockdown, but will be sorted out too)

 

[tallyho!]

Except the occasional sheep thrown over the front of the saddle

Haha oh yeah!

 

[sharni]

has anyone noticed that those who are too heavy for their horses try to justify it cowboys and heavy saddles farmers on little ponies. no one is saying they cant carry the weight but it must be harming the animal the max weight a horse can carry is that which does it not harm. too many people wrecking their horses and ponies and not caring because they justify it. the max rider a weight a horse should carry is 15% of its own that's maximum and add to that saddle and whatever and can go up to 20% maximum no more than that of course the lower the better for the horse. No reflexion on the OP BTW just an observation of how this thread and all weight bearing threads go, the heavies try to justify that everything is ok when in reality it isn't they are harming their animals.

 

[Bernster]

Hmm, not sure I’ve seen anything which says riders are actually hurting their horses on this or other weight threads. If they’re within the 15-20% guidance is there evidence to suggest that is ‘harming’ a horse, or are you talking about those over that guidance? Albeit there is no definitive system or formula it seems so it cant be easy to know (other than at the more extreme end I suppose).

 

[Nari]

has anyone noticed that those who are too heavy for their horses try to justify it cowboys and heavy saddles farmers on little ponies. no one is saying they cant carry the weight but it must be harming the animal the max weight a horse can carry is that which does it not harm. too many people wrecking their horses and ponies and not caring because they justify it. the max rider a weight a horse should carry is 15% of its own that's maximum and add to that saddle and whatever and can go up to 20% maximum no more than that of course the lower the better for the horse. No reflexion on the OP BTW just an observation of how this thread and all weight bearing threads go, the heavies try to justify that everything is ok when in reality it isn't they are harming their animals.

Why do you assume the people who think the percentage guidances are not the be all and end all are actually riders who, under those rules, are too heavy for their horses?

 

[Gloi]

Why do you assume the people who think the percentage guidances are not the be all and end all are actually riders who, under those rules, are too heavy for their horses?

I think it is doing our native breeds a big disservice . People who have had and bred them for years know how much stronger they are proportionally to a lot of the big horses, yet people are being shamed into thinking they need a warmblood or similar when what they really need is a large native breed. It's not the natives that are always off sick in the stables due to carrying a bit over 20%, it's the big lanky ones whose limbs are struggling to cope with their own bodyweight, never mind a rider.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Well done on the weight loss, I'm not entering into the debate over weight horses/ponies can carry but you've done well so far & if ever you have an incentive to lose weight you've got it now. Keep it up.

 

[Equine_Dream]

I think people need to use *drum roll* .... common sense!
I was 12st at my heaviest. My 15hh section D mare carried me fine but my 13.2 Welsh would have struggled. My ass didn't go anywhere near his back until I lost weight. I'm just under 10st and he carries me all day, but I wouldn't want to get any heavier. Just because he *could* carry me at a stone or so heavier doesn't mean he should!
Respect the the OP and others who have put some thought into how much weight their horses *should* carry. Not necessarily what they can carry.

 

[ozpoz]

No one is being shamed. The research showed some uncomfortable evidence though. Like many riders, I work hard to keep my weight at a comfortable level for my horse. The saddle fits me, ie I am sitting in the middle of it, not over the cantle, and it fits him, that is, my weight is where he can comfortably carry it, without impeding on the spinal process that should not weight bear. He went willingly for a previous rider who sold him because she felt she was too heavy for him. Many horses will willingly do what they have been trained to do.
I think for the good of the sport and social licence we have to keep our standards up as new evidence informs us. I don,t want to cause my horse pain, and I am not interested in shaming anyone. If you are interested you can read it here.
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eve.13085

 

[alibali]

I think for the good of the sport and social licence we have to keep our standards up as new evidence informs us. I don,t want to cause my horse pain, and I am not interested in shaming anyone. If you are interested you can read it here.
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eve.13085

Just highlighting this research shared by ozpoz so it doesn't get lost. Well worth a read and with very clear results. Likewise I'm not wishing to shame anyone especially not the OP who has done fantastically well in losing so much weight and is clearly aware of potential issues and looking for guidance to ensure her pony's welfare.

 

[tallyho!]

I’d have to agree... history and old erm... tales aside we are no longer living back then to be fair and the expectations of man n beast are all different now. Not to discredit times of old and the prowess of equines back then we must consider new evidence.

 

[Hallo2012]

our full up 13.2hh brick outhouse sec C will carry 10.5 stone without noticing and does walk/trot with 11.5 stone easily.

i think id be aiming for 10.5-11 stone eventually but i think she could carry you now for steady work

 

[Gingerwitch]

Have read the blog, but just to double check as on my phone they class a medium weight rider being 12 stone ?

 

[holeymoley]

Well Done on your weight loss, it's really tricky. I think for that height I would aim to get down to 10st max, maybe even lighter if you can, although I suppose it depends how fit the horse is. I'm normally around 8.5st at 5ft 2, now at 9st (thanks Covid) and my guy is 14hh native x cob. He's 18 now though. I worry that I'm too big for him, but he's not been adverse to throwing in the odd high spirited buck while going for a canter so I can't be that bad.

 

[Annagain]

Have read the blog, but just to double check as on my phone they class a medium weight rider being 12 stone ?

I think it's more to do with being between 12 and 15% of the horse's weight that makes it moderate rather than the actual weight. I weighed a bit more than 12st (just lost 2 1/2 stone) but my horses are both nearly 700kg at their ideal weight so I would still have fitted into the moderate category.

It's an interesting study but I would have liked to see a larger range of horses. 507kg for the lightest to 591kg for the heaviest is not a huge difference. It would also be interesting to see horses of similar weights but different builds (for example a 14hh stocky cob compared to a fine 15.2 TB) I appreciate the time constraints probably wouldn't allow for that though.

 

[Gingerwitch]

I think it's more to do with being between 12 and 15% of the horse's weight that makes it moderate rather than the actual weight. I weighed a bit more than 12st (just lost 2 1/2 stone) but my horses are both nearly 700kg at their ideal weight so I would still have fitted into the moderate category.

It's an interesting study but I would have liked to see a larger range of horses. 507kg for the lightest to 591kg for the heaviest is not a huge difference. It would also be interesting to see horses of similar weights but different builds (for example a 14hh stocky cob compared to a fine 15.2 TB) I appreciate the time constraints probably wouldn't allow for that though.

All really good points

 

[Orangehorse]

The weights for light, middle and heavyweight hunters and cobs for the show ring are surely a reasonable guide? And I agree that ponies in proportion can carry more weight.

A 12st rider is a middleweight.