member of the 'are we too fat for our horses' clique - views please?

W

Walder

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 March 2007
Messages
748
Visit site
Now i Know im top wack for Dealer weight wise - im ashamed to say im 5'2'' and weigh 11 stone (actually its 10stone 11 now as ive been on a diet for the last 2 weeks) He is 14.2hh welsh D - Do you think i look far too heavy on him please - I must add that im determined to loose a stone - havent had any thing sweet for 17 days now!! Im paranoid now after reading yesterdays posts as is everyone else over the size 12 mark i expect.

dealerboy008.jpg
 
Yeah, look at the poor horsey buckling at the knees....*rolls eyes* Honestly, Walder, you look absolutely fine on him. I honestly dont think a 14hh+ welsh D is going to have a conniption carrying 11 stone. i've said it before and i'll say it again, I have seen plenty of farmers in Wales out hunting on Sec Ds, they are not small men and their horses carry them all day perfectly happily. Go to the Banwen Miners meet and ask them if they think you are too lardy for your horse and give them all a good laugh !
 
you look absolutely fine to me, honestly. he's section D, not a scrawny lightweight with no bone.
p.s. if you push your heels down a bit more your legs will look longer and skinnier.
wink.gif

i was the one who started all this, and i kind of wish i hadn't... it was supposed to be about very fat competition riders on tb horses doing 4 miles flat out carrying an extra 3 stone... not section Ds and the like carrying their normal-sized owners around!
 
My 14.1 Welsh D stallion had to carry 14st at one point in his life and coped fine.

How can you think you look fat?! I think yesterday's posts were refering to the kind of pics like this:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x293/hercjen/Fat1.jpg

I'm ashamed to admit that I was 15st 8lb in this picture but he can carry even more than that! He's 15.3hh, now we look like this:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x293/hercjen/Slimflatwork.jpg

Although my ticker says I've lost 61lb I think, I've actually lost 5st 9lb between the two pictures.

Please don't go thinking you're too heavy for your horse.
grin.gif
 
thanks for that vote trundle - I wasnt paranoid untill i read the other posts and most people were saying 'im 5'6 and weight 2 stone and ride a 18hh irish draught ect ect!! - my other sec D is 14.3hh but very large so she has no probs. Dealer is much finer. But never the less i am too fat and he has speurred me on to do something about it. xxx
 
Hi Michelle! I think you look great and well done! I think the whole thread got slightly out of hand as I am sure Kerilli will agree. You both look great on your horseys and they look fab, they are hardly struggling and look happy.

I am tallish (5.8) and my YO told me I was too big for my horse even though I weigh 9 1/2 and know I am a light rider. She actually copes fine and I don't look like I'm sitting on a shetland (thank god!).

B*ugger what other people think anyway.
grin.gif
 
charliejump3.jpg

charliejump.jpg


There we go, second time today! That's a 13.3 Section D in his late teens carrying 14 stone. He's a bit grumpy XC (2'9 course) because he wants to catch the horse in front but I didn't want to overtake because I thought we were well to time - and we were second!

He is NOT the horse to take you round without complaining if he wasn't happy!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Wow Michelle73 - what a turnaround - you both looks AMAZING! you must be feeling so proud!

[/ QUOTE ]

THANK YOU
grin.gif
I just love him to bits and I don't think about or talk about anything else!!!!
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi Michelle! I think you look great and well done! I think the whole thread got slightly out of hand as I am sure Kerilli will agree. You both look great on your horseys and they look fab, they are hardly struggling and look happy.

I am tallish (5.8) and my YO told me I was too big for my horse even though I weigh 9 1/2 and know I am a light rider. She actually copes fine and I don't look like I'm sitting on a shetland (thank god!).

B*ugger what other people think anyway.
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

THANK YOU. I agree. But the other issue I have are: I get so sick of justifying that "I have a fat hairy cob" but if I could afford to compete I'm sure we'd be winning!
grin.gif
 
In my experience whatever horse you have there is always someone who will tell you he's the wrong sort:

weedy TB with a pokey nose - Oh So Average Darling
Warmblood - Are you SURE you're capable of fulfilling his potential
Hairy Cob - Well if all you want to do is plod about...
Shire/heavy type - Can't imagine that jumping much though.
16hh+ - don't you think you'd do better with something a bit smaller?
<15hh - well I guess he's alright, for a pony.


Ie WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH!
 
I agree with someone elses post - you may have been first if you weighed less. Please don't be offended, I was 16st 8lb at my heaviest and 14st 5lb when I started my ticker, I am now 9st 13lb and I can say that my riding is so much better now than when I was fat. I just hope I manage to stay where I am now!
smirk.gif


Sorry, but I would be wanting to lose weight to make my horses life easier and happier.
crazy.gif
 
Well Dealer looks quite happy!
I'm around the same weight as you and have been riding my friends 14.3 welsh cob - he doesn't even notice I'm there! My friend is heavier than me and they hack for hours, do fun rides, show jump etc with no problems at all.
You look fine - go out and have some chocolate to celebrate!
 
[ QUOTE ]
In my experience whatever horse you have there is always someone who will tell you he's the wrong sort:

weedy TB with a pokey nose - Oh So Average Darling
Warmblood - Are you SURE you're capable of fulfilling his potential
Hairy Cob - Well if all you want to do is plod about...
Shire/heavy type - Can't imagine that jumping much though.
16hh+ - don't you think you'd do better with something a bit smaller?
<15hh - well I guess he's alright, for a pony.


Ie WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH!

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess you're right and its what I/we are happy with that counts not what anyone else thinks I suppose. And I'm not afraid to say that I think he's the most magnificent horse I've ever met!!!!
grin.gif
 
OMG you look fine. I weigh alot, but I ride a 16hh Welsh Section D and he has never struggled with my weight. Ok we would look alot prettier if I weighed 10stone, but I don't and the more I stress about weight the more I manage to gain.

Anyway please bear in mind that a friend of mine had a chiropractor out to her 13.2hh new forrest and asked how much he thought he would be happy to carry, much to her surprise he said around 16stone, and she was worried about 10stone.
 
Michelle
I don't think you look too fat for the horse - but judging from that last pic I do think your horse is too fat to be comfortable. Perhaps he needs a diet as well? Sorry but I had to say it
frown.gif
 
But where do you draw the line? You can't go justifying every weight as fine for a horse to carry because 'at least they're balanced!' and stating that 'X' would be a worse scenario.

Yes, no doubt it could be worse, but that doesn't make it ok.
 
Whats that got to do with anything?? It's a 13.3 pony FFS and she's a big fat woman!!!
mad.gif
mad.gif
mad.gif
mad.gif


Why can't she just get a horse that fits her?? I can't understand how people can do it!! I would feel I were to big for a 13.3 and I'm only 9 stone!! She should try carrying something very heavy round with her all the time!
mad.gif


GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
mad.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Michelle
I don't think you look too fat for the horse - but judging from that last pic I do think your horse is too fat to be comfortable. Perhaps he needs a diet as well? Sorry but I had to say it
frown.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

When I took him on he was wearing a 54" girth now he's down to 46" girth, extremely well muscled, increadibly fit and I'm still working on getting his weight down. When the saddle fitter came out to refit the saddle from a wide gullet to a medium wide he said he doesn't need to lose any more weight as do many other people who see him in the flesh. I am offended by your comment as I work increadilby hard to make him the best that he can be which includes him being on a permanent diet. Can your horse hack 8 miles to a show, jump two clear rounds as well as take in the sights and sounds of his first ever show then do 8 miles home again? Does your horse have stomach muscles through fitness. He was getting before he went lame up to 16 miles exercise per day with one to two days off every ten days. The vet is happy with his weight too. Its just you and I that are not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
smirk.gif
And if he wasn't coping with his weight how come he's clearing the jumps with such a height?!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Whats that got to do with anything?? It's a 13.3 pony FFS and she's a big fat woman!!!
mad.gif
mad.gif
mad.gif
mad.gif


Why can't she just get a horse that fits her?? I can't understand how people can do it!! I would feel I were to big for a 13.3 and I'm only 9 stone!! She should try carrying something very heavy round with her all the time!
mad.gif


GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
mad.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

She is carrying something heavy around with her, her weight, and I speak from experience, I was active when I was fat but I didn't realise what a difference the weight loss would make to my agility. I hope I've inspired ast least one person to make the change that I have.
grin.gif
 
Highland ponies drag around stags and can regularly carry more than 15stone, Shetland ponies were reported to be able to carry grown men. Hundreds of years ago there were no real Horses, mainly ponies on these fair isles and they probably coped quite well carrying around heavy men, and loads etc - but then they didn't usually live very long did they so we would never know the long term effects.

It does depend on the horse though. I'm 13stone at the moment but was 17st 2 years ago when I 1st got Beau and I did put him on loan and lose weight so that we could do more. I have ridden my mates 14hh TBxNF pony and he is more than happy to carry me, but I've only been on him twice. It does also depend on seat, as I have seen my boy VERY unhappy with a very heavy seated 8stone person on him, adn light as a feather and happy with a 11stoner on him.

But i also agree you can never win whatever you have!! No horse or rider is perfect, and we are always doing something wrong and folk will look down on us! It's up to us should we chose to listen or ignore it.

Also, on a different note - size has nothing to do with fitness - I at 12.7stone was FITTER and HEALTHIER than someone at 9stone - even though I did have more fat.
 
oh dear this has got a bit nasty hasnt it ! we arnt the fat police and think each to there own,if they and horse is happy then leave them be.
poor walder was only worried about her horse and wanted advise,iam sure it wasnt ment to turn in to a god your to fat for your horse post again !!
walder you look absolutely fine and dealer looks more than happy,im glad your getting on well with him,well done
as for the other to people getting slated on here dont listen !!
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Michelle
I don't think you look too fat for the horse - but judging from that last pic I do think your horse is too fat to be comfortable. Perhaps he needs a diet as well? Sorry but I had to say it
frown.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

When I took him on he was wearing a 54" girth now he's down to 46" girth, extremely well muscled, increadibly fit and I'm still working on getting his weight down. When the saddle fitter came out to refit the saddle from a wide gullet to a medium wide he said he doesn't need to lose any more weight as do many other people who see him in the flesh. I am offended by your comment as I work increadilby hard to make him the best that he can be which includes him being on a permanent diet. Can your horse hack 8 miles to a show, jump two clear rounds as well as take in the sights and sounds of his first ever show then do 8 miles home again? Does your horse have stomach muscles through fitness. He was getting before he went lame up to 16 miles exercise per day with one to two days off every ten days. The vet is happy with his weight too. Its just you and I that are not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
smirk.gif
And if he wasn't coping with his weight how come he's clearing the jumps with such a height?!

[/ QUOTE ]

TOO LATE TO EDIT - Sorry jumping pics are on another thread - he's lost weight since that pic was taken - he was in the wide gullet with a 50" girth in that pic. Now he's like i said above!
smirk.gif
 
It's her own choice to carry her weight around with her - her pony doesn't get a choice does he!
frown.gif


Horses are so good to let us do what we do with them. The least we can do is have one to fit our body size!
mad.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top