overweight riders, I take it all back

You've also got to remember that its not just the horses back, bone and legs which carries you, but the neck muscles and the back muscles also.
One of my biggest bug-bears i seeing really large people (as in 17-20 stone) thinking its ok to be breaking in a heavyweight youngster, just because its a 'heavy' horse. Its still a baby, its muscles are not going to be strong or ready to carry that kind of weight at all!
I dont have a problem with larger riders, but I do have a problem when the really large riders are bouncing around on big warmbloods and TBs :/
 
Oh god, not this again! :eek:

I'm suprised I haven't been arrested for cruelty!!! I am 6foot and 12 stone (sometimes a touch over if I've had a sunday roast). I have a SUPER-fine 14.3hh tb. She was used as a high goal polo pony before I had her with a fully grown, muscled up MAN!

We now hack, hunt and xc and she has never had a lame day, nor struggled to carry me.

Well......sometimes her legs buckle and she falls flat on the floor but I just give her a tap behind the leg and she's fine. I find a good crack on the arse gets her back on her feet ;) She struggles to walk a bit as you can see:

35793_10150200376455174_606780173_1.jpg


scan0006.jpg


;) :D
 
In light of this thread, I'd be very interested to see what weight you all think the horse below could take? The picture was straight after last winter and he lost way too much condition. He's 15hh, 9.5 inches of bone, short coupled etc (think my crappy resizing has made him look too long in the pic). I'm talking in terms of gentle hacks, a bit of flatwork, nothing too strenuous.
 
MontyandZoom said:
Oh god, not this again! :eek:

I'm suprised I haven't been arrested for cruelty!!! I am 6foot and 12 stone (sometimes a touch over if I've had a sunday roast). I have a SUPER-fine 14.3hh tb. She was used as a high goal polo pony before I had her with a fully grown, muscled up MAN!

We now hack, hunt and xc and she has never had a lame day, nor struggled to carry me.

Well......sometimes her legs buckle and she falls flat on the floor but I just give her a tap behind the leg and she's fine. I find a good crack on the arse gets her back on her feet ;) She struggles to walk a bit as you can see:

35793_10150200376455174_606780173_1.jpg


scan0006.jpg


;) :D
Click to expand...


hahahaa! that made my day, i have that same problem too ;)
 
ElliePippa said:
You've also got to remember that its not just the horses back, bone and legs which carries you, but the neck muscles and the back muscles also.
One of my biggest bug-bears i seeing really large people (as in 17-20 stone) thinking its ok to be breaking in a heavyweight youngster, just because its a 'heavy' horse. Its still a baby, its muscles are not going to be strong or ready to carry that kind of weight at all!
I dont have a problem with larger riders, but I do have a problem when the really large riders are bouncing around on big warmbloods and TBs :/
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Agreeded, which is why I will not sit on my boy at 14st. He may be a heavy weight but he is still developing and I will not hinder that process or hurt him. Either I lose weight or I get someone lighter to ride him and build the necessary muscle for him to take larger weights.
 
Totally agree with this post.

I'm 5'11" and weigh 12.7st on a good day (nearer 13st on a bad one). Most of my height is leg -the weight is distributed in an amply padded behind and a bit too much tummy!!:p

I am under no illusions that I should loose a stone or two but the chances of my will power allowing this is remote - I'm utterly useless at saying no to food.

Thing is I'm in the process of trying to fine a second horse - just a happy hacker type - but I'm parnoid that I'm going to turn up at a yard and be told I can't ride / purchase the horse because I'm too heavy / tall etc.

I hate to see really heavy fat ladies and gents on unsuitable mounts & would be mortified to think I was guilty of the same.
 
MontyandZoom you made my day!!Ofcourse another consideration not mentioned by anyone is the fit of the SADDLE.If you have a badly fitted saddle (you know the bargain you found on ebay oh careing one!) it doesn't matter what weight you are your horse will have a sore back,neck,quarters etc and suffer.
 
I am 5ft10 and a half, I weigh just under 12 stone, which gives me a BMI of 24...so nearly classed as overweight. I am not overweight, I am a size 10 - 12, so sorry but I couldn't give a stuff about BMI calculation, it does not take in the fact that I have a lot more muscle than the average person, and I also have big bones, I cannot get any bangles from any shops over my hands for example, I have size 9 feet, I have to wear a man's watch, etc.

The simple fact in this debate is - can the horse you ride carry you? I wouldn't dream of owning a fine 14.2hh, but I do ride one occasionally, and jump him, and quite frankly he would carry me all day out hunting.

Horses for courses - I think too much over analysis goes on. If you look like a lump on your horse, he prob isn't the right horse for you. If you backside is spilling over the saddle, you need a bigger saddle, if your horse won't carry a bigger saddle, you need a bigger horse :)
 
Weezy said:
Horses for courses - I think too much over analysis goes on. If you look like a lump on your horse, he prob isn't the right horse for you. If you backside is spilling over the saddle, you need a bigger saddle, if your horse won't carry a bigger saddle, you need a bigger horse :)
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This. I bought a big horse as I was and still am overweight. Not as much as before but still not Kate Moss. She came with a 17in saddle, it was too small for me so we now have 18in. Much better fit and she could probably accommodate bigger too. Let's hope that never needs to happen.
 
cinammontoast said:
In light of this thread, I'd be very interested to see what weight you all think the horse below could take? The picture was straight after last winter and he lost way too much condition. He's 15hh, 9.5 inches of bone, short coupled etc (think my crappy resizing has made him look too long in the pic). I'm talking in terms of gentle hacks, a bit of flatwork, nothing too strenuous.
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If you look at the cob standards a rider of 14 stone (or more) for all activities should be fine.
Lovely horse, I think he looks a good weight in that photo.
 
Storminateacup said:
I agree, I am sick of fat ****ers trying to justify that its ok for them to ride their fine TBs and Arabs by saying it how they carry their weight that matters -what total rubbish, if you weigh 15stone thats what your poor horse has to lug about and you should at least get a heavy cob, a QH or a Shire X to carry you! !
My husband is 16st and he thinks he is going to ride my 15.hh Gypsy cob, well I told him he's got another think coming!
I am 11st and constantly battle with my weight I cant eat bread or potatoes, like a drink but have to be moderate all the time , and my new young horse is a very substantial 16.2hh heavyweight /ID/Cob.
I accept that I do not have the right to injure him with my weight so I am still aiming to be about 10st 7lb which is what I was in my 20s, I am 54 now but not any taller so why should I be any heavier?
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With you all the way on this. I'm 50 this time and have no intentions of succumbing to middle age spread. And yes, it takes self-control and restraint against the lure of the chocolate bar, chip shop and biscuit tin - but my ponies are worth it. It's nice to still be able to touch my toes...
 
jemima_too said:
So as you are an expert perhaps you'd like to decide whether I'm big! At 5'6 and 9.5 stone my ribcage, measured under my bust, was 46 inches, my wrists 7 inches, my feet only size 5.5 but GG width fitting. At that point you could see every rib and every bump on my spine, there was little fat visible anywhere. So go on - when I weigh 11 stone and you can't see my spine any longer but my rib cage is still 46 inches and I am muscled enough to carry a 12 stone man for half a mile or pick up 250lbs of motorcycle, am I fat - or big?
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Bloody hell - I'm not picking a fight with you!!!
 
Kub said:
Woah, I've never said I'm not fat. I am the first to say I'm fat but big isn't denial of that, it's just another way of saying it. No need to be so rude, a lot of us don't have delusions and people may say you do for saying you're fat too. It's everyone's personal opinions of themselves.

If I was deluded, I wouldn't be trying to lose weight or being so conscious of the fact that I have a heavy weight cob but I'm still too heavy for him and will not inflict myself upon him whilst he's still growing at my current weight.
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I wasn't aiming my comments at people who say they ARE fat, I was refering to people who call themselves BIG when they are just plain FAT!!!!
Regarding Arabs having denser bone and therefore able to carry greater weight, I would love to see scientific papers to support such statements - are there any? What is meant by "denser bone" in biological terms with respect to weight carrying ability, quite frankly I am skeptical until I see scientific evidence to verify such generalisations. I've always thought the the main reason Arabs can carry slightly heavier weights is to do with the fact that the back length between wither and croup is shorter due to absent vertebrae, resulting in a stronger (because it is shorter) structure.
Therefore making an 14.2hh Arab ok for carrying a large Bedouin chief!

QH too can carry far greater weights apparently, not quite sure why but John Wayne was about 16st. However if you look at old films ( As I have to frequently - hubby is John Wayne fan) , you will see its always a large QH.
 
jemima_too said:
So as you are an expert perhaps you'd like to decide whether I'm big! At 5'6 and 9.5 stone my ribcage, measured under my bust, was 46 inches, my wrists 7 inches, my feet only size 5.5 but GG width fitting. At that point you could see every rib and every bump on my spine, there was little fat visible anywhere. So go on - when I weigh 11 stone and you can't see my spine any longer but my rib cage is still 46 inches and I am muscled enough to carry a 12 stone man for half a mile or pick up 250lbs of motorcycle, am I fat - or big?
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The measurement you need to take to gauge bone size is the bipicondular width across the humerus. I ve been looking through my old forensic archaeology books but cannot find the relevant formula at the moment but basically that measurement (measured accurately with a set of vernier calipers in mm ) will determine your build as small medium or large. The best most obvious gauge is however your wrist size. If you have big thick wrists and broad bipicondular width then your skeleton will be heavier than those with tiny wrists and narrower width of humerus. I did MSc in UCL in 2000 and was interested to find that I was below avarage in bone size based on this measurement. ie a small build.
My bipicondular width is 6.6 cm my wrist under 6inch in diameter, My husband at 6ft 3inches has a bipicondular width of 7.5 cm and wrist size of over 8 inches.
He is big boned, but some men will be bigger.
Based on you wrist measurement sounds like you are big boned.
 
cinammontoast said:
In light of this thread, I'd be very interested to see what weight you all think the horse below could take? The picture was straight after last winter and he lost way too much condition. He's 15hh, 9.5 inches of bone, short coupled etc (think my crappy resizing has made him look too long in the pic). I'm talking in terms of gentle hacks, a bit of flatwork, nothing too strenuous.
Click to expand...
My daughter RID only had 9 inches of bone and he was 17.1hh! You fellow should be able to take plenty of weight (15-16st) once he is matured I would think.
 
I am overweight for my height (5ft ish) at 11.5 stone and I hate it when people tell me I am too fat for my horse.

But I have seen what was described by OP and I hope I dont look like that on my two.

Nikki xxx:(
 
I always sit back and observe these posts and never really comment cos some people can be quite mean. However, I completey agree......I am by no means small and I am 6ft tall BUT I have a pure bred irish draught and a 17.2hh IDxtb hunter type. I have had photos taken on both and its v impt to do so. I am also v open and always ask friends (who will be brutally honest!) what they think.......

I would never contemplate getting on a fine horse
 
I saw one or two larger ladies on horses last weekend at a show. Have to say they didnt look a pretty sight in cream jodhs and looked a bit dare I say, clumsy on their horses. By larger I do mean just that. I have been 14 stone before and lost a lot of weight when we got our first horse 7 yrs ago. I could barely lift my leg over the saddle and it was just the kick up the backside I needed to lose weight, despite going to Diet clubs and never getting anywhere.
 
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