Overweight people riding young horses...

[Silverspring]

I'm not going to mention the curcumstance under which I post this becasue there is a small chance the person might find out what they are doing leads me to ask this but...

Do people think overweight people riding young horse's could cause permanent damage to the horse?
For example sway back, joints issues, feet issues. Now I'm not weightist (before anyone judges) and I know plenty of larger people that ride happy cobs and draughts all day long without any medical issues at all BUT there are some horse that yes can weight carry but should they be expected to at a young age.

For example a middle weight hunter, expected to carry up to 15 stone but should a 15 stone person be riding it at 3 - 4 years old while it's still developing, schooling it when it's not got any balance and therefore puts more strain on all joints to carry the weight.

I know riders weight is all relative and a 8 stone person can ride heavier than a 12 stone person but 15 stone is 15 stone supported/balanced or not

Should overweight people stick to older horse's that have developed or horses that can carry well over their weight (eg 15 stone person backing shire not as much of an issue!)

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

IMO yes you should be careful with overweight riders riding young horses. On an occasional basis it would be fine but they shouldn't be the one breaking them in. It's like with puppies who are going to grow up to be big dogs - yes they may be able to walk 15 miles when they are older but they can't when they are a puppy, hence why vets reccommend you give them very limited exercise. And seeing as a lot of large breeds don't finish growing until 8 I think for the long term benefit of the horse, you have to be selective who rides them.

 

[Kate260881]

Totally agree with you. It does wind me up to see very heavy people on babies. I realise that sometimes there is no other option (thinking backing kiddies ponies) but when buying a horse if you want a youngster then I think you should get something designed to carry your weight easily.

I know the skinny TBs look prettier but sometimes I think people need to take a long hard look at what they are suited for.

 

[Flame_]

Well, a lot of small kids ponies have to be backed and ridden away by adults for obvious reasons and I don't think it has any ill effects.

Common sense is all that is required, although there seems to be a general shortage of this at the mo.

 

[diggerbez]

hmmm tough one...i'd be interested to hear people's opinions. personally (sticking my neck out) i'd say would be fine if horse is fairly well boned/muscled up already and rider is competant and well balanced. but then having said that its always skinny minnies doing the baby horses at most dealers' yards...
i'm schooling on my baby at the moment (he's about 15.2 and fairly lightweight) and i feel a right fat chuffer on him but he doesn't seem to mind... (hasten to add, i'm nowhere near 15 stone!

)

 

[The Original Kao]

My opinion is that deciding what weight a horse can carry should take many things into account and age is 1 of them.
The horse being a youngster or being an aged horse.
Kao for example should be able to carry me (12 stone

) once she's older. If I still have her next year she'll be backed by someone far lighter than me (aged 3) and won't be ridden by me until she's 4/5, depending on how she matures.
I wouldn't want to risk damaging her in any way.

 

[WSF]

Yes, in a word.

 

[Rana]

As an overweight rider I would have to agree - I wouldn't ride anything under 5 years old (and preferably nothing under 7 years old).

I have done in the past, but to be fair, although I was overweight for my height, I wasn't actually all that heavy (I'm a short arse

)

Horses do mature at different rates - so I might ride a balanced 5 year old, but wouldn't ride an unschooled/unbalanced 10 year old - if that makes sense...

 

[Persephone]

I don't like to see it TBH. In the case of ickle ponies obviously there is no choice so I would expect to see a fairly LW balanced rider doing what they have to.

I think youngsters have enough of a time discovering their own balance without a heavy rider making it a struggle.

 

[Silverspring]

[ QUOTE ]

i'm schooling on my baby at the moment (he's about 15.2 and fairly lightweight) and i feel a right fat chuffer on him but he doesn't seem to mind... (hasten to add, i'm nowhere near 15 stone!

)

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly you are no where near 15 stone! So people say they are over weight when they are like a 12/14 dress size but I'm meaning the proper over weight people so 15 stone + (though I do appreciate over weight depends on height and a 6ft woman weighing 15 stone would probably only be a 12/14!)

I know ponies get back by adults but are they not generally tiny adults? I mean a welsh A at full maturity can carry 10 stone easy so an 8 stone adult backing one isn't an issue. But a light TB at full maturity would probably only be able to carry the same 10 - 12 stone, so should a 12 stone person be backing them? or should it be a 8 - 10 stone person while they finish maturing and getting some bone density.

 

[BBH]

In my experience yes, I bought a horse who was purchased as a youngster by a 15+ stone novice and he got so fed up being crashed down onto he became cold backed.

 

[Chestnuttymare]

Totally agree with this and it is not a criticism of heavy people riding at all, however, it is not about peoples feelings when it comes to this. I think someone really heavy on a youngster that is still developing is wrong and not doing the horse any favours, and must have an effect on it.
I also don't get the point that i have heard lots of times about an 8 stone person riding heavier than a 12 or 13 stone person. I understand that there is a difference if one is a competent and balanced rider and one isn't, but surely weight is weight. It's like saying if you stand a certain way on the scales then you will weigh less.

 

[martlin]

In general I would agree with you, apart from the 12 stone limit for a TB at full maturity - they RACE with over 11 stone.

 

[Theresa_F]

Yes I do agree, Chancer was backed by me, I am just under 10 stone. He will be capable of carrying 14 - 15 stone. He is rising 5 and I have a limit of 12 - 13 stone max for short periods, ie judge in the show ring and my male instructor for 30 mins every few weeks. If the judge turns about to a larger sort, then I would withdraw for this season.

Ditto Farra, she will be capable of carrying 16 - 18 stone but at the moment no more than 14 stone - she is 5 next month.

They need time to finish growing and build up enough muscle and self carriage to take a heavier rider, hence Farra will not be ridden by my OH until he is 16 stone and she is 6 years old.

 

[Eira]

QR - No idea who this is aimed at

 

[SNORKEY]

UMM it does depend on how lightly they ride a 10 stone person who does'nt carry them selves is worse than a 13 stone person who does, i knew a lad who was a good 6'5 tall and 20 stone who rode a 5 year old 17hh ans an older 16.3hh with no problems, he was a good rider even though I know this is a bit heavy to be riding i think.

 

[The Original Kao]

I used to back 3/4 year old TB's at around 10-11 stone but they were NH bred rather than the lighter flat racing TB's.

The flat racing studs/yards tend to have 9-10 stone limits, they also back them far younger

 

[peanut]

I was very careful what weight my horse carried as a 3-4 yo and indeed until she was fully grown and her growth plates had closed.

 

[teddyt]

I agree that overweight people should not ride young, developing horses or those that are injured/suffering from a musculoskeletal disorder.
As an example, It is recomended that children under 8 years old wear lightweight hats because a standard skull is too heavy for the neck muscles and can cause serious damage.
Any extra weight on developing muscles is more likely to lead to strain. Likewise if an overweight rider rides a horse with a musculoskeletal problem it is adding extra strain to an already compromised body. This will either lead to reduced healing or a different problem elsewhere by the horse trying to compensate. Its obviously worse with a less able rider but even with an experienced rider extra weight on a young or injured horses back or legs is asking for trouble.
Its not being fattest, its just a fact of life that more weight means more strain.

 

[Lill]

[ QUOTE ]
QR - No idea who this is aimed at

[/ QUOTE ]

Me?!

 

[stacey_lou]

[ QUOTE ]
In general I would agree with you, apart from the 12 stone limit for a TB at full maturity - they RACE with over 11 stone.

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you mean they race with over 11 stone. If you mean the weight of a jockey Ill disagree beacuse for race school your not allowed to weigh anything more then 9stone or
9 stone 3lbs its no more than that.

 

[Rana]

[ QUOTE ]
It's like saying if you stand a certain way on the scales then you will weigh less.

[/ QUOTE ]

But you DO weigh less if you stand in a certain way. To weigh less, you need to lie down with both feet in the air and balance the scales on your feet. I weigh almost nothing then

In all seriousness though, I am 15 stone and (as said above) I wouldn't ride a youngster - not least because I don't feel "flexible" enough to stay with the horse if it was messing about - although I am well balanced on a well behaved (heavyweight!) horse.

 

[The Original Kao]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In general I would agree with you, apart from the 12 stone limit for a TB at full maturity - they RACE with over 11 stone.

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you mean they race with over 11 stone. If you mean the weight of a jockey Ill disagree beacuse for race school your not allowed to weigh anything more then 9stone or
9 stone 3lbs its no more than that.

[/ QUOTE ]

They add in extra weight to handicap in racing. I've seen some carry around 12 stone. Point to pointing they can carry even more than that. (Or they certainly used to about 8 years ago that last time I was involved in racing

)

 

[Rollin]

I have Shagya Arabs from Hungarian national stud at Babolna. There they break fillies to harness at 4 years old as they say the are not strong enough to take a rider.

When they are harness broken and worked they are backed.

 

[Baymillie]

Very interesting topic this one. My horse had a back injury and I asked the vet if my husband (12 stone) would be ok to ride her when she had recovered. The vet replied that the weight of the rider was not as important as the distribution of the riders weight i.e. the rider should sit in perfect balance not one sided and also the rider should carry their own body using core muscles not "plop" onto the horses back when mounting or rising trot.
However, regarding youngsters common sense must prevail. As someone has already said, the youngster should be well muscled from lunging/longreining before a heavier rider mounts up.

 

[Silverspring]

[ QUOTE ]
The vet replied that the weight of the rider was not as important as the distribution of the riders weight i.e. the rider should sit in perfect balance not one sided and also the rider should carry their own body using core muscles not "plop" onto the horses back when mounting or rising trot.


[/ QUOTE ]

Now if my vet said that I would pull out the section A we have at our yard and ask him if a 5'7" body builder who weighs roughly 16.5 stone could ride him. The body builder is a gorgeous rider, totally balanced and his legs probably wouldn't drag...you reckon the vet would say yes? Pretty sure the pony would collapse and if not then as a young pony it would surely suffer some long term issues if constantly ridden by the man.

 

[Chestnuttymare]

PMSL

 

[Silverspring]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
QR - No idea who this is aimed at

[/ QUOTE ]

Me?!

[/ QUOTE ]

i just had a quick look through your previous posts to figure out why you would think it was you...soap box...you weigh 9 and a half stone! I think you'd be suitable to back young race horse's let alone hunter types

 

[the watcher]

I do completely agree - and it is one of the reasons I am on a drastic diet with a view to losing about 4 stone - so that I will be light enough to ride my youngster - his mum can carry me easily now but i am sure she will appreciate my weight loss too

 

[Persephone]

Lol, that's exactly what made me delete my stats from that post! You never know who is looking!