Rider weight debate -riders asked to dismount

[Namechangetempissue]

Just catching up with the news in Horse and Hound and yet again 12 riders had to be asked to dismount this year after being found to be over weight for their ponies. This was at Great Yorkshire Show where 8 were asked to dismount last year.
I for one am really pleased about this. We show, and I am sick of watching heavy adults warming up and competing tiny ponies. Section A classes in particular were dreadful last year. I am well aware of the weight carrying capabilities of mountain and moorland breeds, but a 13/14 stone tall adult should not be showing or warming up a 12hh section A. I see so much of this in the warm up ring.
What do you think?
www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/great-yorkshire-show-asks-heavy-riders-dismount-626324

I've been riding her for 7 years, she would happily put me on the floor if uncomfortable. Saddle is checked and fits well, I school her at medium and have regular lessons. We hack a lot as well. She is very much a "mans horse" and isn't good when being ridden by a lightweight female. The kind that would be a decent hunter and happily go all day, thrives off work
I rarely ride anything else, my friends maxi cob occasionally for a hack

Ollivander take no notice! 15/16 stone on a decent sized fit horse with good conformation is fine. I'd say half the masters at our hunt are that sort of weight, they have suitable horses so there is no issue.

Isadora2007 My brother had to get down to 12 stone when he went riding. They insisted.

Isadora I could name 5 stables in the south west that you would be most welcome at off top of my head, (of course I have no idea where you live! though!) either of my 2 (16.2hh event horse or my semi retired 15hh Connie) would be absolutely happy to let you have a ride on them!

@Isadora2007 my riding school has an upper weight limit of 13 1/2 stone, & they're very strict on this. Their website also says they will never make exceptions even if someone is an experienced rider. A lot of schools round here is often 13 stone limit, but there may be some which have horses that are capable of carrying more. Have a ring around unless you wish to use it as an incentive to lose weight. Only recently started riding, I'm 7 1/2 stone & thought I was reasonably fit, could hardly move the day after my first lesson! I think I underestimated the physicality of it 🙈

I was at TSR last weekend and saw a FR being lunged, still there 2 hours later going round and round. Would rather see a lw adult on board taking the edge off than a pony being lunged for hours. There are far, far worse things going on in the Show World than heavy riders- problem is, no one wants to tackle the other issues.

I agree that there are a lot of issues in the showing world at the moment- sadly causing a huge decline in numbers and people willing to judge classes. The bad feeling at the county/HOYS end of the field is enormous. I really do hope these can eventually be resolved.

Britnay - that would be punishing the best jockeys. The ones who are riding 5 or 6 ponies/horses at a show and climbing from one to another. They need their ponies/horses to be ridden in by other people. I don't see what that benefits that rule would have. Imagine telling the likes of Katie Jerram that she can only ride the horses she has ridden in !

Thanks all those who have advised me about weight. I'm looking to lose weight so I will ring around my local stables to see if there is a maximum weight... and maybe that will help give me an incentive.

Ollivander take no notice!

Why not just discuss it? It's a potential welfare issue and those shouldn't be ignored because it makes people uncomfortable.

There are some interesting studies, like Randle and Halliday's 2013 article (www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(12)00236-5/fulltext although you can't actually get full text without subscribing).

The study linked to by Spudlet above will be measuring horses' cortisol levels, heart rate and back dimensions. Personally I welcome it because I hope it will result in more evidence-based guidelines about what horses can healthily carry. As I said above, horses have evolved to disguise pain and discomfort making it very difficult to assess their reactions without taking physiological measurements.

Oh I'm not ignoring it, I get we need weight limits and I have seen people who are far far too heavy for their horse. As I said I am v v cautious what I get on and mostly I ride her. She will happily march around a 3hr hack with ears pricked all the way, gallop up a hill with me and schools some decent medium movements, absolutely thrives off work
I exercise a lot and generally have a reputation as a balanced, quiet rider with nice hands
This is me at my current weight

You are too heavy to ride ollivander that is just too much weight for any horse.

That statement doesn't need 'discussing' its bollocks. Whilst I agree that horses will disguise discomfort and will not necessarily ditch a 'too heavy' rider. 15stone 8ib isn't too much weight for any horse, it may be too heavy for some horses but certainly not 'any horse'.

Fabulously you're conflating statements from me about discussing the issue with a statement from another post saying Ollivander was too heavy for any horse.

I wouldn't put a rider over 12 stone on my own Irish Draught cross. He's 17 years old and despite his breeding his conformation doesn't make him the best weight carrier. (Essentially not enough bone, a bit too long in the back). Whether or not I'd put a 15+ stone rider on another horse I don't know. I'd rather wait for the scientific studies on the effects of weight carrying before deciding on that one.

Another poster, not another post.

Yeah conformation is important to it as well. I think you have to take everything into account, general health, workload, riders ability etc etc even the weather - I will only ride v early am when hot and check the humidity too
I know people say it but this horse will full well refuse to move and shows when she doesn't want to do something (like a 20m circle because half pass is more fun) and she would honestly just not move with me if she was unhappy
She's been ridden by a 10 stone rider and um, set off with them

I wouldn't take the chance with my horse. I'm under 9 and a half stone and certainly wouldn't let anyone heavier than me ride him.

He had a badly fitting saddle when I bought him (years ago now) and had masked his discomfort. It took months to get his back sorted. He's too precious to risk anyone hurt him.

I weigh over 15 stones and as much as I would love to ride there is no way I would expect any horse to take my weight. I am currently on a weight loss regime and won't even think about riding until I am well under 13 stone

Happy this is being taken seriously... Next stop would be do something about badly fitted tack - if I see another done-up-til-its-digging-into-skin flash being ignored by judges and stewards...

I do remember back in the day, my pony club and riding club put a lot of focus on riders being as fit as the horses. The spring newsletter used to include a section on rider fitness, and at camp, we were sent on cross country runs around the XC course to keep us all fit!
It was run by a former Army major though, so that might have had something to do with it...

My dad has a horse riding holiday business. His weight limit is 16st. He also only has 2 horses that he'll put that weight on. I'm pretty sure most of his horses (Andalusians) could take the weight but he's in no way going to push them to that limit. It's not right.

I do think 15 stone plus is a big ask of any horse - that is very heavy. If you wouldn't let your horse get overweight (well, I wouldn't) how can you think it is ok to be that heavy, but climb aboard regardless? I think it shows a basic lack of respect for horse welfare. Sorry to sound so intransigent, but no one has to ride. The poor horse has no choice.

What weight is more acceptable? I am in the process of losing weight and going back to riding is an incentive for me. Some schools nearby have higher weight allowances but I don't want to ride if it's bad news, whether the riding school allows it or not. I'm 15 stone 12 lbs at the moment (I know I know ) and 5'9". Is 14 too heavy should I aim for 13 before ringing round?

Vet guidelines are that less than 10% of a horse's bodyweight is ideal. 10-15% is satisfactory and if you're over 20% it's a welfare issue. So a 600kg horse will ideally be carrying 60kg or less and shouldn't carry more than 120kg (there is tack to consider as well in the weight).

Those are just guidelines though. You also need to factor in a horse's age, conformation, fitness and general health. On the rider side fitness and ability will also be factors.

It's widely known that many horses do carry heavier riders and seem OK with it. That's why I'm interested in the physiological and stress tests.

Maybe aim for 14 stone plus a reasonable amount of fitness and then ring round? Riding is an amazing sport and I hope you can get out there and enjoy it.

Years ago I went on a trekking holiday at one place that was very experienced at matching horses and riders. They reckoned on a horse averaging 15% of its bodyweight. So if a horse had a heavier rider one week it had a lighter one the next - that seemed to work for them keeping horses sound. Phone round and ask because a good riding school may well do a similar balancing out.

Definitely ring round. I did a week at Talland who happily took me and also rode at Cumbria heavy horses

I'd say 13 stone is absolute top weight to ride.

I do think many of the replies are not factoring in height.
A 13 stone 5 ft person versus a 13 stone 5ft 10" person is very different.
A straight weight limit is very misleading - I have friends that are coming up 6ft are fit and athletic . By no means fat - but think they would be pushing a 13st limit - but they are fit and can carry themselves. You put a short overweight , unfit 13 stone person person on a horse - it is a very different dynamic.

I recently volunteered at a local PC event and was horrified by the. Number of overweight kids/ teenagers, and I am not talking a little bit of puppy fat.

Anyway this has got slightly derailed from the showing - adults on ponies discussion.