Let's start a new controversial post - Pathetts dressage today

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archoak

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Dressage at Patchetts today included classes for Ponies UK. I confess to knowing little about PUK but was horrified to see hugely overweight women (I'm not talking slightly overweight but obese) riding tiny little show ponies with little spindly legs. I am trying hard not to judge but it was painful to watch.
 
*don't shoto me down please*
I do not beleive 'fat' poeple which are actually OBESE should ride small ponies or fine horses (unless horse is big ) as not only is it a struggle for the pony, but larger poeple often find it much harder to balance(most that is anyway). I think their should be a limit on weight/pony sizes as in some cases it is cruelty
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Catch it quick weren't there today or I'd post the link, didn't think of taking a picture on phone (I'm a nice person really). However my son (16) did comment that woman has 3 arses (actually that's the polite description!). I hope the judge did comment but didn't see any sheets.
 
I think in my final year i was cruel on my ponies...

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and with hindsight which is a wonderful thing I should have sold them before this season but there was a hunger to do well in the pony trials, and in a lot of ways i'm also glad I kept them and we started to find new homes immediately afterwards.

but I do think tyhat these m&m classses should have some height/weight limits on them as there are no age restrictions... that was one of the things that boggles me with the showing... ahhh to be eventing lol
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Its not just the effect on the horses. There are some rears that should never be encased in cream jods on any account. Over a certain size, the jods should have "WIDE LOAD" stripes on the back and a "Warning vehicle reversing!" sounder fitted lol
 
little pink piggies, you look fine on that pony to me, and i'd be the most vociferous person about fat overweight people riding small ponies or skinny blood horses who are not up to their weight. i love it when people say "he doesn't mind"... what's he supposed to do? stick his hand up and say "mum, my back hurts and i'm about to collapse?"
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if he's a nice person and well-trained, he won't do what he should do if he's overburdened, and buck them off!
btw, i would love to know what Karen O'Connor weighs, because Theodore copes absolutely fine with her, and i bet she's not 7 stone. she's not overweight of course, she is slim and muscly, but she's no stick!
 
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Its not just the effect on the horses. There are some rears that should never be encased in cream jods on any account. Over a certain size, the jods should have "WIDE LOAD" stripes on the back and a "Warning vehicle reversing!" sounder fitted lol

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hahaha! so true. cream or white jodhs are the unkindest clothing of all.
i was looking for Pikeur breeches on ebay a couple of months ago, and there was a cream size 18 pair for sale because the woman couldn't fit into them any more. *says nothing*
 
no, i think theres a big difference when youre fit and muscly though as your balancing yourself and your not relying on the horses mouth/back/whatever to balance yourself. Basically if youre fat your a hinderance whereas if youre muscly your not so much of one! if that makes sense...
 
also, i know with mine i had grown while i was on them, so i knew them and how to balance myself on them and it was gradual... even when i still had the ponies i would have hated to get on a small pony i didnt know, i think its an adjustment thing aswell
 
Ok, so I may be cursed here... but here goes.....having always been a "porky" from the age of 1 day!! I have always been on a diet/weight watching etc. etc...and know what it is like to be "overweight" "called fatty" etc etc.. BUT must say that if you are overweight you should look at the horse you are riding.......if you do not care so much about loosing weight, fair enough, totally up to you.. but ensure that you ride a horse that can take your weight. I am not implying that larger people cannot ride...they can and why not...but they must have a horse that can carry them..........why do you think I ride a 17.3hh warmblood!!!!!!! We all know it is better for us and horses to be fit and a bit less "flabbier"........so come on.....lets ensure that we either get fitter/trimmer or ride horses that can take our weight.....ps.... I am out to loose a stone by March so I am not a "thinny" ok??!!
 
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i was looking for Pikeur breeches on ebay a couple of months ago, and there was a cream size 18 pair for sale because the woman couldn't fit into them any more. *says nothing*

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lmao
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I'm not familiar with the rules for the PUK dressage classes but perhaps it would be a good idea for them to run in accordance with the showing classes as regards heights of "show ponies"/ages of riders (if they don't already)...
 
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Its not just the effect on the horses. There are some rears that should never be encased in cream jods on any account. Over a certain size, the jods should have "WIDE LOAD" stripes on the back and a "Warning vehicle reversing!" sounder fitted lol

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hahaha! so true. cream or white jodhs are the unkindest clothing of all.
i was looking for Pikeur breeches on ebay a couple of months ago, and there was a cream size 18 pair for sale because the woman couldn't fit into them any more. *says nothing*

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That comment says a lot about you that isn't pretty!!

Since my arse is over a size 18, I suppose my lovely HW mare and me should just stay at home so we don't have to offend the eyes of people who think like you do. Fortunately, the judges don't seem to think like you do, so we'll just carry on doing what we are doing! One day you might not be so perfect!
 
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I'm not familiar with the rules for the PUK dressage classes but perhaps it would be a good idea for them to run in accordance with the showing classes as regards heights of "show ponies"/ages of riders (if they don't already)...

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Trouble is for M&M their are no age limits.

An adult friend of mine shows a 13.2 sec B (has been to OLympia on him)
 
Whilst I agree with you to a certain extent please don't categorise all Ponies UK members and all adults riding ponies into the same group. There are many adults riding ponies who are perfectly suited and are completely fed up with sweeping comments like these. (Me included).
 
Fair comment FREESTYLER, I was riding a 14.2hh a couple of seasons ago at BE PN, and I struggled to make sure that in all my XC kit I did not weigh more than 10 stone. Lots of people thought I was taking it to extremes ( I am also of the chubby variety!) and yes I was constantly starving but I thought enough of my pony to do it, even if the ungrateful witch didnt deserve it half the time!
People who are too heavy should not ride ponies. Apart from anything in dressage and showing it spoils 'the picture'!
 
I think my arse should have wide-load stripes on it as well! It should be remembered though, that there can be two reasons for one's breeches not to fit any more - inflation and deflation, as it were.

I need new breeches as mine are starting to get baggy, so arguably I could put them up for sale as not fitting me any more and everyone could gasp in horror and say that fat bap should never get on a horse....but I'm getting SMALLER and even at my current weight, the horse carries me happily.

The thought of having to get back into my cream jods is the worst thing about going back to competing. Its why my jacket is long enough to cover my bum !
 
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Trouble is for M&M their are no age limits.

An adult friend of mine shows a 13.2 sec B (has been to OLympia on him)

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I know, I've shown m&ms myself
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The OP referred to "show ponies with little spindly legs" - for me, an overweight adult riding a smaller riding pony/show hunter would be unacceptable but the majority of m&ms can easily carry adults. If an adult was too big for the pony then it would ruin the overall picture and the pony could not perform which would/should prevent it's success in either showing or dressage.
 
I've just looked at the rules: surely the biggest biggest problem with PUK dressage is that m&ms are only deemed capable of prelim along with all junior riders and that seniors are automatically expected to ride a novice test!!!
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Now I remember why I'm not a member any more...!
 
M&M ponies can be ridden by any age rider for showing - their heritage is as an adults allrounder- the orginal 4x4!

There are some open age Show Hunter Pony classes but these would not have spindley legs. I rider who is too large or tall woudl nto show the pony to best advantage.


There area lot of competitve riders at ALL levels who are size 18 plus. But there are plenty of HW cobs, HW Hunters ( boithe to carry more than 14 stone for a day's hunting) and big strong warmblood ir Irish draft type horses to carry them
 
There were plenty of M&M ponies there too, well able to carry weight. The 'show pony' I referred to was tiny, like those little JC ponies children ride with teeny little heads and legs. The lady in question was as I said obese and I certainly wasn't the only person to comment at the time. I don't think I made a sweeping statement, I'm sorry if you read it like that
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