Overweight event riders- Discuss

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'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.

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Exactly the same as me, although lots of mucking out and general running around the yard has me slightly lighter ATM, not looking forward to everything going out, and having nothing to do "proper" riding on over the summer, I have a feeling I will be much heavier at the end of the summer
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However, our BMI has us in the 19 range - which is very close to being underweight.

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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.


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I "think" my core is quite strong - we had to do tests at Uni for rider fitness/strength and on the Core test I did fairly well. My OH used to be a Gym Instructor and he made me do a lot of Gym Ball exercises, which I found fairly easy.

My problem is laziness, I can do it, but I just can't be bothered to do it, so I collapse in the middle and sit like a sack of spuds
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Rosie was nine and a half stone and 5' 5" last time she was weighed and measured before her accident and the Doctor said she was the perfect weight for her height (flatterer) and people would comment about what a strong and well balanced race rider she was.
She lost 10lbs while she was out of it and I reckon that was mostly muscle as she doesn't look that much thinner but judging from the amount of chocolate she's eaten in the last week she'll soon be huge. With a bit of luck, the physios will have helped her to turn that back into muscle in no time - and yes, apparently balance is all about core strength, something she's going to have to work really hard to regain.
 
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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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Sorry I only got one lindt bunny and well it's existence was short lived!
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But have a cornflake cake -

***passes a chocolate cornflake cake***
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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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I used to do that as a kid - but only for laughs - not for fitness!
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I would most likely die if I did it now, although did my first xc of the year at the weekend, and I don't ache at all - must be doing better than last year, although plenty more to go and need to go running!

Having said that, I rode a 13.2 at the weekend (I'm 5'6 just (hopefully!) under 11 stone now) only for ten mins, and the owner pooh-poohed my idea of being a pony squisher saying that the pony had 'legs like tree trunks'
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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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Halfstep, I aim to please!
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weight is an odd thing, I am classed as overweight but even my GP said "You're fatter than you look!" I'm 5ft10 ish and about 14 stone. I ride cobs of 14.3hh plus who have no issues carrying me. I like to think I'm a balanced rider, but not overly fit ATM. I go to the gym, and pilates as well as stable duties. If I was to go eventing, I'd certainly be getting myself down the gym 5 times a week - but even when I was doing that, I never dropped weight, despite toning up.
And if you think 14 stone is HUGE - my sig is of my on a 16hh TB - I felt big on him as he was so narrow but certainly not too heavy
 
I don't event but we have a much worse problem with it in dressage! Big fat 40 something women that have made their money in the city and want to get back to that childhood love of horses. Too scared to do eventing or SJ so buy an amazing dressage young horse that has grand prix potential and stay in novice level getting crap scores and then wondering why that is?! Nerrr you a) can't ride b) too fat, so much so the horse is hollowing like hell through its back and c) cant get into canter without wobbling all over the show... it is sick and wrong! I lost my lovely dressage horse last year through injury and would have loved to have a ride on a fab horse but people just don't understand they can't do it themselves and when i did eventually get a ride the woman got so jealous she put a stop to it because i was winning on her horse and she wasn't... wonder why!!!! Nightmare! It really annoys me as you can prob tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fat people and horses should not be happening if you want to ride get to a weight that is physically possible for your horse! There hope that isn't too offensive! i was going for the subtle approach as you can prob tell!!! K xxx
 
What I find quite sad is that many points made (I haven't read them all) are good points and fair points but some people on here seem merely to want to bandwagon and give a reasonably poor impression of themselves. Its sad that they feel that they can be so offensive. I was huge and I mean obese doesn't even enter into it and KLM sports horses "Fat people and horses should not be happening" although I think you mean in a riding sense, what a narrow minded comment. Thank god for many people (as I was yard manager) , I looked after their horse 'interests' for them and lost 10 stone in 1 year. I also wound up in hospital because of it... I never rode in that time as just didn't have the time but at my lightest, there wasn't a horse that could'nt carry me (except maybe a small pony) I have seen many light people ride heavy and many heavy people ride light. If you are a large/small rider and can't ride well .... you can't ride well end of! A few years back Clarrissa and the countryman did an episode where she rode on the hunt. I know the chap who provided the horse for her and put her through her paces and he is one of the most respected and experienced horsey people around (won't name him as he sometimes comes on here!) He said she was a fantastic rider and that rode better than some light people. Sadly I have porked out again (not to my original size) and try my best to control it, but being a "big fat 40 something" woman- just turned 40, obviously I am damned for all times!!!!! Thankfully my life is not so empty to feel the need to muse on it too much, or better still 'latch' on to something and run with it as its the only way I can feel a sense of 'community'!!!!
 
No i didn't mean it like that sorry to cause offence, in dressage we have a real problem with uber overweight people and generally speaking they are 40 something women that have ideas of grandure and the horses can't physically cope. Come on it really isn't right to see, fair enough i am all for supporting people coming into the sport but when they are that overweight i am talking 16 stone plus on a 15.2hh lightweigh warmblood then it really not on and is putting unnecessary strain on them. Then to have people wonder why their horses go lame etc I don't want to see horses being put down unnecessarily. It might be extreame but it is happening, go to your local BD show and watch the novice and elementary classes. It is cruel as far as i am concerned. I am a Zooarchaeologist i do know what damages over loading horses cause. At the end of the day they are not even designed to be ridden so i am not talking out of my behind when i say how wrong it is!
 
i think the issue is that if you are overweight then you can never be truly fit, ie track and field athletes are always in shape, and if you are unfit your reactions will not be as sharp and your bady not as coordinated therefore you will not be able to ride at the best of your ability if you are overweight partiularly if an event rider, and in all displinces you expect your horse to be fit to be able to canter and jump and perfom flying changes which it could not do if the horse was overweight so why should the rider be????
 
I would just like to add that latest studies have shown that 15-20% of horse own body weight is a "manageable" weight for the average horse to carry, 25% is "very stressful" on their joints and backs and 30% considered "unmanageable" by virtue of the strain put on them by this weight. Horses asked to carry 25% of their weight developed arthritis earlier, had a greater tendancy towards back problems and developed splints and windgalls more often than horses only asked to carry 20% of their body weight.
acknowledgements were made that this varied with type with pony types and stock types being capable of carrying a higher percentage of their own weight (recommended limit 23%) than breeds such as TB's, arabians and warmbloods or their crosses (recommended limit 20%).
We ourselves MUST be sympathetic to the welfare of our horses. This is the one case where i have to say that the "just because I'm bigger doesnt mean I cant do it" doesnt cut it when it comes to being too heavy for a horse the limits are not imposed by society but by the horses themselves. As such I would urge anyone who weighs more than 20% of their horse's weight to consider a bigger horse - for the sake of their horse's welfare.
Also please note that 20% is only for a horse with GOOD conformation. This figure drops if the horse has conformation faults with their legs - even relatively minor ones with sickle hocks being the worst flaw for weight-carrying horses.
 
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As such I would urge anyone who weighs more than 20% of their horse's weight to consider a bigger horse - for the sake of their horse's welfare.
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..... or just overfeed your horse so that it weighs more and then you can legitamatly be fatter?
 
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I vote for pinch testing in the start box!
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Or perhaps the start box could have a weigh bridge floor, then if your collective weight is over a tonne, you can't start
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That actually made me laugh out loud!!!

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Hen would be screwed, he wouldn't need me for his lardy arse to be over the weight limit
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i love the this, i really chuckled to myself (like a nutter) and thats the way forward for us eventing fatty butt flabbers, weigh bridges, and then you get a big fat E if you are over 6st and have a BMI of more than 11.5 (pinch tested) and on your record it will say E at weigh bridge!! PMSL!!!

what amazes me tho is no where is the issue made about fat event horses which to me could be very detromental to bone,tendons,and ive seen loads of them thundering around xc courses (sorry heard) ect ect ect!!

*off to jog to the shops to buy a twix and a packet of monster munch!!*
 
Hahaha, no i think that would make it worse! Their natural healthy weight, both muscled up fit weight and unfit weights must be calculated. Youngsters are going to be weaker as well. Also just so people know warmblood horses aren't fully mature in their skeletal structure till they are 7 the ends of their bones don't fully fuse till then. So there is also a debate in the pressures we put youngsters under!
 
So given that I'm less than 10% of Junos weight (Juno =653kg, me=62.4kg) does this mean I can gallop everywhere without fear of damage
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Can I also ask why people feel it is wrong to remark if someone is over weight but find it acceptable to make comments like...."turn sideways and you'd disappear", "a gentle breeze and you'll blow away"

Not my fault I was turned down for the Mr Muscle adverts as I was too skinny
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No worries KLM!!!! I concur....weight innapropriate to horse type is a no no!!!! At my heaviest I used to 'sit' on a right heffer of a horse over 10inches of bone... I was a heffer, horse was a heffer therefore appropriate. As to 'ride' I don't tend to... Even at my lightest I am the most appalling rider!!!!
 
Sorry, i really am to cause such offence, but it makes me really frustrated when i see so many people not listening to their horses! I don't mean to catogrise people but it is unfortunatly the case in Dressage. I struggle with weight too i am not by any means tall, thin and perfect, i am short and chunky and have to work damm hard to keep myself under 9 and a half stone esp after having a year off muscles soon turn to flab. When i was on British YR Teams i ran for an hour a day as well as riding six horses working on a yard mucking out 20 horses a day. This fitness regime was drilled into us on teams we had personal coaches, psyhcologists etc explain the importance of being the correct fitness and weight for our horses. Not to be so thin we were anorexic but just to be a healthy weight and fit. I had to lose a stone before i would even dream of getting on my new fab little 14hh pony that i brought to break and produce and i am now the perfect weight for her she weights 350kg so 20% of her body weight would be 70 kg i weight 60kg so i have only have 10kg leway but i make sure i stick under it and i love food it is hard but i do it for the welfare of my animals and i am so much more healthy and happy and strong like an ox for it! hahaha. But at 9 and a half stone is not the ideal weight for a 5ft 3inc shorty like me either, docs would say i am within the recomended guidelines but that my perfect weight would be nearer 8 and a half. Which i did weight once a long time ago! What really gets me is that certain people just expect to be able to buy one of these amazing horses and win without working hard for it themselves if that makes me jealous then so be it i am of their finances but they wont win and i am certainly not jelous of their destuctive nature to our kind horses that wouldn't put up a fight unless they are in so much pain that it is too late for them. I also agree that a heavy seated rider can cause damage through repetative strain as much as a heavy person. i don't know how to get pics up on here but have some interesting modern horse spines that are completly fused to show people of that damages load bearing can do!
 
Damage is going to happen anyway unfortunatly horses aren't designed to do any of the things we do with them. So injury is inevitable. That said even if we didn't ride them they could still end up injuring themselves they are so flawed in their design. But wild vs domesticalted populations have less pathology (injuries) due to repetative strain than domesticated animals in use.
So maybe those in charge at the top are trying to do something about it and to be honest this overweight eventer thing needs some work but it can only be a good thing for horses.
 
Ok these are Archaeological remains but they have the same agenda they are both from overloaded horses neither of them are old horses believed to be over 5 years and under 10 this is what overloading can do in extreme circumstances. The first three have a multiplicity of problems, kissing spine, bamboo spine as well as arthritic complexes.
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The second is believed to be of a similar condition, bamboo spine but only the last thoratic and the lumbar vertebra were excavated. but also from load bearing. This is the dorsal veiw (Above) the modern ones are on a diff comp but will find them and upload them onto to hear but look pretty similar not fused completely though thank god the horse was put down before it got to the extreme nature of the first pics!
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sorry, I dont think archaelogical remains are all that useful, studies on the modern horse perhaps, and by overloaded what do you mean?
I've never noticed it a problem at dressage either..on the one dressage show I've been to, maybe with higher numbers you british (I'm in Ireland) have more problems.
20% of my horses weight is about 120Kg... I'm a good bit less than this but wouldn't want to see any heavier on my lad, I think it is purely down to a judgement, does the horse appear comfortable carrying that rider. If not, there is an issue. If it does look comfy (even if you think it should be being squashed by all rights..) I don't think there's an issue and 9.5 stone is by no means heavy..so don't try and say you struggle with your weight, sorry, doesn't fly :P
 
So, KLM, do you think the fact that we are seeing so many kissing spine problems nowadays is due in any part to large riders on small or young or weak horses, or is it just better diagnosis?
what is bamboo spine, please?
i agree with the 10% ish rule-of-thumb, fwiw, obv depending hugely on what the horse is being asked to do.
having seen a lovely young coloured horse totally wrecked with a permanently deep sway back because his idiot owner started riding him a lot at 2 yrs old, i quite believe that overloading the horse can lead to huge spinal damage. he was a 15h mw, she was about 5'4" and i'd guess 8 or 9 stone max. not big and heavy at all, but for a weak young horse, waay more than he could cope with, poor lad.
 
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i love the this, i really chuckled to myself (like a nutter) and thats the way forward for us eventing fatty butt flabbers, weigh bridges, and then you get a big fat E if you are over 6st and have a BMI of more than 11.5 (pinch tested) and on your record it will say E at weigh bridge!! PMSL!!!

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PMSL!
 
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