Weight limits- Is it getting silly? :/

at the risk of being slated, if i were to listen to some of these posts neither i or my 13 year old daughter should be allowed to ride! Our current riding school knows how much i weigh and although i am limited to maybe 3-4 horses out of 40 or so, they are happy for me to ride on a 16hh plus ID/Freisian/Cob type for one hour a week. I am a novice rider and my balance isn't great atm but i am also losing weight and improving all the time. Now that i am horse hunting for the both of us, i am worried that noone will sell me their horse because of my weight, even though i will only 'get to have a go' at the weekends when my daughter is with her dad :( ......now i am depressed :(
 
I'm 5'10 and 8 1/2 stone, I know I feel better on my 15.3hh tb the lighter I am, though he is a very delicate flower lol. To be honest, I don't understand why you would want to ride a horse if there's question as to whether you're too heavy for it? I agree that sometimes people go ott on weight limits, but I feel uncomfortable riding the majority of ponies, even though I'm fairly sure they'd cope. (though that could be a height thing I guess?) It's worth remembering that most men weigh a fair bit more than women, and they can still ride without only sticking to giant chunky horses.
 
Suec04 said:
at the risk of being slated, if i were to listen to some of these posts neither i or my 13 year old daughter should be allowed to ride! Our current riding school knows how much i weigh and although i am limited to maybe 3-4 horses out of 40 or so, they are happy for me to ride on a 16hh plus ID/Freisian/Cob type for one hour a week. I am a novice rider and my balance isn't great atm but i am also losing weight and improving all the time. Now that i am horse hunting for the both of us, i am worried that noone will sell me their horse because of my weight, even though i will only 'get to have a go' at the weekends when my daughter is with her dad :( ......now i am depressed :(
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Focus on improving your balance, have you tried riding without stirrups to deepen your seat? The right horse is out there :) But I always think it must be hard to find a horse to suit two different people. I suggest larger native types, or proper cobs. Good luck.
 
I am a couple of pounds under ten stone right now, I still look sturdy and I'm hourglass shaped but I'll bet looking at me you would say I was heavier due to build. So I agree many people couldn't tell what weight you were truthfully without jumping in the scales. And even though I've worked hard to get my weight down from nearly 14 (which neither if my two guys struggled with despite one being a light TB x) if someone asked me to jump on a set of scales before I sat on their horse they would get told to get a grip.

My dad used to exercise Kia for me and my dad hasn't been below 14 stone since he rose the P2P racers when I was younger, Kia never struggled despite not being the thickest set cob in the world. I believe we don't muscle out horses up enough to carry us. I believe if a horse has a descent muscles top line and is carrying them self and fit then weight within reason is secondary. The horse needs the apparatus to carry us not just get a lighter rider or starve yourself because you can't be bothered to so the work required to get your horse fit enough to carry you.

A mans hunter used to carry upwards of 14 stone for a full day, and I daily see the local P2P horses being trained with 14+ on their backs and they don't look to be struggling along to me.
 
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On the physics thing, I think the phrase " riding light" is backwards.

If you are 15 stone, you will of course always be 15 stone on the horses back, no riding style will change that.

However if you are 12 stone, and are awfully unbalanced, bang around up there and generally cant " ride light" then you may feel like 15 stone to the horse. So " riding heavy"

Id rather a slightly heavier but balanced smooth rider than a lighter one bouncing around and unbalancing the horse.

So scrap the " riding light" and use "riding heavy" ;) ie " horse for loan, to 11stone begginer or 12stone balanced rider"
 
I never used to be fussy about who rode my mare, but as she gets older I have become much more strict. I have a weight limit of absolute max 10 stone (when she's fit). Shes 22 yr old TB ex racer.

It work's out OK as I'm under 9st.
 
Arizahn said:
Focus on improving your balance, have you tried riding without stirrups to deepen your seat? The right horse is out there :) But I always think it must be hard to find a horse to suit two different people. I suggest larger native types, or proper cobs. Good luck.
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Thank you Arizahn :) I do at least ten mins of the hour without stirrups which does help enormously and i also have a gymball at home that, altough not the same as a horse, does help with my balance. It is harder to find one for the both of us but luckily my daughter is used to riding the bigger ones too. :)
 
I think it this subject is highly subjective. I personally would take advice from someone in real life, who can see your horses type, your build and even how your horses goes with you. Completely agree that most people wouldnt know what certain weights look like.

I have a 14.2 HW Cob who I would struggle to put a weight limit on, he really is well built and a good weight carrier. I have talked to my vets, saddler and experienced people IRL and they all said the same.
 
I think it's good that weight is questioned. A fit horse can carry much more than a horse that is unfit.

If you were 12 st and rode a 14.2 that was fit and conditioned to work carrying that weight then fine but I think you'd have to think twice about riding the same pony if it was unfit. You'd have to do some fittening work first on the lunge or asking a lighter rider to start first because you do have to consider the frame and musculature in order to save the pony injury.

Other factors need to be brought into consideration for each situation and you have to take it on a case by case basis.

I am 12st now after having a baby and while I would ride my friends 15.3hh fit horses, there is no way I would ride my youngster at this weight next year who is the same height.

Having said that, horses in Spain are broken with men riding them who are easily 12st......

So, weight is just ONE factor. You have to look at the whole story and be sensible and pragmatic.
 
tallyho! said:
I think it's good that weight is questioned. A fit horse can carry much more than a horse that is unfit.

If you were 12 st and rode a 14.2 that was fit and conditioned to work carrying that weight then fine but I think you'd have to think twice about riding the same pony if it was unfit. You'd have to do some fittening work first on the lunge or asking a lighter rider to start first because you do have to consider the frame and musculature in order to save the pony injury.

Other factors need to be brought into consideration for each situation and you have to take it on a case by case basis.

I am 12st now after having a baby and while I would ride my friends 15.3hh fit horses, there is no way I would ride my youngster at this weight next year who is the same height.

Having said that, horses in Spain are broken with men riding them who are easily 12st......

So, weight is just ONE factor. You have to look at the whole story and be sensible and pragmatic.
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This is interesting, as I actually have worked backing and producing young horses at certainly 12st if not nearer 12.5. I always did a lot of fittening work on the lunge/long reining before I put *anyone* on a horse, as I think they need fitness to carry a rider full stop, but I wouldn't have been just jumping on any youngster. I also took ridden work very slowly - I always started off in straight lines, out of the school as soon as they could steer, and very slowly increasing distances at walk, then slowly bring in bursts of trotting. My breaking in process is fairly slow, but produces a fit, happy and balanced young horse that is ready to be schooled properly. I am heavy, so I picked the ones I would jump on rather than boost my stick thin sister onto, but the fittening work was vital.

However I think any horse should be fittened for the job, not just ones expected to carry weight... just in cases of weight carrying, it is vital.
 
vieshot said:
That shire is a growing baby who the owner doesn't want doing much until he matures. Fair enough if you ask me.
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Precisely. The person who owns the shire in question (shires123) happens to be one of my closest friends, and she certainly doesn't have 'issues' as someone said, with larger people, as I am one! The horse is still very immature, narrow and leggy!

So no, it is NOT a 'silly' weight limit at all, it was a decision considered very carefully by the owner, made with the horses best interests at heart.
 
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well according to the pc when i reached the grand old age of 15/16 (now 17) and although they didn't know this weighed the mighty amount of 6 stone i was apparently too big/old for my 13'2 NFxTBxGSP???? mmm...some people are ridiculous....

bUT...end of the day its their horse
 
I think its up to the owner what weight limit they want to set. And not the business of anyone else :)

I think too its worrying the amount of people who are infact too heavy to ride but are still being encouraged to anyway. Poor horses! I read a thread the other day where a 19 stone woman proudly declared she rides a 14.2 haflinger...madness.

ETA- I just go with the 20% rule, it has science behind it afterall. Based on the weight the horse is when not fat of course.
 
just to clarify 'some people are ridiculous' i do not think that in this situation just referencing how ridiculous people can be about judging by size/age...in this case the pony club
 
khalswitz said:
This is interesting, as I actually have worked backing and producing young horses at certainly 12st if not nearer 12.5. I always did a lot of fittening work on the lunge/long reining before I put *anyone* on a horse, as I think they need fitness to carry a rider full stop, but I wouldn't have been just jumping on any youngster. I also took ridden work very slowly - I always started off in straight lines, out of the school as soon as they could steer, and very slowly increasing distances at walk, then slowly bring in bursts of trotting. My breaking in process is fairly slow, but produces a fit, happy and balanced young horse that is ready to be schooled properly. I am heavy, so I picked the ones I would jump on rather than boost my stick thin sister onto, but the fittening work was vital.

However I think any horse should be fittened for the job, not just ones expected to carry weight... just in cases of weight carrying, it is vital.
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Exactly and you do have to look at the horse in front of you.

I once heard a farrier say to his client about her horse... "Look at the size of him!! He'd carry 16st easy!!" This was about a 15.3 cob, obese, not done a days work for years. He looked like a bull. Shod all round 'just in case' and when he was ridden, once a year perhaps, it was carrying 15st for an hour on a hilly hack. And he did it bless him. Honest as the day is long that horse.
 
I've lost weight since the weight limits were introduced, however, I am inclined to think they are slightly silly as you don't see many top riders of eventing, dressage, showjumping etc (esp. male ones) competing on heavy horses and am guessing many are over 12-12.5 stone without tack. if these weight limits are to be followed, many event riders will have to do badminton on Ardennes types.
 
I haven't read every single reply so apologies if this has already been mentioned.

I think we need to take into account that when advertising for a sharer/rider some people may well be a bit oblivious to their weight. What I mean is that I have met people who honestly believe they weigh a certain amount, lets say 12 stone, but when weighed they were considerably heavier, 14 stone even.
And of course there are always dishonest people who will flat out lie about their weight.

What I'm getting at here is that those people that specify a weight limit, when they meet the rider, do they whip out a set of scales and ask them to be weighed before they sit on their horse? I know some riding schools do but the average owner is very unlikely to do this.

There are too many factors to have a black and white rule that a horse of a certain height can carry a certain weight.
 
Shire123 said:
I am the owner of the 18.1hh shire. And although I am happy for you to give your opinion, I think that judging me is very unfair and disrespectful! No I do not have a problem with heavy riders, and I am free to chose what I think is best for my horse. In the advert, I explained that he has just turned 4 ( on the 2nd of january fyi) and I only ride him in a treeless saddle! Hence the weight limit. Also, for your information, my shire was broken only a few months ago and shires don't mature until they reach 8/9 years old. I think I know enough about shires to do thw best thing for my horse. He is young and his back is fragile. I don t want to have to retire him when he turns 10. I also only walk him eventhough I am 9 stones because I am worried about dammaging his back or joints. So please be more respectful and keep things in their context instead of taking the mick and trying to make yourself feel better. Thank you
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Just for those of you who havnt rwad all the comments. I think its a very interesting post and people should not get obsessed with rider s weight, since I believe the horse's condition is the most important fact... not its size! Please don t take things out of their context. My shire is very young, green and extremely unfit. I lunge or school him maximum 20minutes per week. I hack out a lot more but only in walk and in a treeless saddle.
 
Shire123 said:
Just for those of you who havnt rwad all the comments. I think its a very interesting post and people should not get obsessed with rider s weight, since I believe the horse's condition is the most important fact... not its size! Please don t take things out of their context. My shire is very young, green and extremely unfit. I lunge or school him maximum 20minutes per week. I hack out a lot more but only in walk and in a treeless saddle.
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Yes yes!! Condition!!! I think this is KEY in assessing whether an equine is capable of carrying a given weight.

An unbalanced youngster needs a light weight and a sympathetic hand. Lunging and work in walk is all very well but those muscles that are needed to CARRY are made, not born!
 
The part I don't understand is why more riders don't just horse themselves suitably rather than worrying all the time, being told they are too big, etc. Surely just buying a horse of adequate build and height in the first place isn't that hard? And maybe go a bit extra for redundancy - well most of us gain a little weight as we get older....
 
Nudibranch said:
The part I don't understand is why more riders don't just horse themselves suitably rather than worrying all the time, being told they are too big, etc. Surely just buying a horse of adequate build and height in the first place isn't that hard? And maybe go a bit extra for redundancy - well most of us gain a little weight as we get older....
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Its all well in theory, however in this day and age people can be very much unaware or have a completely skewed body image. So many young girls call themselves "fat" at 8stone, and worry that they are squishing their 17hh hunter. They worry, they have no reason to, but no matter how many people tell them they are fine, it is just they same as telling them that they are not fat.

Fortunately there arent too many ( in my experience) on the other side of the scale, who are extremely too heavy for their mount yet think they are svelte. Many heavier riders, are very well aware of the fact - which is also a good thing as helps them to keep the weight in check.

So you have this whole group of people who may be very light, light, medium and heavy built, who depending on their body image, have completely varying views of themselves, and in turn of what their horses can carry. Hence why "rules" so to speak, can help them realise that they are indeed not too heavy ( or vice versa).
 
True Nudibranch, tbf if I was buying now I would likely look for something a little bigger. But Frank was bought 9 years ago for me/mum and sis to share with our other horse when I was 21 when weight was not really on my radar (I had only recently stopped riding a friends 12.2 for her occasionally)- didn't think that one through or plan on keeping the pony so long! As he is nearly 21 he certainly isn't going anywhere and as I am now sole rider I have been working on the weight front- just unlikely to be 10st again any time soon ;).
Ps alainax I love the pic on the right of your sig.
 
alainax said:
Its all well in theory, however in this day and age people can be very much unaware or have a completely skewed body image. So many young girls call themselves "fat" at 8stone, and worry that they are squishing their 17hh hunter. They worry, they have no reason to, but no matter how many people tell them they are fine, it is just they same as telling them that they are not fat.

Fortunately there arent too many ( in my experience) on the other side of the scale, who are extremely too heavy for their mount yet think they are svelte. Many heavier riders, are very well aware of the fact - which is also a good thing as helps them to keep the weight in check.

So you have this whole group of people who may be very light, light, medium and heavy built, who depending on their body image, have completely varying views of themselves, and in turn of what their horses can carry. Hence why "rules" so to speak, can help them realise that they are indeed not too heavy ( or vice versa).
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This is probably the best defines of the 20% rule I've seen. It's always bothered me, because my 17hh NH build TB according to the rule would not be able to carry me, yet he manages with ease (and if I had to get one much bigger it would be a Clydesdale...). Clocking in at 13 stone (top end of my weight), and he weigh tapes at 580kg or so (although I don't think this is right tbh - would love to weigh bridge him!). However the idea of a general guide for people who may or not perceive their own weight is a good one.
 
ladyt25 said:
I have to say, I have seen far too many overweight riders on horses and it does rather beg the question - just because you CAN ride a horse. Should you?
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I can (sort of) ride a horse, but I don't, as I am far too fat and heavy. I have issues with diet and struggle with weight and it is unfair on the horse for me to attempt riding.
 
flurryjuno said:
I thought nothing of weight, other than large adults on ponies or something similar, until I joined this forum. I weighed 12 stone at my heaviest, I'm 5'9 and I wouldn't say fat as I am quite toned but still a bit jiggly but I was mortified by some peoples responses! According to some my horse type (16.1-2hh ISH) shouldn't carry more than 10-11 stone, and I was regularly riding 14.2hh+ at this point. Got a bit down in the dumps and I weigh less now but still, people seem to have gotten quite OTT about weight limits these days. I understand if the horse has problems or when its a large rider bouncing along on a small/weak horse but its so pushed these days now I don't even like riding other horses in case someone says something:eek:
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Ok what about someone who is 13 to 14 stone riding a 15hh fine connie? (Not me BTW)
 
DipseyDeb said:
Ok what about someone who is 13 to 14 stone riding a 15hh fine connie? (Not me BTW)
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There will always be scenarios like that where the rider is simply too heavy for the horse. However, the point being made is that some weight restrictions people impose are a bit far fetched. Obviously its very situational, some horses can't cope with weight at all based on all the reasons previously discussed, but having people judge me for riding my 17hh big built TB, just because they are two stone lighter than me and looking to lose weight to ride their horse, I do find frustrating.
 
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