Overweight event riders- Discuss

This is a very interesting post!
I do not like the sight of overweight people on horses, or children on ponies for that matter, especially eventing.
However, i am not the lightest of riders, 11st and 5ft7, and i ride fairly small horses 15h2 at BE novice level. I feel that i do my best to not be heavy etc and all mine cope fine.
It was an interesting point made earlier about stirrup length and being unbalanced, i saw some normal/skinny people at Burnham on the saturday that were riding so long xc that they could not keep their balance after a fence and so could not support/help the horse.
Many top sj, are not in perfect fitness and these horses are expected to jump much bigger fences.
TBH i do not think the weight is necessarily the issue, it is the balance and awareness of the issue, however i agree that the 2 may correspond in most cases.
 
Well maybe we should rephrase the thread as unfit event riders? The fact is you are unlikely to be fit enough if you are obese, as you would have to pile in a lot of calories not to expend them in your exercise program. If you are not fit then you are a hinderance to your horse when riding at speed over fences for a certain distance. If you can't support your own weight for the entire length of the course then the heavier you are the harder the horse will have to work- therefore you are more likely to get away with being 8 stone and unfit than 14 stone- I know which sack of potatoes I would rather lug around! If you are cardiovascularly fit and your musculature is well used to the demands then the actual weight is less of an issue.
No one is saying that people shouldn't be riding but activity should be appropriate to the fitness and build of both horse and rider. I own a 15hh tbxwelsh and am 5ft 10in and 9 stone and event around PN level which is fine- my mum also likes to ride her but she is heavier than I am so it wouldn't be appropriate or in the interests of the horse for her to be galloping and jumping around a PN track- she enjoys just hacking in the countryside at walk/ occassional trot and this is well within horse's comfort zone but say if she bought say a 16.2hh IDxTB then different story she too could gallop round a PN without jeopardising her or the horses safety with her weight.
 
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Well maybe we should rephrase the thread as unfit event riders? The fact is you are unlikely to be fit enough if you are obese, as you would have to pile in a lot of calories not to expend them in your exercise program. If you are not fit then you are a hinderance to your horse when riding at speed over fences for a certain distance. If you can't support your own weight for the entire length of the course then the heavier you are the harder the horse will have to work- therefore you are more likely to get away with being 8 stone and unfit than 14 stone- I know which sack of potatoes I would rather lug around! If you are cardiovascularly fit and your musculature is well used to the demands then the actual weight is less of an issue.
No one is saying that people shouldn't be riding but activity should be appropriate to the fitness and build of both horse and rider. I own a 15hh tbxwelsh and am 5ft 10in and 9 stone and event around PN level which is fine- my mum also likes to ride her but she is heavier than I am so it wouldn't be appropriate or in the interests of the horse for her to be galloping and jumping around a PN track- she enjoys just hacking in the countryside at walk/ occassional trot and this is well within horse's comfort zone but say if she bought say a 16.2hh IDxTB then different story she too could gallop round a PN without jeopardising her or the horses safety with her weight.

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That makes complete sense to me!
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Perhaps we should encourage BE to offer horse and rider fitness advice as either a section in the hand book (or similar) or theoretical training.

Through the winter I think a lot of eventers (especially grass roots) would benefit from more things like the CDT days or perhaps evenings (more accessible for working riders) on feeding the event horse, preparing horse/rider for the season etc.
 
hmmm... obese riders turning up with obese horses so they could fit in the % bodyweight criteria
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I wouldn't put it past some people! Actually i had thought along these lines but maybe they would have to make it like mounted games i.e if you weigh over 8 stone you can't ride anything less than 13.2hh type ruling- trouble is there is a huge difference between a 16h TB and a 16hh ID. Suppose they could do it by bone measurement?
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Define over weight.........

I think it comes down to being correctly horsed and fit enough to do the job in hand.

A slim but unbalanced rider would do more harm than someone who was very fit, balanced, but carrying a stone more than they should.

It would be interesting to see an upper limit stated, but considering the tall men in the sport, the short women would still be fine!!!

Like many things it comes down to responsibility and competancy. That why we have more and more rules, often dressed up as health and safety to try and control the ones who should know better............
 
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hmmm... obese riders turning up with obese horses so they could fit in the % bodyweight criteria
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I wouldn't put it past some people! Actually i had thought along these lines but maybe they would have to make it like mounted games i.e if you weigh over 8 stone you can't ride anything less than 13.2hh type ruling- trouble is there is a huge difference between a 16h TB and a 16hh ID. Suppose they could do it by bone measurement?
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It would be a minefield! I think this is an issue that is likely to be left to personal responsibility.
 
Bone measurement!!!! My 14h pony had loads of bone but a weak back, my current horse has very little bone but is strong built. This just gets silly IMO, unfortunately it is something that has to be left to the rider, BE could offer advice/training but dont complain when you entry fees go up!
The only thing is warnings from BE/FEI stewards on grounds of abuse to horse etc etc, however in this PC world they can not risk it due to the people that will claim discrimination!
 
hear hear I_love_duns. it's all about what is appropriate to the horse's size and strength, and the speed, size of jumps, etc.
i have an 18hh mw warmblood i used to event at N level, i never bothered weighing myself to ride him (i'm 5'10" was about 11 stone) because he could easily carry a 15 stone rider and not notice!
last season, to ride a 15.2 tb, i got down to 9 stone 4. it is doable. it's easier for some than for others, and of course there are some people who are naturally slim, and others that put weight on if they so much as look at a donut, but we owe it to our horses.
 
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By the way most of the England rugby team are classed as obese - and I think they are fit!!!!!

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What's that got to do with it? No-one is suggesting they get on a horse and ask it to lug them round a few miles over fences at a gallop! This isn't about being obese per se, it is about being overweight, unfit and unbalanced on top of a galloping horse. HUGE difference.
 
This is a real thing for me. I personally don't think there is any excuse for being obese but before I get jumped upon, let me clarify this... To me obese is when somebody is clinically overweight and not fit. Being of a larger frame and keeping active and in shape is very different. The larger framed rider, being relatively fit, is more capable of being in balance with their horse and be able to evenly distribute their weight. This sort of person is likely to have an appropriately sized horse and factor their body size in when choosing a horse to buy. It is very much a mental state as well as physical.

I appreciate there are medical conditions that cause people to become overweight, but these days it is usually fairly straightforward to combat. I have been amazed recently at shows where there are people that are too heavy to ride, are therefore not in balance with their horse and nobody is saying anything. Judges would fear a reprimand and show venues don't want to upset customers. Equestriansim has become very accessible, which is great, but at what expense?
 
Do not forget than eventing used to have a minimum weight and that was doing long format!

As with everything there is always going to be some people who do the utmost to benefit the horse and some that do not have a clue. FEI and BE will not do anything as its very tricky to legislate against that sort of thing and it can easily be termed discriminatory because there will always be exceptions to the rule. All they can do is offer better education.
 
Nothing worse IMHO than seeing big thighed women in tight white breeches.....you wouldn't go out with spray on jeans on when you are of a larger build, so why wear WHITE breeches?!?!?!?

IMHO I think that OTW dressage riders tend to be a bit 'bigger'; eventers - certainly at the top of the game are right skinni minnies...and so they should be, there is no 11st 11llb minimum weight anymore, so why try and be 11st 11?!?

I don't think riders are fit enough, I run a fair bit, and only consider myself to be slightly fit, running is singularly the best form of fitness you can do. It slims your thighs down no end - believe me, I know; look at marathon runners, not a chunky thigh in sight!

I ran to get fit and slim (mer) for my wedding. On the day I was 8st 9lbs and am 5'9''.....my usual 'weight' is about 9st2lbs.

All the 'crap' about 'Oh but I am big boned' - utter cadswallop....you don't get fat skeletons do you?

Kerelli - I am joining you about being a fat nazi!!!

JB xx
 
I_LOVE_DUNS I am so jealous! Although this may illustrate the point - I am only an inch taller than you and yet at 17 I dropped to 9 3/4 stone. My ribs stuck out and I looked awful. I worked on a yard all day,6 days a week, rode about 3 horses a day and ate (I am still shocked I did this) 2 bowls of cereal a day. And thats it. Yet in your sig you look to have a lovely figure - not sticky like I did. It appears I'm not built to be that weight - yet I can still be slim and fit - but at a higher weight. So just to confuse the issue more - weight is perhaps a difficult manner in which to address the issue as it may have a broader impact still on the overall health of the riders. (I still thought I was fat then!! - god help my 17 year old self if she saw me now!!)
 
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All the 'crap' about 'Oh but I am big boned' - utter cadswallop....you don't get fat skeletons do you?

JB xx

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I do know what you mean when people use this as an excuse.......

but I DO have a larger frame than some other on my friends, I know this because bone measurements around bony areas such as my wrists are bigger, and I have wider shoulders than many of my friends.

I am losing weight, I am 5'6 and 11 stone, which I wouldn't conisder that big really, although I know ideally I want to be at least 10.5 stone, or 10 if I can. But I will never be tiny tiny, and if I lost loads of weight, my wide (yet skinny!) shoulders would look hugely out of proportion
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JB I think I actually love you!!
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am PMSL at your comments re: white breeches
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and its true running is great for fitness and slimming. It annoys me at work when I get 'Oh your so thin, Oh your too thin' I can't actually say to someone 'oh your so fat!'
 
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All the 'crap' about 'Oh but I am big boned' - utter cadswallop....you don't get fat skeletons do you?

Kerelli - I am joining you about being a fat nazi!!!

JB xx

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I am PMSL at the thought of Garfield!
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I'm short and obese and wouldn't dream of riding anything that couldn't carry me and am aware that I look awful in johds etc and am nearing the top end of the weight limit for my 14.3hh cob.

I'm trying to lose weight and get fitter and limit schooling to 45 minutes and doing the odd showing or dressage class and and wouldn't dream of jumping, doing LDR, hunting my horse as it would be unfair. I also ensure that my horses saddle, back etc is regularly checked.

I am sometimes shocked by the weight of other riders I see competing and also hacking out these days (I'm thinking 16 stone plus women mostly).

I think that if people want to compete they need to ensure that they are fit enough to do so as well as their horses and I'm not convinced that anyone who is classed as obese could be fit enough to compete regularly.
 
I find it quite shocking seeing very overweight people expecting their horse to lug them round a xc course. Last year i was at an event, just intro, but couldn't believe it when i saw this v large girl on a slightish TB who sat on it's back the whole way round the course! The poor thing looked to be sagging!

Now i am what, 5'6" and weigh between 10 and a half and 11 stone and my horse is a 16hh Conn x TB and fairly substantial in build. I sometimes worry i am too hefty (I have been heavier) but when i see people like that I think my horse has got off lightly! I did lose more weight last year and I have to say i noticed a big difference in how my horse jumped and my general fitness. I think just being lighter I found everything easier as I am sure my horse did. I would like now to lose some more weight - I mean it MUST help your horse if you're lighter?

Ok, so balance is a major factor too and a light, unbalanced rider can be as bad if not worse than a heavier, balanced person but surely at the end of the day we want our horses to be able to perform to the best of their ability and hence us being a little slimmer has got to help!
 
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Is it Rebecca Holder who for years never got very far in getting on USA team because of being so overweight. I watched her at Burghley one year and she looked knackered. She lost a tonne of weight for the Olympics though.

I think it depends on the rider and how they ride. Just because someone looks heavy does not mean they ride heavy. Take Amy Tryon she is a big girl but she is fit and muscular so will not ride as heavy as someone who might be a stone lighter but rides like a sack of potatos.

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With BH-my trainer knew her when she was just starting, and she was A LOT LOT bigger, she has done well to get where she is but agree she must find it hard work.
 
Weight may play a part; but I think it's your fitness that is much more important. After all, you can't help your build. I'm naturally "square" but that's not what affects my horse - it's my lack of fitness. If these people are fit enough to compete and are not causing any pain then does their actual weight matter? Although, I suppose if they're "obese" then they' not fit enough to be competing.
 
OOOOooo, I answered a post in NL where I was disgusted that a 13 stone person could expect a lightweight 15.1 TB to lug them around and I was lynched!!!

I think that fat doesnt necessarily mean unfit. As long as a larger person has the correct size and type of horse for their pysique and they are fit enough to event then thats fine. However unfit, large men or ladies on LW TB types makes me cringe... I always say if your curvy size 16 then you wouldnt squash yourself into size 8 clothes so why should it be the same with horses.

My 15.2 TB has legs the circumference of a candlestick and I would not allow anyone heavier than 11 1/2 stone to ride her. Its just asking for injury. Likewise im just under 8 stone and 5ft5 with arms like sparrows legs and I would not feel happy on anything too chunky.

Saying that, just because im thin doesnt mean im fit and im pretty sure Im not fit enough to gallop round a novice BE course atm. Fat doesnt necessarily mean unfit and we all need to think about fitness regardless of our size if we are going to compete.
 
Hmm, see I don't think 13 stone is necessarily a huge weight really. I think there are a lot fo riders out there larger and heavier than that. I mean the one I saw I would put her nearer to 20 stone to be honest cos she was, I would say at least my height (5'6") if not taller and a heck of a lot bigger.

It's just the sitting as a dead weight on the back of a horse all the way round a x-country course cannot be good. I couldn't even do it to be honest, I'd find it so uncomfortable.
 
My OH is 14 stone but he is 6ft2 and he is not overweight for his height. Im not saying 13 stone is nessarilly fat if I was 13 stone I would be fat, but if my OH was 13 stone he would be too thin!

I just dont think a 13 stone, out of balance rider should be on a 15.1 TB with legs like spindles. If it was a 16.2 IDXTB then fine or a 15hh highland than fine but not tiny TB's and especially not expecting it to gallop round a high end BE track.
 
Fittness has little to do with weight and indeed some people who carry more weight will be fitter than others who are thin by virtue of having to carry this extra weight.

I am 1.63cm tall (5.3 feet) and weight 48kgs (7.5 stone) so both short and thin, but I am very unfit because I have very small lungs and the breathing capacity of an asthma suffered!

I also agree with other people who have pointed out that core strength and balance are much more likely to impact on how lightly one rides rather than pure weight, as well as how the weight is distributed (a taller person may be far more difficult for a horse to carry than one with extra weight).
 
I'm a bit shocked at this post tbh, especially as I'm going through the Burnham Market programme and can't see many who I'd class as obese (pm me I_love_duns, just to satisfy my curiosity please).

I can just picture officials with their fat calipers grabbing spare flesh when you go to pick up your number, and if you're over a certain reading then you're not allowed to compete. Bizarre.

It's not rocket science that your size ie. height and weight, should be appropriate for the horse you're riding and the discipline you compete in, but how on earth would you try and police that, regardless of whether you offended someone or not in the process. I would think that in eventing the disciplinary system should already cover it in "pressing a tired horse" or "dangerous riding", but it is so difficult to quantify what has contributed to either of the above: fitness of horse, fitness of rider, overweight horse, overweight rider?

I can think of a couple of riders at Burnham Mkt, one of which has very recently had a baby, and hers was one of the most balanced, fluent rounds I saw on Friday, and she certainly didn't collapse in a heap when she finished! As a few of you have said, core stability is important but that relates to your build too. Lanky, lean riders surely must have to work quite hard to control their extremities (eg WFP), whereas shorter-coupled riders carrying more weight (Note: I didn't say "fat"
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) seem to have a more natural balance, or centre of gravity even. Some flabby riders will weigh a hell of a lot less yet have less control over their bodies than heavier, more muscular riders.

It's a whole can of worms and maybe I'm feeling touchy because I've done b***er all in the way of exercise for 5 weeks,
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but I know once I'm back riding I shall soon get my old fitness levels back. With an impending three-day I will be doing something extra too - anyone got an exercise bike or rowing machine they don't want?
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Hmmm, I thought not, as you're now all using them lest you should be called obese and your riding ability doubted.
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I'm totally against it!!

The huntsman of our local pack is HUGE and rides fairly light weight TB types.. when they met at our house, i refused to offer him any food, as he has clearly been eating enough already!!!

I know how hard it is to lose weight!! I try hard enough and hardly every lose any.. BUT all that effort goes to keeping my weight at a reasonable level!! I'd find it very easy to put weight on!

Effort needed from the fat ones me thinks
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VERY interesting thread.

Let me start by saying I am a final year undergrad studying Sport, Health, Exercise & Nutrition, and my interest lies in obesity, childhood obesity and nutrition. Secondly, I am doing my undergrad research into rider physiological changes in contrasting disicplines, so this thread acctually covers a large proportion of that.

One thought that struck me was that it would be very interesting to place a pressure sensing & recording pad under the saddle of every horse running at a particular event to see if there were any patterns in pressure for rider height and weight.

I personally make an effort to stay around 9st for my mares sake, and for backing my youngster in future. I feel I ride better when lighter, but on the flip side, I know I become boney and skeletal looking at less than 8.5st.

I'm a HUGE fab of core stability exercises for riders at all levels, as an exgymnast and qualifed gymnastics coach, in that sport you can really see what a lack of stability does.

Measurements of body fat (using bio electrical impedice), waist to hip ratio, waist measurements and BMI are used together where possible to keep track of health and health determinants, that is, if your waist measurement is high then that can be linked to particular illnesses and diseases.
 
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