What does 12 stone including tack actually look like?

[Mypinkpony]

There are also 'heavy riders' and 'light riders' regardless of their weight! There is a lady at our yard, quite old with no flex at all and she has a 14.3 arab, the mare struggles with her as she bangs in the saddle and sits like 'a sack of potatos' hanging on the reins (not trying to be mean but its just hard to explain). Whilst her rider who shows the arab weighs the same but is very light in her riding, well balanced and light hands the mare flows along with her looking completly different!

 

[Jesstickle]

I'm 5'2 and go between 9 and 9 1/2 stone. I could never get away with wearing that! I think a lot depends on diet. I'm very active but I live almost entirely on carbs so I know i'll always be chubby, but not necessarily heavy, IYKWIM.

I guess I must just be the human equivalent of a HW cob then

I'd much rather be a TB!

 

[gardenoftrees]

I'm 5'2 and go between 9 and 9 1/2 stone. I could never get away with wearing that! I think a lot depends on diet. I'm very active but I live almost entirely on carbs so I know i'll always be chubby, but not necessarily heavy, IYKWIM.

I'm the same height and weight as you and feel quite chubby even though my bmi is in the normal range. I don't however have a great deal of muscle. I think I need to ride more.

 

[Taisypops]

Yes

Thought I recgonised the horse, I used to livery there x

 

[sychnant]

Everyone looks great and much thinner than me although I am in the same bracket. Hummmm

Yes, same here. I am in this weight bracket and look HUGE!!!

 

[Flame_]

I guess I must just be the human equivalent of a HW cob then

I'd much rather be a TB!

You must just have muscles and dense bones. I'd be a little wobbly welshie who needs to stay off the molasses.

 

[catwithclaws]

i'd probably be slightly over this bracket if i'm honest

oh and excuse the big pic, how do u resize??

 

[Mitchyden]

I weigh 9st 10lb naked and with all my clothes, boots, hat, body protecter, saddle and stirrups it comes to 12st 5lb!!

 

[Dubsie]

Girls, girls, whoa there. What you are all forgetting is that most horses (flat race TBs excepted) were designed to carry sometimes heavy men in battledress -look at the horses that were requisitioned in the 1st WW and used for fighting-so I say don't beat yourselves up - you will know if you are too heavy to ride, the horse will tell you. (Runs for cover)!

I do think this when my daughter's stock 14h NF decides he would really prefer to go a bit faster when I don't. (I'm just over 13st)

 

[Littlelegs]

I'm with kerilli, horses don't usually tell you that you're too heavy unless you're ridiculous. I've seen too many horses tolerate pain, let alone discomfort, without showing any signs of it.

 

[AntxGeorgiax]

After working at a riding school, I can see why their weights are so silly. The poor horses have to have novices smack on their backs all day, so I guess anything above 12 stone is pushing it.
Unfortunately, for muscular men and women, muscle is known to weigh more than fat, so you could have a size 16, 14 stone toned and muscular woman like beyonce, or have a big fat slob who weighs the same or sometimes weighs less. Not only will the lighter fat slob not be fit enough so will rely solely on the horse to do all the work, but their wobbling tummy will set the horse out of balance!
The muscular person has not too much fat wobbling around so can hold their uppers body weight with their core muscles, meaning a nicer seat and a less tired/sore horse at the end.
If the majority of jockeys wanted to go to a riding school they would not fall in the weight limits, in the grand national of 2012 there was a few who were under 12 stone, and they aren't fat!
It is a case of the eyes being deceptive!
Unfortunately I am one of the fat slobs when I ride, but my very fine warmblood mare hasn't collapsed under my weight and will happily go out with me and have some fun

 

[BeesKnees]

Interesting thread and showing just how difficult it is to judge weight from how someone looks. So much will depend on how much of you is fat and how much muscle, not because muscle weighs more (that is a myth), but because someone who has a higher muscle level will look more toned and therefore 'slimmer'.

I also think the 'I look average' is a tricky argument as it depends on who you compare yourself with! If I go to health food shops I may feel fat in comparison, but if I go to Macdonalds I may feel normal or even skinny!

As a society we are getting fatter and changing shape. Just because many people carry a bit of weight these days, and therefore it seems 'normal', doesn't mean it isn't 'overweight' from a health point of view, and this is evidenced by increasing levels of weight related illness such as diabetes and heart disease and cancer.

 

[BeesKnees]

muscle is known to weigh more than fat

No that is a common fallacy. A stone weighs a stone, irrespective of whether it is fat, muscle, lead or feathers. It just looks different as the density will be different - so a stone of lead will look a lot smaller in volume than a stone of feathers.

 

[AntxGeorgiax]

I have to say this thread has inspired me to lose weight! There are a lot of lovely pics from people I would have thought weigh 7 or 8 stone,, so in a way to know you're not as small as that makes me think my goal will be reachable! I'm currently at 14 stone something ( please don't be horrid I'm being dead honest and it's embarrassing to say) and my goal is somewhere around 11-13 for me, weight is important but the state your are in is more so, so I'd rather be a lean, fit, muscular 13 stone than a fat dumpy 11 stone if you understand what I mean.
Any tips for losing weight? I came off my horse the other day and slipped a disc so no running or walking for me at the min, no riding either! However, any exercise suggestion for when I can walk again?

 

[kerilli]

Yes, muscle is denser so takes up less room. So, a stone of muscle will be a lot leaner-looking than a stone of fat. Hence the deceptiveness of some photos.
BeesKnees is right, as a society we are getting much fatter. It's shocking if you're old enough to have noticed the gradual creep. When I was at school there was ONE token 'fat kid' in the school. Honestly. Out of hundreds of us, one kid was truly fat, the rest of us were middling or skinny. Now it is probably 50% or more.
As I said above, being overweight or obese is totally that person's choice, nobody else's business, as long as there isn't a living breathing injure-able animal involved. But if there is, i truly believe that the rider owes it to that animal to work at staying light enough to make its life easier, and longer.
Oh, and I forgot... when my far-too-heavy-for-my-mare cousin (my bad) was riding her, the first inkling I had that she had a problem, was stepping down off the curb onto the road to cross it, she tripped. She never tripped, she was 100% surefooted and well-shod. That extra 7 stone of weight surprised her and she lost her balance for a second... very easy to do damage, if overladen...

 

[AntxGeorgiax]

No that is a common fallacy. A stone weighs a stone, irrespective of whether it is fat, muscle, lead or feathers. It just looks different as the density will be different - so a stone of lead will look a lot smaller in volume than a stone of feathers.

That's destroyed my excuse for being fat! Gosh must diet hardcore now!
Tips for fat burn and cardio? How do you post a pic? And I'll put one up of me at 14 stone.

 

[Jesstickle]

As a society we are getting fatter and changing shape. Just because many people carry a bit of weight these days, and therefore it seems 'normal', doesn't mean it isn't 'overweight' from a health point of view, and this is evidenced by increasing levels of weight related illness such as diabetes and heart disease and cancer.

That certainly is true. But then how do you decide what is overweight? Because as previously mentioned I was told to watch my weight when I was 10 stone by a health care professional and I really think that was ridiculous. If they can't offer sensible advice what help is there for the rest of us?!

 

[kerilli]

I have to say this thread has inspired me to lose weight! There are a lot of lovely pics from people I would have thought weigh 7 or 8 stone,, so in a way to know you're not as small as that makes me think my goal will be reachable! I'm currently at 14 stone something ( please don't be horrid I'm being dead honest and it's embarrassing to say) and my goal is somewhere around 11-13 for me, weight is important but the state your are in is more so, so I'd rather be a lean, fit, muscular 13 stone than a fat dumpy 11 stone if you understand what I mean.
Any tips for losing weight? I came off my horse the other day and slipped a disc so no running or walking for me at the min, no riding either! However, any exercise suggestion for when I can walk again?

AntxGeorgiax, good for you! Must admit I'm a bit of a dieting nerd...
Low-carbing works like a charm, you can eat well (and plenty - I still eat like the proverbial), you don't have to starve yourself, it's just a case of making different new habits, substituting veggies for carbs, for example. I used to live on pasta and bread, thought I couldn't survive without them, it took a while to retrain myself. The Dukan diet is a good place to start, just the book and the free online calc, don't bother with the £££s support imho, not necessary.

Oh, and exercise... walking, and HIT (high intensity training, literally as hard as you can possibly go for 20 seconds, three times in a session, twice a week) has profound results. I can explain the rationale behind it (thanks to Jon Gabriel's The Gabriel Method) if you like. Awesome stuff. Reprogramme your basal level, kind of thing.

 

[AntxGeorgiax]

Where can I find duken diet?
Little info about me...
I don't eat big portions of eat unhealthily, I have about 3 packets of crisps a week (life's only food pleasure) don't eat lots of carbs, mostly meat fish and veg.
1-2 meals a day and a lot of exercise daily. Apart from now i can't walk. And all carbs I eat ( not pasta) are whole grain, like brown bread, if I eat rice it's brown rice. Always fresh cooked food, we rarely eat microwave meals
The doctor doesn't understand why I put on weight, and no one seems to understand. I only 15 so weight watchers, diet drinks etc are something I don't want to think about and my mum wouldn't let me anyway.
If I put a pic on Facebook and put the link up will you all be able to see?

 

[Coblover63]

I weigh 9st 10lb naked and with all my clothes, boots, hat, body protecter, saddle and stirrups it comes to 12st 5lb!!

Gosh, that's really interesting... that's nearly THREE stone extra!!

 

[BeesKnees]

That's destroyed my excuse for being fat! Gosh must diet hardcore now!
Tips for fat burn and cardio? How do you post a pic? And I'll put one up of me at 14 stone.

Sorry about ruining the excuse

If you want to lose weight, it really isn't rocket science. The mechanism is calories in vs calories expended. The ways diets differ is partly in ways to manipulate those calories, and to fit in with constantly changing theories about which types of food groups may increase blood sugar, which leads to insulin release, which encourage the body to lay down fat.

The easiest things you can do diet-wise are reduce portion size, increase the amount of veg you eat (not so much fruit as this is basically sugar), cut down on refined carbs (crisps,white bread, cakes, biccies, white rice etc), choose lower-fat protein (chicken and fish rather than sausages) and stop snacking!

Exercise-wise - build more muscle! Muscle is 'energy hungry' and continues the burn calories for hours after you have stopped exercising. Cardio is important for CV health and fitness, but hours on a treadmill are not necessary for fat-burning. Make sure you get advice as resistance training can cause injury if not done with good technique.

 

[Jesstickle]

O. And very briefly I wanted to add that it is perfectly possible to be heavier and fit and be as healthy as a skinny unfit person. Or so the most recent study into this sort of thing says anyway.

So perhaps it would be healthier to worry about fitness rather than get hung up on weight?

 

[kerilli]

Where can I find duken diet?
Little info about me...
I don't eat big portions of eat unhealthily, I have about 3 packets of crisps a week (life's only food pleasure) don't eat lots of carbs, mostly meat fish and veg.
1-2 meals a day and a lot of exercise daily. Apart from now i can't walk. And all carbs I eat ( not pasta) are whole grain, like brown bread, if I eat rice it's brown rice. Always fresh cooked food, we rarely eat microwave meals
The doctor doesn't understand why I put on weight, and no one seems to understand. I only 15 so weight watchers, diet drinks etc are something I don't want to think about and my mum wouldn't let me anyway.
If I put a pic on Facebook and put the link up will you all be able to see?

http://www.dukandiet.co.uk/en/336-d...-method.html?gclid=CJHCir-8xrICFUPHtAodIFwA5w
free calculator thingy on rhs.
BUT if you are only 15... hmm, I would be very very careful then. Tbh I think you need to eat more regularly, at least 3 meals a day, ideally 4 or 5 small meals to regulate your blood sugar levels.
Brown rice is better but it's still carbs... BUT you are still growing up, bones still growing etc, so I would, tbh, be very cautious. Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals, take a supplement, eat lots of green veggies.

Not aimed at you, but apparently we are the first generation ever to be in a situation where it is possible to be obese and yet lacking in basic essential vitamins and minerals - essentially, obese but malnourished. That is a HUGE problem, bodies demanding more food because they need nutrients, not calories per se...

 

[kerilli]

O. And very briefly I wanted to add that it is perfectly possible to be heavier and fit and be as healthy as a skinny unfit person. Or so the most recent study into this sort of thing says anyway.

So perhaps it would be healthier to worry about fitness rather than get hung up on weight?

Hmm, but we are talking about horses carrying weight here. I'm sure a horse would rather carry an 8 stone not-very-fit person than an 18 stone super-fit person. As said before, you can't ride lighter than you physical weight, although of course if unbalanced, inexperienced, thumping up and down you can do more damage with your weight.
Weight matters when you are sitting on a living suspension bridge.

 

[BeesKnees]

W
I don't eat big portions of eat unhealthily, I have about 3 packets of crisps a week (life's only food pleasure) don't eat lots of carbs, mostly meat fish and veg.
1-2 meals a day and a lot of exercise daily. Apart from now i can't walk. And all carbs I eat ( not pasta) are whole grain, like brown bread, if I eat rice it's brown rice. Always fresh cooked food, we rarely eat microwave meals
The doctor doesn't understand why I put on weight, and no one seems to understand. I only 15 so weight watchers, diet drinks etc are something I don't want to think about and my mum wouldn't let me anyway.
If I put a pic on Facebook and put the link up will you all be able to see?

At your age you need to ensure you eat regularly. Missing meals is one reason why people put on weight, as the body grabs all the calories you put in and stores it. You need 3 meals a day, especially as the brain uses glucose as fuel, so its important to keep your blood sugar levels steady. There is now evidence for intermittent fasting, but again at your age you should just focus on healthy balanced eating and exercise.

I'd suggest low glycaemic index rather than low carb. There is now concern that the low carb diets, whilst very effective for weight loss, may increase heart disease, though this may be due to people thinking they can eat any protein, including high fat stuff. I've certainly fallen into that camp, and now focus on healthier proteins.

Try not to get too obsessed, just focus on healthy choices and your goal. Slow steady loss is much the best way.

 

[Mickyjoe]

I'm with kerilli, horses don't usually tell you that you're too heavy unless you're ridiculous. I've seen too many horses tolerate pain, let alone discomfort, without showing any signs of it.

I have to agree. I hate hearing very heavy people saying that their fine boned tb carries them without a problem.. Usually the people saying that are not very experienced riders and wouldn't know if the horse was struggling unless it opened its mouth and TOLD THEM.

 

[ecrozier]

Kerilli I'm interested in this HIT thing, I've been trying to run 3 days a week over summer (know running isn't the best exercise for riders but I take the dog with me so it's a case of two birds/one stone), but can see that being tricky once hours of daylight are reduced...
Plan on trying to run once during week and once at weekend and contemplating getting the bike out of the shed but all need to be 30 mins plus of daylight so anything that can be done in less time with good effect would be handy!
How does the HIT work?

 

[Jesstickle]

Hmm, but we are talking about horses carrying weight here. I'm sure a horse would rather carry an 8 stone not-very-fit person than an 18 stone super-fit person. As said before, you can't ride lighter than you physical weight, although of course if unbalanced, inexperienced, thumping up and down you can do more damage with your weight.
Weight matters when you are sitting on a living suspension bridge.

Agreed. But given that we've managed to convince a 15 year old that she has to lose weight for her horses sake I thought it might be nice to try and give some normal advice rather than compounding the problem further.

 

[Mickyjoe]

Kerilli I'm interested in this HIT thing, I've been trying to run 3 days a week over summer (know running isn't the best exercise for riders but I take the dog with me so it's a case of two birds/one stone), but can see that being tricky once hours of daylight are reduced...
Plan on trying to run once during week and once at weekend and contemplating getting the bike out of the shed but all need to be 30 mins plus of daylight so anything that can be done in less time with good effect would be handy!
How does the HIT work?

Why isn't running good exercise for riders? I have already run one half marathon this year (and numerous 10ks) and am training for my second one. I also own and compete three horses. I find they go nicely hand in hand.
I do all my training during the week during my lunchtime hour from work. Get a good, hilly 4 mile in, showered and back at my desk three times a week. It's a great way to still get the exercise even when the evenings get longer.

 

[marmalade76]

BeesKnees is right, as a society we are getting much fatter. It's shocking if you're old enough to have noticed the gradual creep. When I was at school there was ONE token 'fat kid' in the school. Honestly. Out of hundreds of us, one kid was truly fat, the rest of us were middling or skinny. Now it is probably 50% or more.

Totally agree, there were very few fat kids when I was at school, only one or two per class.