Too heavy to ride?

I haven't read all the comments, but could she try driving? 21 stone I think is personally too heavy to ride, but other than being on the ground there are brilliant ways to get involved! Horses can pull more than they can carry, and whilst there are no riding schools I know of dedicated to driving, you could contact the BDS and see if you could get a number of someone closer to you, and book some lessons. It doesn't seem such a big sport from far, but once you have participated a few times it's lovely! I thought I wouldn't like it because it wasn't that close contact you feel when riding, but it really is similar. This way, she could enjoy being around horses and doing something other than groundwork with them.
Then, if she does take a liking to driving, while she does this, she could lose weight for her own personal benefit, and by then she will have gathered adequate experience around horses ready for her to get aback in the saddle :)
 
Big Ben - what happens when your OH has a bit of bitty tho - does he speak in mickey mouse voice forever after ? Does the helium get sucked out ? :eek:
 
Elfen said:
Size 18/20 at 17/18 stone? I was an 18/20 at 14.5 stone!
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Im a size 16 at 13st. I have wide hips and big boobs so a couple more ounces would easily put me in an 18!

People do find it hard to judge.

Back to the OP issue I think everyone is right horse riding should be an incentive to lose weight. I need to lose weight too!
 
AntxGeorgiax said:
I haven't read all the comments, but could she try driving? 21 stone I think is personally too heavy to ride, but other than being on the ground there are brilliant ways to get involved! Horses can pull more than they can carry, and whilst there are no riding schools I know of dedicated to driving, you could contact the BDS and see if you could get a number of someone closer to you, and book some lessons. It doesn't seem such a big sport from far, but once you have participated a few times it's lovely! I thought I wouldn't like it because it wasn't that close contact you feel when riding, but it really is similar. This way, she could enjoy being around horses and doing something other than groundwork with them.
Then, if she does take a liking to driving, while she does this, she could lose weight for her own personal benefit, and by then she will have gathered adequate experience around horses ready for her to get aback in the saddle :)
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I'm doing that, I have lost weight and now about 14 stone but I now enjoy driving so much its taken over riding. I drive a dales x pony with my instructor and he does very well pulling a two person carriage.
 
moana said:
Well, I think that if she can actually ride, with the right horse there is no rasn why someone of 21 stone should not ride.
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Because they can't strap their oxygen masks, and store their sticks on the horse anywhere :rolleyes: Well at least thats what some people seem to think.

BTW Steer wrestlers in the US, commonly weigh between 200 - 275 pounds, some even heavier, 14 stone to around 19.5 stone, and they are athletes, you may not approve, but anyone who can sling themselves from the back of a galloping horse and wrangle a steer to the ground all in less than 5 seconds doesn't have time to use sticks.
 
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No arguments from me that with a suitable horse a person of 21stone can ride. Problem is that the 'suitable horse' doesn't exist. And I think its actually more constructive to say that right now I don't think its feasible, than to say 'yeah, just wait a good few years till one is bred up to carrying you'. Although in all seriousness, I think with the rising levels of obesity, sooner or later someone will start breeding horses capable of carrying that.
 
Has no one suggested the option of driving? Which requires all the same contact with the horse as riding, plus road skills and learning how to shift weight and balance.

Unfortunately finding somewhere to learn is difficult - but worth trying.
 
Im really sorry but no:( She just needs to lose the weight - if she wants to be around horses could she possibly volunteer @ a yard @ the weekends?? so close to horse which would in turn possibly give her the incentive to lose the weight??? Im just over 8stone & feel guilty riding my daughters 11.3 !

AntxGeorgiax said:
I haven't read all the comments, but could she try driving? 21 stone I think is personally too heavy to ride, but other than being on the ground there are brilliant ways to get involved! Horses can pull more than they can carry, and whilst there are no riding schools I know of dedicated to driving, you could contact the BDS and see if you could get a number of someone closer to you, and book some lessons. It doesn't seem such a big sport from far, but once you have participated a few times it's lovely! I thought I wouldn't like it because it wasn't that close contact you feel when riding, but it really is similar. This way, she could enjoy being around horses and doing something other than groundwork with them.
Then, if she does take a liking to driving, while she does this, she could lose weight for her own personal benefit, and by then she will have gathered adequate experience around horses ready for her to get aback in the saddle :)
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I remember an article in Horse & Hound years ago with a story from WW II. Don't know if it was true or not!

Apparently Hitler had been trying to breed a giant breed of horse, about 22 hands so he and his army could parade on these giant horses and impress the conquered peoples. It wasn't working very well, the horses weren't likely to be rideable as they had congential soundness problems.
 
Good luck to your friend and congrats for wanting to sort her weight problem, but as to whether to ride yet surely that is not a serious question? All riding schools i know cut off at 14 stone on there heavier horses, i know how hard it can be i have lost 2 stone recently to get back in the saddle (i was 15) but even now i feel like an umpa lumpa and would not dare get on mt daughters id/tb let alone the 1 we just rescued. Riding school cart horse for me for a while but hey not all bad as what encouragement as i so want to get on that naughty horsey and show her who is boss!! I really can see me ending up on my v much skinnier butt, thanks holly!! x
 
21 stone is a lot for a horse to carry

but it depends on horse and rider so a heavy balanced rider is better then a lightweight rider unbalanced and who have said that the horse must carry that a 2 hours hack out? I think for motivation with an good school horse are 20 min walking not a problem

But an absolutly beginner with ridding is to heavy I think

I'm 13.5 stone and most of time in balance with the horse (depends on horse;)
 
So that is around 17 stone. Interesting that the US calvary said the same in 1920.

If you think that a man could weigh about 13-14 stone, plus saddle and kit and the horse would be regarded as fit and not overweight. This is for all day riding though, not galloping and jumping fences. The width across the loins is what I was told too, that tends to be an american thing, we tend to look at width across the chest.

So there is the answer to the person who weighs 21 stone - you have to loose weight!
 
Yes too heavy especially for a beginner. Could you imagine someone of that weight bouncing around say trying to learn rising trot. It may be slightly different for a rider as at least they wouldn't be bouncing all over the place.
 
Orangehorse said:
So that is around 17 stone. Interesting that the US calvary said the same in 1920.

If you think that a man could weigh about 13-14 stone, plus saddle and kit and the horse would be regarded as fit and not overweight. This is for all day riding though, not galloping and jumping fences. The width across the loins is what I was told too, that tends to be an american thing, we tend to look at width across the chest.

So there is the answer to the person who weighs 21 stone - you have to loose weight!
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Depending on the weight and build of the horse!

That study was done with 7 horses, hardly a wide scale scientific study. It's not that I dismiss their findings, I would just like to see a sample size of more than 7 is all
 
I can honestly say that even if a horse could technically take 21 stone I wouldn't ever sit on one at that weight.

At the weight I am now I want to lose half a stone before sitting on one of mine. She could take more but this doesn't mean she should.

The least I can do for my horses is to make riding as pleasant as possible. If that means sucking it up and realising that I need to lose a few pounds then so be it. I'd rather do this than blindly ignore a problem and inflict that on my horse.
 
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