Many riders too heavy for their mounts – study
British research suggests only one in 20 riders may be within what they describe as the optimum weight range for their horse.
The study found that a third of recreational riders were too big for their horse, leaving the animals at risk of back troubles and lameness.
Roughly two-thirds of riders in the survey fell within the satisfactory range for body weight when assessed against their mount.
The findings have been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour.
The researchers from Duchy College, in Cornwall, tracked a group of horses and their adult riders from stables across Devon and Cornwall.
An industry practitioner proposed a 10 per cent rider-to-horse ratio for optimum performance, up to 15 per cent as satisfactory and a level of 20 per cent to be a welfare issue.
Just 5 per cent of the riders involved in the study met the optimum threshold.
The study revealed that 32 per cent of the riders weighed more than 15 per cent of the weight of their animal, which is considered to pose a welfare risk.
The remaining 63 per cent were 10 to 15 per cent of the weight of their horse.
» Working out the weight of your horse
Equitation scientist Dr Hayley Randle, who conducted the study with Emma Halliday, suggested guidelines be put into place to protect horses from overweight riders.
She said the health impact on the horse from riders who were too heavy could become quite extreme, quite quickly.
Behavioural problems such as bucking and rearing could result.
Randle said the guidelines for riding weights were not widely known by those in the horse industry.
The weight guidelines, she added, did not take account of all factors, such as the age and breed of the horse, the kind of riding to be undertaken, or the experience of the rider.
While riding schools had rules in place over the weight of riders, it was often private owners who were harming their own horses, she said.
The study, the aim of which was to assist in the identification of rider to horse body-weight ratios to optimise ridden performance and welfare, involved assessment of 50 horse-rider combinations. All riders were 18 years old or more.
“Since observed rider-to-horse body-weight ratios varied between 14.2 and 16.6 per cent, the suggested 10 per cent guideline appears unrealistic within the general riding population,” the authors noted.
They said they hoped their findings would go some way toward allowing the development of a scientifically based guideline allowing informed decisions to be made on horse-rider suitability.
There were currently no industry-wide guidelines for the suitability of rider weight to horse size, they noted.
“Simple measures of rider weight can be used effectively to develop sensible rules upon which decisions about rider suitability for a particular horse can be made,” they said.
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What a crock… someone had better tell the US Cavalry back in the 1900’s that they were overloading their horses and strangely enough they managed to stay sound over distance and many days use…
Their maximum was for approximately 480kg horse, 75kg rider and 41kg of gear… so 116kg of gear and rider on a 480kg horse comes out at 24% of the horses body weight maximum.
I suspect the Cavalry had a much better idea about what horses could carry and stay sound due to experience, because they needed their horses sound. Those horses worked and weren’t just paddock pets who got ridden maybe an hour a day 😛
Someone had also better let those riding endurance know that their minimum weight to be carried is also over 10% of the horses body weight. Those horses also seem to be just fine given the very strict criteria they have for vetting after each loop for completion.
Im guessing after all the effort youve made to back up your point that youre a bit of a chubber then. Poor horse
I am guessing based on your comment that your a bit of a jerk?
Janine I agree with Lumière. Your comment was childish. I have a big boned 15.1 hand Paint who weighs 1200 pounds. I am a 5’7″ tall 56 year old woman and weigh 140lbs. I guess I am too chubby for my horse even though I am in excellent shape.
Serious question for you Janine. The average Arabian horse weighs 900lbs….do you mean to tell me that only 90 pound people can ride an Arab? What about a Morgan they weigh an average of 1000 pounds. So only 100 pound people should ride them?
I weigh about 120 which means I would have to ride a 1200 pound horse or bigger. That is to big of a horse for me. All but one of my horses are in the 800 to 1,000 range and they have all been able to carry me with no problem with their backs or legs. They also don’t complain when I mount them. I think the 20% of the horses weigh for the rider and tack is a reasonable goal that needs to be adjusted for the type of horse, age and condition and also the condition and riding skills of the rider.
I agree also rosie with lumiere.. and you.. I ride a 14.1 half arab half welsh hes pretty solid.. I down sized because with a smashed up knee I cannot get off a bigger horse, in a hurry, ie cars ,trucks motorbikes at speed down our metal road… so should i give up riding altogether ?..
It’s not so much the weight the horse has to carry but whether he/she is carrying a rider or a passenger. If you ride and carry yourself properly the horse can carry more weight. I know I’m heavier than I should be for my horse but we can go out on the trails for hours and hours and rip the trails up and never come back in sweaty and worn out. My mare is up and ready the next morning raring to go again.
How rude! My Farrier told me that the person who had the best seat on a horse he’d ever seen was a woman over 300lbs. You’re a jerk alright. Judgemental twat.
You are a rude individual. And shame on you.
American Tai Chi instructor Kris Garrett did a thermo graphic comparison of an unbalanced light rider compared to a heavier balanced rider and the balanced rider had far less effect to the horses back. Where is the proof that this is the case or is it just someone else’s say so. Many people would be over horsed if they were at a 10% ratio to their horse. Many other factors have to be taken into consideration over the horses welfare before this, a well cared for horse with a correctly fitted saddle that is fit, healthy and fed properly should come first.
Agreed this is the stupitest thing I have ever heard of, these kind of people need to stop wasting time & money on all their reserch on something they know nothing about.
I’m glad to see that there was an actual study comparing a heavy, balanced rider against a lighter unbalanced one. Because it’s common knowledge where I come from that a balanced rider, whatever their weight, is much, much easier on a horse’s back than an unbalanced one. Rearing as a response to overweight also seems highly unlikely to me. If the horse was strained, he would only strain himself more. It also seems a very unscientific study when it starts out, “an industry practitioner PROPOSED a 10 to 1 ratio.” A 10 to 1 ratio is about the ratio of a jockey to a racehorse, and they have to starve themselves to make the weight. I weigh 130, so I’d have to ride a draft cross to meet their criteria. Ridiculous!
I had to crack up about the part that said a horse with a far too heavy rider would buck or rear. If the rider is really too heavy, that horse will be unable to do all of the above. I do agree that common sense should prevail. The 1100 to 1200 pound trail horses that are common around here carry riders up to 200 pounds and tack weighing up to 50 pounds. It comes down to conditioning and exercising the horse, not just slapping a heavy rider on them and telling them to go. And yes, an educated, balanced rider of any weight will always be easier to carry. As a trail rider I try to keep my weight under 150 pounds, and I also try to keep myself in good enough shape that I could walk out on my own two feet at least 8 miles, should my horse have an injury.
Amen finally a sensible answer. Conditioning of the horse is a major role and the skill of the rider very important. aAso include the weight of the saddle. 20% seems more reasonable
The only problem is that many riders don’t realize how unbalanced they are and when a heavy rider is unbalanced for a short time it can cause quite a shock, I’m not a small rider and I’m not picking on anyone but I see a lot of big riders who say they are balanced but so often their weight will shift slightly and they are risking the horses back. Just last week a girl who weights about 130kg rode my little mare and she has been sore for 3 weeks after despite only walking and she claimed to be a good rider. The saddle I use fits and I ride her in it for evening but she was still very sore. The same horse two months ago did a 4 hour trail in walk trot and canter with 2 teens(one behind the saddle) on her and wasn’t sore at all(both weighed about 60kg) because they were small enough and not unbalanced. Every horse and rider combo has different results , it think that’s what I’ trying to say.
Sandy, hello from cloudy Virginia,
Yes, I agree that there are many factors to be considered. Overall, though (although this is a poor study) one can see heavier riders at any event or school. In my earlier days at riding academies (and this was in Ireland), there were no heavy riders and the schools were strict about that. I recently looked at an equestrian vacation site (also in Ireland) and they stated in the information that riders had to be 200 lbs or under.
A number of equine veterinary studies note that about 90% of horses have back issues, certainly not all due to overweight riders, but still, that’s most concerning. Yet, there are some heavier riders who would not be in the ‘ideal group’ who are excellent equestrians and their horses do fine.
I think, as riders, we all need to consider the health of the horse in this respect and most riders I know, do. I weigh 117 lbs. My off-track thoroughbred is 1200, so with the English saddle added, that’s about 132. Sometimes, we forget tack weight. Any veterinarian who is worthy will tell you that horses were not designed to carry weight on their backs, so we all need to be careful and — at least, I feel — do our best to watch our weight. However, as an older rider (63) my balance is not as good as a younger, heavier rider who has good balance.
All such considerations do come into play here.
I think the most important consideration is to keep learning, be the best rider you can be, give your horse breaks (during longer rides, such as trail rides), and have him checked by a veterinarian twice a year, during spring and fall shots.
We are all athletes, our horses and their humans, (whether in competition or not) and we work hard to do our best.
If we can stay under the 15% area, it’s in the interest of our horses.
Wishing you a good day, safe and happy riding, and good health to you and your horse.
Best wishes,
Nuala
Also, look at eventers back in the day, when they were doing the full 3 day event, with a compulsory weight, of I think it was 75kg? And if that was a lighter rider, some of that was made up with lead. Was there general assessment that horses were struggling to make it round the course due to the weight they were carrying? Because I really do not think that an in training event horse would weigh 750kg?
If a horse is sound, has a good suspension system in front, has a heavier build for his size and good strong back, shorter rather than longer and no other health issues he should be able to carry 20% or more of his own weight. Now if he’s a 2000 lb draft, he probably can handle a 400 lb person on his back, but how many 400 lb people ride regularly and balanced? If there is an issue it would be with the riders ability which can’t be optimum at 400 lbs. A 14 hand cob type horse weighing in at 1000 to 1200 lbs with a size three foot should have no problem carrying 200 lbs.
And then there is the use. That is important. Lots of babyboomers here in the states want to get out on the trails, they only want to walk or walk and trot for less than five hours a week. A healthy horse should be able to do this at 25 or 30% of its own weight if the rider is balanced and light and manages their time in the saddle wisely. I think the absolute most important items is the health of the horse, the balance of the rider and the fit of the saddle. The last can be difficult because there are so few people knowledgeable about fit and these draft cross types often need a very expensive saddle or several saddles tried before the fit is right.
Here at my farm, the only requirement for my riders that will only ride at a walk for one hour or less is that they have enough physical balance and strength to mount alone properly from a mounting block. I’ve had heavier riders that were ex-athletes such as football players and the horse looks happy and content under almost 280 lbs of rider but I’ve had 130 lb women with stress and bad balance make a horse cringe.
Weight is not an issue by itself. The problem is that few people put into action all three issues that need to be addressed to properly mount a heavier rider.
I wonder why they havent taken horse breeds and their bone mass into account. Weight is different when build is added as a variable!
That is so true. Pasos are known to be able to carry heavy weight and they are a lot more narrow and shorter than the large breeds.
Some friends of mine on an equestrian discussion group have been trying to track down the research backing this 10% recommendation. Despite obtaining the original abstract of the girl’s paper – the full paper is not yet published – there is no citation of source.
Basically, this poorly conducted, unsound research forming part of a PhD thesis to be presented to people who don’t really have much idea either.
Sue – there is no citation of source for a simple reason. There is no source of those quoted percentages and their significance.
It took some digging, and a bunch of . . . ‘factually inaccurate’ e-mails from Hayley Randle before we established that.
First she said the figures were proposed by an Austrain, Dr T Licka. But another friend e-mailed Dr Licka – who replied that, despite years of research into the effects of various loads on horses’ bodies, she had been unable to arrive at ANY meaningful guidelines!
Hayley Randle then agreed that, in fact, those figures had not been proposed by Dr Licka – but saiid that other people had expressed agreement with them, but still she failed to provide any references to published research on which such figures were based!
If you’d like to read up on what we found, after some ruthless digging, have a look at this thread, on which I post as Brown Bob. It honestly barely qualifies for the title of junk science.
http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/ee/forums/index.php/topic,49298.0.html
the folks that are saying this is a crock I’m assuming are ALL overweight it’s funny how everyone has an (opinion) why don’t you Nay Sayers get down on all fours and strap a bunch of weight on your back and go for a nice long walk, trot/gallop/up/down/over/through/jump/etc….. AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE AN EDUCATED STATEMENT….
Well, maybe some of the people who are saying it’s a crock are overweight, but that doesn’t make them wrong. I weigh 130 and I say it’s a crock. Your analogy is faulty. The horse carrying the rider’s weight would be comparable to a person carrying a backpack. If the person is sturdier-built, he can carry more weight. A 280 lb. football player can carry more weight than a 280 lb. sedentary office worker. A fit person can carry more weight than an unfit one. And if the backpack is well balanced, the weight is easier to carry than if it’s unbalanced- no matter what the weight of the person carrying it. I’ve made a living working with horses my entire life, so I do know a little about the subject.
How long have you being associated with horses? How many have you ridden?
I have been around horses my whole life, over 40 years, and have competed, and instruct.
According to this study, children would not even be suitable for riding ponies. That is the absolute definition of a crock of crap!
This sort of BS, if enforced, would lead to a rash of eating disorders in riders, and/or many horses being destroyed because their rider is overweight.
And seriously, who the hell is going to force a woman to get on a set of scales in public to be weighed?
Mustangsaver – you can assume all you like. Unlike you, some of us are prepared to dig into the background of this so-called ‘scientific research’, and guess what we found?
It’s about as scientific as a lucky dip.
so why don’t YOU read through this thread, read the e-mails friends and I got back from Hayley Randle, and others who, UNlike Hayley Randle, had verifiable published research to back up their claims?
http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/ee/forums/index.php/topic,49298.0.html
And THEN YOU CAN MAKE AN EDUCATED STATEMENT – based on facts and reality, rather than on spite and ignorance.
Whoa Nelly! These “researchers” did EXACTLY what they set out to do: Provoke discussion! (Unfortunately body weight is such a heated issue that so many of these replies are rude and pushy.) As an “equine professional” as most of us claim to be after about 6 months, I find the real problem for HORSES is that the big butts are smashed into TOO SMALL SADDLES. Therein lies the real pain for the horse – whether vanity or what – there is no way a 17 inch AP works for a 46 inch hip – nor a 15 inch Western. All that human “quality” is concentrated onto a very small surface area increasing the focal PSI exponentially. Consider this! Thank you.
I read the entire article and I am not over weight and for my age in very good shape. I am 5’7″ tall 56 years old and weigh 140lbs. Do you think I am overweight???
According to the article I am not in the optimum weight for my heavy boned 15.1 Paint…. YOU YOURSELF quoted “And then you can make an educated statement” BUT in your first sentence you stated you were ASSUMING so not very educated when you assume.
I agree with ALL the “naysayers” above…….I have packed on OVER half my body weight and hiked for several miles while in the Corps with no recompense…….AND I weigh 100lbs dripping wet! That being said….this article is the biggest load of crap that does not take into account any pertinent information in regards to how much weight each individual horse can carry safely. It’s a “one size fits all” article and we all know that one size NEVER fits ALL. I currently own 9 horses ranging in weight from 900 – 1400lbs from all walks of life mostly rescues….my 15hh paint gelding is only allowed to carry me right now because he was never taught to properly carry his own weight much less a rider added on….but my 14.2 1000lb paint mare is nice and stocky with beautiful natural collection and has no problem carrying my 130lb beginner husband who is also naturally balanced for all day trail rides walk/trot with no issues, no signs of soreness and no loss of her bubbly personality. Size is NOT the only consideration when matching a rider to a horse and vice versa!
Not nice at all. I broke back on a rescue horse to get it adopted and if your 60 and bedridden you can just eat air and gain weight. I was an avid rider who is 158 walking and dieting to get back on my horse and those stats on this story are crapola, even when I weighed 140 and rode a Trakner.
So let me get this straight, a 1000 pound horse can only carry a 100 pound rider? And how many adults are 100 pounds? Like 2%? hahahahhahaha. I do think that if you are like 300 you should not be riding, but this article is just ridiculous.
Just an observation but, we guess the horses’ weight and equipment. I wonder how far off people are when they guess the weight of the horse, without putting them on a scale or another accurate method for weight.
Deb – in this study, a friend of mine bought a copy of the abstract of the paper in question. They used very accurate and calibrated digital scales to weigh the riders, but what did they use to weigh the horses?
A weight tape . . .
Even the firms who make those things warn that they will only give you an approximate guide!
And when you start digging into it, it gets way, way worse.
They’d need to trailer it to a farm store with truck scales then remove horse and weigh empty trailer. I fid show cattle this way. Maybe they were smart enuf to do this.
Oh please. Not all of us are heavy but this is such a waste of money, money that could be used to save the abandoned, starving horses all over the UK. What about different bone density, different breeds of horses, ages and experience. Some of these guys need to get a life….
haha, the only ones saying this is crap are the fat ones in denial. You ladies keep telling yourself that your horse is sturdy enough to carry you but don’t ask the people around you.
Hybridhorsemanship – maybe instead of insulting other people, you should try checking the FACTS in this case, eh?
Unlike you, some of us are prepared to go the extra mile and ask awkward questions – and to keep digging when people try to fob us off.
In the world of women rescuing horses from kill buyers you’d be called a Twerp. I’m sure in your narcissistic mind you believe you are the best to determine what and who can meet your standards.
i am 125-130 lbs. my own horse under a new study on weight is 1250 lbs. my partnered horse at work is 900. are you going to tell me im over weight? cited research states 17-21% is the normal limit on a horse based on breed.
Maybe all of you who are saying this is crap need to get off your fat butts and lose some weight. Stop trying to make excuses about it like saying this research is bunk.. because it isn’t. Common sense would dictate that horses can’t cope with fat people on them.
But that’s just it. You’re so wrong because this ‘research’ isn’t saying that fat people are hard on horses, it’s saying that anyone over 10% of the horse’s weight is. So for a normal 1000 lb riding horse, anyone over 100 lbs is too heavy? Seriously? Only someone who knows NOTHING about horses would ever dream that up.
Is a normal riding horse 1000 lbs? I always thought it would be more. My 14hh weighs more than that and I would say that he was smaller than the ‘average adults horse’
Someone should take into account endurance horses and riders. Competitive endurance horses cover thousands and thousands of miles over all types of terrain and in all conditions. Their riders are quite fit out of necessity, but come in every body type and size. There are 100 lb riders and there are 220 lb riders, and they almost always ride Arabians, who are known for smaller bodies and denser bone.
I’m certainly no “fat chick denier” as several have stated above. I’m a competitive endurance rider that sees (and owns) endurance horses that soundly compete into their 20s. An over-stressed horse with an overweight rider would never be able to log thousands of sound miles over 10-20 years of active training and competition.
The story describes 10 per cent as the optimum weight. Seems to make good sense to me. The optimum weight is surely one where the animal can perform to the absolute best of its athletic ability with a rider. I imagine most jockeys would weigh roughly 10 per cent of the weight of a thoroughbred? Optimum. I’m a runner and have a healthy body mass index. It’s certainly not the optimum for running, which would be much lower. The report describes up to 15 per cent as satisfactory, which puts a 75kg rider on a 500kg horse. Seems reasonable to me.
People seem to have go it into their heads that if they weigh more than 10 per cent of the weight of their horse, they shouldn’t be riding it. Not so, on my reading of the report.
I concur with Nell and will expand on Nell’s comments: If the “performance” being considered requires speed or agility, then lighter and leaner is typically optimal. Consider competitive runners — light and lean, also in the sense of % body fat (and yes, there is eventually a decline in performance when an athlete reaches too low of a weight or % body fat, but that is not applicable to the “horse vs rider weight” because a rider only can increase the “total weight” felt by the horse). Does this mean that a heavy person cannot run for an hour every day? No. It just means that their ideal performance would be more likely attained at a lighter weight and leaner body composition. Furthermore, it is a commonly accepted rule among runners that running performance increases with EACH pound of weight loss: 2 sec per pound per mile (losing 10 lbs means an automatic increase in speed by 20 sec per mile, without actually increasing fitness — this is a substantial performance gain). Fitness and body composition go together to achieve optimal performance. So considering all of this, a light and lean horse who is in peak body composition and fitness, will be essentially hindered by EVERY pound that is placed on its back. If a horse could execute a flawless Grand Prix dressage test without a rider, would it be less effort for the horse than if it had a rider on its back? Yes. But, a horse would not execute a flawless Grand Prix test without a rider giving moment-by-moment guidance and feedback. And, if two riders are matched in skills and ability, the lighter rider will essentially impede the horse less. There is a reason that light jockeys ride horses in races, where optimal athletic performance by the horse is necessary. A trail horse going for a weekend ride is not being conditioned athletically to win the next race and peak for optimal performance. However, if those goals change and that horse is now being conditioned for such an event, then the “entire package”, rider included, needs to strive for a total/combined horse-rider peak performance. The overall point is that *optimal* performance, just like in human sports, tends to gravitate toward a certain weight, height, body composition, etc.
I agree with you,it is only common sense to watch your weight. Healthier for yourself as well as for your horse. It doesn’t mean stop doing what you love,it means look after what you love. And isn’t it what we all strive for? Our equine happiness is our bliss.Blessed day!
This load of nonsense would also rule a lot of children out of riding ponies. Who seriously believes that a Welsh Mountain Pony is incapable of carrying an adult?
And what the bleeding heck would a damned Tai Chi instructor know about horses?
We’ve had our 12hh Welshy, and 12.1hh Riding pony weighed, and according to this study, my 9 year old nephew would be too heavy for both of them.
the boere in the anglo-boer war won but never looked at their weight, just being good riders was their succes!!
Like someone else – what a complete waste of money and what utter nonsense. And those of you who are agreeing with this study – obviously you have no idea what you’re talking about either. I have Arabians and none of them weigh more than 1000 lbs. According to this study, my 850 lb horse (who is built like a TANK) should carry 85 lbs max? hahahahahahhahahahahahaha, seriously? Guess I had better sell her to a 6 year old kid because that’s the only person who can ride her.
Along with some friends on a British horse owners forum, I started digging into this – specifically, to try and find out who was the “industry practitioner” Hayley Randle quoted; when and where did he or she “propose a 10 per cent rider-to-horse ratio for optimum performance, up to 15 per cent as satisfactory and a level of 20 per cent to be a welfare issue”; and exactly how were these figures arrived at.
When first asked, by e-mail, Hayley Randle stated that the figures were quoted by an Austrian veterinarian, Dr T Licka. However, a follow up e-mail by a friend to Dr Licka drew the response that, despite years of study of the effect of loads on a horse’s body, Dr Licka had been unable to arrive at ANY weight ratio guidelines!
More e-mails, more digging, more waffle from Hayley Randle – in the end, we find that NOBODY has proposed such guidelines as those quoted, and the research paper which, the authors said, “would go some way toward allowing the development of a scientifically based guideline allowing informed decisions to be made on horse-rider suitability” is quite incapable of doing any such thing – as it made no objective assessment of the effect of various weights on the horse at all! All it did was to establish horse / rider weight ratios which are in common use. What a load of garbage!
If you would like to follow how we dragged the truth out into the open, take a look at this forum thread:
http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/ee/forums/index.php/topic,49298.0.html
It’s quite a lengthy thread, but a real eye-opener into the sort of junk science which is peddled as ‘serious academic research’.
(I post on that forum as Brown Bob)
Jack Enright
While I have read the 20% weight limit before, it does not apply to all horses. For your interest, I rode an Arabian endurance horse over 2000 miles from Mexico to Canada. I went solo and virtually unsupported. Primo is 14.3 hands and weighs about 900 pounds. He carried up to about 275 pounds (around 36%) after a resupply – less as we used up the food and as I drank water – down to about 225 pounds. Arabians are stronger than other breeds – they have stronger, shorter, backs and strong hind quarters. They have one less vertebrae and two fewer ribs. Primo had no problems with that much weight.
Y’all need to stop being so damn sensitive!!! Relax! This is a suggestive article to those of you who maybe be pushing 20% and above on their horses weight. Quit making excuses to why its okay that you can still ride your horse even if you tip the scale. The 10% thing may be considered “ideal” for eventing and other high risk, high jumping and or high speed sports. If you want the most out of your horse as far as upper level eventing or other sports the 10% figure may be a fair guideline. Other than that I agree with you both that consideration when it comes to purchasing a horse is crucial and considerate.
Why can’t people take this article as an incentive to get in shape? Instead of wasting you’re time trying to debunk the articles research validity? Common sense should be all you need.
Had to laugh when I read the comments from the true people that should be taking these tests. So you are telling me the over history, just about every army and every rider was too big for their horses? And that now that our horses are breed bigger and larger than those days we should have light weights on them at all time? What a load of crock. I think they need to take another look at that and see what the american idians and the mongalians would think if they turned up there and said they couldn’t ride their horses because they were too big for them.
I expect most of the riders moaning about this article are heffers!
So what are some horses that would be able to cary a 260 pound rider? I am about 6 feet and weight 240 pounds and I figure 20 pounds for tack. I used to ride a Tennessee Walker and a Percheron, but now I am kinda worried after I have seen so many articles saying that I am too heavy.
I am not really too overweight, I am athletic and tall so I don’t think that I could healthily lose enough weight for the recommendations this article is saying. At 160pounds I would be a skeleton.
A lot of fat people complaining here, eh.
yip
Yep!!!
What a load of rubbish. There’s many other factors, a light but unbalanced rider will be much more harmful to a horse than a heaver good rider. The horse’s conformation, work load and the type of work will also play a part. I’d be over the 15% with gear and have had the same horse for many, many years. He’s still very sound and acts half his age. I’m usually the one asking for a slower pace. Go harass someone actually mistreating their animals.
All these comments tell me is humans care more about themselves than they do about the horse, the life of the horse, the longterm affects weight causes, or the welfare of horses and with that humans just dont want to know or protect horses for the future from seriously overweight people insisting on riding – if you could rely on common sense being the weight guideline it wouldn’t be an issue. So often we see appallingly overweight people riding lightly built park harks and justifying it with comments similiar to these…claiming they are balanced riders, or someone else rides that is heavier than they are anfd that horse is fine?? Well if only horses could speak and there welfare wasnt at the mercy of all these ‘experts’ putting their two cents worth in – NZ is an overweight society and trying to make it the horses problem!….Good on Horsetalk for raising the issue.
The theme of the article is correct- some of you may need to undertake some exercise off the animal to get within a healthy weight range.
The facts presented are disputable.
Historical studies average around the 20%- and this actually depends on the breed and use of the horse.
Your emotional statements only indicate your immaturity, and an invalid sense of entitlement.
Perhaps you should either give your horses to someone who cares about them, or go for a walk and lose some of the poor attitude-(and weight).
As a coach, trainer and competitor of over 20 years there is absolutely no doubt that the fitter, leaner, more supple and athletic a rider is the better the experience will generally be for both horse and rider – there are indeed a large number of rider/owners that are not suitably conditioned to give both themselves and their horses the best experience thus achieving optimum performance and health – however actual measured body weight often has nothing to do with it even though being overweight/obese whilst riding often goes hand in hand with lack of fitness, flexibility, body strength and control – the riders ability to learn and exercise feel, coordination, responsiveness and balance plays a far greater role in longevity of the horse – you can weigh 40kg and be completely lacking in feel, balance, coordination – pulling and kicking or you can be 90kg of lean muscle with the balance, feel and sensitivity of a ballet dancer with excellent core control being absolute key – it is the responsibility of each rider to look to themselves completely – am I as fit, strong ( as in core control not just upper body ) , supple, flexible and balanced as I can be ? For women we naturally have flabby thighs – obviously the leaner you can be the closer you are likely to feel to your horse facilitating better feel and connection – but it really does boil down to your ability to maintain a beautiful position, riding from your core and educated hands
Most of the people I know who break in ponies and ride them in preparation for kids would be over the 20% mark. I don’t know many kids who would fit in the 10-15% category that would be able enough to ride and train the horses themselves safely. So if there was a restriction put on weight I can see a lot of kids being put at risk because of the right training not being put into their ponies.
I have had to hop on ponies that misbehaved for kids and would have been over the 20% mark. I ride them for 10-20mins and then give them back to the kid and they behave. Better that than risking the kids getting into trouble and falling off.
Personally rather than basing my opinion on research that needs to be looked at more in depth I base it on what I feel and see from the horse. I am lucky to have experience with retraining problem horses and with an equine physio. That has shown that there is a lot worse things riders do than weigh a little on the heavy side.
I weigh 101kg I ride a.14.1 cob who has.10 inches of.bone and.he.has no.problem carrying me
It’s about time someone did this study. I’ve seen too many fat people inflicting discomfort on their horse. Some of he comments above are horribly blasé or personal. But get real! Horses do suffer and people are too fat. Get over it and lose weight and get fit for riding. I hope this does become a welfare issue and a law is passed to support it.
Do you even ride?!
Bunnygirl, wait till you are 60 and just drinking water makes you gain weight. I always laugh at people who think those who have weight issues are weak of mind and body. BTW overweight doesn’t mean you are 300lbs. It coukd be something as little as 20 lbs and I’d say to someone riding who are overweight. By 20 lbs” Good for you. Building that body core is an excellent way to lose abdominal weight.” And no horse I’m good condition with a balanced rider is going to hit the dirt.
I think the issue shouldn’t be about weight but size. Hip and waist size vs the best saddle fit for the horse would be a more accurate guideline. If you cannot “comfortably fit” into the largest saddle that can “comfortably fit” the horse, then you are too heavy to ride, even if the chosen horse is the required weight/size. Saddle fit is crucial for even the lightest of riders but when you add an overweight/oversized person, the negative effects multiply horrendously and the ideal psi (pounds per sq.inch) go off the scale.
I think this is the real issue the article is attempting to address as there are riders out there who quite obviously should not be astride a horse. But we live in an overtly PC society where we are not allowed to state the visually obvious so various studies are cited as a polite alternative.
If this is correct, then all the Western films made about me and other famous Cowboys are completely wrong, and they should be showing at least 90% of everyone walking everywhere. Bank robbers would have to be Usain Bolt and those barefoot Injuns would have to have a pedicure at least once a week. And what a bugger rounding up cattle on foot…… Now joking apart, my 15.1 AQH can carry more weight than a 15.1 of other breeds. So this survey bares no relevance whatsoever, my western saddle and tack weighs far more then an English set up yet is better for a horses back as it spreads the weight over a much larger area. So please let’s see a proper scientific long term study covering different breeds and different riding styles.
I leased my first horse, in an effort to learn all I could about riding and proper horse care – to ensure I was prepared to do it on my own later. My lease horse was in early retirement at a boarding facility, sturdy and in good health, outgrown by the owner’s teenage daughter. When I interviewed for a long-term lease, it was clear: a) the owner wanted someone very thin (like their daughter); and b) they’d grown tired of paying for the horse. While vet checked sound without specific weight restrictions, the owner subscribed to a belief similar to the author of this study. Not based on % or anything scientific, just the idea that a new rider should match the previous one. They couldn’t find a thin 15-year-old girl to pay $300US/month board, so they settled on me. In my 30s, weighing in at 116 lbs. Not that this was a healthy weight for me, rather I’d been ill and underweight. The horse and I were bonded by the time I realized the owner would stick to the weight requirement. After the vet said a heavier rider would be fine, I’d begun to slowly put on a bit more weight. I was working with my doctor and a nutritionist to get stronger, healthy. I no longer looked like a 15-year-old girl. This didn’t go unnoticed by the owner. I didn’t want to lose the horse I’d grown to love and did what I had to do to take the weight back off to make the owner happy. I was concerned they’d put my horse down if I didn’t look thin enough to keep leasing and paying the board. I continued this for 5 years. Not the best decision for my health. It was weak and misguided to pretend to my doctor that I was trying to gain weight, when in fact, I was doing the opposite. The rational mind goes out the window when you find your perfect horse. We were happy roaming the trails and I wanted those 5 good years we had left. After that, I never leased again. I bought a horse and moved to the country so I wouldn’t have to board. We live at home on our own little farm and are both a healthy weight.
While I don’t entirely agree with this article, I do agree that some seriously obese people need to get off their horses, lose some major poundage and try again.
I always used the saying, if my butt was bigger than my horses, it was time to take another look at things.
Just sayin’… and my mare is a lot happier that I lost 150 lbs after a serious leg injury due to a car-wreck… 🙂
I rode several times a week at a local stable in my late teens and twenties. I am now 66 and have had many permanent injuries and damaging infections affecting me neck, low back, a right total knee replacement and permanent nerve damage. I doubt I am capable or riding ever again. My question is, I’m 5’5″ & weigh about 250#. Is the a breed or size of horse I could consider riding at a leisurely pace. Have taken riding lessons in the past, doubt with joint damage that I could mount a horse again. Any suggestions besides losing weigh which is nearly impossible given other health issues. ( Was a very destroyed RN, back in the day.
I have read studies that a horse should not carry more that 20% of their body weight for less stress on their bodies. Once they go over, it puts undue stress and can create some health issues for the horse, and some performance issues. So in reality, a 1000 lb horse should be able to comfortably carry a 200 lb person.
So…here’s the deal. All of the comments above that lash back and forth about rudeness and disclaimers about people’s own weights miss the primary point–if you love your horse, you will not want to do anything that will hurt them. As a massage practitioner, I can tell you that a horse might seem ‘fine’ because they have a wonderful temperament but that they are often far more sore than they appear. Some owners do not even know what their horse is truly like, because they’ve never seen them comfortable until they’ve had years of soreness worked out.
We are all aware of our own weights, and we MUST be aware that when we are sitting on the SPINE of another animal, on a spine that is not meant to bear weight, that we should do everything in our power to be as humane about what is ultimately an act of pleasure for us, a luxury. We no longer ‘need’ to ride horses anywhere–they could easily all retire, but we insist on sitting on them nonetheless. We are none of us perfect, and this weight ratio does not take into account the fact that small horses with better bone density can readily bear more weight for longer and with longer overall soundness than the fair-boned, large-bodied horses many disciplines favor today.
We do not set our horses up for success in their breeding, we breed them to be beautiful and to have balanced conformation (if we’re lucky), but the reality is, for their own health, and left to their own devices, they would breed back down to dense and hardy ponies.
We must first admit that we set them up for limited effectiveness, in choosing aesthetic over function, and then we must admit that we do not weigh an inconsequential amount. If we care about our horses, we will maintain our own body in such a fashion that sitting on their delicate and sensitive spines is not an unfair burden.
Just because someone suggests that it is possible for a rider to be too heavy for a horse does not mean they are calling you, personally, fat–but it means that there is a realistic weight limit for what an animal should be asked to carry. If you deny this to protect your own ego, you are being unfair to your horse.
Yes, seat and balance matter, but no matter how balanced something is, the longer you have to carry it, the more difficult it becomes, and the more tired you get. Try it out sometime. Carry a backpack that weighs 25% of your body weight. Make it as balanced as you want. See how you feel after carrying it for an hour or two–however long you ride. You may argue that it’s not the same because we stand upright and the weight would be felt in areas not meant to carry weight, but this is again exactly the same as the reality of the horse. Their back is meant to support only their own internal structure, not anything else.
So admit, first, that the horse is not naturally meant to carry anything on their backs, then admit that we ask them to do this anyway, for our own pleasure, and finish by asking yourself if you are being as fair to your horse as you can be. Don’t waste time taking it personally. Don’t be oversensitive about it–be fair and balanced and do your horse the kindness of honestly ascertaining whether he can comfortably carry you for the time and activity that you ask of him. The answer is probably yes, but it’s a question you should be able to ask without ego getting in the way of animal welfare.
I agree with most of your comments. However, we are overlooking a HUGE factor; fitness. Yes, if I went out tomorrow and strapped a 40 pound pack to my back and hiked 2 hours I would be sore. If I gradually trained with that 40 pound pack for months (and in the case of our horses, years), it would be a different story…as ANY backpacker can tell you.
Horses do not get this choice, so you are right; we must give them the greatest comfort possible as we are using them for recreation. But I disagree with the article calling 20% a ‘welfare issue.’
Endurance is a sport where you commonly see athletic men on small arabs. Some of the highest-mileage riders (and horses) in the sport are at or above this 20% weight ratio. Endurance has VERY strict veterinary standards throughout- a lameness, soreness and metabolic problems are not tolerated. I think if weight rations were really has important to horse welfare as some of these articles suggest, you would see a positive correlation in completion rates in endurance; afterall, these horse/rider teams cover the most miles in the harshest conditions. Rider FITNESS, however, is very important and I personally don’t believe you should be riding a horse if you do not have a base fitness level. I would suggest to anybody to look up the 1999 Tevis study.
I think what all of these straight weight percentage studies fail to address is rider and horse fitness. Are we talking about stabled horses? Pastured horses? What age? What discipline? What conformation? What quality of rider? What fitness of rider?
I think this article is ridiculous. I am about 13% ratio and I have little doubt that my horse could easily carry more than that. Though I suspect 20% would be too heavy, I think a ratio of 15% or just above is just fine for most horses.
We know that weight affects performance. Look at how racehorses are handicapped: eelatively few pounds of lead weight can change the outcome of a race.
However, there are many factors to consider to determine how much a horse should be asked to carry before it impacts horses welfare.
There is no sole rider to horse weight ratio as implied in the study I am saddle fitter and I see all sorts of acceptable variations.
Occassionally, but fortunately very good nfrequently, I see riders who are too heavy as indicated by the horse dropping it’s back and groaning when the rider mounts. Sometimes I see the horse drop it’s back but determine the saddle fits badly.
Those factors I think as important as rider weighr to horse weight ratios may include:
the fitness or condition of the horse as well as it’s conformation
Soundness of the horse
the intended use of the horse( light pleasure versus upper level eventing or show jumping)
Ability of the rider;
Fitness of the rider
Fit of the saddle
The bottom line is that not every person is suited ride every horse at any time and that we do have obligation to take care of our horses by looking into all of these factors when we consider throwing a leg over a horse.
Happy Trails