Very fat people on horses

Storminateacup

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i have to say i have mixed feelings reading this thread
from what a lot of people have said i should not have my beautiful pony bronte she is a 14.2 dales pony who i have rescued and loved for 8 years as my wieght has fluctuated between 11st and 16.7st. i didnt think i was too heavy she seemed pritty happy to be with me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJzPo98NDC8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQyItyH4bm4

im sorry guess it was my mistake reading it and i know im going to regret this as soon as i have sent it

What a lovely horse, dont worry you are not too fat for her, shes a Dales for goodness sake!
 

LizzyandToddy

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I personally do not have a problem with anyones weight! Okay yes, there are extremes to any scale, and always one person that many people will think is to big or too small. I'm sure everyone knows a few people that need to lose a bit of weight, but its nothing to obsess over!
In my opinion, if the horse appears happy, well looked after and the rider is happy. Who gives a damn what they look like?
I am 5ft 11, weigh just under 11 stone so fortunatly don't tend to have a problem as with my legs I can only ride a 15 2hh upwards or I need rollerscates!
 

holzrokz

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:eek: oh my she is too big for that horse!

What i do wonder is how men get on at riding schools as most have weight limits that must stop a lot of taller and more muscular (or fat) men from riding.

At a place where i used to ride they had some sort of cavelry/western ride and and one man was due to ride my favourite horse. Why on earth they gave her to him to ride is beyond me! She was only 14.2 and very slight as part arab, plus she was only just getting back to normal weight and condition as she was still fairly new and had come to the riding stables (probably from some useless dealer!) very underweight and undernourished (a few months before all her ribs, hip and backbone could be clearly distinguished). The bloke was about 6''2 and pretty muscular and heavily built but not fat in any way, but was clearly unsuitable for her. He tried to get on from the ground and literally almost crushed the horse! her knees buckled and she almost went down! He seemed to have no idea what had happened and then somehow managed to get on the second time, with the poor mare still stumbling under the weight.
there were plenty of 17hh cobs he could have ridden instead :mad:

But anyways ignor the ramble :p theres nothing wrong with heavier people (whether because they are overweight or just very tall and muscular) riding but they realy should be ridding horses that can carry a heavier load!

:)
 

Shysmum

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Bronte is to die for !! you must be soooooooo proud of her.

I think this weight issue has affected quite a few peeps on this forum - let's face it, weight is often on our minds . And to think that peeps may think you are squishing your pony is the worst thing that could happen (to me anyway).

I think it's a very ingrained fear for a lot of us. Weight issues will always be with us. But if you research the pony's breed, work out if you are within the max weight for that pony, the pony carries you happily, and you feel comfortable on the pony - go for it. If in any doubt, maybe ask an instructor.

I've spent a lifetime worrying about weight issues, and will carry on doing so, like a lot of of us on here - could this be why this theme is recurring ? sm x
 

Vixxy

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Begger off.
William Fox-Pitt's bio says he is 12 stone 8 lbs. Hands up anyone who has a problem with him riding TB's over the toughest tracks in the world! :D

It is good that we are aware of a horses weight carrying ability and do not over burden them,but it's stupid to get tangled up in knots worried that perfectly fine people are too heavy for their horses.

That was my reply to how I felt, I am a well built person in both bone and being overweight. Personally I do not feel comfy on a lighter type of horse which is why even when I was 3 stone lighter I felt uncomfortable on my old TB mare I owned some years ago. That is my personal preference, I prefer heavier built horses regardless of being 3 stone heavier or lighter. I started the paragraph about people generally then explained what feels right for me.
 

daisypie

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From a judging point of view, it looks absolutly horrible to see overweight people on horses, it spoils the whole asthetics of horse and rider in harmony. will not appologise for being blunt, I feel that you should be in the healthy weight range for your height to compete, if your not, then join a slimming club
till you are.
 

Georgia68

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From a judging point of view, it looks absolutly horrible to see overweight people on horses, it spoils the whole asthetics of horse and rider in harmony. will not appologise for being blunt, I feel that you should be in the healthy weight range for your height to compete, if your not, then join a slimming club
till you are.

Yes, so easy to be blunt (aka rude) when you post under an alias.
 

lexiedhb

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From a judging point of view, it looks absolutly horrible to see overweight people on horses, it spoils the whole asthetics of horse and rider in harmony. will not appologise for being blunt, I feel that you should be in the healthy weight range for your height to compete, if your not, then join a slimming club
till you are.

Knob off, who are you to dictate what weight people should be to be able to do a hobby they enjoy, on a horse able to carry them? :mad::confused::mad:
 

SKY

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From a judging point of view, it looks absolutly horrible to see overweight people on horses, it spoils the whole asthetics of horse and rider in harmony. will not appologise for being blunt, I feel that you should be in the healthy weight range for your height to compete, if your not, then join a slimming club
till you are.

wise up will you, that is just rude. no excuse. everyone and every horse is different. all shapes and sizes.
 

muddy_grey

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My OH is around 19st, but think rugby player (with a bit of a belly) not fat. He is 6'4" and very active. I taught him to ride on a 16hh ISH and she never had trouble carrying him. BUT he was fit and due to karate has a very good sense of balance so was like an everyday beginner.
It is fitness not weight that is the issue. Nobody believes when he says he is 19st as it "sounds fat" if that makes sense. I just think his bones are made of rock as he is unbreakable. Think dropping a huge chest on his arm and just a tiny bruise to show for it!
 

trundle

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Presumably every cavalryman in the British Army is unsuitable to be riding? Those guys aren't tiny, their saddles weigh a TON, and full ceremonial kit adds an awful lot more. Their horses aren't draught horses and yet don't seem to be buckling under the weight.
 

Pipkin

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What is it with all these weight threads? if both horse and rider are comfortable what does it matter?

Am quite surprised at all the "an arab couldnt carry me" comments, arabs are well known for being able to carry heavier riders with ease due to their short back, bone density and wide loins and also having one less rib and vertebrae than other horses.

Google it :)
 

minmax

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I think the problem here is over weight people riding unsutable horses. If you are 10 stone you can pretty much ride most things, if you are 20 stone you are very limited. I am 6 ft 1 and 13.5 stone, I guess some of you will think thats fat??? Well, I'm not, I ride a ID/TB who is 17.2 and do dressage. I also have a WB, who is the old type, chunky with a leg at a corner. I would not ride anything small or slight as I think its cruel. I havn't ridden my WB yet as he is just backed, 4 weeks and I feel I'm too heavy for him until he is used to carrying a rider. He is 4. This is my view, most people at the yard all think I'm mad and that he would carry me no trouble.
I think if you want to be cruel and 'bash' larger people then you deserve some back. I hope all you who have been cruel to over weight people ride in a balanced way, never ever pull at a horses mouth and realise riding a horse is a gift, not a right!
 

Simsar

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From a judging point of view, it looks absolutly horrible to see overweight people on horses, it spoils the whole asthetics of horse and rider in harmony. will not appologise for being blunt, I feel that you should be in the healthy weight range for your height to compete, if your not, then join a slimming club
till you are.
ditto^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Right this gets my vote, are you ready, I'm a big girl, a very big girl, and I couldn't agree more with what is said here nothing worse than seeing a fat person on a horse. I have various horses showing, competing, hunting and I don't ride any of them cause it looks terrible, untidy, ugly, whatever you want to say. I might be fat but I'm quite fit I can work just as hard as the next person, might get puffed out but doing polo, hunting, mucking out I'm the same as you skinnies. so shut up. I'm not saying don't ride I'm just saying it looks bad unless your on the horse to compliment you. Sorry.
 

lexiedhb

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ditto^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Right this gets my vote, are you ready, I'm a big girl, a very big girl, and I couldn't agree more with what is said here nothing worse than seeing a fat person on a horse. I have various horses showing, competing, hunting and I don't ride any of them cause it looks terrible, untidy, ugly, whatever you want to say. I might be fat but I'm quite fit I can work just as hard as the next person, might get puffed out but doing polo, hunting, mucking out I'm the same as you skinnies. so shut up. I'm not saying don't ride I'm just saying it looks bad unless your on the horse to compliment you. Sorry.

But erm this is not what "im gunna join with a new username, to be blatently rude" said. :rolleyes:

I think all of us agree that if you are overweight, get a good stamp of a horse that can carry you (and dont try and get round badminton), and all is well. And personally I think chunkier people look better on chunkier horses, but that may just be me....

he/she said that anyone overweight should not ride FULL STOP (at a comp) until they had shed the weight at a slimming club, which is of course utter nonsense!
 
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lexiedhb

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Dont get me wrong, I too belive a slimmer person looks better on a horse mostly, like they do in clothes etc, but it isnt for anyone to dictate that those carrying a few extra pounds should not be able to compete, purely because they are a stone outside their "ideal weight"
 
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