Larger rider on on lightweight horse. Picture inc

And they are dead before they reach ten :(

Exactly ,
I find this an uncomfortable subject, the weight percentage thing is part of the calculation I worked out after one of the recent threads on this I am 12% of my horses weight but I know I would ride better if I where lighter .
Conformation , age ,muscular development ,type of work all need to in the mix as well .
I aiming to get down to ten % .
 
I'm going to be honest & say TheresaW that I think you look fine. If he was 3 or 4 then maaaaybe, but don't forget it is an excellent motivator! FWIW, I found that cutting out carbs after 2pm helped, it's murder though! Also, every time you reach for something to eat that you don't need, think of your horse and your goal. Good luck, I know how hard it is :(

I think it is riders like this: http://youtu.be/dRF9OdAhILY

& this: http://youtu.be/uV3VxRGkGeQ

that are a concern and IMHO, just abuse, I think they are obesely overweight and need to lose the poundage before even contemplating getting on a horse :(



Owwwwh, Diet2Ride (your first video link) follows me on Twitter - I've occasionally checked back in with her over the years, she is a lovely girl and openly admits her weight is an issue.

Her last update was 25 stone her BMI is 60+ (as seen on her blog/twitter page)

These videos do make me wince slightly :(
 
As Auslander posted a pic, I am going to bit the bullet. I bought Ollie 2 years ago from Clodagh on here as a 4 year old. I knew I was too heavy for him at the time, and he is my goal for getting slim. I joined a slimming club, and was mortified to find out I weighed almost 16st at 5'4. C thought he'd be comfortable carrying about 11st. For the first year, I didn't get on him, weight slowly came down, and he slowly muscled up. I concentrated on ground work, and my friend rode him. I decided when I got to 13st, I would sit on him, just sit, which I did. I am currently weighing around 12.5st, would like to lose at least a stone more before I am comfortable riding him. I get on him now and again, but just for around 20mins, walk and a bit of trot. He is hacked regularly by my friend, and he also has a young sharer who rides him twice a week, hacking and schooling.

This was us 2 weeks ago at the end of my little ride.

Not the best pic in the world, sorry. Was just glad to still be on him, he is much sharper than my 2 oldies.

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He is now 6 and stands at just under 15 hands last time we took the measuring stick to him.

Auslander, I think you look great on him.

Firstly, what an achievement and you look great!

Secondly (and unrelated) how did you get your photo to show up? :S I can't do it.
 
I've been working this out in my head all day, and I've come to this:

For any given horse, there is a maximum weight that horse can carry.

Depending on the stockiness of the horse, that is likely to be between 15 and 20 % of the horse's weight at a condition score of three.

Then there are a number of factors which reduce the weight that horse should carry:

- working for a longer time and/or at faster speeds
- carrying a novice rider
- carrying an unbalanced and/or unfit rider with poor core body strength
- being unable to carry a saddle with a panel large enough to get the riders weight down to 1.5 pounds per square inch.


Anyone think there should be any more conditions?
 
ooohhh a good old 'weight debate'!

I defo don't agree with posting pics of someone else to get people to comment on but i do feel like this issue needs to be addressed by the horsey world somehow, guidelines perhaps because surely there is a welfare issue when it becomes extreme?

I got bad mouthed when looking for a sharer a while ago for voicing my view of not wanting overweight (IMO) riders to try out my horse. he's a 17.2hh MW warmblood but it was not due to me being 'fattist', it's because he's never been a weight carrier and is super sensitive to any shift in balance.

I think horses are the best hobby going but i feel that people need to be realistic about whether they 'should' ride a particular type of horse... the horse's safety and well being should always come first!

I often see share ad's with a weight restriction these days, which tells you something I guess :S
 
I am size 8 and I hate all this weight talk, I hate people picking on my weight so I can imagine what it's like if you are overweight. Sometimes you can't help being the weight you are, and openly picking on people just isn't on. Yes some people are too big for there horse but it's not your prerogative to tell people if they can or can't ride based on there weight!!
Again I think this is the complete wrong attitude to have, I too am a size 6/8, but I don't see why that's relivent (other than u don't fair well on my y/o's 18.2hh beasty...;) ) that's just like seeing a 17st woman on a 15hh Arab, and thinking that poor horse, but shhh! We mustn't say anything... It doesn't matter about the horse so long as we don't hurt that woman's feelings-.-
I'm sorry but if perhaps i didn't know any better, but I cared for my horse I would want someone to say something, wouldn't you? X
 
This discussion is about the weight of the rider relative to the horse. The gender of the rider is absolutely totally irrelevant.

And I am reminding people that many men weigh the sorts of weights that are being mentioned ...not all of them are riding 18hh cart horses.
Who put you in charge anyway!! :p
 
And I am reminding people that many men weigh the sorts of weights that are being mentioned ...not all of them are riding 18hh cart horses.
Who put you in charge anyway!! :p

Gender is irrelevant. Because man, or woman, if they weigh that much, then they SHOULD be riding something which can take their weight comfortably.
 
Owwwwh, Diet2Ride (your first video link) follows me on Twitter - I've occasionally checked back in with her over the years, she is a lovely girl and openly admits her weight is an issue.

Her last update was 25 stone her BMI is 60+ (as seen on her blog/twitter page)

These videos do make me wince slightly :(

same, unfortunately. the horse does not look comfortable.
 
Gender is irrelevant. Because man, or woman, if they weigh that much, then they SHOULD be riding something which can take their weight comfortably.


I agree....

I guess I was just 'trying' to point out that you can't always judge a persons weight just by looking at them
 
I thought it was 15-20, not 20-25%...

Eta-25% would mean my 14h2 welsh D could carry 17 stone. I'm actually pretty horrified by that thought :( 20% would be 14 stone - still too much. 15% would be 10 and a half stone - much happier with this...

I'm feeling a bit mortified... I'm a consistant 10st 11lb and I have a 14:1hh Welsh D who's 6, almost 7. He now has a good quality leather saddle that is fairly hefty and I'd guess he's carrying around 11 and hald stone in total. I do cross country, long hacks and general schooling on him. I'm a size 10 but I run, swim and do toning weights, therefore although slim I have an athetic body which makes me heavy.

Before this thread I never thought I'd be too heavy for him but now I feel quite paranoid I am :(

This is me on him (sorry, no other pics on my work computer to use) https://www.flickr.com/photos/112093906@N08/12607917785/
 
I'm feeling a bit mortified... I'm a consistant 10st 11lb and I have a 14:1hh Welsh D who's 6, almost 7. He now has a good quality leather saddle that is fairly hefty and I'd guess he's carrying around 11 and hald stone in total. I do cross country, long hacks and general schooling on him. I'm a size 10 but I run, swim and do toning weights, therefore although slim I have an athetic body which makes me heavy.

Before this thread I never thought I'd be too heavy for him but now I feel quite paranoid I am :(

This is me on him (sorry, no other pics on my work computer to use) https://www.flickr.com/photos/112093906@N08/12607917785/

Don't be paranoid - your a bit above 15% but def below 20% :) you look fine :) if my boy was 7 I would put you on him. He's a newly broken 5yo so I've set my mental limit to 10st which means me being careful with my weight ;)
 
CC, don't be daft, you're absolutely fine. Really.

The women in the Utube links are too heavy by several stone.
The horses are struggling to carry the load. It would be interesting to show those horses being ridden by a much lighter person to demonstrate the horse's movement and posture which would be markedly different.

What on earth goes through the mind of someone so morbidly obese to think that it's ok to ask a horse to carry them ?
I understand that they may sensitive about their weight but the reality remains that it's putting an acceptable risk on the horse.

The only downside from weight threads is that the people carry a bit of extra weight start to feel that they may too heavy to ride, when in fact, the horse is perfectly ok. Don't worry, only 13 year olds weigh 7 stone, the rest of us carry a bit of padding.
 
The problem with threads like this is people start getting utterly rediculas about what a horse can carry and start imposing weight limits that are far far too low. If some people had thier way no one who wasnt a size 6 would be able to ride!

a 14.2hh welshie was BRED to carry weight and happily carry a full grown man (so 14st) all day out hunting.
My 14hh connemara happily carried 12 stone every day for 10 years without a single back or joint problem doing county level showing, medium dressage, XC and long hacks!
My 13.2hh SP carried 10st for most of his competition life and then 12 stone out hacking untill he passed away aged 28 having never had a back or limb problem in his life and very happily taking off up the nearest hill at a gallop when the mood took him
My 15hh SHP also happily carried me (and I broke him myself) this is him certainly not struggling at all with 12st
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my new lad is 15.2hh, 4 yrs old, I've broken him myself and he is moving and going like a dream. This is him 4 weeks after having been sat on for the first time.
http://youtu.be/xuDk0VJyN0w
My riding is far from perfect (and I dont want a critique) but I'm balanced (mostly) and my horses have no trouble carrying me!

A HW cob should be able to carry 16st, if it cant then it isnt a HW cob!
 
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Phew, I feel a bit better. I shall just stay off the cakes ;)

Nar my weight has been pretty much the same for the last 5 years so unless I really change my lifestyle, my weight shouldn't change. *crosses fingers*
 
There is a growing culture of 'i want' these days

I want a dog despite being out of the house for 17 hours a day
I want a fast car despite not being able to afford one etc etc

So 'i want a horse and want to ride despite being vastly overweight, he can carry me without keeling over so all must be well'

People worrying so much about their wants that they dont stop to ask if its right.

Sooooo many seriously obese riders around who selfishly press ahead with their 'hobby' regardless. (im not talking about the mildly overweight here before anyone complains)
Aside from the weight carrying side of things things could go seriously wrong for horse and/or rider if they fall off.

There are ways of getting a horsey fix without riding. There is no reason for people to be put off the horse world altogether but as long as they are seen to be 'untouchable' the problem gets swept under the carpet, if the rider owns the horse its made all the harder. Local shows see a lot of these riders and it should be able to be seen as a welfare issue and tackled but imagine the uproar!

Once again before people come down on me like a ton of bricks ;) when i say seriously obese thats exactly what i mean.
 
As I see it weight is the last taboo......smoking has been tackled by govt campaigns as beeing injurous to health but the growing problem of obesity seems to be sacrosanct. Why?

Its the obese children of obese parents I feel sorriest for. Smokers can be alienated but mention someone's weight and oh crikey!!!!
 
Auslander, but it's these comments which just sticks in your head, my cob has tanked of and will throw in a few bucks, she is quite happy to carry me and by no means a plod, ppl refuse to ride her as a Handful but it's at the back of my mind every ride is she tired, is this hill to much, am I hurting her back.. I'm hoping to get to 11stone, but I'm at a stand off at mo with weight just sticking 12 1/2st 12.10st. If I get to 12st I'm going to say f##k it & do the odd day hunting.
Buying a saddle this month, & yes I'm sad enough to ask about saddle weights.

well done with the weight loss, just stay focused and you will do it.

I can finally admit I was to heavy for my horse. It hadn't ever crossed my mind, then I signed up to HHO, and read all these threads. Best thing I ever did. I'm 5ft6 and weighed 12st 9. The heaviest I've ever been, was so upset, the weight had just crept on over the years.
Well it's taken me since January, and I'm now 10st 6. What a difference when I ride, and my horses are definitely happier when I get on.
I have another 7lb to lose, but that's more so I can stand on the scales just for once to see 9st something

So Trooper, if I can do it, so can you xx
 
I would be interested if any research has been carried out on people's builds (rather than weight) and their effect on the horse.

Would a pear shaped rider with most of their weight in their legs (and therefore wrapped around the horse) do less damage than a big-boobed, top-heavy rider (whose weight will be moving around more on top of the horse)?

I know that weight is weight at the end of the day - Just a thought really!
 
For those saying weight is just weight, have you ever tried to lift someone who is unconscious vs someone who activly tries to help you. Far far easier to lift someone who tries to balance themselves over deadweight!
 
I hate these threads!
I'm over weight but have lost over 5 stone too ride again, my weight gain was so sudden, I had a misscarriage and didn't think it bothered me much as it wasn't planned and I wasn't ready to be a mum but I honestly think that was a trigger to my weight gain and it took 2 years for me to be like holy **** what have u done!!
It's deffo easier to gain that it is to lose!
But now I finally feel confident to ride my horses, I'm not 12 stone yet but I'm closer than I was 2 years ago and I enjoy riding my tbs and cobs!

I think tbe lady of 25stone riding in the video is too much, but I followed her blog and I don't believe she made much effort tbh, eating cake for breakfast and giant bars of choc after dinner won't help you lose weight!!!

Anyway as long as people are sensible and listen to their horses then I think that's fine but I don't think any horse should ever carry more than 20stone ever.
 
In the interest of fairness, I'll post a pic of me at my heaviest last year (13st) so you can see that I was pretty fat! I'm 5'8" so tallish, but far to heavy to ride. (I'd also like to point out that this was when he had a saddle put on him and in no way was anyone going to ride him!)
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And this is me at 10st 5
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(Hope the pics work, I find photobucket a nightmare at the mo!!)

There is no magic cure to losing weight, it's torture and bloody hard work, but if you can get to your goal and stay roughly near it then it's worth it!
 
To demonstrate how horses can be abused and seemingly stand for it, see below ( not for the faint hearted) it's on youtube so put out there for viewing. Disgusting

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H8G6O9Zpo64

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v259IctzVWQ

Sorry just wanted to add, when i helped out at a riding school we had a weight limit (as most RS have) but you can always tell if you are too heavy for the horse (from the ground) as in these videos you can see the horse nearly buckling and the movement not as floaty/fluid as normal, if you know what i mean? they are quite stiff through the movements.

as i weighed 5 stone at 15 i was put on all the ponies at the riding school i was nervous i would be too heavy, but the instructors used to ask me to circle them in walk and trot, to see if the movement of the horse was effected by my weight, this was how i was taught to notice if the weight was too much. Maybe im wrong in that but im sure you would be able to feel it too?

But some horses are built/breed to carry weight but it all depends on the individual horse and the factors like age, breed, ect..

I have seen many people who are too big for their horses but would never dream of taking a picture and posting it on here. but i have to say this is an interesting thread.
 
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