Weight a minute.

DD - that's exactly what I mean. :)

I can remember a poster on here was in a panic after they took a photo of their horse trotting (possibly loose in the field) and they had caught the moment where the the fetlock was practically on the ground. They were worried that there was something wrong with the horse, but he was fine as confirmed by photos of him standing square which showed a really nice pastern angle.
 
vieshot said:
Well they do say the head is the heaviest part of the body.....tehehe
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"They" haven't seen my arse then :wink3:

Seriously, I don't think it can by judged from one picture. I know I would rather have a heavier balanced person on me than a lighter wobbly person...but to be honest, given the choice I'd say no to both.
 
The photo is a perfect example of a rider who is too heavy.

The horse is not tracking up. Of course there are other reasons for the horse to be moving as it is, so while looking at a single shot of a moment in time, doesn't prove anything, if I were trying to judge whether a horse could cope with the load on its back, it'd be a good indication.

Have you ever watched a horse move with a lightweight rider and also with an obese rider ? Its way of going is completely different.

It is a welfare issue.
 
you cant tell from the fetlocks , looking at some pics of me earlier today my horses fetlocks look like that :) I would be ok with that pair as long as it was not fast galloping over XC jump:p
 
"When the horse puts weight on his leg, the fetlock sinks closer to the ground, which is a needed response as it helps to absorb the shock of the footfall. However, when the pasterns are too long or sloping it does not support the fetlock enough, and the fetlock may hyper-extend, possibly to the point where the ergot touches the ground. This stresses the soft tissues that run under the fetlock because they are stretched longer. If stretched too much, they may tear or rupture."
This is from the bionity website. I know we all fitten our horses gradually so they can work fast without damage while carrying us. But excess weight can and will add too much pressure. None of mine touch the ground with their ergots in trot.(hyperextend)
 
Interesting replies, thanks for keeping it on topic. The guy in the photo is 6' 11" tall and weighs 380 pounds.

I find it interesting monitoring my own reaction to this big well built guy riding, to a short large lady riding. I am aware of my own issues, but it surprised me that my view is changed by the shape of the rider!
 
This is from the bionity website
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What's 'bionity'? :p

The point is - you can only judge if the fetlocks are lowered due to extra weight by comparing the horse standing square with and without the rider. The trotting photo is no good to judge this as the fetlocks will lower as the horse moves and this is normal, plus all the feathers make it harder to see.

Compare with the terrible condition DSLD

Healthy horse standing
FabulousFrolic.jpg


Healthy horse cantering
326867306.jpg


Horse suffering from DSLD standing (note how not only the fetlocks have dropped. but how the hocks have straightened)
PAGE184_DSLD_figure_2.gif


Another DSLD horse, again standing still
DSLD-l.JPG


Now watch this video of cute Icelandics playing in slo-mo. Watch the way the fetlocks lower towards the ground as they absorb the shock as the horse moves 9it's easier to see on the light coloured legged skewbald).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFVo1VcYKDY

Slo-mo jumping vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzuZxnFLuQI

If you still can't see what I'm on about - I don't think I can explain it any better, so I give up. ;)
 
Over 27 stones? Sorry, I think that's an outrageous amount to be putting on a horse. Just because the horse is big does not mean it should be obliged to carry a very heavy person. The weight is concentrated on one area. I cannot imagine how much weight is coming down on that area when the horse trots (my physics knowledge is minus)

As someone said elsewhere, if someone that heavy insists on riding, they should get a motorbike.
 
I wonder how much he actually weighs?

It's certainly interesting that SF has seen the photo before with a lower weight and height quoted.
 
I wouldn't have said that man weighed 27 stone?! Looks can be deceiving I guess?

I won't comment on the actual pic as tbh I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm not sure on the whole weight on horses debate it all gets a bit to complicated for me :)
 
Big Ben said:
This is a simple and genuine question, it is not asked to justify anything, no hidden agendas.

The simple question is, are this horse and rider a good match, if it was your horse would you be OK with this pairing?

My vote, I am fine with it.

Yes the attire needs work, but lets not go there:wink3:

hiphop.jpg
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You are fine with this? Giants have no rights to ride a horse...........at all, if you think that this is acceptable then I pity your poor horses.
 
We don't know from that pic how much of that 'fetlock flexion' is actually feather. Also, for those who are doubting this man could weigh that much, it could well be muscular weight, rather than fat.

Personally, from that pic, I don't see that there's anything horrendously bad, though I would want to see more evidence before jumping to wild conclusions.
 
Moomin1 said:
though I would want to see more evidence before jumping to wild conclusions.
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Yes! I've had a picture taken of me, where I look stupidly tall for Ned and it really looks like I'm pony squishing!! Of course, me being 5ft 8, 130lbs and Ned being 15.1 I think he could cope.

That guy might be a huge lump of novice flab, flopping around on the poor beast...BUT he could also be a lighter, muscular, experienced rider, who's working nicely with the horse. It's really hard to tell from that photo.
 
He might be the American Carl Hester, who knows? But at 27 stone, ain't no way he should be on a horse, the weight is still 27 st regardless of if he rides light!
 
Although not saying its right, 300lb is 21 and a bit stone !!!

14 lbs in a stone so 300 devided by 14, still too heavy but, yes they look ok!!

Still confused why we are a stones and miles country , but we say " kilos and kilometres" in the news!!!

But that is by the by
 
justabob said:
You are fine with this? Giants have no rights to ride a horse...........at all, if you think that this is acceptable then I pity your poor horses.
Click to expand...

Congrats for adding a snipe in what has been a good discussion on all sides I thought, do you pity the horses of anyone else who was on the 'maybe OK' side of the fence, or is it just mine I wonder.
 
Big Ben sent me the link and the guy does say (at the beginning of the thread) that he is 380lbs and 6'11" and the mare is 18.1hh. The mare was in foal when the photos were taken (that's why I remember the photos, but obviously not the main details pertaining to this thread ... his height and weight, doh!) At the end of the thread he says he is 6'10" and the mare is 17.3hh. My apologies for any confusion caused by my failing memory.
 
Thanks for clearing that up.

Ignoring all the fetlock distractions - I would wonder whether it's the horse's back that would suffer first if overloaded regularly.

Also what about light/normal weight people riding ponies where they are over 20% of the pony's weight?
 
If that horse is 18.1 or even 17.1 then I can easily believe that man is 27 stone.

Regarding the fetlocks, yes, normal horses can show that amount of flexion in the fetlocks, but ONLY when they are taking a significant amount of force, such as when landing from a jump, or that pic someone posted earlier where the horse is in 'natural' show 'offy' passage. Not when it is pootling along hardly even tracking up!
 
I have given up riding as I struggle too much with my weight. I have someone to ride my horses so they still get excercise, but I wouldn't want to ruin them by getting on.
 
Big Ben said:
Interesting replies, thanks for keeping it on topic. The guy in the photo is 6' 11" tall and weighs 380 pounds.

I find it interesting monitoring my own reaction to this big well built guy riding, to a short large lady riding. I am aware of my own issues, but it surprised me that my view is changed by the shape of the rider!
Click to expand...

With that information then definatly too heavy, I don't feel that that horse should carry more than about 18-19st.
 
What do you hope to achieve with these threads BB, it seems like they just make you hurt and upset, you aren't going to change anyone's point of view, so why bother?
 
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