Riding school weight restrictions...........

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WishfulThinker

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Now, I know there is a point in them, BUT...........

OH will be helping me with Ponio when he returns, so we were going to get him some lessons before - although a total novice can plod about on my beastie.

So I spoke to a few and the have a 14stone weight limit.

The problem is thus................OH is 14stone 8lbs. He is 6ft 1, NOT fat - 34" waist and 20% body fat.
But still he is over their weight limit, and so if something was to happen we have broken their rules - and someone has said this will have an impact on insurance

He is agile, and used to using his weight as an aid - from Motocross and DH MTBing, and he has had a shot on ponio before a few times and they get on fab - he does not struggle to carry him at all.

What is also funny, is that he is possibly THINNER and fitter than a few of the guys I have seen local that ride!

He really wants to do it............he is also strangley happy to wear jods or breeches (I thought most men hated them!!). Having seen him in his long johns I fear he may give some ladies weak knees if he wears jods, hehe.
 
The weight limit is to protect their horses!

14st of unbalanced rider plus tack is enough for most horses. Talk the the RS, some will allow slightly more if they have a suitable horse.
 
14stone is pretty generous - we always ;imited riders to 13 stone and under.

Novice riders are hard on a horses back purely because they lose co-ordination at times and may land heavily while learning to trot and canter.
 
Agree with above posts- we brought our weight limit down last year from 14st to 13st5 (at the most) and it is purely down to the fact that most of what we own is under 14.2 and slightly older- we just want to protect and preserve them!
However, we did get a few years ago a halflinger who is 15.1 and he is really chunky and well up to weight- so at our discretion, we can occassionally take a heavier rider, but it depends-as mentioned above, a novice rider bumping around on a horses back is never good- no matter what weight they are.
Its worth remebering that riding schools take on a lot of novice riders (we most certainly do) and so for these animals, its not just the occassional rider who is unbalanced/heavy, it is for some animals, the majority of them, hence the need to sometimes be strict about weight.
Good luck finding somewhere though- everywhere is different, another school near us has a 16stone limit,so you might find somewhere!
 
I managed to find a RS in near Wetherby in Yorkshire (where we used to live at the time) with a 16 stone limit for the OH. She was a lovely shire mare and he really enjoyed his lessons, but I had to call every single RS in the yellow pages to find them!
 
sometimes if you explain that he is just tall and not necessarily just heavy RS will accept you. The RS I work at has a weight limit, however while they wouldn't accept someone who is 14 8bsstone and 5ft3-5ft9 they may consider someone who is just purely tall. Just ask them!

Whereabouts are you based?
 
Definitely worth asking. The RS I ride at has a limit of 15 stone, but they say that if they have a suitable horse, or the rider is experienced, they may allow more. I'm in the process of losing weight, so I told them I was a bit over 15 stone (and I do mean a bit!!) and they said it was fine (I am a reasonably experienced rider but own horse is retired). Now I'm under 15 anyway so it doesn't matter, but they were really flexible and have quite a few horses up to that sort of weight. Give them a call and explain, you might be pleasantly surprised
smile.gif
 
i have rode at i riding school i was 20 yes 20 stone, although i really dont look it, i am quite tall people dont tend to belive my weight until they see the scales, stupid i know.
my riding school were very good, it was there idea, also i have rode before quite alot.
i still ride now, though i am not as heavy as then.

ok everyone can now moan at the fat person riding !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if any one wants i business idea open up a riding school which will take fat people,sorry heavier people, it really would be busy
 
I do agree, 14 stone is generous - there is a 13 stone weight limit at our yard, and even then the horse provided is a 16'3" WB with good bone and not a novice ride.

However, I would just be a little less than truthful about his weight as they will probably not question you at all.
 
The main issue I have is that he is a HEALTHY weight. He is not fat! He is very fit.

So in order to be the 'correct' weight for these riding schools he would need to go on an unnecessary diet...........When he is actaully smaller/leaner than some of the folk I see out and about on horses.

I know it is to protect the horses, but I am guessing that anything over 15.2hh, with good bone should easily be able to carry him..............if not the horse shouldn't be in a riding school.
 
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I know it is to protect the horses, but I am guessing that anything over 15.2hh, with good bone should easily be able to carry him..............if not the horse shouldn't be in a riding school.

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Why not? Riding schools make these decisions on purely commercial grounds. BIG, up-to-weight horses suitable for novice are expensive to buy - and to keep. And the clientele of most riding schools is mainly women and children for whom a nice 16.2 HW is often too big! When I was managing a riding school we DID have a couple of big horses, so could take larger riders, but we also had working pupils so could use these horses for staff lessons as well. Even then, they did fewer hours than the 15 hand cobs (who were cheaper to buy and to keep - and kept their shoes longer!)
 
Whether he is fit or fat, he still weighs 14.5 stone. Riding Schools down here have a 12 stone weight limit. These horses do more work than the average hack, so, whlst they may be capable of carrying mor, long term it would be pretty bad.
If a riding school gets plenty of heavier riders keen to ride regularly , they may look into buying a real weight carrier.
 
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