Turned away due to my weight :(

Jellybabie said:
Thank you galaxy. That is interesting. I guess I need to make the decision between riding again and weight. The instructor said at 16 stone (I'd have to 16 including a saddle and gear) the school could offer me two horses to ride. My dream has always been a 15.2 heavyweight cob ( this is the horse I feel most comfy on) what would be an ideal weight for that? I want to do low key competitions?

Also I have not a lot of time to exercise and to be honest I don't have the motivation but horse related is fine! Any ideas for weight loss involving horses. Instructor said I could lead out ponies for hacks with small children, lunge, long line (what is this?)
She said if I am willing to help she will add up my hours and it will amount to some free lessons when I'm slimmer
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Most stables round my way say 15st max so once I'd lost the weight, I went running to them. However, nearly 19st is way above what I'd allow near any horse, sorry. The whole weight is concentrated on the small area of the saddle. You must know that our weight is far too much :frown3:

Jellybabie said:
How rude. You have no idea on my circumstances
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Rude, but unfortunately true. You have a responsibility for your own size as well as the horse's welfare.

My horse in my signature is in top condition there, he's 15.1, traddy cob with lots of bone (which counts towards how much weight a horse can carry) and the max I'd put on I'm is about 14 stone.

Hope you stick with it, OP and get back on the horses soon, but I'd say that buying our own just because no-one will tell you it's not fair to get on it is the wrong way to go about it. :smile3:
 
Jellybabie said:
My husband wants me to get my own horse and keep it where his sister has her horse. She can help she has been riding for 3 years and has 2 horses. I now understand about the weight but it's hard to decide what to do!
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Does your husband know anything about horses? Because there's a whole forum of very horsey people here and all those who have posted are telling you that the best option is to take your instructor's advice. I know who I would be listening to!
 
Jellybabie said:
I now understand about the weight but it's hard to decide what to do!
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No, no, it's really easy to decide what to do.

You have the opportunity to lose weight, get fitter and healthier - score.
You have the opportunity to do this around horses - score
You have the opportunity to learn more about looking after your own so you are not reliant on anyone, no matter how helpful - score
You have the opportunity to prepare yourself to get a horse who you will be better able to look after, work and not cripple after a few years with weight related issues - score

That's 4-0 over your husband's idea. It won't be easy to do, but it is the right decision - and his opinion really doesn't matter. It's your body, your life and your hypothetical horse.
 
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Jellybabie said:
My husband doesn't want me to go! He said we can just get our own! I'm so confused!!!
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Um, get your own what........ a horse presumably????

So WHAT are you going to get? Because whatever you get it will need to be able to carry you. So you're talking about something of the draught horse or that sort of horse presumably??? Sorry, I'm not being facetious, rather being realistic as to the sort of horse that will be needed to carry someone of your weight.

You are a novice, you have admitted your knowledge is extremely limited, so do yourself (and your potential horse) a favour. Go back to the riding school, get stuck in, lose some weight, THEN and only then think about getting your own horse when you've got more experience of horses.

Personally I'm beginning to have suspicions about this thread. We've not had a troll on here for a while now have we?................ (goes away musing and scratching head).
 
starryeyed said:
I think that the opportunity your new instructor is giving you is extremely generous and something a lot of people would jump at! Groundwork may not sound as interesting as riding but learning to do things like lunging/long reining properly are skills which are so useful and many people don't know how to do them the right way. Many riding schools don't even offer the opportunities to learn these things.
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This.

I feel for you but grab the opportunity you've been offerred and you won't look back. I've had weight problems since childhood and was unable to take BHS exams as back then I couldn't find a centre that would allow me at 13st to take the tests. - fixed 12st limits at all of the ones within 50 miles. A riding school with a 16 stone limit is being fair to larger riders and as a novice you will put more pressure on a horse than a more experienced rider - they don't ride lighter but bump less. Very few horses can carry over 18 stone - big IDs or part draughts or maxi cobs and then not for long.
Learn all you can and then maybe get your own horse when you are ready - at 15st you will have much more choice and will feel better for it too.
Put your OH on the same diet, much easier and he can always top up away fom home while you are at the stables.
 
Can you hear the pops ? I do literally have some going in the kitchen now - the thought of it made me peckish..:p
 
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I'm in the troll camp.
I just cannot believe a grown woman cannot see her weight is a problem for a horse. She has had a lot of really good advice but is not biting.

Either a troll or simple .
 
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

Here you go everyone - huge buckets all round ;)

sorry guys, I do like these new smilies.
 
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And look what I had at Christmas!!
IMAG0882.jpg
 
WOW CT !!!! Unfortunately mine is totally plain - I'm dairy free at the moment due to a stupendous stomach. And I mean HUGE -I am giving Shy some time off as I am too bloated to feel I am ok for the poor lad. (a whole other very boring story)

I digress - smilie coming up :cool:
 
This has got to be a troll! I don't believe any riding school, even a crappy one, would allow an eighteen stone rider aboard a 14.2, even if they didn't know your weight they would have been able to see you are far to heavy to be on a HW cob, let alone a pony.

Not that anybody who gives a toss about their horse would sell to you anyway. If an eighteen stone rider pulled up to try one of mine I would ask them to get straight back in their car.

You cannot expect any horse to carry you. They aren't machines. They get back ache like any human who carries too heavy a load. Your husband can be forgiven for his naivity if he is not horsey, but you have been told of the consequences of your actions and how detrimental your weight is to yourself and any horse expected to pack you around. If you proceed to buy one and ride it without losing weight, then you need serious slapping upside the head.
 
I think you may be a bit in denial when you say you're happy with your weight OP. Sadly 18 stone is enormously overweight, not just for riding but for yourself, your heart and your future quality of life. I don't think people are trying to be rude, just factual.

Exersize will obviously help but I think you need to take a long hard look at your dietary choices if you want to lose weight to ride. It sounds like your new instructor has bravely faced you with the truth of the fact that it just isn't fair (and actually quite cruel, although this was the school's fault, not yours) to let you continue to ride at your current weight. Good on her for broaching a difficult subject (telling someone there are too heavy can't be easy) and for offering you positive advice. :)
 
Jellybabie said:
Thank you galaxy. That is interesting. I guess I need to make the decision between riding again and weight. The instructor said at 16 stone (I'd have to 16 including a saddle and gear) the school could offer me two horses to ride. My dream has always been a 15.2 heavyweight cob ( this is the horse I feel most comfy on) what would be an ideal weight for that? I want to do low key competitions?

Also I have not a lot of time to exercise and to be honest I don't have the motivation but horse related is fine! Any ideas for weight loss involving horses. Instructor said I could lead out ponies for hacks with small children, lunge, long line (what is this?)
She said if I am willing to help she will add up my hours and it will amount to some free lessons when I'm slimmer
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You sound like such a lovely lady, you really do so please take full advantage of the fact you can help out with the horses and use the offer of work for free lessions. I wish you the best of luck I really do. If you want to ride be tough on yourself and set a goal
 
Jellybabie said:
It's just that they have all been fine with me, for the last year I have ridden there near on 3 times a week, hacking, jumping, galloped and they have all been fine?
I am a novice so please don't think I'm being ignorant I just don't understand how the horses suddenly can't cope!
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I'm not sure how you know that they have all been fine. Just because they haven't actually collapsed under you, doesn't mean that they are fine. Their joints and spine may well have sustained extra wear and tear that will shorten their ridden lives, or possibly their lives. I wouldn't allow an 18 st+ rider to jump my Draft mare,even if s/he was a very experienced rider, never mind a novice, even though I do allow her to carry a novice 18st for short hacks/ 20 min lessons. I want her to have a long life with me, not one fore-shortened by joint and soft tissue damage.
My guess is that the previous RI wasn't confident enough to tell you that you were too heavy for the horses, fortunately for the horses this one is.
 
tankgirl1 said:
Aww cmon guys! If OP i genuine you have all just scared her off!
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But sadly that's usually what happens. :( The race to be the first to shout troll and the popcorn jokes must scare off many a genuine new poster looking for advice. :(

Meanwhile the self-appointed troll police argue as to who was the first.... :rolleyes3:
 
It's a real shame this went of track and the troll card was pulled..

If this OP actually was genuine she's certainly not going to take any advice now is she? If she was a troll so what stop feeding it if you honestly believe that but I don't think she was..
 
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