Really irritated with this girls mother.

[Balloonhearts]

More of a vent than anything.

I work at a riding school who do weekend pony clubs in the summer, and a longer one over the holidays.

We match the riders to their ponies based on height, weight and experience/temperament.

One of my group is very overweight. Three stone heavier than her mother said she is on her form. She cannot ride the pony assigned to her or any of the ponies. She needs a horse. Which would have been fine if we knew when she booked.

Now I'm desperately trying to find a suitable mount before the 3 o clock hack so I don't have to tell this sweet girl that she is unable to go on the hack due to her weight.

WHY do people do this? Just be honest ffs! If we had the right numbers, she would have been given one of the horses but now there is no one suitable left.

What type of horse did knights in armour use? They must have been very heavy all in.

I imagine animal welfare wasn't as stringent in the 1600s

I asked ChatGPT

A man wearing full plate armour in the late medieval to early Renaissance period would typically have weighed:

• ⚖️ Total weight (man + armour):Man: ~70–85 kg (154–187 lbs), average build for the period
• Armour: ~20–30 kg (44–66 lbs), depending on style, purpose, and quality

🔹 Total: ~90–115 kg (198–254 lbs) Elite knights or taller individuals might exceed this, but it was rare for the total to surpass 120 kg (~265 lbs). 🐎 What kind of horse could carry that?Contrary to popular myth, knights did not use massive draft horses (like Clydesdales or Shires). Instead, they rode destriers, coursers, or rounceys — specialized riding horses bred for agility, stamina, and strength.

• ⚔️ Common types:Destrier: The iconic "war horse." Rare and expensive. Strong, agile, and responsive. Likely weighed 500–600 kg (1,100–1,300 lbs)
• Courser: Lighter and faster, used in battle and tournaments. Often preferred for actual combat.
• Rouncey: General-purpose horse for lower-status warriors or travel.

🐎 Strength:A fit medieval warhorse could carry up to 20–25% of its body weight for prolonged periods.

• A 550 kg horse could carry 110–137 kg — comfortably handling an armoured rider.
• ✅ Summary:Armoured man: ~90–115 kg total
• Horse: A destrier, courser, or large rouncey (~500–600 kg) bred for combat use
• Well within their carrying capacity — these horses were agile and well-trained for battle conditions.

Let me know if you'd like info on how long they could ride in that gear, or how armour affected mobility or tactics.

I don’t suppose they would have ridden around in it more than necessary they would have had a squire and a packhorse maybe?

You need to write a novel OP this is marvellous

Really enjoyed this thread, so lovely, and yes Balloonhearts should write a book.

For anyone interested i can recommend a good ‘horse’ book called Longest Way Up, Shortest Way Down by Stephan Wild who worked for the mounted police. The book was about his training years… so funny!

@masterbeth I presume you are said childs mother as you have taken such Umbridge to this thread, which is actually a delight.. it was said several times the girl was was lovely, however she is morbidly obese 5ft & 13stone at 13 years old is extremely unhealthy, for context I'm 5ft 2 in my third trimester & I'm 9stone 2 & I'm not underweight at all, I look heavily pregnant, it's such a shame for this girl & I hope if you are said girls mother you manage her diet & exercise better because it's not fair to put your child at risk of diabetes & other weight related health issues at such a young age . Also the OP went above and beyond & your are obnoxious & entitled if you think otherwise .

It does sound like the mum has a real phobia, which is maybe where the ignorance is coming from. Not wanting to stroke a gentle horse that her daughter enjoys riding (and an 8 year old is fine on) screams fear, doesn't it?

Yes, I am the child’s mother. You got me.

@jumpintheline - if @Balloonhearts does write a book, Thelwell should illustrate it, imo!

this is awful. how much was the 3 stone relative to their weight? like 8st to 11st or like 11st to 14st?

It was 10st to 13st. So pretty obvious by eye on a 5ft child.

She's doing amazing now though, came 7th out of 12 on her first dressage show. Growing like a weed too.

They weigh them. How else do you imagine? Evidently necessary because people lie!

Now that sounds like a blooming good riding school OP. And it’s better than a jill book!

Oh I was just thinking of this post when one popped up on my FB earlier of a mum asking if a stables are allowed weigh her child rather than just taking her word for it

guessing she aint 13st anymore then lol x

Her weight has remained the same but she's evening out as she grows. Probably gaining muscle, the kid's not scared of hard work.

I loved this thread. Especially the photo of Major Tom, here for any more of the horses if you have any to share!!

Ive had horses all of my life up until I became pregnant a couple of years ago, I miss having horses in my life terribly. I'm hoping my little boy wants to horse ride when hes older. I get my fix visting horse sanctuaries. What a joy to read.

disgusting to be on ponies if shes still 13st??

Did you actually read the thread? The child is NOT riding ponies. She did try one that was robust enough to take her weight, but had trouble with him because her legs were too long and he was uncooperative. The OP is a responsible member of staff who always ensures the safety of the animals and the riders.