Weight limits

[HuskyFluff]

A few points:
- I'm too fat ATM. As is my pony. Menopause really doesn't help. I've never struggled with my weight before but it's just floored my metabolism. But, not riding isn't helping either of us so at some point I'm going to have to jfdi or I'll be shortening both of our lives
- You can't tell someone's weight by looking at them. Women do carry weight differently. A man can be significantly heavier and yet not look it at all
- For those who are passionate about this subject, please lobby the FEI to remove the minimum weight for endurance. It's the only discipline to have a minimum weight at international level and that minimum weight has meant that smaller horses can no longer take part at top international level as it would be a welfare issue for them to carry enough lead to make their rider weight up to 75kgs. And it's prejudicial to women who are on the whole lighter.

@EstherYoung as you said the 'm' word, I thought I'd mention a book I've been reading: 'Next Level' by Stacy Sims. It's about nutrition and training specifically for peri, menopausal and post menopausal women. It's largely directed to women who are already fit (which I am not), but I'm finding it really useful as to why I've been struggling since hitting 50..

 

[AutumnDays]

Where abouts are you? If you are in Yorkshire, you are welcome to come and have a ride on Riggers. He is fab for someone who hasn't ridden for a while. He is old ad can't do much, but loves to do what he can. 71kg isn't excessive.

That is so very kind of you! You actually brought a tear to my eye with that lovely offer. Unfortunately I'm right down in west Wales, otherwise I would most definitely come and meet Mr Rigsby

 

[teapot]

I am surprised there is fuss, tbh.

My boyfriend is around 90kg and has ridden a couple of times on hire horses. When booking, I've had to ensure they have a big enough weight limit. No fuss, I check the limit and only book where we can go. I can't imagine arguing about it with any riding school!

I do think welfare is important, of course, but then you take notice when the owner of the horses says there is a weight limit.

He is learning on mine and had a few rides on my smaller horse but has now graduated to the bigger one.

View attachment 148651

That is the bigger one, only 16hh but a very stout build.

To help him learn, and to save my horses, boyfriend is now having some lessons on a mechanical horse.



When Mr Red (as in my husband) learned to ride, he was way over the limit for most riding schools. He got his own and I taught him on that. He was around 20st (130kg). His own horse was fine with that as I got him fit and Mr Red didn't ride him for long or do too much. He mainly processed steadily round the village or did 20 minutes on the school.

I did persuade him to a few dressage competitions. His jacket was 50p from the charity shop.

A gratuitous photo as I miss Mr Red so much now he died. My boyfriend is amazing but my husband was my husband. Conflict there!

View attachment 148650

My point is that I didn't argue with the organisations, I just made alternative arrangements!

You'll be surprised at how many people don't realise/recognise their actual weight so think they'll fine for x riding school, only to find they are very much not.

 

[Red-1]

You'll be surprised at how many people don't realise/recognise their actual weight so think they'll fine for x riding school, only to find they are very much not.

Like, they don't weigh themselves? So, really don't know?

 

[teapot]

Like, they don't weigh themselves? So, really don't know?

Don't weigh themsleves, have no idea what weight actually looks like, or the worst is know their weight and still lie when booking a lesson. I remember having to turn away one new client - they'd said they were 12 stone and they were a good three/four stone heavier.

I think the worst cases of denial I saw were parents about their kids, sadly.

 

[Jenko109]

Blog of a Cob

Riding when you are so horrendously overweight is 100% a cruelty issue.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Indeed.

Deleted for fear of impending ban.

 

[ecb89]

These overweight instagram influencers are supported by all sorts of brands and praised for their body positivity. Ray the goth posted today about being able to do a sit up for the first time! How they can allow their horses to carry their weight I don’t know.

 

[AutumnDays]

Ray the goth posted today about being able to do a sit up for the first time!

That is very concerning

 

[Clodagh]

Like, they don't weigh themselves? So, really don't know?

I don’t weigh myself, I own no scales and I’ve no idea within maybe a stone. And that’s a guess.

 

[Miss_Millie]

These overweight instagram influencers are supported by all sorts of brands and praised for their body positivity. Ray the goth posted today about being able to do a sit up for the first time! How they can allow their horses to carry their weight I don’t know.

Her mare Pepper is also morbidly obese, with a crest like a stallion. It's very depressing that brands sponsor people like her, because she isn't setting a good example and it's a horrifying thought that her account may inspire other people who are too heavy to ride to convince themselves that it's ethical. There are SO many instances when horses shouldn't be ridden - the rider being too heavy is just one of them. It is not fat shaming to say that someone should not sit on an animal's back for welfare reasons, its common sense. I don't follow her but her account has been recommended on the algorithm a few times and it depresses me that she has a reasonably large following.

If she were long reining her mare and also pushing herself so that they both lost the weight they needed to for the ridden partnership to be healthy, that would be inspiring and a reason to follow.

 

[Jenko109]

It's a weird world we live in, when people are celebrated for being morbidly obese.

It actually makes me feel so angry to see these animals subjected to it. We claim to be a nation of animal lovers?

 

[MerryMaxmas]

I've not ridden for a few years now, and due to the menopause and now having Long Covid so being less active than I was, I have put 2 and a half stones on, I am trying (very slowly) to increase my fitness which in turn will help me lose weight with the aim of hopefully being able to ride again before my 60th in 2 and a half years time, I am below the required weight for all the rs around here but still wouldn't ride again until I have a better level of fitness and have dropped at least a stone, I'm all for body positivity but not when it puts a strain on the horse as well.

 

[scats]

Body positivity is all well and good but being obese leaves you open to a myriad of health problems and puts excessive strain on organs. Why are we being positive about that??
We should not be celebrating obesity. And we certainly shouldn’t be normalising hugely obese people riding horses.
The companies who sponsor/support these obese riders should hang their heads in shame. They are endorsing animal abuse, plain and simple.

 

[skinnydipper]

I have zero knowledge of horses myself.

I don't know if this is the right thread for this:

Zum Anzeigen anmelden oder registrieren

Sieh dir auf Facebook Beiträge, Fotos und vieles mehr an.

www.facebook.com

 

[Mari]

Jesus Christ that is appalling on so many levels! Totally a cruelty issue. I can't work out how tall she may be, but she is much bigger than I am, and I'm 112kg! (And have no intention of sitting on horse until I'm much, much lighter). In fact I cancelled my lessons at a riding school when I went above their weight limit...

She hasn’t got a light or a good seat. Shes rocking a lot!

 

[Welly Boot]

When will officials step in though for this issue.... not to shame riders but for the welfare of the horse... I have seen a number of larger riders squeezed into saddles too small for them, so effectively adding more pressure to the horses back at big shows / championships etc ... ROR started to take active action a few years ago... but we still see combinations who are not harmonious to watch etc...

 

[CastlelackSportHorses]

Dear god this thread has been hard to read....Im 14st as is...and my horses arent strong types.
So theoretically Im too heavy for them?!

 

[lme]

I don’t own scales so have no idea what I weigh but I am pretty scrawny and usually ride my 17h plus ISH.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Dear god this thread has been hard to read....Im 14st as is...and my horses arent strong types.
So theoretically Im too heavy for them?!

I think probably only you can work that out as only you will know your weight, the weight of your riding clothes and tack. Your horse's ideal weight. Your horse's level of strength, fitness and balance. Your own level of strength, fitness and balance. The type and amount of work you're asking your horse to do. And whether your saddle fits you and your horse appropriately. We can't tell that from your photo. You would be near or over the limit for some RS. Some are more limited due to the availability of the horses they have.

-

I actually ended up on the horse I am rated over weight for today but we did have a good conversation about this while riding. The stated weights are conservative, and then taken into consideration was my height in relation to my weight, my ability to balance (which I think is where the height thing comes in), the work we were doing (an hour hack, basically all in walk, on flat ground), and the overall workload of the horse.

 

[Tiddlypom]

These are the weight guidelines for show hunter classes.

Is it known whether the weights are the rider dressed for riding, which adds 1 stone to unclothed weight, or the rider dressed for riding plus all tack, which adds 2.5 stone to unclothed weight? Anyone know?

H&H’s guide to show hunter classes: weights, presentation and what makes the judges cringe

Ensure you know how to present and show your hunter — whether lightweight, middleweight or heavyweight — to the judges correctly

www.horseandhound.co.uk

Show hunters are divided into three weight sections; lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.

• A lightweight should be able to carry up to 12st 7lb, stand around 16-16.2hh and have about eight and a half inches of bone under the knee.
• A middleweight hunter stands around 16.3hh, can carry between 12st 7lb and 14st and has around nine inches of bone.
• A heavyweight stands around 17hh, has nine to nine and a half inches of bone and is capable of carrying more than 14st.

 

[snowangel5]

Indeed.

Deleted for fear of impending ban.

I just checked her instagram page and she has done a weight loss video blog of a cob

 

[Clodagh]

These are the weight guidelines for show hunter classes.

Is it known whether the weights are the rider dressed for riding, which adds 1 stone to unclothed weight, or the rider dressed for riding plus all tack, which adds 2.5 stone to unclothed weight? Anyone know?

H&H’s guide to show hunter classes: weights, presentation and what makes the judges cringe

Ensure you know how to present and show your hunter — whether lightweight, middleweight or heavyweight — to the judges correctly

www.horseandhound.co.uk

Show hunters are divided into three weight sections; lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.

• A lightweight should be able to carry up to 12st 7lb, stand around 16-16.2hh and have about eight and a half inches of bone under the knee.
• A middleweight hunter stands around 16.3hh, can carry between 12st 7lb and 14st and has around nine inches of bone.
• A heavyweight stands around 17hh, has nine to nine and a half inches of bone and is capable of carrying more than 14st.

Poor old heavyweight, no upper limit at all.

 

[Roxylola]

These are the weight guidelines for show hunter classes.

Is it known whether the weights are the rider dressed for riding, which adds 1 stone to unclothed weight, or the rider dressed for riding plus all tack, which adds 2.5 stone to unclothed weight? Anyone know?

H&H’s guide to show hunter classes: weights, presentation and what makes the judges cringe

Ensure you know how to present and show your hunter — whether lightweight, middleweight or heavyweight — to the judges correctly

www.horseandhound.co.uk

Show hunters are divided into three weight sections; lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.

• A lightweight should be able to carry up to 12st 7lb, stand around 16-16.2hh and have about eight and a half inches of bone under the knee.
• A middleweight hunter stands around 16.3hh, can carry between 12st 7lb and 14st and has around nine inches of bone.
• A heavyweight stands around 17hh, has nine to nine and a half inches of bone and is capable of carrying more than 14st.

To me, that reads the wording would lead me to think that's a maximum - it does not say a rider weighing up to xx just can carry. They could be more specific though.

Rough for the poor heavies

 

[SpotsandBays]

I just checked her instagram page and she has done a weight loss video blog of a cob

She lost about 100lbs, but unfortunately has put it all back on again. The date of that video I believe was last year.

 

[I'm Dun]

She lost about 100lbs, but unfortunately has put it all back on again. The date of that video I believe was last year.

that is so sad

 

[snowangel5]

that is so sad

Yes that does sound really sad

 

[Mari]

Dear god this thread has been hard to read....Im 14st as is...and my horses arent strong types.
So theoretically Im too heavy for them?!

Possibly. You need to weigh yourself + tack & see if all that is 20% or less of the weight of the horse.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Possibly. You need to weigh yourself + tack & see if all that is 20% or less of the weight of the horse.

I jump on the weighbridge with my saddle when they come to do the ponies. They were here today & Dave is chubby, but me & saddle have lost 4kg.

 

[KatieDM]

The amount of people who treat weight limits and any discussion around it as a personal attack is astounding. Horses are not robots. It’s not fair for people to try and justify being too heavy for a horse.

I don’t think most people really care about somebody’s weight in day-to-day life, but when it comes to riding horses, facts do need to be faced. It’s a welfare issue.

 

[sportsmansB]

I don't understand how it is OK to be too short for a rollercoaster or too heavy to bungee jump and that is accepted but being the wrong size to ride a horse is subjective. Its not. Because its the horse who suffers and not, potentially, the person.

I am tall and have always had big strong horses through preference - I've never had to worry about the weight limit although I haven't always been as slim as I would like- but I do feel the difference to my balance and my ability to give effective aids if I am + /- a stone. I can't imagine how much more challenging that is if it is + / - several stone.

I go on a lot of riding holidays and have chatted to the guides and they have said that so many people tell lies about their weight (and their ability, but thats another story!) that they build in about 5kg tolerance when allocating the horses to the guests. They still face a lot of anger from guests who want a particular horse and are told they can't have it, or friends who want to swop horses and are told they can't. And some of these holiday horses are carrying you over varied terrain for several hours at a time.