Is 14 stone too heavy for a 15.3hh horse?

seoirse

seoirse

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My new horse is 15.3hh connie x TB. He's fairly sturdy, and more like a connie really to sit on than a TB.

He's a lovely horse but I've been struggling to get the best out of him as my riding has suffered a bit from owning another fairly difficult horse for the last 10 years, and I've barely sat on anything else in that time! So new horse and I are having a few issues getting to know one another, though it's nothing serious and we are getting there. Sadly he suffered a neck injury in the field in January, though he has nearly fully recovered he still has some stiffness issues. I've been having lessons with a friend who I really rate and is a great horseman, and who has now offered to ride him for me once or twice a week as well to help him stretch and loosen a bit, I've seen such a dramatic improvement just after a few lessons I'm keen to let him. However I am barely 8 stone and just over 5ft and my friend is 6ft and 14.5 stone. I did actually let him ride him earlier today and I have to say horse went brilliantly and didn't look over loaded at all and this guy didn't look too big on him. I've probably answered my own question anyway, but is this weight ok on this horse? He's only going to be doing some steady schooling, not charging about and jumping or anything.

Thanks.
 
It sounds like he is an experienced and sympathetic rider that will be helping your horse to go correctly it will probably do him good. I would go with the idea.
 
Nope I think that sounds fine, it's down to individual rider really and as long as you are happy then no one else can tell you it's too heavy without even seeing how they get on. You would know if the horse was struggling :-)
 
You will get a range of answers on here, very brave to ask! :D

Based on information given and that i dont know what the horse is like in terms of bone, conformation etc my view would they will be fine and not too heavy.
 
Unless its old, no. Mines 14.2 & when younger my 13 stone friend rode her on the flat a lot when hers was in foal & was perfectly happy to do so (was about 500 kg of muscle at the time) 14.5 stone on one that sounds like a bigger version of mine should be fine for what you want to do. Only problem might be if the saddle is fitted for you he might not fit in it!
 
SplashofSoy said:
You will get a range of answers on here, very brave to ask! :D
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:D I know - but I thought I'd go with the rational responses if there were any - and there are! Thanks to you both. My instructor always says re advice - take the best and leave the rest!

Opinion is divided on my yard as well but I actually just worked it out weight for weight and its the same as me riding my sisters 13hh pony which I have been doing on and off for 13 years and I don't think it's done her any harm and I DO look a bit big on her.
 
My mare is a 15'2 conny x tb, ive had her 11 yrs, until 4 years ago i was 15 stone and she carried me no problems! im now 11 stone and she is 27yrs old and she still enjoys dragging me around the country side!

so i honestly thing yours will be fine! i think the conny in them gives them a lot of strength! i love that breed sooo much, i recently bought a 2yr old gelding of the same breed, who is already at 15'2 so think hes going to be a big boy!
 
kerrieberry2 said:
i think the conny in them gives them a lot of strength! i love that breed sooo much, i recently bought a 2yr old gelding of the same breed, who is already at 15'2 so think hes going to be a big boy!
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Thanks for your comments. Yes I LOVE them too. My last one was a full connie. I got him at 4 and he was 14.2 and he kept growing and ended up 15.1! I have no idea how as his dam and sire were both 14.1!

x
 
oh thats crazy, i dont know how they get oversized!

i met his mum and dad, mum was only 15'3 tb and dad was 14'2 conny but apparently the mum came from a line of bigger tb's so guess he's taking after someone in her breeding!

I cant wait to start riding him! but have at least a year to wait! at least i still have my mare to ride until then!
 
Before I got the one I’ve got now I went to look at another full connie that was 3 years old and advertised as 14.2 and ‘shouldn’t go overheight’. Well either he’d grown since she wrote the advert or she was lying! He was massive. He was a lovely boy though and I nearly bought him but another better one came along. Don’t know why so many connies get so big?
 
I'm not an expert on breeding but i'm guessing if both parents are 14.2 with modern feeding its easy for every generation to get bigger. My mares dam was 15h, from a line of normal height range connies & was only used for a few tbx's (back in the late 80's). A lot of the bigger natives are more common overheight now. My friend had a 14.3 sec d in the early 90's & a lot of people used to say it was a shame given her looks, whereas now loads are overheight.
 
I would say he is fine ,
Also to height wise look at the grand parents , many off spring can mature around the height of grand parents aswell as parents
 
seoirse said:
I did actually let him ride him earlier today and I have to say horse went brilliantly and didn't look over loaded at all and this guy didn't look too big on him. I've probably answered my own question anyway, but is this weight ok on this horse? He's only going to be doing some steady schooling, not charging about and jumping or anything.
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I think maybe you have... :D It sounds like a really good idea that can benefit you and your horse...
 
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