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Shavings

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Right i have seen a lot of people giving there views on FB on this matter so through i will see what you guys think

weight a horse can carry?

a lot of people argue about what weight a horse should carry and shouldn't

i myself own a 16'1 tb gelding who carries me happily (5'7 tall and 14 stone and 5 pound, but currently on a diet to fit in wedding dress :D )

i dont see a problem with adults on ponies or people on "fine" built horses proving it is not ridiculous! ie 20 stone adult on a 14 hh arab!

from horse to horse, pony to pony i know it all varies, but as a rule of thumb where would you say the max is for you horse?

we all have to start some where and horse riding is a great way to loose weight

i am not wanting this thread to turn in to any thing nasty so lets not pick on each other here! be kind with your words!
 
I've just had this very conversation with my vet not half an hour ago. Vet was very clear that she feels that the 20% guide is a good one and if you are over it then you need to rethink riding. I was told 20% of a healthy horse for light hacking at walk/trot/occasional canter and less than 20% if you want to ask more of the horse. Fairly simple it seems.
 
Mongoose11 said:
I've just had this very conversation with my vet not half an hour ago. Vet was very clear that she feels that the 20% guide is a good one and if you are over it then you need to rethink riding. I was told 20% of a healthy horse for light hacking at walk/trot/occasional canter and less than 20% if you want to ask more of the horse. Fairly simple it seems.
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I agree, unless you're talking about 20% of an overweight horse! There's horses to suit most weights providing you're not morbidly obese, just a matter of picking the right one ;)
 
I hope that didn't come across as picky! Just that I suspect a lot of people use the 20% rule on fat horses to ease their conscience of riding a horse that isn't suited to their size.
 
Much as I hate Mongoose's answer because it means I know I have to lose weight (also aiming to fit into a wedding dress - funny coincidence), I do agree with her. Although I'm sure that Arabs are tough cookies that can carry a 13 stone man, his wife and dog through a desert while doing the conga, I don't see why mine should have to when I could just exercise a bit more and cut down on the cake! For this reason, I am starting to walk her in hand so that I get the exercise as she walks fast, and it also keeps me away from cake for an extra hour or so every few days!! It's also a really good incentive to keep up the diet as I am fed up with walking up hills - so lazy!!
 
Just because they can doesnt mean they should it seems obvious that the more solidly built a horse is the greater weight it should be able to carry but often the opposite is true sometimes the hard boned finer horses are carrying less of their own weight so can carry more of a rider so the fit Arab probably can carry more than a soft, fat, round boned cob. Someone is trying to lose weight to ride his grossly overweight cobby pony to be honest if the pony lost 100 kgs and he lost a couple of stone all would be fine. The pony also needs to lose weight to make it feasible
 
Now my math isn't great but I have a LW 15'1 paint horse id say he's around 450-500kg, he's healthy but unift and I ride him at a walk with a few short trots on hacks I don't ask much of him. but 20% for him I work out to be around 14st! I would never put that on him. im 12st and ride in lightweight saddle and im aiming to loose 2stone just so I can put a western on him as think 12 is max weight for him. I also intend to have him well muscled by this point. am I being a little to safety conscious weight wise for him? would be nice if my 14st friend could have a lead rein walk on him when he is fitter
 
Hawks27 said:
Now my math isn't great but I have a LW 15'1 paint horse id say he's around 450-500kg, he's healthy but unift and I ride him at a walk with a few short trots on hacks I don't ask much of him. but 20% for him I work out to be around 14st! I would never put that on him. im 12st and ride in lightweight saddle and im aiming to loose 2stone just so I can put a western on him as think 12 is max weight for him. I also intend to have him well muscled by this point. am I being a little to safety conscious weight wise for him? would be nice if my 14st friend could have a lead rein walk on him when he is fitter
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Hawk on the 20% rule i am miles under the weight my Tb can carry, every horse is different but maybe let your friend get on for one lead rein and see how you thinks he handles it, if it is on lead rein its not like she / he is galloping down the field and over 6ft fences :)
 
The 20% rule includes the saddle and the rider dressed for riding with hat and boots. Its the maximum the horse should be asked to carry not the maximum weight of the rider only unless they are riding bareback.
 
I've always thought I was close to the maximum weight my horse can carry, but it seems I'm way under! So we're goin' gallopin' 'n' jumpin'! On a serious note, she doesn't struggle at all but I reckon she'd prefer me a couple of stone lighter, as would I.
 
I account for my tack that's why my lad is just in a lightweight English as lost all his rippling muscles when he had time off and I think its too much for him to take his big western now though even on the 20% rule it says he can! im riding bareback or in a lightweight English for now as we are walking out and doing some very short pathetic trots have because he unfit and half because I cant balance in an English lol (wonky hip) I will see what he thinks to my friend sat on him he is a complete saint for a green broke whose had more time off than work since he was backed over a year ago
 
Mongoose11 said:
I've just had this very conversation with my vet not half an hour ago. Vet was very clear that she feels that the 20% guide is a good one and if you are over it then you need to rethink riding. I was told 20% of a healthy horse for light hacking at walk/trot/occasional canter and less than 20% if you want to ask more of the horse. Fairly simple it seems.
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This is really interesting! In theory then, my 15.3hh 555kg ID should be able to carry 111kg which is 17 stone!? I won't even let my 14 stone boyfriend have a go on him! Lol. Maybe I am being over cautious. It's probably the fact that he's also 6'5 which makes me assume he's too big!
 
I work to a maximum of 15% plus tack. I think very few people really know what their tack and riding gear weighs. Mine weigh 12 kg. I think it is easier to use just the weight of the person but as a smaller percentage of the horse. I think 20% including tack is too heavy in most cases. Using the 15% rule, a TB weighing say 460 kg (so in peak fitness if 15.2 - 16hh) could carry 69 kg plus tack. That is equivalent to around 11 stone of human plus 2 stone tack and gear, so total 13 stone.
 
lewis2015 said:
This is really interesting! In theory then, my 15.3hh 555kg ID should be able to carry 111kg which is 17 stone!? I won't even let my 14 stone boyfriend have a go on him! Lol. Maybe I am being over cautious. It's probably the fact that he's also 6'5 which makes me assume he's too big!
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I think 17 stone is too heavy. I would use 15% plus tack which means 13 stone human plus tack so 15 stone in total. I would allow your boyfriend a sit on him and a walk/trot around though. Just not for too long.
 
Speedyfluff said:
I think 17 stone is too heavy. I would use 15% plus tack which means 13 stone human plus tack so 15 stone in total. I would allow your boyfriend a sit on him and a walk/trot around though. Just not for too long.
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Yes I would never put 17 stone on him! Poor chap. Makes me think that, like you said, perhaps 15% is a better rule! Will think about letting him have a sit on, but tbh I still think he's a bit too big.
 
Surely it also depends on how you ride?? If you are relatively inexperienced, bouncing around all over the place and not in balance you would be 'harder' to carry than someone lighter. I am 81kg, but at 6ft 3 but I worry more about how I'm riding and how this relates to comfort levels than how heavy I am. I have a 16.2 ISH and in theory should carry me easily, but I always aim to improve how I ride as this (I would have thought-maybe wrongly!!?) would benefit my horse more than losing a few kg??
 
Ben2684 said:
Surely it also depends on how you ride?? If you are relatively inexperienced, bouncing around all over the place and not in balance you would be 'harder' to carry than someone lighter. I am 81kg, but at 6ft 3 but I worry more about how I'm riding and how this relates to comfort levels than how heavy I am. I have a 16.2 ISH and in theory should carry me easily, but I always aim to improve how I ride as this (I would have thought-maybe wrongly!!?) would benefit my horse more than losing a few kg??
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But regardless of how balanced you are, your horse is still carrying you, whether you bounce or not. Riding 'light' does not make up for being too heavy. I'm not saying you're too heavy, btw, just saying that a 'light' rider does not make up for being too big for the horse. Ultimately, the horse is still experiencing the weight of the rider on its back, on a very small pressure point.
 
Notsaying said:
But regardless of how balanced you are, your horse is still carrying you, whether you bounce or not. Riding 'light' does not make up for being too heavy. I'm not saying you're too heavy, btw, just saying that a 'light' rider does not make up for being too big for the horse. Ultimately, the horse is still experiencing the weight of the rider on its back, on a very small pressure point.
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Oh I'm not saying that weight has no bearing just that it is part of a slightly bigger picture? Who knows?? Many a time I have asked myself what it would be like in their 'shoes' so to speak... Just one of those things we mere humans will never know. I guess I just hope to know my horse well enough to know if he was struggling or not (though he never seems to!) though I wouldn't want to go any smaller than my lad, but that's more to do with height than weight.
 
Ben2684 said:
Surely it also depends on how you ride?? If you are relatively inexperienced, bouncing around all over the place and not in balance you would be 'harder' to carry than someone lighter. I am 81kg, but at 6ft 3 but I worry more about how I'm riding and how this relates to comfort levels than how heavy I am. I have a 16.2 ISH and in theory should carry me easily, but I always aim to improve how I ride as this (I would have thought-maybe wrongly!!?) would benefit my horse more than losing a few kg??
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I think weight limits such as the 20% rule, or my 15% plus tack should assume the rider is balanced and rides 'light'. I would knock that weight limit right down for a poor rider or beginner. Being a good and 'light' rider does not mean you can ride over the weight limit. BTW I think you are well suited weight and height-wise to your horse.
 
Ben2684 said:
Surely it also depends on how you ride?? If you are relatively inexperienced, bouncing around all over the place and not in balance you would be 'harder' to carry than someone lighter. I am 81kg, but at 6ft 3 but I worry more about how I'm riding and how this relates to comfort levels than how heavy I am. I have a 16.2 ISH and in theory should carry me easily, but I always aim to improve how I ride as this (I would have thought-maybe wrongly!!?) would benefit my horse more than losing a few kg??
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I agree it will make a difference to a novice, but weight is still weight no matter how "light" a person rides, you're still X mass for them to carry.

I work on 10% plus tack, because I hunt, am on for a few hours and I like to aid my horses as much as I possibly can.
 
Interesting - following the 20% rule my TB should be able to carry 15 stone, but I wouldn't be happy for him to carry that weight due to his arthritis etc.
 
RunToEarth said:
I agree it will make a difference to a novice, but weight is still weight no matter how "light" a person rides, you're still X mass for them to carry.

I work on 10% plus tack, because I hunt, am on for a few hours and I like to aid my horses as much as I possibly can.
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Whilst I agree that 10% is much nicer for the horse, it would mean that a TB in tip top racing condition, weighing around 460kg could only carry around 7 stone plus tack. My WB who is 15.3 and weighs 500 kg can only carry 7 st 11.
 
Speedyfluff said:
Whilst I agree that 10% is much nicer for the horse, it would mean that a TB in tip top racing condition, weighing around 460kg could only carry around 7 stone plus tack. My WB who is 15.3 and weighs 500 kg can only carry 7 st 11.
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But for me, that works. Our TB is 660kg when hunting fit, I am 64kg and I wouldn't want anything much heavier on him, most jockeys are under 50kg. I don't run my life around numbers and percentages but doing the back-of-a-fag-packet calculation 20% of the TB would be 132kg which is, IMO, unacceptable weight for the horse to carry.
 
Ben2684 said:
Christ! 10%?? Would make me only suitable for a horse weighing well over 800kg!
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Well that's your prerogative isn't it - it's your horse and you can do what you like with it, there are plenty of people riding in this country who are flouting the 20% rule, and probably the 30 and 40% too! Most of our horses come from training yards where they are used to carry more like 7-8% so we're hardly likely to stick 20% on there and expect them to get on with it, although plenty do.
 
Okay so can someone check the maths for me. ...

Heavyweight hunters are meant to be up to carrying 14st 7lbs +.

My 17.2 RID with 10" bone is definitely a heavyweight hunter. He weighs 766kg. At 20%, he could carry 24 stone.

Probably wouldn't jump a big fence, but he'd be alright in East Anglia or one of the Home Counties packs :-)
 
RunToEarth said:
Most of our horses come from training yards where they are used to carry more like 7-8% so we're hardly likely to stick 20% on there and expect them to get on with it, although plenty do.
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Really- 4 stone 12 (7% of 450) to 6 stone 13 (8% of 550) Wow!
Feels grossly inadequate that in riding out kit Id be over twice 4 stone 12! :o
 
Who decides on these weight limits? The only research I've read suggested 20%, but it was such a small study it cant really be considered gospel. A lot of people on here would say I am far, far too heavy for mine, but vets, osteos, instructors all say he's fine. And no, thats not them flattering me. I wasn't riding him at the time and didn't give 2 hoots if I ever did, and to be fair rarely ride him now due to health issues. Almost everyone I meet in "real life" looks at me like I'm crazy when I say I worry about being too heavy for him. They may well be flattering me though ;)

Having ridden him on and off for a few months, he had his back checked, no issues at all other that a bit of tightness round his poll, almost certainly caused by my fat ass swinging off his headcollar when he decided it was tea time and he had had enough of behaving for the dentist. No other issues at all. Hes incredibly supple and strong through his back.

So who is right? All the professionals who deal with him and in fact my horse himself, or the people who say 10/15% of his bodyweight?

He might well be happier with someone half my weight, except he isnt, been there done that! He shows no issues at all carrying my fat ass :)

Everytime I read one of these threads I worry a bit, then I remember to deal with the horse in front of me who goes better for me that anyone else, stands at the block with the reins on his neck for me to get on, and is generally a happy little horse.

I do wish someone would do some decent research though. If only to stop all these threads and all these people worrying :)
 
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