Interesting article on weight of riders.....good read

I took on a 13.2 pony. I am short enough to ride him. I am far too heavy. I am sick of people telling me I am fine to ride him - seriously I am not. I'm not talking me thinking I'm fat - I am. I thought I had the motivation to get thinner it appears I don't - kids, work and exhaustion see to that. I found a good way to get sensible advice from vet/physio was to say how much can this pony carry not can this pony carry me. The 15% rule seems to equate well to what they have independently said. But I do find it a 2 faced world where everyone encourages me to ride my pony ( I won't ) yet would probably b##tch about it if I did. I won't get rid of him as he has a job but sadly it won't be with me on board !
 
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JLD I posted a link further up the thread re weight carrying....it might be worth a read...you never know... ponies are relatively strong for their size, and there is much more info on weight ratio's, also Dtr Deb Bennett's website is useful also, I don't think weight carrying is as cut and dried as it seems.
 
Smurf's Gran said:
PC it sounds as though you have done really well, and you should be proud though I would never underestimate how difficult things can be for others, and unless you have insight into their lives it can be impossible to understand - you are still young...and the majority of people are slim at this age.
After a couple of children, a sedentary job, lack of sleep (see children!) and no time to exercise, due to doing F/T job, looking after horses and children, taking children to their clubs, facilitating their friendships (oh and housework also while working F/T) things can be very different.

Also women do not tend to go from slim to overweight overnight - often this is a slow process where you are so busy looking after the needs of others that you put yourself last (in terms of both exercise and diet) the weight can go on and you hardly notice as you have little time to consider yourself...

It sounds as though you are able to concentrate your energies on yourself and have some time to do this - you are right - it can be easy under theses circumstances - I would be wary of the see sawing re weight though - the highs can get higher (and the lows can get higher too)
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I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. In my defence I did say lack of time may be an issue, which I can thoroughly understand. My mum for example wants to lose some weight but works full time in a stressful job and although has weekends off by then she's ready to relax and unwind!
I wouldn't say I see saw. I lost weight at 18 and put some back on over the autumn/winter last year due to laziness and having a very bad, lingering cold! Before that my weight and fitness was consistent and after losing this last few pounds it will hopefully stay consistent. I can imagine when I do have children it'll go up naturally! But I don't plan on having kids till I'm very comfortable financially and have my own house etc. so probably will be in my early 30s, like my parents were.
 
Smurf's Gran said:
JLD I posted a link further up the thread re weight carrying....it might be worth a read...you never know... ponies are relatively strong for their size, and there is much more info on weight ratio's, also Dtr Deb Bennett's website is useful also, I don't think weight carrying is as cut and dried as it seems.
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Thanks - that was interesting - he is cob x Welsh a and not the chunkiest ( think fine Welsh c sort of build ) but is short coupled and relatively wide through the loin. My physio thought he was very well put together for strength . So maybe there is hope - although currently I feel he may stagger ! The need to eat vast amounts of carbohydrate and sugar to keep me going and sane in the company of 3 pre schoolers outweighs my need to ride !
 
Ponycarrots said:
I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. In my defence I did say lack of time may be an issue, which I can thoroughly understand. My mum for example wants to lose some weight but works full time in a stressful job and although has weekends off by then she's ready to relax and unwind!
I wouldn't say I see saw. I lost weight at 18 and put some back on over the autumn/winter last year due to laziness and having a very bad, lingering cold! Before that my weight and fitness was consistent and after losing this last few pounds it will hopefully stay consistent. I can imagine when I do have children it'll go up naturally! But I don't plan on having kids till I'm very comfortable financially and have my own house etc. so probably will be in my early 30s, like my parents were.
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I think you are right...the best thing is to try and keep a regular weight :)
 
JLD said:
Thanks - that was interesting - he is cob x Welsh a and not the chunkiest ( think fine Welsh c sort of build ) but is short coupled and relatively wide through the loin. My physio thought he was very well put together for strength . So maybe there is hope - although currently I feel he may stagger ! The need to eat vast amounts of carbohydrate and sugar to keep me going and sane in the company of 3 pre schoolers outweighs my need to ride !
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Yes I bet !!! he will be there for you once they are in F/T school :)
 
The thing that annoys me most is the constant "it's better to have a heavy rider who can ride well, rather than a light rider who bangs about" that's comparing chalk and cheese. I'm sure the good but heavy riders horse would prefer her to be the same good rider that just weighed less!!
 
People need to be sensible and honest about how much they weigh, how much weight can their mount comfortably carry according to his conformation and how well they truly ride. A sticky native with conformation can carry more than a dainty tb with less than perfect conformation so obvious horse height has ****** all to do with it but overall conformation is very important. I agree with previous poster that if riders bottom does not fit properly in the correct fitting saddle for their horse, then they are simply too big to ride it. Having done a lot of research into horse anatomy I also agree with Dr Deb Bennett's statement that NO horse regardless of breed can safely carry more than 250lbs ( around 17.5 stone) combined weight of tack and rider so if you weigh more than that, get off the poor horse you are genuinely squishing him!
 
There are many excuses as to why people overeat, but it still boils down to the fact that no one is forcing you to put rubbish into your mouth. The UK has the fattest population in Europe, the culture excuses what is after all a personal choice, albeit influenced by what is considered normal in terms of diet, portion size and body shape. Just as in any sport, being fat is not conducive to optimum performance but in the case of riding there is also of course the horse to consider. Losing weight is not difficult to understand; doing it may be harder.
 
JLD said:
I took on a 13.2 pony. I am short enough to ride him. I am far too heavy. I am sick of people telling me I am fine to ride him - seriously I am not. I'm not talking me thinking I'm fat - I am. I thought I had the motivation to get thinner it appears I don't - kids, work and exhaustion see to that. I found a good way to get sensible advice from vet/physio was to say how much can this pony carry not can this pony carry me. The 15% rule seems to equate well to what they have independently said. But I do find it a 2 faced world where everyone encourages me to ride my pony ( I won't ) yet would probably b##tch about it if I did. I won't get rid of him as he has a job but sadly it won't be with me on board !
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I find this happens a lot. People who are overweight being told they would be fine to ride their horses and then people bitching behind their backs (not always the same people I might add). I also hear people saying how they are fine to ride their horses because their vet or saddler has said that they are. Now I don't know a single vet or farrier who would say to a woman they are too heavy to ride their horse. Not a single one! YOU are the best placed person to know if you are too heavy, and as someone on here once said, if you have to ask, then you probably are. I recently had a thread regarding backing my youngster. I asked the question, and realised immediately that yes, I was too heavy because it bothered me enough to ask.

This is my young mare, rising four and currently standing at 14.3 - 15hh. According to the weight tape she is 460kg which means she should be able to carry 14.5 stones if we apply the 20% rule.

taylahmiddec2014c_zps7db61dd5.jpg


I was 10st 11 when I asked the question. I am now 10st 2 and really struggling to shift any more weight. I seem to have got stuck at this weight. But my point is, I really want to back her myself, but unless I can shift another half a stone or more I am going to have to employ someone lighter. I KNOW I am currently too heavy for her. Maybe in a year's time when she is older and built up muscle I will be fine. But I think you know yourself when you are too heavy.
 
Regarding the OP article, it is interesting that she seems to originate from the US, where they seem to readily tolerate a lot more weight on their horses. You only have to look at the tall Pat Parelli and his huge belly, squishing his little quarter horses to see how acceptable horse squishing is over there.
 
Wagtail, whilst you may prefer to get someone lighter to back your filly, in my opinion there is no way that your current weight is too much for a horse of her build. I too like a lightweight and "quick" rider to back (I'm not too fat, but I am no longer quick or supple enough for the babies).
 
Cortez said:
Wagtail, whilst you may prefer to get someone lighter to back your filly, in my opinion there is no way that your current weight is too much for a horse of her build. I too like a lightweight and "quick" rider to back (I'm not too fat, but I am no longer quick or supple enough for the babies).
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Thanks, Cortez. My other problem is I don't have anyone around who can give me an effective leg up, so it may be better to get someone younger and lighter who I can leg up and be with my filly on the ground. But I sooo much want to do it all myself. I too am not so flexible and quick as I used to be :(
 
Quarter horses have always carried men for long periods of time though, as have a fair few other 'smaller' breeds, and for those particularly well trained to cattle presumably it isn't helpful to have them break on a regular basis.
 
Wagtail said:
Thanks, Cortez. My other problem is I don't have anyone around who can give me an effective leg up, so it may be better to get someone younger and lighter who I can leg up and be with my filly on the ground. But I sooo much want to do it all myself. I too am not so flexible and quick as I used to be :(
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I backed my horses off a block .
 
Here we go again knocking people for their weight I am a fan of historical films and often see two people riding over longish distances on the same horse over and over again. With the best will in the world that horse is likely to be carrying close to 20 stone even if it is only for a short while. One of those riders is inevitably over the loins too the weakest part.
I am in no way suggesting 20 stone riders on tb or fine horses or on any horse come to that but it has become a real pain listening to 8 stone people telling the slightly larger rider they are fat Lucky them if they can maintain this weight but the average size female human is size 16 I weigh in at about 12.5 stones and am a size 14 so I am slightly smaller than average so sorry it is not simply a question of doing a faddy diet, that makes you heavier, it has more to do with evolution even small people are getting heavier and bigger due in part to genetics and in part to a healthier diet. The Eventing weight used to carry weights to 12.5 stone so even the smallest rider had lead to carry to that weight they did 10 miles roads and tracks, dressage showjumping steeple chased and then did a 4 mile long technical cross country
12.5 stones would appear to be the most suitable weight to ride at I know that is not the case now but things are even more the case as riders especially men get heavier.
I dont ride as I feel too heavy but I would expect a rider to be able to ride pretty much any horse and almost all native ponies at 12.5 stones cobs maybe a bit more and fine bred ponies a lot less. The only huge exception would be Welsh B as they have been breed out of bone. I do think 15 stone should be a maximum weight for any horse though and of course the horse in front should be a fair judge. Was watching showing classes the other day and there were ponies struggling to move under their riders strides choppy and over balancing to compensate it is those riders that need to sort out the weight to horse ratio and the judges need to tell them and not place them.
Bring back rationing then everyone would have the same access to food and the same diet
 
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Goldenstar said:
I backed my horses off a block .
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I haven't backed a horse for many years. But when I did I always did it with a leg up. However, I was thinking of using a block this time due to lack of good 'leg upperers' as it would be pretty off putting to get a poor leg up. Glad to hear you did it successfully from a block. Probably really good training for them in any case getting them to stand by the block right from the off set.
 
windand rain said:
Here we go again knocking people for their weight I am a fan of historical films and often see two people riding over longish distances on the same horse over and over again. With the best will in the world that horse is likely to be carrying close to 20 stone even if it is only for a short while. One of those riders is inevitably over the loins too the weakest part.
I am in no way suggesting 20 stone riders on tb or fine horses or on any horse come to that but it has become a real pain listening to 8 stone people telling the slightly larger rider they are fat Lucky them if they can maintain this weight but the average size female human is size 16 I weigh in at about 12.5 stones and am a size 14 so I am slightly smaller than average so sorry it is not simply a question of doing a faddy diet, that makes you heavier, it has more to do with evolution even small people are getting heavier and bigger due in part to genetics and in part to a healthier diet. The Eventing weight used to carry weights to 12.5 stone so even the smallest rider had lead to carry to that weight they did 10 miles roads and tracks, dressage showjumping steeple chased and then did a 4 mile long technical cross country
12.5 stones would appear to be the most suitable weight to ride at I know that is not the case now but things are even more the case as riders especially men get heavier.
I dont ride as I feel too heavy but I would expect a rider to be able to ride pretty much any horse and almost all native ponies at 12.5 stones cobs maybe a bit more and fine bred ponies a lot less. The only huge exception would be Welsh B as they have been breed out of bone. I do think 15 stone should be a maximum weight for any horse though and of course the horse in front should be a fair judge. Was watching showing classes the other day and there were ponies struggling to move under their riders strides choppy and over balancing to compensate it is those riders that need to sort out the weight to horse ratio and the judges need to tell them and not place them.
Bring back rationing then everyone would have the same access to food and the same diet
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Sorry, what are you on about? Historical films are just that: films, and therefore not in ANY way reality. The MODERN average UK female is a size 16; this is a recent phenomenon. The European average is 12; this has been the same for 40 years. So people are fatter because of a healthier diet? Interesting.....nothing to do with eating too much then? It may have become a pain listening to people being told they are too fat, but the fact is......people are too fat.
 
I don't think it is anything to do with evolution either- evolution takes much longer than this phenomenon especially on the basis that we don't reproduce very quickly :p.
 
yes but what is too fat to you may well be average to others as kids we rode two up so 16 stone one over the loins or wither. Exactly what do you class as too fat. at what weight would you not let a person ride Mine is about 15 stone depending on the horse what is yours. I am sick to death of 8 stone people sneeering at someone who may well be unable to lose weight to that level I consider them to be the unhealthy ones as they are either obsessive about their weight or are deluded into thinking they look good. Diets make people fatter fact the best way forward is the same as a laminitic diet a low carb, high protein is just as good for people as it is for horses but it does have to be a whole life time way of eating fad diets that lose weight in days or weeks damage your metabolism and make you gain far more weight than you lost in the first place I know I have been dieting all my life and have got fatter and fatter and fatter with each one in the end I gave up dieting and lost 5 stone. My sister is the same as are a lot of friends the reason people are gettingfatter is because there is too much hype on being skinny so the diets come out and ultimately people gain weight. The bulk of Weight watchers sales are chocolate biscuits we all know why.
 
Ponycarrots said:
They're lazy? Don't really know how to on their own? Don't have time? I don't know why they're not, I've done it pretty easily (I am a determined, stubborn person however) I was one of the fat kids at school. Bullied for being fat, having spots etc. I saw a video of me playing in my band and cried, thinking I looked god awful and how could anyone love me etc (I know; OTT teenage first world problems)
So I read up on how to lose weight. Tracked my calories, started cycling to see my horse instead of getting a lift in the car, rode more, walked more, ate less and I went from 11.5 stone to 8 stone 8 in about 6 months. This was when I was 18.
Last year I put on about 2 stone again so in the process of losing it in the same way really, only now my horse is a short walk away so joined the gym to replace my cycling. I also have a job where I can't sit down all day so I walk around a lot.
For me anyway, it IS easy. But I do have to put my mind to it. If I do it half heartedly, I just give up and go back to drinking too much red wine and feasting on kebabs and being a lazy slob. Then the pounds pile back on.
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You're lucky PC, it's not like that for all of us. I put on weight very easily. I've never been very thin, but I've been thinner in the past than I am now. Neither am I very fat. I'm 5'7" and a size 14 at the moment (albeit with things being a bit tight), and still a 12 -14 at my thinnest (boobs never shrink unfortunately). At 10 stone, I can just fit into a pair of size 10 trousers but they don't look good on me! The first time I decided to lose weight I was 23. In less than 3 months I lost 3 stone and was under 10 stone for the first time in my adult life. Losing the weight was a breeze. Inevitably, it crept back on over the years and now at 36 I'm trying to lose it again. I'm doing everything the same as I did back then and in the 3 and 1/2 months since Christmas I've lost 8lbs. I'm not fooling myself, I am genuinely sticking to 1500 calories a day religiously and exercising (I've always exercised, even when not trying to lose weight and find that exercise does nothing for me weight wise, it is all about what I eat) but it's really, really slow now that I'm that much older. The way you wrote that sounded very dismissive and even though it was easy for me once, I now know it isn't that easy and have a lot more sympathy for people who struggle with their weight.

The only thing keeping me going is thinking I'd still be gaining weight if I wasn't doing this and god knows where that would end. My boys (both chunky and 16.2 and 17hh) are more than capable of carying my current 13 stone but I certainly don't want to be any heavier for them or me.
 
windand rain said:
I weigh in at about 12.5 stones and am a size 14 so I am slightly smaller than average so sorry it is not simply a question of doing a faddy diet, that makes you heavier ... I dont ride as I feel too heavy but I would expect a rider to be able to ride pretty much any horse and almost all native ponies at 12.5 stones ...
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Sorry, I don't follow. Are you saying you don't ride because at 12.5 stones you feel too heavy, but yet you say that virtually any horse or pony should manage 12.5 stone? I'm confused. FWIW I don't think 12.5 stones it too heavy to ride at all! I think 16 stone is probably the max bearing in mind you have tack which weighs up to two stone as well.
 
I am old and now unbalanced that is why I feel too heavy to ride now I used to ride the same pony at 15 stone but both of us are old and pretty much retired the pony to carrying a lot less and me I wont ride much anymore but as I say that is my opinion for me. I do however think that those that ride regualrly are fine on almost any horse at 12.5 stones. Not only are people getting bigger but horses are too, although there have been a definite trend to lighter bone in Natives which again as a personal opinion is deplorable.
 
I always come out of the winter a few pounds heavier than I went in,(unlike my horses!) but I think the spring and summer is a great time to lose a few pounds, so if you think your horse would benefit from you being a bit lighter, why not start to do something about it now? If your horse's joints are creaking under your weight, imagine how your knees are feeling. TBH I don't think that unkind remarks and judgemental attitudes help anyone, losing weight requires motivation and often a complete reassessment of someone's relationship with food. You can give up ciggies and alcohol completely but you need to eat and these days it's too easy to have bad habits and eat unhealthily. Good luck if you decide to have a go at lightening the load you carry, your horse will thank you but your own body will thank you even more.
 
Vickijay said:
The thing that annoys me most is the constant "it's better to have a heavy rider who can ride well, rather than a light rider who bangs about" that's comparing chalk and cheese. I'm sure the good but heavy riders horse would prefer her to be the same good rider that just weighed less!!
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I completely agree with this. Why are there so many people defending blatantly overweight riders? There is no other sport where you will see visibly overweight people competing.

The comments the OP makes on dressage riders all being rich warmblood wielding stick insects really is some form of inverted snobbery and if it were turned on it's bottom and put that all riding clubs were over weight middle aged paupers riding coloured cobs there would be an uproar. (and no, I don't do dressage.)
 
It definitely seems to be harder to lose weight in my 30s than when I was in my 20s ;). The boobs have grown since then and never seem to shrink either :eek3:. I weighed less sitting at home writing a PhD and eating comfort food than I do now riding/keeping a horse, cycling to work (13 miles round trip of hills :p) several times a week and going to the gym, that baffles me a bit :p.

Shotput :p

A lot of people don't ride for the sport, or to be competitive though either.
 
ester said:
Shotput :p

A lot of people don't ride for the sport, or to be competitive though either.
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But the weight of a shotputter won't have a bearing on anything else, riding a horse obviously impacts the horse, whether you are competitive or not.

I just feel as though there is a huge element of common sense to what weight a horse can reasonably be expected to carry, and a lot of people don't seem to apply that common sense.
 
Oh I know, it was just one example of a sport where you see visibly overweight people competing for you ;)

Def agree on the common sense. But I also don't agree with some of the suggestions made on the forum for max weights for some beasts either, or that some know what 12 st looks like. A livery on the yard is currently advertising for a rider for her 15.2 cob x tb with a limit of 10 st. They have already had others on the yard ride him significantly more than that but probably don't even realise it.
 
For those who wonder why they could eat and not gain weight when they were in their 20's, the human body does not finish growing until approx 24 years (bit like horses not being fully mature until 6). I keep my horses at their correct weight, I also keep myself that way. It's other people's job to feed themselves correctly, no one else is going to do that for you - if you are overweight it is your own fault, and your horse should not have to suffer for it.
 
I think people need to understand the difference between being big-framed and plain fat. My sister is built like a brick privvy, has huge joints and bigger feet than her 6foot plus husband. You could build a house on her kneecaps. People look at us and can't believe we are sisters. But she is trim, fit and has no rolls of fat. Right now I'm struggling with the menopause and have gained a lot of weight. I do an hour of hard work at the gym every morning, eat 1500 calories a day and try to do a
30 minute exercise video when I get home (30 day shred or kettlebells usually) at least 3 times a week. My boobs have gone up 3 sizes and you can't tell me they are muscle! I did 5:2 for 6 weeks and lost 2lbs. But my sister is sailing along unchanged and not even a hot flush (cow). If my horse was alive now I definitely wouldn't ride her as much as I did when I was under 9 stone.
 
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