# I have to Ask! Plus Sized riders + Arabians = ?



## MissAllySunshine

I have heard so many mixed reviews on this. And I have had a bad experience where I bought a arabian stallion, he was a bigger built arab, 15.1 around 1200 lbs. Well long story short the trainer/seller screwed us over. But he had a issue with my weight from the start, and even tho he was "training" me to start western pleasure i was never allowed to ride this horse. Needless to say we do not have him as a trainer or that horse anymore. but since then I have been real worried about riding arabians...even tho i've heard mixed reviews on them carrying a plus sized rider. I've been riding my entire life, barrel racing trail riding, mostly speed events in highschool (when i was thinner of course) but medical issues have helped me gain weight. I'm trying to loose but i have another arabian stallion in training, he is 3 currently about 1000 lbs (crabbet ). My trainer says i have great balance and that even at my weight he will be able to carry me easily. But i still have my doubt, and i dont think my trainer is worried about business or losing my business by telling me that he cannot carry me, cause she also trains me on my 16h Quarter Horse who is built like a tank so she knows i would stay to work with him either way....I want honest opinions on what others think I suppose..  I attached a picture of my Arab stallion! I love him to death...he has the best personality and i really connected with him. We got him as a 3 year old and he had never been handled before. 6 months later he follows me around like a puppy and will do just about anything....gosh such a long post >.<


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## Silent one

Hi Miss Ally! I'm sure there are lots of folks on here that can give you some very good advice, but without knowing specifically about you and your weight, its going to be hard for them to advise you. Not trying to make you uncomfortable if you are leery of posting information, but its hard to judge an unknown factor. Have a great day!


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## DancingArabian

I like to stick to the 20% rule. You and your tack should be under 20% of the horses weight.

That bring said....
1. We don't know how much you weigh
2. You did say the trainer had a bias about your weight
3. Since the horse was in training and you were learning its possible he didn't want to put two greenies together
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cacowgirl

Your horse is beautiful, but young & he's a stallion?!? Are you competing? trail riding? Doing short or long rides? There are a number of variables to bring into the equation to give a sane answer.


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## deserthorsewoman

Hi MissAlly
I agree with what was said so far. Plus, your horse still has some growing and maturing to do, so many variables.
Along with the 20% rule there is another way of calculating the weight carrying ability.
Weight of the horse+ weight of the rider+ tack : circumference of midcannonbone : 2
If this comes out under 75 you're good to go, anything over 80 is too little horse.
I've seen reports from endurance riders who are way over the 20% and still do 100 miles competitively, as obviously fitness of the horse is a big factor.

So, with a little more info on you and the horse, good conformation shots for starters, we can tell you more


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## MissAllySunshine

Oh no i am not shy! We do plan on doing some conditioning on him before i ever do any serious riding on him since he is only 3 years old. I'm wanting to start western pleasure and maybe some costume. No Endurance or anything like that for me. I'm about 260-290 my weight goes up and down thx to a few health issues but working on keeping it down. i'm about 5'8 and Romeo we believe is about 1000 lbs now, but we haven't done a accurate count or anything. Right now he is at a trainer and he is about 180, then another trainer is going to start riding him soon and he is a bigger guy (tall mostly) who is about 220, so we are trying to condition him and much sure he gets nice and strong to carry my big butt someday!


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## Clava

MissAllySunshine said:


> Oh no i am not shy! We do plan on doing some conditioning on him before i ever do any serious riding on him since he is only 3 years old. I'm wanting to start western pleasure and maybe some costume. No Endurance or anything like that for me. I'm about 260-290 my weight goes up and down thx to a few health issues but working on keeping it down. i'm about 5'8 and Romeo we believe is about 1000 lbs now, but we haven't done a accurate count or anything. Right now he is at a trainer and he is about 180, then another trainer is going to start riding him soon and he is a bigger guy (tall mostly) who is about 220, so we are trying to condition him and much sure he gets nice and strong to carry my big butt someday!


In my opinion 270 lbs (19 stone) is much too much for an arab to carry, I have never seen an arab, or actually any horse (but they may exist) who I would allow that weight on.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

MissAllySunshine said:


> Oh no i am not shy! We do plan on doing some conditioning on him before i ever do any serious riding on him since he is only 3 years old. I'm wanting to start western pleasure and maybe some costume. No Endurance or anything like that for me. I'm about 260-290 my weight goes up and down thx to a few health issues but working on keeping it down. i'm about 5'8 and Romeo we believe is about 1000 lbs now, but we haven't done a accurate count or anything. Right now he is at a trainer and he is about 180, then another trainer is going to start riding him soon and he is a bigger guy (tall mostly) who is about 220, so we are trying to condition him and much sure he gets nice and strong to carry my big butt someday!


You're going to run into as many with as much bias against heavy people riding on here as your previous trainer had. If your horse is not having a hard time balancing when carrying you, doesn't have a sore back when you get off and isn't huffing and puffing when the quarter horses aren't, then you're fine. A 15+ hand Arab has more than enough bone and stamina to carry a pretty hefty load. Take it easy on him for the next 2 years and really get him in condition with lots of muscles and you'll be fine. It's only recently that people started thinking they needed 16+ hand horses to carry them around, in history most of those really big horses were used for hauling and pulling, not riding.


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## deserthorsewoman

Okay, let's do the math;-)
1000lbs horse + 180lbs current trainer + 45 lbs tack = 1225lbs : 8(circumference of midcannin he should have due to his height) = 153.125 : 2 = 76.56
Okay, but not optimal.
1000+220+45:8:2= 79.06
Still okay but pushing it a bit
1000+260+45:8:2 = 81.56
So, without exactly knowing all measurements, like tack and cannonbone, you would have to find ways to reduce the overall weight, lighter tack, for example(cordura saddle instead of leather, no heavy pad, just a blanket, for example. 
Plus it would be interesting how he is built, like length of back, loin area, narrow or wide in chest to start with. 
I am in the same boat, having a small guy with 14.2, but very short and close coupled. 
That's why im naturally interested


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## Clava

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> . A 15+ hand Arab has more than enough bone and stamina to carry a pretty hefty load. .


Some Arabs have enough bone for a hefty load, but many modern finer ones simply don't. The OP's one looks fine but is obviously young. Some Arabs can carry a hefty load, but really should they have to carry such a heavy load simply for the rider's pleasure? No animal should struggle, there are other bigger boned animals more suitable.

Rule of thumb in the UK as far as usually discussed. - 20% of 1000lbs is 200lbs. Which would be fine.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

Clava said:


> but really should they have to carry such a heavy load simply for the rider's pleasure? No animal should struggle, there are other bigger boned animals more suitable.


Sorry, you and I will have to agree to disagree on this one. They are beasts of burden and the average pleasure horse only gets ridden 2 or 3 hrs per week, not a big deal. If she were looking for a cow horse or something to ride 40 hrs/week it'd be a different story, but I'd still lean toward a larger, heavier boned Arab.


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## Clava

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Sorry, you and I will have to agree to disagree on this one. They are beasts of burden and the average pleasure horse only gets ridden 2 or 3 hrs per week, not a big deal. If she were looking for a cow horse or something to ride 40 hrs/week it'd be a different story, but I'd still lean toward a larger, heavier boned Arab.


 
2 to 3 hrs of discomfort for any beast is not acceptable to me, beasts of burden maybe but I don't believe in any animal suffering just for a rider's pleasure.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

Clava said:


> 2 to 3 hrs of discomfort for any beast is not acceptable to me, beasts of burden maybe but I don't believe in any animal suffering just for a rider's pleasure.



LOL, then I guess you better start walkin'. I don't think there's a horse alive who would ask to be ridden.


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## Golden Horse

My biggest concern is his age at the moment, a bigger rider should never ever be riding a young horse, they need to be at their full strength before being asked to carry the heavier loads.

Next it is a question that I have been asking for a while, everyone says that Arabs are good weight carriers, being short of back and good solid bone, but then they keep quoting the same 20% as everyone quotes for any other breed, which I find very confusing.

Be aware also that while the camera appears to add 10 pounds to a person, it does seem to make horses look finer than they are. I am told by people who see this girl on line










Now a couple of people who have only seen her online have met her recently and have been shocked how solid she look when you actually meet her. I'm losing weight at the moment with the aim of being able to ride her, and my first target is 250 pounds, at that I would get on her and walk her around, but I would like to get to 225 before I ramp it up a bit, but that will all depend on how she does.


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## tinyliny

I think Arabs are not physically mature until at least age 6. So , would not heavily burden such horse before that.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

Golden Horse said:


> My biggest concern is his age at the moment, a bigger rider should never ever be riding a young horse, they need to be at their full strength before being asked to carry the heavier loads.
> 
> Next it is a question that I have been asking for a while, everyone says that Arabs are good weight carriers, being short of back and good solid bone, but then they keep quoting the same 20% as everyone quotes for any other breed, which I find very confusing.
> 
> .............
> 
> Now a couple of people who have only seen her online have met her recently and have been shocked how solid she look when you actually meet her. I'm losing weight at the moment with the aim of being able to ride her, and my first target is 250 pounds, at that I would get on her and walk her around, but I would like to get to 225 before I ramp it up a bit, but that will all depend on how she does.



That's why I said to give him time over the next couple of years to build up to carrying a heavier load. The OP is not riding the 3 y.o., and is having a trainer ride him and train him. If the trainer is worth his salt, he ought to be light enough in the saddle that the horse doesn't suffer any damage from carrying him. 

I don't know why people go for the 20% thing, I suppose that's optimum but I also think people are getting carried away with it. I think it was originally deemed for horses in hard work. Your average pleasure horse, especially here in the US, might get ridden 2 or 3 hours per week IF their owner is really active with them. I know many who don't ride except maybe an hour on a weekend, 2 if they go on a trail ride and that's mostly at a walk, maybe a little trotting tossed in for good measure. It's certainly not what I consider a work out. 

I think there are differences for differences in ability too. I know people who weigh 150 lbs but have no muscle tone that I would not allow on my Arab's back. But his trainer was 6'9" and weighed 300 lbs and he never missed a step. His trainer could have been a quarterback but instead had one of the lightest seats and gentlest hands I've ever seen. 

I don't like blanket statements and assumptions made over the internet when people don't know the horse or the rider involved. Too many things get said that can be hurtful and discouraging, as is demonstrated by the fact that the OP's first trainer was an oaf and now she's still questioning whether she should ride her own horse. That's not constructive to anyone.


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## Joe4d

20% is an old wives tale with no basis in science. It was started by a bureaucrat that didnt know his butt from a whole in the ground, and who's cavalry frequently got thier butts handed to them on a platter. He just happened to right a Army manual that has been quoted over and over and over.

FACT: Tevis cup winners, finnishers and pulled percentages over the last 10 years ZERO correlation between rider weight percentage,
FACT: A lard butt overweight horse cant carry more than a fit one,
FACT: A horse weight, was a unit of measure used in the pack horse industry equal to 200 lbs. In an era when an average horse went 800 lbs.
FACT: Medival combat horses that actually campaigned in battle, were those same 800 lb horses and did quite well carrying armored troops and armor.
FACT, Lots and lots of 200 plus lb men with 50 lbs of tack criss cross this country every single day.


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## deserthorsewoman

Just thought of a thing I read some years ago. The army, after WW II, took small Arabs, barely over 14hh, let them carry 240lbs, 8 hours a day, for 5 days. None came up lame or injured, and every single one could have gone another week or two. None had lost condition either. 
Now who, nowadays, rides that much? So I totally agree with dreamcatcher and Joe.


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## DancingArabian

I like the 20% number as a comparison method. If I came up way over the 20% I would reconsider the situation. For example, if I came up at the 40% mark then maybe a different mount is in order. That's just me though.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Clava

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> LOL, then I guess you better start walkin'. I don't think there's a horse alive who would ask to be ridden.


 
No, but they don't deserve an incredibly heavy weight inflicted upon them either. Just because a horse can carry such a weight does not mean we should make them do so. Just get a bigger horse! 

Examples of what horses were made to do during the war is really laughable, we don't think it is now acceptable to have them facing bullets and bomb blasts nor is it acceptable to have them over loaded as they were.

Goldenhorse, the horse in your photo is very overweight, her actual cannon bones are reasonbly fine, if she was the correct weight she would not look so chunky. As someone else said, fat horses cannot carry people any better (and will struggle more) but they will make the calculation look better. The 20% actually referes to the weight of a fit and not overweight horse.

The 20% rule of thumb is not a scientific rule but a rough guide line to send warning signals that the weight is getting too much, there are loads of examples of horses that have incredible weight carrying abilitites such as Highlands and Icelandics, but they are exceptions and treated accordingly, the average small horse and fine boned arab cannot take 19 stone people without some damage. As horse lovers why would you do that to a horse.


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## Joe4d

examples of what they do in war an trade is very valid. These were situations where peoples lively hood an life depended on that horse staying sound. I think someone who's life depends on a horse not going lame probably has a better grasp on reality than a pony club arena rider that spends more time gossiping and looking down their noses at what label is stitched on the bum of someones riding tights than they do in the saddle.


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## phantomhorse13

Clava said:


> No, but they don't deserve an incredibly heavy weight inflicted upon them either. Just because a horse can carry such a weight does not mean we should make them do so. Just get a bigger horse!
> 
> ..there are loads of examples of horses that have incredible weight carrying abilitites such as Highlands and Icelandics, but they are exceptions and treated accordingly, the average small horse and fine boned arab cannot take 19 stone people without some damage.



Just because a horse is bigger does not mean it is more capable of carrying a load on its back. Its all about bone density versus mass. The Icelandic you mentioned is much more capable of _carrying _a heavy load than is a draft horse.

Most "light" breeds, which were bred specifically as saddle horses, are better designed to carry weight than "big" draft horses. My 1000lb arab easily carries 180lb over literally a 100 miles of trail in a day. I find it hard to believe she would have trouble with 280lb over 3 miles.

I think the individual horse in question needs to be looked at in terms of the amount of weight it can carry safely. A 1200 lb QH with post legs, a straight shoulder and tiny feet would have a lot more trouble carrying weight (of any kind) than a smaller horse with appropriate conformation.


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## Clava

phantomhorse13 said:


> Just because a horse is bigger does not mean it is more capable of carrying a load on its back. Its all about bone density versus mass. The Icelandic you mentioned is much more capable of _carrying _a heavy load than is a draft horse.
> .


 
I didn't say it did and gave the said examples, but generally a bigger horse with bigger bone will carry a heavier weight. We have heavy weight hunter types who are used for carrying heavier riders. Clydesdales cross are a draft breed but also good weight carriers and an Irish Draft with at least 9" bone and good short backed conformation, but not a young lightweight arab. Arabs have incredible stamina and will try their hardest for you, but the average ones these days are often fine and will suffer with 19stone on them in my opinion. Many horses struggle at 17 stone and you would have to look for a big boned well formed horse to carry that size.


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## Clava

Joe4d said:


> examples of what they do in war an trade is very valid. These were situations where peoples lively hood an life depended on that horse staying sound. I think someone who's life depends on a horse not going lame probably has a better grasp on reality than a pony club arena rider that spends more time gossiping and looking down their noses at what label is stitched on the bum of someones riding tights than they do in the saddle.


But we are not in life and death situation now so horses do not need to be treated as if we are. Staying sound isn't everything, there are other welfare aspects.

I have no idea about pony club arena riders and gossipping but will take your word for it.


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## Dustbunny

I think the 20% rule is a good one. I love Arabs...had 'em for over 40 years. Maybe an Arab cross might be a better choice. Arab/QH, Arab/Appy, Arab/Saddlebred? Nice horses with more substance.
I know there is bias against larger riders and it's hard to deal with at times. I think we help ourselves and our horses by not riding a too small horse. I have seen some riders on a horse that truly made me cringe (and actually angry) and other larger riders on a suitable mount and thought, "Good for you! Have a great ride."
Here is where I am apt to get myself into trouble...Why do you want a stallion?
Geldings and mares make good partners and are accepted into activities where a group is involved. Unless one is into a serious and quality breeding program I question a stallion for the average rider. I could go on but will stop with that. I would like to remain with this group.


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## deserthorsewoman

Well, taking other welfare aspects into consideration, apart from staying sound with carrying weight.....you really shouldn't canter your horse, assuming it is you and your horse, all his weight PLUS yours is on one leg only, repeatedly. I'd say trot, or even better, walk only............
Sounds stupid and unreasonable? Well, but it's taking animal welfare first.

As for Golden's mare, I would really like to know the circumference of her cannonbone, and calculate with the method I posted. Which, by the way, DOESNT favour a heavier horse. Quite the opposite.

And another.....icelandics...as for not extreme work.......they do pace and toelt race speed, with adult riders, and the really fast ones are really fineboned and light. 

So, to sum it all up........it all depends........
On type of horse, ability of rider, breed of horse, amount of work, type of work, condition of horse. 
And for the welfare aspect, I don't think anybody here on this forum would knowingly and ignorantly overwork or overload a horse, welfare laws in place or not.


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## Golden Horse

deserthorsewoman said:


> As for Golden's mare, I would really like to know the circumference of her cannonbone, and calculate with the method I posted. Which, by the way, DOESNT favour a heavier horse. Quite the opposite.


Ask and ye shall receive:

Real life examples.

Big Ben, he weighs in a 1386 pounds, stands 16.2 hh and change, on 9" of bone, and is in hard condition.

Using the % method I'm at 23% which I think is fine for the small amount I ask him to do. 

Using the calculation I am at a horrific 94. Time to find a new horse, but certainly makes you think about his ability.

Willow there, 28% by weight and scoring 96 on the scale, so a couple of points to the worse as expected.

*Emmy* though, 30% by weight, but 88.8 by calculation. 

That makes sense to me, Emmy is more compact and on a better density and weight of bone. She is also overweight, lets say 100 pounds......

If Emmy lost her 100 pounds, she would then weigh 996, if we look at % weight carrying, then the new % would be 32% moving to the worse..

But by the calculation we would come out at 82.25, reflecting that by her losing weight she would overall be supporting less weight. 

So If Emmy loses 100 and I lose 50 we will be able to ROCK IT


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## deserthorsewoman

That's exactly my point

I do agree with the stallion issue, tho. As nice and tempting it may be to say I own an Arab stallion, if he doesn't do what nature intended for him to do, run with his herd of mares, or at least one "wife", he will not be happy. He will never have a social life, will never play and be a " horse", and will have trouble finding board at times, not to mention problems handling, and be it just the barn caretaker who has no clue and is afraid.


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## phantomhorse13

Clava said:


> an Irish Draft with at least 9" bone ... Arabs have incredible stamina and will try their hardest for you, but the average ones these days are often fine


My 1000lb arab has 8" cannons, not at all uncommon for a performance-bred arab.

It's all about the individual.


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## deserthorsewoman

My little Arab, 900lbs, 8" cannonbone. My QH mare, 15.2hh, 1200lbs, 9" cannonbone.

So, a 16hh(at least), 9" cannonbone Irish Draught is not necessarily stronger than the mentioned QH or Arab.


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## Clava

phantomhorse13 said:


> My 1000lb arab has 8" cannons, not at all uncommon for a performance-bred arab.
> 
> It's all about the individual.


 
It is about the individual. My tb has 8" of bone, but no way would I put a heavy weight on her. 8" isn't that much.


and yes, a 16hh ID may not be strong enough with 9" of bone but that would be a starting point rather than a small, fine arab for such an extreme weight.


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## muumi

I think we should stop being sensitive about weight completely, and just be completely realistic.
Horses are often very stoic creatures (they can't really show weakness in the wild can they?) And may not show pain even when feeling it.
So a lot of riders are saying, I'm prob technically too heavy, but my horse doesn't show pain so it must be alright.
Which it may likely not be.
Even though the 20 percent rule is outdated, I think its vital we have some sort of 'rule'.
Wear and tear on a horse may not show now, but will come up later in life... Or maybe only a few years down the line. Arthritis etc.
Just as we take care of our bodies so we don't have problems later, we should be strict about taking care of their too.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Tracer

GoldenHorse has showed just how conflicting these 'rules' can be.

IMHO, there is no rule that can be applied to every rider and every horse. I'm a heavy rider myself at 260lbs, and I am making myself very aware about the sort of horse that can carry my weight. There may be some breeds that are better suited and some that are not, but in general, so long as you keep in consideration the conformation of the horse and your own size, you can find a horse that is capable.

I would feel comfortable riding a fit, more solid, well put together 15HHish Arabian at a walk and some trotting for around 30 minutes a few times a week. I would feel the same about a lanky 16HH Clydesdale cross. I would never even consider cantering or jumping either of them.

It really comes down to thinking of the welfare of the horse in a sensible manner. Horses have adapted over centuries to become weight bearers, so this doesn't mean don't ride them if you're over 200lbs. It means don't ride the fine boned 12HH pony if you weigh over 200lbs.

OP, it's really hard to offer advice without a conformation shot of your boy. From what I can see, and if he doesn't fill out any more, I'd advise that you may too big for him. By what I see there, I would be VERY reluctant to get on him. If you could get your weight to down below 250, then maybe consider it once he's muscled up a lot.


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## muumi

Personally I'm not saying larger riders should not ride, or that there are no exceptions to the rule.

I just think we have to err on the safe side and be very aware, because of the stoic nature of horses who will sometimes not show pain and discomfort when they feel it.
Also, as I said, the damage may only show as the horse ages.

I would not like most adults of any weight to ride a fine boned 12hh pony as tracer discribes 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## deserthorsewoman

this guy is a solid 15.2hh, a good 1000lbs, adult purebred Arabian with "4 corners", means he has room for two hand-widths between his front legs, and a 8 1/2" cannonbone. He can, without a problem, carry 250 lbs.
As a 3year old he was just about like the OP's horse. He MATURED into what he is now.
So, it is absolutely necessary not to overload too early. 
The OP stated she would have her horse conditioned first. Good. But to be honest, I wouldn't put the heavier trainer on him for AT LEAST another year.


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## Golden Horse

muumi said:


> Even though the 20 percent rule is outdated, I think its vital we have some sort of 'rule'.


It is not as outdated as you may think, there was some more recent research that suggested that 20% was a comfortable load, however you can argue with the research for all sorts of reasons.

The huge trouble with all of this is that it is hard to set a rule where not one but two living people are involved. I know that there is an ongoing debate about the phrase 'riding light' but the fact remains that some people are easier to carry than others, due to all sorts of reasons, their coordination, balance, and skill level being the prime factors.

Also weight is deceptive, some people weigh a lot more or less than you think when you look at them, depending on how that weight is distributed. I also wonder when we are talking about weight if people judge differently when making distinctions.

This person is 5' tall and weighs 250 pounds









This person is 6' tall and weighs 250 pounds










Would they both get the same reception when they turn up to ride I wonder? Photos from My Body Gallery

Next question the 20% rule was set for horses working all day every day, does the same rule apply for a horse working an hour a day? 

Do we say 21% you can't ride, but 20% you can go out and do a cross country course. Did you know BTW that we expect our soldiers to carry up to 45% of their body weight while marching? 

Again I come back to if 20% is the norm, but we say that certain breeds are weight carriers what is their norm? Seeing as this thread was specifically about Arabians, and I have seen 25 - 30% mentioned for them, anecdotaly, but can find nothing to back this up.


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## Golden Horse

deserthorsewoman said:


> this guy is a solid 15.2hh, a good 1000lbs, adult purebred *Arabian with "4 corners"*, means he has room for two hand-widths between his front legs, and a 8 1/2" cannonbone. He can, without a problem, carry 250 lbs.


Ok that is part of what I see with Emmy, like her Momma she is 4 square










Ace, her Momma










Maybe not the best because she is stood narrow at the back, but I don't have a set of conformation pics for her yet.


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## deserthorsewoman




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## spookychick13

Not to hijack, but what does a horse act like when you're too heavy for it?


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## Golden Horse

spookychick13 said:


> Not to hijack, but what does a horse act like when you're too heavy for it?


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## spookychick13

Off balanced and 'parked out' kinda?


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## spookychick13

I am asking because there is a pretty large lady at the barn riding a very narrow QH and it makes me a little nervous for him.


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## smrobs

Generally, a tolerant horse will tolerate the too-heavy rider but there are still signs. Traveling hollow, it's especially obvious if they don't travel hollow under a lighter rider, difficulty trotting/loping for any time at all, they may stand splay-legged with all 4 legs spread out in order to keep from falling over (or at least that's the way it looks). Generally, they will also show signs of discomfort in their faces; flared nostrils, widened eyes, ears trained toward the rider, just a general expression of "This is _not_ okay", much like he look on the gray horse GH posted. If all those signs are ignored, the next thing that pops up is soreness in the back and limbs, even in spite of well-fitted tack.


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## spookychick13

Thank you.


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## clippityclop

There is a lady in our riding group who is upwards of 300lbs with tack and rides her little 14hh straight egyptian arabs regularly....she doesn't use any type of mounting aid and literally pulls her horses off balance when mounting (they take steps sideways and brace against her weight) and actually make a grunt noise when she sits in the saddle and after she dismounts. Looks just like the guy in the pics with the gray arab. Yes, she is aware of all of this but still continues to ride about 4-5 times a week in the evenings, about an hour (5 mile loop). 

She complains that she can't get her horses to canter for her - she showed us once - they just trot harder, heads go up -they brace and looks as if it ramrods her spine. She's had to have back surgery due to the constant 'beating she takes from her horses' (her exact words). 

I think all of the opinions on here are good ones - at least the op is willing to listen to everyone - I wish the person I mentioned above was as open-minded.


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## Muppetgirl

clippityclop said:


> There is a lady in our riding group who is upwards of 300lbs with tack and rides her little 14hh straight egyptian arabs regularly....she doesn't use any type of mounting aid and literally pulls her horses off balance when mounting (they take steps sideways and brace against her weight) and actually make a grunt noise when she sits in the saddle and after she dismounts. Looks just like the guy in the pics with the gray arab. Yes, she is aware of all of this but still continues to ride about 4-5 times a week in the evenings, about an hour (5 mile loop).
> 
> She complains that she can't get her horses to canter for her - she showed us once - they just trot harder, heads go up -they brace and looks as if it ramrods her spine. She's had to have back surgery due to the constant 'beating she takes from her horses' (her exact words).
> 
> I think all of the opinions on here are good ones - at least the op is willing to listen to everyone - I wish the person I mentioned above was as open-minded.


People like that live in such a sick state of denial........


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## Conway

Whew some of the comments in here.... I am a plus sized rider but maybe the plus sized forum is not for me ha. 

I have ALWAYS been a plus sized rider, however I am bigger now than I have ever been in my life, working on this. Loads of medical problems and personal things that have attributed to my weight over the years.

I don't ask too much of any horse that I ride and I would never personally ride an arabian. I'm just too much to ask of a horse that small. I have always longed for a Paso Fino but I know that at this point in my life that is out of the question.

I have a paint, 2 qh's, and 2 saddle horses that I can ride. He has one small draft build mutt horse but he is in no shape to ride currently. 

I know I'm a big girl, I always have been, but I don't see anything wrong with riding a horse if they can comfortably support the weight. And I get very defensive over people who think no one over 180 should ever ride a horse.

Just my personal opinion on things


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## spookychick13

Oh sorry if you got the wrong impression! I don't think that is what the point was at all, just that you should know thy horse, and the horses capability.
I have an arab, and my trainer is probably about 250lbs or so, and he carries her with ease. Canter and all.  He can even manage some crow hops. 
It really depends on the horse and the rider I think.
Sorry if you felt bad, it wasn't the intention I am sure!!!

In fact, arabians are a breed that is known for strength and stamina! I have also heard that shorter back breeds support weight better.


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## Saddlebag

It's not just a matter of weight but how it is distributed on the horse. A substantial woman carries a lot of top weight as well as her middle and out behind. This exceeds the area where a horse best carries weight as the saddle has to be longer. An english saddle, rule of thumb, should have a hand's width between the rider's butt and the back edge of the cantle. The length of the saddle would likely be too long.


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## Golden Horse

Saddlebag said:


> It's not just a matter of weight but how it is distributed on the horse. A substantial woman carries a lot of top weight as well as her middle and out behind. This exceeds the area where a horse best carries weight as the saddle has to be longer. An english saddle, rule of thumb, should have a hand's width between the rider's butt and the back edge of the cantle. The length of the saddle would likely be too long.


Now that is a complicated and strange theory:shock:

A substantial woman could be 6' 4" heavily muscled, and have a small tush, not all of us are big bosomed and big butted.

Yes you make a valid point about length of saddle v length of horses back v size of riders butt, BUT generalisations just upset everyone.


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## afatgirlafathorse

tinyliny said:


> I think Arabs are not physically mature until at least age 6. So , would not heavily burden such horse before that.


Arabs are not the only horse that doesn't mature until age six. The spine is the last thing to close up and no breed of horse does that before six.


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## G8tdh0rse

I don't think it goes just with the weight of the horse or the height. Some horses are better built to carry weight than others. It isn't the legs that take the brunt of the weight but the back. Long weak backs do not carry weight like short strong ones. TB are tall but never designed or bred to carry weight. Ponies are short and have been carrying around heavy loads for centuries.


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