Overweight event riders- Discuss

[quote I don't buy into the "big boned" thing at all, I know some people have larger frames than others but we're talking about fat here, not frame size.


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Fat weighs more then muscle, im more muscle then fat.. atm I think id rather be fatter, means Id weight lighter
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but, BBs, i think a lot of people (me definitely) have muscle with fat on top, if you burn off the fat you look slimmer, more streamlined, and weigh a lot less... i certainly did last year. i don't think it's a case of "turning fat into muscle" (i'm pretty sure this isn't physiologically possible anyway!), it's a case of getting rid of the fat and keeping the muscle! the unbalanced people i see riding are not the muscly ones, put it that way...!
 
Youre probably right tbf.

Just get very frustrated when I go to the gym and end up weighing more, although look more toned.

Im staying well clear of weights of any sort - Baydale you can have my rower if you like.

I want Henmiesters hollow legs
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Fat weighs more then muscle, im more muscle then fat.. atm I think id rather be fatter, means Id weight lighter
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Not true: Fat vs Muscle

Someone who weighs say 10st but has more muscle than someone who has more % fat on their body will still weight 10st, but they will be slimmer. 10st of fat weighs the same as 10st of muscle...it just looks bigger than the equivalent amount of muscle.

To answer the original question, I think anyone who wants to be competitive in any sport should take care of their body and general fitness. What's the point of getting your horse fit and healthy if you are then going to ask it to lug a fat, unfit person around? Agree with the point someone made about hunting - it would be better for the horse if everyone who hunted was fit/trim too. I actually think it's worse for hunting people to be unfit/overweight as their horse is expected to carry that around all day. At least with an eventer, the XC is over in a few mins and the horse gets a break!
 
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have to say it may not be very pc but is clothing ranges such as fuller fillies making it more acceptable to be and overweight rider?????

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You take the fuller figure clothing away then whats the point of weight carriers??

Why do you have to be thin to compete?
 
I have a good tip for anyone wanting to keep their competition weight down. Accidentally buy cheap Pikeur breeches off Ebay, discover they are one size too small and that the zip falls down leaving your unattractive riding knickers exposed when you jump. I lost half a stone in humiliation alone...
 
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have to say it may not be very pc but is clothing ranges such as fuller fillies making it more acceptable to be and overweight rider?????

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You take the fuller figure clothing away then whats the point of weight carriers??

Why do you have to be thin to compete?

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Weight carriers are fine, heavy riders on weight carriers is fine, since presumably they are not asking them to gallop around an Advanced course!
I've never looked at "fuller fillies" but again, I hope they're not aimed at top event riders!
You don't have to be thin to compete, but not being unfit and obese (and i think you have to be unfit if you are obese, i cannot believe an obese-looking person can be truly fit!) is surely attainable.
There have been plenty of large tall muscly male riders over the years at all levels, but no-one has ever criticised them that i've heard, because, while large, they were very definitely not obese, and were almost always on large horses that could cope well with the weight. I daren't mention any names but I can think of quite a few off the top of my head who were definitely neither skinny nor light, but rode beautifully and in balance and looked fit and streamlined, a very long way from obese!
 
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I think the general consensus here is -

-No one is against overweight riders, however what they do take issue with is overweight riders for the horse - you don't have to be a heffalump to be too heavy for a very LW horse/pony! Therefore having a horse up to the job you expect of it - having enough bone/big enough/fit enough/etc.

-Being fit for your chosen discipline - we expect it of our horses, so why not ourselves?

-Learning to ride balanced and having the strength not to rely on the horse to carry us.

I don't think any of these points apply just to people who are considered overweight. Riding in balance and being fit is something everyone should aspire to regardless of weight, height or activity.


See I don't think I am heavy enough for my HW heffalump - therefore all donations of easter eggs greatfully recieved
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Well that blows that theory out of the water then, Thanks for clearing that up.
I shall continue to just be LARGE and offend ppl
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You aren't large and who said it was offensive?

I don't think you do have to be thin to compete but I do think riders should make more of an effort to be fit. I'm not talking about running marathons on the side but surely it is easier for the horse to carry a fit rider who can balance, than someone who is always out of puff and clinging on? I'm talking really about the sort of people who make absolutely no effort to be fit or help the horse out yet expect it to do a full day's hunting, carrying all that weight around - there is a difference between that and the people who think they want to lose a few pounds. I would imagine that the majority of eventers realise they need to be fairly fit to get safely around the XC and SJ anyway. Didn't the British Olympic team go on a fitness spree to be better all round athletes for Hong Kong?

I wouldn't take a fat horse hunting, nor would I expect a fat horse to go hunter trialling (or eventing, in the very unlikely event I ever get up the nerve to do it
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) so I wouldn't expect to be unfit myself.
 
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my physio was shocked when she put me on the scales to find I was nearer 9st than 8st.
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*is wishing she had not partaken of creme egg on train* - how tall are you Baydale? I ask because I currently weigh bang on 9 stone, am 5ft 1 and since being in the USA all my clothes are hanging off me as 5 days a week I was doing yard work and riding 1-3 horses! No-one who knows me would ever say I was in any way overweight (at least not to my face
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) and now I am wondering if I should in fact be aiming for 8 stone rather than 'ooo, I wonder if these size 1 jeans will still fit me in a year'??!

Actually, no-one ever believes me when I tell them how heavy I am!

*thanks her lucky stars she bought a 16.3 and trundles off looking for dusty trainers to go running in*
 
im not saying its wrong for the fuller figure lady to ride but at size 20 it must be a large horse
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but i do understand that these arnt aimed at eventers and weight is revelant to the horse the rider is riding!!!
 
Did someone say creme eggs?
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*Baydale's ears are pricked* I'm damned if I'm letting Henmeister have any of my easter eggs.
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I'm 5ft 6in SC. I never get weighed any more, hence my horror at being told to get on the scales at the physio's, but I know that I weigh half a stone more (it keeps me warm
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) in the winter than in the summer. Do you think you and I are heavy-boned then?
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LOL Kit279 - very embarrassing!

I don't like to see bigger riders on horses which struggle to do what they being asked to do because of the weight issue. It's just as bad seeing unbalanced slimmer riders though!

No reason why bigger people can't compete, as long as their horse is built to cope with them, which if you are really large might mean restricting yourself to, for example, lower level eventing because the type of horse you need isn't going to go to the higher levels.

I have had temporary thoughts about me and all my stuff being the reason for us not being fast enough. I'm 10.5 stone, and my saddle is heavy. He is a 16.3 MW though, so more than capable of carrying me, he's never going to be the fastest but I don't think that has anything to do with my weight!
 
No, I think you have hollow, bird-like bones to be that tall and that light, and I clearly have ones filled with lead!
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I'm not 'big-boned' just 'dense-boned'
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Henmeister is not having my eggs either - I ate a packet of Lindt chocolate eggs at OHs parent's house over the weekend (well they left them in our room, would have been rude not to) and the Lindt bunny is not up for grabs either, it is my solace during my times of woe (like having to go into the job centre this afternoon - the horror!!)
 
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You greedy lot, just as well Hen isn't allowed out of trot ATM, I'd never be able to stop him in my weak and malnourished state
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Sorry that has made me Lol!
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Well more your comments on this post in general!
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You greedy lot, just as well Hen isn't allowed out of trot ATM, I'd never be able to stop him in my weak and malnourished state
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I don't think chocolate counts as "nourishment", and if you're weak it's probably due to repetitive strain injury from spending so much time on here (hello Pot, my name's Kettle
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I think what it boils down to is that those under around the 11 stone mark, seem to believe that anyone over 13stone (and where did this limit come from??) is obviously just a greedy layabout, who doesn't look attractive and couldn't possibly have any sort of fitness. And should diet heavily (and what is acceptable there? Eating three normal balanced meals? Or should they be cutting that out in a huge struggle to lose weight?)
I'd say an awful lot of male eventers weigh a lot more than you think. IMO you can dress it up all you like, it is easier for some to lose weight and there is an inherent human ideal that whoever is larger than you is 'fat' or 'chubby' and often the image painted is of a bad or stupid person, not disimilar to one here! and I am not in disbelief by the comments on here, these opinions have been coming up before.
I have only ever seen one girl who really really was far too large, other than that I've not seen anyone I think the horses are struggling with, so I don't think its the widespread problem some of you lot are making it out to be, nor is there a need to cry out for the RSPCA to come save hundreds of event horses from overweight riders.
I would love to see any studies actually done rather than self righteous spouting of weights that someone says is right..with no real evidence at all.
 
umm, TripleSandH, who said anything about 13 stone (or anything else, other than 20 stone which was mentioned earlier!) being the cut-off weight? I didn't mention weight at all in my last post, but said that certain tall large male riders in the past must have been pretty heavy, but were on suitable horses, so no-one said anything. I didn't see anyone mention the RSPCA either...! No need for anyone to be so defensive imho.
 
No need for anyone to be as aggressive as has been on this thread either. the figures 11 and 13 stone are being bandied about. Fine, set limits for your own horses/selves but don't try and set them on anyone else.
Nobody said anything about the RSPCA, I mentioned it as a link to the fact everyone is saying not fair on the horse.
 
well, the difference between "not fair on the horse" and "call the RSPCA" is a chasm as big as the Grand Canyon, I think.
the thread started off with some very valid comments about safety, iirc, that seriously obese (not mildly overweight!) riders were perhaps, if tired, out of balance and out of puff, a possible danger to themselves and their horses.
 
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You greedy lot, just as well Hen isn't allowed out of trot ATM, I'd never be able to stop him in my weak and malnourished state
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I don't think chocolate counts as "nourishment", and if you're weak it's probably due to repetitive strain injury from spending so much time on here (hello Pot, my name's Kettle
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What else do you expect me to do in the afternoon - the horses are mucked out and ridden, the dog has been walked - Are you suggesting I should go to the gym???
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Or god forbid, eat healthily???
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Weight is a funny thing. I weigh 8 1/2 stone, am 5'2 and a size 8. But yet, I'm actually on the higher end of the BMI scale.......

BBs is WAY more fit than I am, I don't run at all; I'm riding fit and walk a lot and do pilates, but am aware that I could be fitter. BBs, you think you look bigger than you actually do - on a horse you look totally in proportion and you look fine in white breeches!

I'm thinking of truly FAT people, who carry way too much excess weight in fat stores on their bodies and allow this to unbalance them in the saddle.
 
'Hi. my name's Gamebird and I'm a stone overweight'
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I'm 6ft, give or take, and probably close to 11.5 stone (don't have scales with stones on so not totally sure). I WILL be a stone lighter by the summer.

A few reflections on Fit vs Fat:
I thought that I was fit last year. I was a bit lighter (half a stone maybe), was quite aerobically fit (could run for half an hour without stopping) and was riding up to 3 horses a day on top of a full time job. However I did find riding a longish XC left me rather red-faced and I often had a sore lower back/upper thighs the next day.

This season (and forgive me evangelising about The Power of Racehorses yet again
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) I am slightly heavier but my muscular strength has increased. I started riding 3-4 lots a few times a week and doing 20mins slow cantering standing out of the saddle left me dripping and very stiff the next day. I can now do the equivalent without breaking sweat and feel that my legs and lower back have strengthened immeasureably. I now go XC 2 holes shorter and my lower leg is much, much stronger - to the point where it has been commented on the last couple of times that I have posted pics on here.

Interestingly I came across a pic of Mark Phillips the other day cantering one of his eventers in the 70's. He had crossed his stirrups over the saddle so that they were about 8 inches long and was cantering standing up to strengthen his legs.

Where I struggle is with KatB's core stability thing. I am always going to suffer as my extremities are all so far away but when I'm doing dressage I look and feel very floppy, my mid-section tends to collapse and I struggle to hold my legs/arms/shoulders in the correct place for any length of time. I do feel that if I were shorter and more compact I would be a tidier rider.

Resolutions for 2009:
Be as fit and light as I can be. It's got to help.
Improve core stability
Drink less!
 
I agree it's not so much sheer weight as fitness and balance, and a consideration of what the horse is being asked to do. I have a friend who's rather fat ATM post-pregnancy, but she's a very well-balanced person. I have no problem with her giving the spooky pony a walk-trot around the school, but I wouldn't be so happy if she wanted to take him hunting, for example. I weigh 9--9.5 st at 5'6", and would feel fine on most ponies. But while I'm not much lighter than last year, I'm a hell of a lot fitter, and I can really feel how much longer I can stay balanced and in control of my various limbs.
 
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Interestingly I came across a pic of Mark Phillips the other day cantering one of his eventers in the 70's. He had crossed his stirrups over the saddle so that they were about 8 inches long and was cantering standing up to strengthen his legs.

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WOW! That makes me wince even thinking about it!!! I'd love to see that photo though, can you scan it in?
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