TB's and weight of rider

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Toby773

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What do you think are the upper limits for a rider's weight on a TB? I am sure there are some people out their on ex-flat horses that really are a bit too heavy. Not trying to be non-PC here, but surely there is a point at which a rider becomes too heavy - not just for a TB but quite a few breeds?
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I am 8 stone and have a 16.3hh Irish TB who is an old fashioned chaser sort. He is quite happy to carry me all day hunting.

I would never let OH who is 15 stone ride him hunting EVER. He is just too heavy for him. Wouldn't let him exercise him either for that matter. He may be a big horse but that's nearly twice my weight.
 
Ok, I'll bite.

I would have thought that most TB's could carry a 12 stone rider easily, but I'm not an expert.

Larger natives can happily carry a rider of 14 stone,
Most 15hh Hw cobs can carry 15 or 16 stone,
larger cobs, ID's, chunky warmbloods, shire crosses can carry 18 stone with ease I would have thought.

Obviously, the amount of weight any equine can comfortably carry depends on rider balance, age, amount of bone, fitness and conformation of horse, saddle fit and also other things such as the type of work the horse will be expected to do.
 
I don't think there is a simple answer to that question TBH. Individual TB's vary SO much in their build and bone. Age and fitness will also affect a horse's weight carrying ability, as well. Not to mention the rider's ability to ride lightly having a huge impact on the horse, too.

If the horse grunts and looses its balance when you lift your weight into the stirrup to mount, I think it's safe to say you're to heavy for it! If the horse blows and puffs walking a short distance with you on its back, I'd say your asking too much of it too!

But I don't think anyone could say somethig like, "Anyone over 11 stone shouldn't ride a TB". Let's face it, many TB's are carrying way more than that around the Grand National course every year. Equally, a weedy, under developed specimen might not carry 10 stone very comfortably.
 
tbh people are far too precious about weight. racing tb's carry around what, 11-12 stone yes?
So they're hard work. And the light boned ones. One with a reasonable bone could carry far above that of balanced rider.
 
and equally 11 stone of someone who is not a co-ordinated or balanced rider is more detrimental than someone like myself (who is admittedly a bit heavier) but who is balanced and is happily carried by pretty much everything.
 
Depends on the size of the TB!

I know various from 14.2 spindily litte things to 17.2 strapping monsters.

Some on the smallest, very fine little ones I wouldn't be willing to get on, at 11st (with all my riding stuff on). Some of the big, well boned TB's I'd happily put 16st on.
 
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......but surely there is a point at which a rider becomes too heavy - not just for a TB but quite a few breeds?
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And what weight are you thinking this is reached? 12 stone? 13 stone? 14 stone? A heavier weight?

So, 'fatties' weighing 15 stone, say, shouldnt ever ride? Over the years I've seen numerous Hunt Masters over this weight, riding hard several time a week on the same horse. Never seen one of their horses flagging or looking sorry for itself. Guess it depends on the horse, its fitness, its build and its conformation.

Know you weren't meaning to be immotive but its a tricky question to answer. I mostly observe children being under horsed, more than adults riding horses or ponies unable to carry their weight.
 
My TB is 15.3 and I'm 5'9" and 13 stone and she carries me fine. LOL, sometimes she carts off with me so obviously she doesn't think anything of my weight!
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Granted, I have been riding 20+ years so am not flopping around like a beginner but even at my heaviest, 15 1/2 stone, I was riding a 17.3 TB when I did my NVQ at a nearby equestrian center in 2003 and we were jumping courses.
 
I am 12 and half stone! I have a 14.2 welsh cob who I purchased off someone much lighter than me.He was quite thin, I think due to chronic pain rather than inadequate food.He was very stiff and sore over hos back and loin area, very sore over his right side, very unwilling to move his back or push off with, in particular, his right back leg.He had an horrendously badly fitting saddle.Now with a correct saddle, physio and (thanks to my lovely instructor) some proper schooling, is chunking up into a proper cob.This is muscl e not fat.He is moving much better.Who does the damage? My weight or the poor saddle?
 
TB are generally defined as LW hunters of sorts, but their bone can vary hugely from show hacks, riding horse and LW hunter.
Therefore going by definations of LW hunter, it can carry up to 12st 7llbs. so in my mind I would say that up to 13 stone should ride TBs, obviously balance and how rider uses their weight affects this as well.

I havent met a pure bred tb that would pass as MW though :P

Those that say that the hunter can carry a heavier man all day - I would guess that the horse isnt full tb - suspect some irish blood in there
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At my heaviest I was 16 stone and I rode a 16.2hh TB (he wasn't a spindly lanky thing, he had plenty of bone). He carried me quite comfortably, although at the time I was only brave enough to walk and trot so we weren't doing much!
 
Well considering that(at a guess) your average 6ft male must weigh in the region of 12 - 13 stone + I would say at least that, but it depends on the build of the TB, his fitness and the capabilities of the rider.
I am a 13.5 stone female and ride a TB with no problems whatsoever.
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I have seen pure TB's that - muscled up would pass as middle weight. Just need to look at ex race horses in showing classes. To my mind there are 2 categories of TB - the ones that mature very early for flat racing and are small and light boned and the larger ones aimed for NH who tend to b given more time to turn away and mature.
 
I'm currently riding an assortment of Tb's ranging from a chunky type 3 year old to a very fine 7 year old - none of them have a problem. In fact the smallest is 14.3hh and I've stopped riding him as I couldn't hold him and it wasn't safe on the road. I'm 5'8" and just over 11 stone. No probs.
 
i have 2 tbs one hunter typer 16.1hh and one 15.3 skinny minnie type i ride both i am 5ft9 and 10st my bf also rides my hunter type and he is 13st, my boy has no probs carrying either of us and he is 17
 
Point to pointers can carry 12st 7llb and even a bit more over 3 miles racing. I know this includes the saddle, but a point to pointer can be any size.

I know some of the smaller ones are kept to Ladies races for the weight, but don't forget the saying "an ounce of blood is worth an inch of bone."
 
racehorses/ pointers can carry over 12st for races over 3 miles long of galloping and jumping.

so i would guess they can very happily carry 15st for pootling around hacking, schooling and competing.

i weigh just under 12st and my tb is only 15.3hh- she manages to go BE eventing with me and with tack i reckon she is carrying over 13st.
 
I don't think quoting what weight racehorses carry is really relevant considering how many break down!!

A horse can happily carry roughly 20 percent of it's bodyweight; don't forget your tack can easily weigh in at a stone
 
My TB was a fine little 15.2 and he carried me fno probs, I was about 11st but most of him was taken up by my long leg (im 5'8) though I dont think he could event with anyone much heavier and with tack etc. purely because he was so dainty!
 
Agree TBS come in all shapes and sizes. I have had one people would have never guessed as a TB as very heavily built, one people commonly mistook as part arab and another (15/16th) that had an extremely experienced horseperson convinced he was Warmblood. Also a couple of typically unmistakeably TBs. You have to judge each horse and rider on an individual basis.
I am another that hates to see really heavy people underhorsed and I have seen rather alot lately. Let's face it there is a big enough variety of horses out there to ensure that most people can be suitably horse. I would never ride a horse I felt I was too heavy for and of course age and condition of horse comes into it as well. When I was a teenager my younger sister had a 14hh JA pony I would have been barely 9 stone but he was in his late 20s and showing his age and I would never have ridden him.
 
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