# Poll time: Is this rider to big for this horse



## Golden Horse

Here we go, a short clip of a horse and rider, so without any critique on riding, some simple questions:

Is this rider a good match for this horse?

What is it that makes you say yes or no?






I'll be back at sometime with some more information for you.


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## Endiku

There are too many factors for me to personally say "yes" or "no" because I don't know them. I'd want to know the horse's age, see a conformation shot of it (its legs look rather fine boned to me), and know exactly what the rider wants to do with the horse. Obviously reining, but to what level? IMO he does look a bit big for the animal to me but I know most QH are short and built like tanks...and very capable of handling heavier riders. So again, I'd need confo shots.


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## Golden Horse

Endiku I understand the qualifications, I'm just interested in a kind of first gut reaction here....sometimes it's not about science and having all the info, it's just making a call.

There are no right or wrong answers to this one, just asking peoples first thought.

As ever I have a reason:wink:


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## tempest

He does look a little big for that horse.


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## Tracer

I'd say no, at this stage. The horse looks comfortable enough in this video, it's fairly compact so I think it's capable of carrying the weight.

If we were critiquing though, I'd say that I don't much like the riding style of the rider, it looks unbalanced and rough to me which may have been enough to change my opinion.


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## Zeke

I had to watch without sound so I'm hoping I'm not missing something there....

I, on first gut reaction, do not think he's overly large for the horse mostly based on the horse is moving freely with little trouble leading me to believe he's not under too much weight. They may not be the best match, because I feel a horse just a little taller/more muscled may *look* better, but this could be an effective team. 

Wish I had more to go on!


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## Endiku

Gut reaction then, is that no he isn't too big for what they're doing now. Yes he's too big if he plans to really get into reining with big stops and fast turns with this horse.


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## MyBoySi

I say no he's not too big and they seem to be an good match. The horse seems to be moving freely without any signs of obvious discomfort. Maybe I'm biased as a plus sized rider tho lol.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Endiku

I agree about this man's riding style. I'm not a fan at all.


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## smrobs

I don't think he's too big at all. The horse is thick through the chest and compact through the body. From the way his saddle is sitting, I'd say the horse likely has a short back. The bones might be a little fine...but that's pretty typical of most QHs these days.

Not only that, but I don't think the rider is quite as large as he appears. Being winter, I'm sure he's got at least 2 layers on up top :wink:.


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## Golden Horse

Good thoughts so far, keep them coming. I have to go feed people and critters, not in that order, I'll give you some interesting, well interesting to me info later this evening.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

They look ok to me!


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## NorthernMama

The horse looks comfortable and able to move freely. No slouch or pinching that I saw, mind you I'm just a novice at picking up those sorts of things. I don't see a problem. A smoother rider would be kinder, regardless of the size or horse or rider.


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## SEAmom

I agree with everyone else who said he does not look too big. Maybe more history/background or video of him riding would change my mind, but my first reaction is no.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Golden Horse

So as I start to type this I count

7 people broadly OK

1 not OK

1 trying to hedge their bets:wink:

So I find that very very interesting, because the mare is a little one at 14.1 hh

The rider, well he is a six footer, and weighs in at 260 pounds.

I'm wondering if we would be voting so overwhelmingly in favor if the rider was a 5' 4" woman, at the same weight?

It certainly made me think.

I came across her BTW because she is listed for sale 

Sioux Is a well broke mare coming 6 this spring , this mare has had 7 months of professional with D** ******* in the last 2 year ,she stops hard ,rolls back smoothly , and spins , she is a soft and well collected mare who loves to work cows , Sioux is safe for intermediate children and beginner adults , use her for pleasure , put her in a 4-H program , take her out to the mountians for a good day trip or over nighter , or haul her to the pen and go penning or sorting on her , take her around barrels , she will bend around them helping your time ,
this mare has no spook or buck not a mean bone in her , hops in the trailer and travels like a champ . 
Sioux is registered an comes with papers , she's 14.1hh , but a solid mare , handles a 260lb guy no problem , you won't feel big on her 
She has solid feet and no health problems or blemishes . She's a mare that will catch the eye of those around her . 
come out and try her!! we have cattle , we have a mechanical flag and an indoor arena 
All Breed Pedigree Query




Here are the YouTube links to the videos. 
http://youtu.be/ng0LO0g4-iA 




 http://youtu.be/tjCoo50FfSI


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## stevenson

looks like a trainer on a quarter horse. i would prefer to see him a heavier horse,but that horse he is on does appear to be in shape and fairly muscled .


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## stevenson

are you planning on buying this horse? what is the dams side on lineage ? just curious.
and the horse looks like what is currently popular with cutters and reiners, they went short again, but more refined and not as stocky .


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## hemms

My gut reaction, before and after your post is that long-term, he's too heavy for the horse. I'd be less inclined to like a 5'4" woman of the same weight IF she was an unfit rider and hard on the back. I've seen quite a few heavier riders that are unbelievably soft on their horses' structures... But again, long term, I'd prefer to see something more in line with the 20% rule. Just my preference.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Golden Horse

stevenson said:


> are you planning on buying this horse? what is the dams side on lineage ? just curious.
> .



I wish, she is way out of my price range....


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## bsms

I would say he is OK for relaxed trail riding. I think he is over the limit for doing reining or any other high stress horse sports. I didn't like watching the horse do the 'spins' because it looked to me like the horse was struggling to maintain its balance. I also disliked the cantering. He rode heavy in the canter and made no effort to spare the horse's back. I scolded my 100 lb DIL for riding a canter like that!

I might well give a no answer for a woman who is 5'4" and 260 lbs. I'm a 5'8" male, but if I gained 80 lbs to reach 260, I wouldn't be willing to ride most horses even on a simple trail.

As has often been argued, it isn't just weight but type of weight & balance. Pad me with an extra 80 lbs of weight, and I wouldn't be strong enough or balanced enough to have any business riding a horse...particularly since all my fat goes above my hips. Weight carried below the hips ought to be less of a problem because the rider's center of gravity is lower and closer to the horse's.


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## tinyliny

I did not have time to post a gut reaction before you posted the detailed info. but, I thought the match was ok, for that demo. I did think the horse struggled a bit with the weight in as much as she could not get her feet up off the ground very fast when transfering from one front leg to the other. I think she was a bit stressed, and if the speed were upped, you'd see it more, I think.

I did not have any problem with the guy's way of riding. being that tall on a small horse means it's harder , you have nothing under your leg below your knee, and your center of gravity is higher above the horse's.

a 5 foot 4 inch woman at 260 would have to be very fit , and not have all the weight centered in her belly or breasts (top heavy).


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## Golden Horse

Interesting then we come back to the fact that not all weight is created equally. 

A 5' 4" woman, sorry or man, so yeah, person, would be a better fit in height for the mare though, how would she manage not having such a height above the saddle, a lower centre of gravity would be easier to carry maybe?


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## smrobs

Center of gravity doesn't really matter much if a person is plodding around on trails providing that the rider is fluid and balanced themselves, but when you start getting into the higher torque of performance disciplines, it impacts a great deal.

I also guess that this is a great example of why horses that are stocky and compact and heavy are better weight carriers and one shouldn't go strictly by the horse's height.

This filly is only 1 inch shorter than the one in the video...and the saddle belongs to a 6'3 man...and the stirrups are nearly all the way down to her knees LOL.


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## tinyliny

smrobs said:


> Center of gravity doesn't really matter much if a person is plodding around on trails providing that the rider is fluid and balanced themselves, but when you start getting into the higher torque of performance disciplines, it impacts a great deal.
> 
> I also guess that this is a great example of why horses that are stocky and compact and heavy are better weight carriers and one shouldn't go strictly by the horse's height.
> 
> This filly is only 1 inch shorter than the one in the video...and the saddle belongs to a 6'3 man...and the stirrups are nearly all the way down to her knees LOL.



that saddle along has got to be at least 40lbs!

that small a horse for such a big man, kind of looks like a kid riding a large dog. I don't know about you, but when I was a kid I used to try to ride my friend's dalmation. I was desperate for a horse, and it's the best I could do.


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## Saddlebag

Being too large is more about weight distribution. It's actually a fairly small area on a horse's back that should carry the rider. When obese people ride, their weight distribution is much more forward and behind that area. The man in the video is within the area.


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## NorthernMama

Saddlebag, I figured he was that tall. I found the for sale posting as well and thought you were out shopping!


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## smrobs

tinyliny said:


> that saddle along has got to be at least 40lbs!
> 
> that small a horse for such a big man, kind of looks like a kid riding a large dog. I don't know about you, but when I was a kid I used to try to ride my friend's dalmation. I was desperate for a horse, and it's the best I could do.


Yes, it is a big saddle, but it was the only one with a tree that was narrow enough to _not _sit right down on her withers....and don't worry, _nobody _is riding her yet. She won't even be 2 until April and with as much growing as she needs to do, it will likely be next spring before she sees any sort of saddle work with a rider, maybe longer if she's not matured enough. I had the saddle on there for about 15 minutes and asked her to walk about 5 circles around me just to see how she'd react and to let her see that the saddle wouldn't kill her. :wink:


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## Golden Horse

Saddlebag said:


> Being too large is more about weight distribution. It's actually a fairly small area on a horse's back that should carry the rider. When obese people ride, their weight distribution is much more forward and behind that area. The man in the video is within the area.


That is an interesting thought, not sure I'm convinced by the argument, a saddle contains the persons errr assets, so why would their weight distribution be an issue?


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## BossHoss

Size wise, I think the man is a fine size. I feel like he's kind of tall, but his leg takes up the barrel in a way ok enough for me to find this passable. 

There's just something that makes me think he rocks around a lot more because he's a taller fella, whereas I think he'd rock less if he were on a taller horse, and the height of the top of his head closer to its back. 

The horse seems 100% fine with all this too, so there's that.


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## trailhorserider

I'm late to all of this, but my impression is he is not too big as someone training the horse or riding it now and then. But, if he were purchasing a horse for himself, I think he would be better matched with a larger horse.

I feel the same way about myself....I might hop on a friend's horse for a ride or two and feel a little big but the horse could carry me fine. But if I were looking for a horse to purchase, I would want a little larger horse because it would be a long-term thing. 

Then I keep reading how larger horses don't stay sound as smaller ones, so who knows? But I feel more matched to a horse that is say 15.2, 1200lbs than to a 14.3, 900lb Arab (although I have owned and ridden both). I just feel I look better on the larger horse and not like I'm going to hurt it! But that doesn't mean the Arab isn't just as capable or even more so. 

The horse that was probably my best match was only 14.3 but he was a Mustang that looked part draft. He was a 14.3 tank, so height isn't everything either. And then there are some tall, fine boned horses (like some TB's) that even though they are tall, I would feel too heavy for.


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## Rob55

So I know nothing at this point, but to me. The guy looks too big. This hits close to home to me because the horses I like are short flat backed (think Morgan or Arab) and tend to be not as tall. I just started riding after a 40 year break and the riding school puts me on huge horses. I am 6' 200lb. The best ride, at least the one I enjoyed most, was on a 15 hand QH. I will not be looking to buy or lease for a year or so, but I guess I will be looking for a big small horse.


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## bkylem

My gut reaction is that the rider is obviously too large for the horse shown. It's not so much the size of the rider, but the proportion to the horse. The horse even looks very uncomfortable.


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## ThatClassyEventer

The horse looks rather comfortable in its work, although the rider's slightly big, I'd say they're a good enough rider that they know how not to throw their weight around in a way that may hurt the horse.

Its like carrying a big heavy box. If you hold it by handles on the side, or under the edges, and close to your body, its ok! If you tried to lift a large and excited dog of the same weight, it would be squirming and wiggling and you would have to set it down because the weight would be more difficult to manage.


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## Palomine

Looked at other videos of him and this horse. 

I am not fond of way he fits saddle at all. He has too much thigh, and of course some of that is attire but still his saddle appears to have been bought when he was thinner, and puts him out of position. And since seat is right up against back and front of thighs, no way he can fix that either.

Horse looks to be okay with him and tack weight, at this point at least. She doesn't look thrilled to death, but not sour. Yet. But just like anything else, the proof is going to be in the pudding as to whether problems develop down the road. And many of those are not going to be ones easily seen either, thinking spine/soft tissue, not showing in lameness.

And have seen where you posted size of both. But already was writing answer in my head before saw that. Only thing that changed was knew his weight and horse height.

If he is like most? He is weighing himself buck naked...or tightie whities only, so you figure another 20 lbs at least for clothing, or more, and then tack too? Boot alone will add 10? Pushing over 300 easily.

And that is too heavy for this little horse, no matter how stocky it is. Or how well he rides.

And the movements he is doing are harder on horse than if just meandering down a trail.

Weight matters. To human. To horse.


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## SammysMom

Oof. Without reading all your comments, I wouldn't have thought that guy was too big at all. Threads like this make me nervous!


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## Golden Horse

They shouldn't make you nervous, but they should make all of us think:wink:

Think about weight and fitness, think about height. Think about ability, both you and your horse, also think about suitability, for the discipline that you want to ride in.


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