Well this is a can of worms

My mouth was 'agog' when I read the comment regarding the Nigerian and the 'dark skinned person'! I found it very offensive and I'm not even black. Now she is laying into one of the people commenting and trying to put across a balanced view, and finishes with a highly sarcastic comment 'thanks for your admiration, that was big of you.' Unbelievable and a good way to alienate a large group of customers.
 
I wasn't really aware of the company until I saw this thread so spent some time looking at their site. Tbh the MD's attitude has put me straight off them and some of their pictures are a bit :eek: As I've said before - I need to lose quite a bit of weight (abt 2 stone) but I make sure I never get above my horse's maximum weight. Of course if I had any sense I'd get too heavy and squish her into the ground so she stopped misbehaving :p
 
She certainly knows how to win friends and influence people..............NOT!

The woman comes across and a racist bigot, (am still trying to pick my jaw off the floor, after reading the above comment).:eek:

Potentially I could buy from FF (size 16 on a bad day), but there is noway I would EVER buy from them or a FF branded item. So well done in losing a potential customer.:rolleyes:

On the upside thanks FF, reading your page and looking at the pics has made me decide to make more of an effort to lose my excess weight as although I have a mount more than capable of carrying me, I have seen the potential future (though I would stop riding), if I allow myself to continue down this slippery slop. So roll on Christmas as my goal is to be out of FF clothing size by then. :)
 
Billie1007 said:
*hovers over post button unsure whether this is forum suicide*
Click to expand...

On the contrary, it's a brave, intelligent and very sensible post IMO.

I agree that it's possible to comment on the cruelty of expecting a horse to carry a rider far too heavy for it, but not go on to enjoy "laughing at the silly fat people".

I have struggled with weight and eating issues all my adult life, partly due to having to endure a lot of steroid treatment (it might save my life, but it messes my body up :() and I identify so much with everything you say Billie. Fortunately for me, my weight hasn't been too high for some years, but there but for the grace and all that.

Some of those riders on that thread are seriously cruel for continuing to ride their often very small horses. However, they are women with terrible problems themselves, and I too am uncomfortable with the posts here which poke fun at them.
 
My word, we here on HHO certainly seem to wind up well-known people and brandnames, don't we?? Wasn't too long ago since a certain professional was on here throwing her toys out, now we have a Big Noise from FF having a rage? Goodness....

Tell you what FF, I'm certainly no model, but I take offence then at your comment on your FB page saying '....REAL women in size 16-24'......

Are you implying then that those women who wear smaller sizes are not women? Talk about contradiction, your having a go at people who genuinely worry about a horse carrying weight and calling them all the names under the sun, yet you blantanly flaunt the fact you are calling smaller sized women not real...?

Obese is not funny, it's not healthy. As for the horse...it's not fair. Now, no-one go twisting my words here people, those who are fully aware of their horses capabilities and are doing what's right FOR THEMSELVES as well as their horses are to be applauded, those who don't give a toss....well, 'nuff said.
 
Getting back to the saddle thing my horses have 17.5 inch saddles my OH ( just over thirteen stone )has a 16.2 ID and he has a 18 inch saddle one width fitting wider than my identical saddle.
It feels enormous to me I am amazed each time I get on it how big the seat feels even though it's only half an inch bigger.
A 22 inch saddle would be huge and I just can't imagine what type of horse could carry one.
 
littlelegs said:
Billy, I genuinely apologise if you've found anything I've said offensive. I can assure you its not the way I think about people overweight in general, it was inspired by my sense of outrage at how cruel some of them are. I genuinely do feel sorry for anyone who is unhappy with their size, but I cannot muster sympathy for those to whom I referred. If they had been thin adults on minis, I would have used words & phrases to describe them that could easily be used as insults about me as a thin adult. Ones such as those being used on the ff page currently. So really nothing to do with them being fat or thin, just their cruel actions. But again billy, I apologise if I have offended you.
Click to expand...

Yes I am sorry too Billie. The thing is you have done the calculations and your mare is the right type for you. That to me is the difference in this situation.

I do understand being obese too because I have lost 4st in the last year. I didn't actually look obese before I lost it and people would be surprised if they had known how heavy I was. My biggest fear is putting it back on because I have no will power and I know I have a bad relationship with food (comfort/reward etc).

I hope you find happiness, I really do.
 
frankly as a person who has suffered all her life with a lack of fluffiness (for a better word!) i find it insulting and hypocritical of someone who rants about bullying - to be called 'a stick' by the MD of Fuller Fillies on her facebook page.

i have struggled all my life to gain a healthy weight after suffering from anorexia and other eating disorders from my teens

pot, kettle, much? :confused:
 
DragonSlayer said:
Tell you what FF, I'm certainly no model, but I take offence then at your comment on your FB page saying '....REAL women in size 16-24'......

Are you implying then that those women who wear smaller sizes are not women? Talk about contradiction, your having a go at people who genuinely worry about a horse carrying weight and calling them all the names under the sun, yet you blantanly flaunt the fact you are calling smaller sized women not real...?
Click to expand...

well put dragonslayer

i suppose FF doesnt give a **** about skinny people's feelings though, after all she's not trying to flog us her eye bleedling patterned zebra print jods
 
What a thread ! I saw the pictures posted when it started, and was just horrified by them - the fact that the riders were WAY too heavy for the horse they were riding, and were more than likely causing the horse suffering - either now, or for the future.

I saw an article about a US "outsize beauty pageant" last week, and this just looked like terribly sad people trying to justify their weight, in a "we're in it together, so we must be ok" kind of situation.

The truth is that over-eating to that extent IS a serious eating disorder, and eating disorders are routed in self-esteem issues, fear, self loathing,and they are life - crippling. That is why this is such a difficult subject to discuss I guess. No-one that size can honestly be happy can they ? Food becomes a substitute for emotion ?

Then, you move on the fact that they are riding unsuitable horses - well if I saw some of those situations, I would be ringing the RSPCA straight away. And if I were to go onto that forum, I would be telling them that too.
 
Well going back to the original issue:

I will be very interested to see whether a 22" saddle can be correctly fitted to a horse. If it can be done correctly then fair enough. Personally I think that it is highly unlikely but I am willing to be proven wrong.

I am really shocked by the MD of Fuller Fillies comments on the facebook post, she is so dismissive and rude to some of the commenters on there, even ones who are standing up for those fuller fillies in the right. I will now be avoiding her company as while I agree that some comments on this thread have been awful, I don't believe she should stoop to the level she has.
 
Apercrumbie said:
Well going back to the original issue:

I will be very interested to see whether a 22" saddle can be correctly fitted to a horse. If it can be done correctly then fair enough. Personally I think that it is highly unlikely but I am willing to be proven wrong.
Click to expand...


I posted ^ this on the very first page. And again. And then again as soon as FF was quoted as I thought I'd have someone who could help answer it.

I couldn't give a flying frig about what weight people are. I just wanted, what seems to be most peoples, genuine concern/curiosity over HOW the saddles are designed to fit the horse and conformation v weight carrying ability, should a 22" saddle fit a horse back length.

Surely. If you're going to advertise your product, EXPLAIN how the design/use comes about. No different to someone asking how a WOW saddle is designed, or a Reactor Panel Saddle, or a Barefoot Saddle, etc. Is there a TYPE of horse it is made for specifically?

I cannot see why a saddle would be designed that has no practical use in the real world, so there MUST obviously be a way the saddle is deigned to be of beneficial, fitted use. How the design works, surely, should not be that con traversal to answer? I just want to know how it is made to fit the horse comfortably!
 
I only hope that if they do create a 22" seat and there is a horse that could genuinely take it that their seat sizes do not follow their clothing sizes, if you follow their measurement charts the sizes in inches are all a dress size or more bigger than the standard UK measurements ... and they have 6" of stretch built in too?! :confused:

http://www.fuller-fillies.co.uk/en/content/9-sizing-fit-information
 
Polly Peewee said:
I only hope that if they do create a 22" seat and there is a horse that could genuinely take it that their seat sizes do not follow their clothing sizes, if you follow their measurement charts the sizes in inches are all a dress size or more bigger than the standard UK measurements ... and they have 6" of stretch built in too?! :confused:

http://www.fuller-fillies.co.uk/en/content/9-sizing-fit-information
Click to expand...

I haven't looked at the link but vanity sizing does my head in :mad: Spent a whole day shopping (and I really, really hate shopping) for decent work clothes, and managed to buy a total of one dress (and I really, really hate dresses), which was in a petites size 6. I'm neither petite (i.e. under 5'3") or a size 6 :rolleyes:
 
rhino said:
I haven't looked at the link but vanity sizing does my head in :mad: Spent a whole day shopping (and I really, really hate shopping) for decent work clothes, and managed to buy a total of one dress (and I really, really hate dresses), which was in a petites size 6. I'm neither petite (i.e. under 5'3") or a size 6 :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Wonders if I buy from FF if I can be a petite size 6 too.....rushes to look! :o:D
 
Copperpot said:
Ah but if your a size 6 your not a real woman!! You are merely a stick ;)
Click to expand...

I wanna be a stick even if it's only in my head!!!

(At the hosp today with my daughter I said she has always been tall and naturally slim and the nurse said well she is just taking after her Mum. I could have snogged the woman:D:p:o, little does she know how unnatural, recent and hard gotten my "natural slimness" is!)
 
Out of interest. And I'm not a saddle fitter so not qualified to speak. I did stick a measure on my lot earlier for interests sake as it did get me thinking.

My long backed, conformationally incorrect TB [16.3hh if that matters],from his wither to his very last rib, and it came to 18 3/4". To the back of his loins, it came to just over 19 1/2". [Ridden normally in 17.5", but can fit an 18", but too big for me]

My Welsh D mare, 14.2hhish and again slightly long backed though a mare, measured wither to last rib 17 1/4". To back of loins, she's just over 17 3/4". [Ridden normally in a 17", more for my benefit though does fit her obviously, but she could easily get away with a 16 1/2".]

My youngster, traditional cob, a grand total of about 13 1/2" currently wither to loin. He's 2 1/2 so moot point and no relevance.

Hairy [15hh as heavy as you can get traditional adult cob], wither to last rib is 17 1/4. To loins, just under 18".

Again, I'm not a saddler so no qualified relevance, but just personal findings. Hence my curiousness to find out how the saddles are fitted.
 
I think what is worrying is the current trend in 'embracing' your curves etc etc which is all fine and well if you're a healthy weight for your size but carrying a few extra pounds. But when it comes to people who are 'overweight' and 'obese', why are companies creating products that seem to give the impression that not only is it ok to be overweight, but that its normal?

Why isn't obesity recognised as a serious eating disorder, as anorexia is? The UK"s no 1 killer is heart disease. The largest contributory factor to heart disease is fat!

But with equestrianism, its not just OUR health that's at risk if we're overweight, its the health of our animals. People say horses were 'bred' to carry weight etc, and they may well have been 100 years + ago, but these traits are no longer selected in breeding, or have been 'bred out' in favour of flashier horses capable of speed and agility, not weight bearing ability.

So I guess what I'm saying is that its worrying that a 22“ saddle is being marketed for those who cannot fit into an 18“. I just cannot see how conformationally any horse can cope with this size of saddle, especially if the bum sitting in it fills the entire saddle and puts pressure at the back near the kidneys, or the rider is not fit/balanced (likely) and doesn't seat on their seatbones.

I don't think its a good idea :(
 
At the risk of it all kicking off again, I rather think anyone who condones the riders backside overhanging the saddle & resting on the loins isn't going to be overly fussed about resting the saddle on them.
Back to current topic- re clothes sizing, I have a size 4 dress that is actually far roomier than any size 8, & a size 10 skirt that is smaller than a normal 8.
 
I also hate vanity sizing, makes clothes shopping so hard when you have to try everything on in 3 sizes and the changing rooms only let you take 4 things in! Grrr xx
 
copperpot - since you've already taken branch status I'm going to go for trunk of a sturdy sappling :D ( a good British variety that won't blow down in a storm:o) )
 
My unhorsey Nan asked me last year if I'd had a nice ride that morning. Said not really as my horse was bucking. She said perhaps its cos your too heavy for him now! He is 16.3hh and I'm 5ft 3" and had put on a bit of weight admittedly but was still under 9 stone! Said no Nan I don't think it's that lol.
 
I don't do 'sizings' as measurements between brands/garments/shops are so few and far between what the 'standard' average general UK size was/is. Buy for what fits :)

Example A. I'm generally a happy size 10 in bottoms, 12 on tops [depending on shop/ etc]. However. Bought a lovely jumper the other day, ignoring the size label on it as looking at it knew it would fit. Labelled a size 8.....a size 8 which fits a pair of E's in it with no struggle.....I'll be damned!!!!

[I'm not getting into the weight debate on here, as I couldn't give a frig. Been struggling with weight after a rather bad year and taken me over 2 years to be almost 'content' again. I gave up riding my 14.2hh pony mentioned previous, as I felt too heavy. I hated myself when I'd put on weight, as the only cause there was me, it's still probably my worst hang up now tbh, years on. Pony is now back, and happy to say riding her again :) ]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top