What horse could carry a 15 stone novice??

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awolstencroft

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What are peoples opinions on what type/breed/height could carry a 15 stone novice?

Although he does range from 13-15 stone depending on the time of year (he gets a little portly around Christmas but don't we all hehe) I am aware weight is carried 'heavier' when the rider isn't as well balanced etc so have gone with his heaviest...

A bit of back story - My boyfriend and I are hoping to buy some land and he is interested in starting riding to spend more time with me and the animals and so the obvious choice would be to expand our herd!

He would mainly be hacking maybe once a week or once a fortnight with a little bit of arena work between for him to gather the basics and the rest of the time I would be schooling it and taking it out and about etc...

Thanks - please no nastiness I know he has left it a little late to start!
 
awolstencroft said:
What are peoples opinions on what type/breed/height could carry a 15 stone novice?

Although he does range from 13-15 stone depending on the time of year (he gets a little portly around Christmas but don't we all hehe) I am aware weight is carried 'heavier' when the rider isn't as well balanced etc so have gone with his heaviest...

A bit of back story - My boyfriend and I are hoping to buy some land and he is interested in starting riding to spend more time with me and the animals and so the obvious choice would be to expand our herd!

He would mainly be hacking maybe once a week or once a fortnight with a little bit of arena work between for him to gather the basics and the rest of the time I would be schooling it and taking it out and about etc...

Thanks - please no nastiness I know he has left it a little late to start!
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It's never too late to start and there isn't really a type as such (obviously a fine arab/tb or anything too small is out) because it can be a very individual thing. I would think your best bet would be to find an older masters horse, 10-15 years old, been there, done it, fit and capable of the weight.

A mistake that is often made is getting a heavy horse to carry a heavy rider, but all that does is overload already loaded joints. Better a fit, well built horse and keeping it fit and well worked to cope.

On top of that is the obvious that the rider can always try to do something about their weight as well. You'd be surprised at the weight of some top, world class riders...on horses that are often quite fine, but both are fit and balanced.

Best of luck to you. After 8 years together, 7 of which he didn't really care for horses, I bought my fiance a lovely heavyweight cob for Christmas. He's a heavyweight, but never overweight, kept fit and Dan is 13.5st so no problems at all, but more importantly, he's a horse that knows how to use his back to carry the weight so he's more than capable.

It's a truly wonderful feeling to be able to hack out and enjoy it with the man you love so I hope you have a great time horse hunting and a wonderful horsey future together! :)
 
I understand all of that completly that completely... he has had a few rides on a friends shire x tb and loved it which is what makes me think I better get the next one a bit bigger! I am 5'6 and 9 stone so can almost ride anything! And my 14hh cob and 14.2hh Welsh X are definitely too small unless I get him a trap ;)

My boyfriend is 6'2 however so isn't overweight by any means... I have also said that too him and I'm sure he wouldnt mind slimming right down at least till he got his balance a little more!

One horse I have found today is a percheron cross andalusian, 9yo and considering those two breeds looks quite fine with big bone!
What do you think to that?

I hope you have have happy years together with your new cob too! :D
 
awolstencroft said:
I understand all of that completly that completely... he has had a few rides on a friends shire x tb and loved it which is what makes me think I better get the next one a bit bigger! I am 5'6 and 9 stone so can almost ride anything! And my 14hh cob and 14.2hh Welsh X are definitely too small unless I get him a trap ;)

My boyfriend is 6'2 however so isn't overweight by any means... I have also said that too him and I'm sure he wouldnt mind slimming right down at least till he got his balance a little more!

One horse I have found today is a percheron cross andalusian, 9yo and considering those two breeds looks quite fine with big bone!
What do you think to that?

I hope you have have happy years together with your new cob too! :D
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If he's just tall and not overweight, there isn't really an issue as such. So long as he takes it slowly so as not to become too unbalanced. It's usually "soft" weight as in excess fat that can with a horses movement, pull the rider off balance and leave the horse having to compensate that really causes the main issue with weight. An overweight rider who is riding fit and able to balance well isn't going to do any harm on a suitable horse.

A Percheron x would probably be perfectly fine...but you'll know when you find the right one. :)
 
Weight carrying ability is determined by bone and not height - a mistake a lot of people make is to go for a tall horse, rather than one with the conformation to carry weight. Whatever breed of horse you look at, I would go for something with a broad muscle mass across it's back, and also one that is comparatively short coupled.

Is the 15 stone the weight he would ride at (ie, fully dressed and with saddle etc) or what he actually weighs? That also has a bearing, in that you could easily add a stone, or a stone and a half, for clothes and tack.

At 6'2 and 15 stone, he is not overly heavy for his height and most draught types would carry him with ease. As _GG_ says, I would go for an older horse, as he will already have muscle developed to carry a rider. Young horses take time to develop appropriate muscles!

However if he's riding at say 16.5 stone, he will need something reasonably sturdy - I would go for a maxi cob type - broad enough back, sufficient bone, but not too ridiculously tall for a novice to ride. I would be looking at something 16.2-17hh - he won't be riding at dressage length, so doesn't have to worry about long legs hanging below the horse's elbows.

It also needs to be a horse you can manage and ride (and enjoy doing!)
 
You need a horse with at least 8.5" of bone. Many cobs - coloured or Welsh D and certainly a Cleveland Bay.

If you have fb look on my page www.facebook.com/racerarehorses. On the left there are lots of videos, scroll down to the bay mare with white bandages. She is as quiet as can be and very strong. Bred by us - commentary in English and French.
 
A friend of mine took on 2 retired horses from the police mounted section. They were both used to carrying a man's weight and were very well behaved.
 
Where do you measure bone exactly?

I was looking really for up to 16.2 because although he's tall he can be a bit of a baby about how for off the floor he feels!

How do I go about having an ex police horse? Like I said if it was younger I would keep it in work and if possible maybe look at eventing however if I also don't mind having an ex police for an easy life!

Also is a maxi cob literally just an oversize cob or is there a better classification of type??
 
In showing terms a cob should be no more than 15.1hh. A maxi cob is just an over height version and should have all the same positive attributes you'd look for in any good cob. Synthetic saddles and plastic stirrups can keep the weight of the tack down.
 
This stamp is what you need. This horse hunts carrying more than 15 stone.

DSCF3402_zpsghudjois.jpg
 
awolstencroft said:
Where do you measure bone exactly?

I was looking really for up to 16.2 because although he's tall he can be a bit of a baby about how for off the floor he feels!

How do I go about having an ex police horse? Like I said if it was younger I would keep it in work and if possible maybe look at eventing however if I also don't mind having an ex police for an easy life!

Also is a maxi cob literally just an oversize cob or is there a better classification of type??
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Bone is measured just below the knee, you would need more than 81/2 inches as most tb,s should have at least that, I would be looking at over 91/2 inches to be up to the weight you need carrying, so a maxi cob, although a proper show quality heavyweight at 15.1 would carry him and take up the leg easily enough but it may not be the type you want and unless you can find a retired from showing one it would be expensive and probably a but sharp for a novice.
A maxi is a cob that is overheight but still has real quality, you would probably be better off looking for a 1/2 bred old fashioned hunter type around 16-16..2 that has decent bone and a deep girth rather than a leggy sort that is tall but less able to carry the weight, 6ft2in is not really that tall, there are many pro riders of a similar height, Mark Todd had Charisma who was barely 15.2 and they did alright!!

It will not be easy to find but should not be impossible as you should have a reasonably flexible criteria, temperament being top of the list after the ability to carry him.
 
Like you say temperament is second priority... as long as the horse isn't being strained and my boyfriend is safe I can stretch my budget!

I shall take my tape measure with me and study my cob confirmation before I go! :D
 

One like this :) This is sisters Westphalian Kaltblud, 16hh and more bone than we can measure (more than 12") Short coupled and that's why she can carry weight. She also absolutely bomb proof and we honestley believe we could ride her down the hard shoulder of the motorway!
You'll have to get one like her, rather than her though as she is here for life :)
 
wow she is compact! she's lovely, is she very typical of the breed? also where did you find her? if its anywhere other than the general sale sites I think it is definitely worth a look!
:)
 
awolstencroft said:
wow she is compact! she's lovely, is she very typical of the breed? also where did you find her? if its anywhere other than the general sale sites I think it is definitely worth a look!
:)
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At the risk of upsetting the owner of the heavy mare, I would say a horse of that type would not be ideal to learn to ride on. The conformation of that type of horse does not lend itself to being able to work in an outline and with balance. Yes it is ideal if the rider wants to just sit on and amble, but no not ideal to learn to ride and progress.
 
When is 15 stone not 15 stone ? is Jesus involved, he walked on water, nice to hear that your boyfriend is going to start riding :-), wish my OH could ride.
 
I think it can depend on the aspirations of the novice and how novice they are :) It also depends on who else is riding the horse. I do agree that she can be heavy on the hand, if allowed to be, but can be ridden up to herself ifysim. This is an early pic of her, she has lost a lot of weight with us and although obviously her basic conformation hasn't changed, her musculature has :)
To the OP we found her on a general site, we think that she came to Engand with a warmblood foal in her, then probably went through York to be bought as a trecking/RDA horse. Sis saw her for sale about a year before we got her, then saw her again as the people who bought her from the RDA centre hadn't got on with her. We think she is fabulous, no she's no dressage star or showjumping supremo and we have three other horses that aren't anywhere near as heavy (two are Appy's) but she is the ultimate confidence giver :) We think that she is absoutely typical of her breed, and if OH has no ambitions to compete, but wants to hack safely on his own as well as with you, while you can keep the horse up to snuff the rest of the time, then they are ideal, I think for what you want. :)
 
Yes he wouldn't care about progressing past rising trot and a steady canter (down the beach for example)...

And as for me riding... I have my own two ponies to school properly etc, they are just too small for eventing.
HOWEVER that is not a major issue as long as I trust my OH is safe!

Pedantic if you are talking about when I said a 'heavy' 15 stone I am referring to how light you ride/hold yourself in the saddle... but yes 15 stone is 15 stone haha :) I am so glad he's interested, although if we weren't getting our own place I don't think he would be too keen on a new one if it meant another huge livery bill ;)

Thank you YorksG I will definitely keep my eye out for one similar to her, she's exactly the sort of horse he seems to gravitate towards at the yard!
 
AdorableAlice said:
At the risk of upsetting the owner of the heavy mare, I would say a horse of that type would not be ideal to learn to ride on. The conformation of that type of horse does not lend itself to being able to work in an outline and with balance. Yes it is ideal if the rider wants to just sit on and amble, but no not ideal to learn to ride and progress.
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Indeed AA the owner is upset:D But as you have never seen her in action, I will let you off. She is absolutely perfect for a beginner, which is what I understood the OP's OH to be. She has taught beginners before, she allows the rider to find their own balance and insists on a little more from them in each subsequent session. When she knows that they know how to ask for a turn, she will not turn without being given the aids, even if that means that she comes nose to fence!
She is definitely not a horse to amble on! She came to me with a reputation for running away with her rider but she now has tack that fits and hasn't done that here.. She will do as much or as little as the rider wants to do, so long as it doesn't involve having all four hooves off the ground at once! She is a well mannered responsive ride, and if you ride her correctly, she goes correctly - the epitome of a schoolmistress, I would say.
 
silv said:
Very nice horse, does he move as well as he looks?
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It's a girl, and no she does not move well enough to go county level sadly but she is a nice fun horse and an example of a horse with a touch of quality that is well able to carry more than 15 stone.

Here is another example of a weight carrier. Not mature yet and daft as a brush, but eventually would be suitable for a heavier novice rider. I do think the op will look long and hard for her ideal horse, they are rare types and usually very treasured family members.

P1010022_zpshzlsbm0t.jpg
 
Both your horses are love!y, AA and if you ever want to rehome them, do let me know:D

Just to add, the Westphalian would not be suitable as a first horse, she is far too opinionated! But in the situation OP described with an experienced owner/rider looking for a weight carrier to teach a beginner on, I think that something like her would be excellent. We did something similar with a Clydesdale many years ago.
 
I would say a large cob over 15.2 hands would be the most suitable. Taller horses are often not so strong as shorter boned stocky types.
 
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