# Too heavy to.ride



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

It isn't height that determines the weight they can carry. It is their fitness, conditioning and build. They need short back, strong coupling, dense bones.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

If that was true then no man or middle aged or older woman would ever ride a horse. If your horses back dips when you mount, then you are to heavy. Look at all these professional riders on the cutting horses and reining horses. Those are not 16 hand high horses. People will also tell you feeding alfalfa will kill your horse. Hmm I have horses that lived into the late 30;s and early to mid 40;s. Guess it was the alfalfa that killed them and not age.


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## Jenn gow (Apr 20, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> It isn't height that determines the weight they can carry. It is their fitness, conditioning and build. They need short back, strong coupling, dense bones.


I agree, the fjor is not a large tall horse and built like u have suggested as well. Thats why i said that it depends on the horse the rider experience and build. Ive just seen so many aweful comments and yet no one mentioned the theraputic benefits of the health of the person just learning to walking the horse on lead (rider on the ground not on the horses) horses motivate people. If i had my own i would be happy just walking it, lunging and training it. Its hard work so i am.always happy to get to work with one. I dont even need to be on it. Training for me starts from the ground then up  😀


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## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

I agree working with horses is very beneficial for weight loss. Just the time spent with the horse and not eating is a big part of it! Ground work burns a lot of calories, and when people get more exercise their motivation increases.


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## Jenn gow (Apr 20, 2021)

Thank you! Thats my point! People who learn from the ground up begin to understand horses arent just entertainment.to ride, but they are animals that feel pain, walk certain ways run certain ways. So many horses and each one is different from the other. Learning how a horse works before just trying to jump.on helps the rider get healthier and the horse stay active. Win win! Then move forward with what is right for each the human and rider


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## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

@Jenn gow The only thing that gave me the motivation to lose 60 lbs was the prospect of riding better! Well.....not the _only _thing but it was a huge part of my motivation!


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I think it's a general rule of thumb when you consider the weight. Meaning, a lesson program, a trail riding program, or a heavy show program would consider the 220 lb max weight limit. A private owner that is a decent rider but weights little more who is spending 30 minutes to an hour with the occasional walk/trot trail ride may weigh a lot more. That horse isn't taxed as long as it's healthy and in good condition. 

My husband is about 220 lbs, he is 6'2 and really doesn't have extra weight on him. He's in good shape and would be a bean pole if he weighed less rides Riley a few times a month during the summer (Trail rides). Riley doesn't struggle to carry him. He's about 1300 lbs and is a little over 16 hands but he has Navicular so we are careful what we do with him. I think that Cloud who is smaller by about a hand but at about the same weight would have no issues carrying the husband.

I think that there has to be common sense used when you are discussing weight and what a horse can carry. A person that is using their horse for a couple hours a day and is riding actively should consider the recommended guidelines when making an educated decision. People who have horses that are in a more relaxed environment just need to use common sense. That's my thought on it.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

When I was given a horse at age 58 I weighed 140 lbs or more (and I am a short person). Within a year I weighed 120. I still am not completely sure why! The magic of horses.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Well, first of all, most folks here do not discourage large people from riding. But, one must be realistic. There ARE limits to what horses can carry. Only some variations between breeds, and according to how conditioned the horse is. B
If someone told you , at 146 lbs. that you are a 'large' rider, well, they are crazy. That is a low to average weight for an adult if you factor in all genders/ages. I am much heavier ad I know that there are horses that I will not subject to my weight. It's just a fact, it's not about hurting anyone's feelings.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

The reality is that some people just cannot ride. There is a NBA basketball player who loves horses but realistically - there is no horse that can carry him comfortably at anything more than a short walk. So he drives. I think he keeps and exercises trotters but I don’t think he races them himself because his weight is a disadvantage. 

This is him leading a full size trotter



http://imgur.com/OtyhWsx


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## pnr (Jan 16, 2021)

I don't understand as you don't sound over weight. Yeah depends on the horse etc. I was riding a pony until last July (then I had accident). Now I have put on a bit of weight (Really unhappy). I don't think I should ride a pony if riding was an option right now.


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

When considering the weight a horse can carry, it is important to also consider how that weight is distributed. If you've ever carried anyone on your shoulders -- or even piggyback -- you should realize that how the person sits effects your ability to carry the weight. The same is true with backpacks. 

A horse can more easily carry a rider if that rider's weight is centered over the horse's center or gravity.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

250-300 is getting to the area where horses will struggle. A horse with excellent conformation, who has worked up to it gradually, might handle a 300 lb man OK. Particularly at a walk. But a lot of horses will struggle at 300 lbs. 250 is seen more often and quite a few horses seem to adapt.

Bandit was used in relay races in NE Arizona. He weighed 800 lbs. He did training runs (trot/canter) for 10-15 miles sometimes carrying a rider who "_weighed 265 in his socks, and he wore more than socks when riding!_" I've now owned Bandit 6 years. I see no sign he suffered *physical* damage. But he braced his back like a steel I-beam as soon as you got on him. Automatically. And when ridden, he used his front legs independent of his hind legs. Took him at least a year to start using both ends of his body as one. Took almost that long to stop the automatic back brace when mounting.

Before:






After:






I reject a lot of "rules" involving rider weight. I've met too many surprisingly large guys who rode contented but surprisingly small horses. But there does come a point where it is too much to ask of a horse. Where is that point? Depends on a LOT of variables! But a 300 lb guy will find it tough to find a horse who can handle him. <250? Quite a few horses can from what I've seen.

And yes, folks can enjoy horses without riding them. A lady I know does ground work with her horse and takes him out for walks. Been doing it for years. Both she and her horse are happy. I think my wife prefers walking a horse to riding a horse. I promise you Trooper doesn't mind! Nothing wrong with it!


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Sorry, I got stuck at the nba basketball player. He’s leading a bred up kind of horse. I’m pretty sure my main horse Cash could carry him fine, just saying.

I also was struck by the 146 pounds. That wouldn’t be considered overweight for almost any horse. Lol. Maybe 146 is overweight on a certain frame, but I am only 10 pounds less and would be shocked to be called overweight. I am fit. I wouldn’t go riding a Shetland pony around all the time, but I don’t question a healthy horse’s ability to carry me.

Whoever said you know when a horse’s back shrinks for a second when you get on, that it is too much, is correct. I’ve seen horses seem to react to someone getting on and known it was too much weight for that horse. I’ve heard too of a big man (not fat, but very big, like a professional football player) crippling up horses and giving up cowboying because of it. He told me there weren’t horses around that could carry him. Later his brother asked to buy my big horse for him. I didn’t sell him because I like him, but there are more around like him if someone looks hard enough.


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