was there ever a 'weight limit' eventing

[eventer and proud]

so as it says really. I read there was somewhere but wondering if there ever was and what it included?

 

[be positive]

There used to be a minimum weight, from Intermediate level the horse had to carry, I think it was 11stone 11pounds, that was taken away some years ago, there has never been a weight limit as far as I know.

 

[Clodagh]

I used to help at Dynes Hall Horse trials, now gone, and had to lead the horses round while the riders and saddles were weighed. That would be minimum weight, as BP says.

 

[windand rain]

yes minimum but not maximum

 

[Kat]

Though riders would diet to be close to the minimum as it was an advantage to be lighter. Mark Todd talks about crash dieting to keep close to the weight in his biography.

The ideal was to be close to the minimum but not under as carrying lead wasn't ideal. When the weight limit was abolished it was on the basis that a small woman might have a weight advantage but a disadvantage in physical strength, a big man would be stronger but also heavier, so it would even out.

 

[eventer and proud]

Thank you everyone. I heard Ollie T talking about it and was wondering as i didnt think eventing was ever as extreme as racing. I do remember in international velvet she went off to be weighed.

 

[Orangehorse]

There was an American riding at Badminton last year I think, and I thought he could do with loosing a couple of stones, poor horse.

 

[GirlFriday]

Interesting that once the minimum was removed people stopped crash dieting instead of doing it more - wonder if it will return now there is beginning to be some research on rider weight and performance in stead of just common sense (which clearly also says crash dieting is not healthy or good for one's concentration...)

 

[spacefaer]

Friend of mine was eventing at the time when she had to carry 11 stone 11lbs -she was a skinny teenager, riding a 15.1hh Welsh cob x TB. She had the most horrific fall at a team trial for the British junior squad, as her little horse took a flyer to a spread fence and caught his front legs on the back rail - a proper rotational but at speed. It was argued that had he not been carrying several stone in lead, he wouldn't have fallen.

She had to carry a weight cloth (like a jockey) with lead weights in it, to make her up to the minimum weight.

There was an argument at the time that it was abolished that the "dead weight" of the lead was leading to falls and tired horses, as it wasn't a dynamic weight (like a heavier rider) and didn't move. Small horses and lighter/female riders were being penalised. There was no penalty for a larger man on a bigger horse. It was inherently unfair.

 

[zaminda]

I hope they will ban the minimum weight for endurance. If I was to take my mare through she would be carrying 20% of her bodyweight, if not slightly over, and with the new research they have done i'm amazed it still exists. They say the issues with horses breaking is all about speed, but no one has mentioned the fact that people who are often over 20% of the horse once you add tack are riding these horses.

 

[Steerpike]

It is highly unlikely they will take away the minimum weight for FEI endurance, it would have to go to a vote for all the FEI nations and as the majority having male riders they will most likely vote against it.

 

[zaminda]

And they would be the countries that have the worst fatalities record too. Personally they shouldn't allow the horse to carry more than 20%. I notice they haven't used endurance for any of the weight causing issues study even though it would be easy to gather data.

 

[eventer and proud]

Yeh i was kind of suprised that there was no max for eveting with the galloping long distance ect. But some riders still diet to stay light for their horses