Think I’m being judgy but still feel upset…

[logincard]

Yesterday I went to a Hunter Trial. I was transporting a friend in my horsebox not competing myself. It was a fun afternoon but there was one woman - at least 14 stone on a pony no more than 12.2hh. It was really upsetting to see this woman , far far too heavy for the pony try and make it jump round a x country course. When they finished the pony was stumbling and looked lame. I’m far too bloody British to have said anything, but I kind of wish I had - just watching made me feel a bit sick … has anyone here ever actually said anything in these circumstances ? Or is it a MYOB ?.

That is awful. I wish I had the confidence to say something in these situations but unfortunately I don’t think I would…

Poor pony!

Could have mentioned it to head steward, they would discuss with senior judge & pull rider off the course if they thought pony was being harmed. I assume this was riding club/amateur HT? Rules stricter in affiliated competitions.

Sounds quite extreme - if nothing else surely a grown woman's legs would be scraping the floor on a pony that size, never mind her weight? I sometimes jump on ponies that size (for 15 mins schooling I hasten to add, not a jolly round an XC course, and I'm nowhere near 14 stone!) and it feels ridiculous, actually very unbalancing because my legs are so far down the sides, what would possess someone to want to go off and try and jump a pony that size ?

Yes like others if I was feeling brave/felt it was a genuine welfare issue then I'd have mentioned something to the head steward or organiser who can retire them if needed or at least have a quiet word...

I would mention it to a steward. It really annoys me that we can’t have this discussion about a genuine welfare issue for fear of hurting someone’s feelings, yet (rightly so) finding a scratch on the horses side from spurs means you’re DQd immediately.

I saw something similar at a moderately high level ODE a few weeks ago. In the young horse class no less , an enormous young woman on a lightweight 15hh. The poor horse seemed to be staggering under her weight, and she was booting and hitting it around the showjumping course as it was, understandably, reluctant to jump.

One of the stewards pulled her to one side at the end, so I hope that a stern word was being had!
I have friends of all shapes and sizes who ride without problems, but she needed a mature heavyweight cob with good bone, not a spindly, not yet fully grown TB/sports horse.

How awful. Just selfish. I've not competed much recently but at every event I usually see someone who I think is too big for that horse - one especially sticks in my mind but how do you approach that with a stranger in a public place? It would probably be better received coming from friends or professionals - or the organisers if out at an event. They have responsibilities for other areas of welfare so should cover this.

This article's an interesting read about how people take a welfare issue as fat shaming

httpss://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/its-not-fat-shaming-its-horse-welfare-saddle-fitters-warning-on-damaging-effects-of-excess-rider-weight-742804

I was on a Facebook group which was for supportive riders. Someone posted a picture of themselves riding a pony and they looked far too heavy for the pony. A couple of comments were made, not by me, and there was a flood of angry responses. Lots of people took it as fat shaming and not a concern for equine welfare. For days large people posted pictures of themselves riding ponies and challenged others to criticise them. I left the group.

@Avenueofcherryblossom I’m in a lot of ROR groups and no one dares say anything to anyone who is obviously too heavy as they just get a torrent of abuse about how it’s fat shaming and that the person riding “rides light” (which does not negate the fact you’re spindly US bred TB still has 16st + tack on its back). It’s a nonsense.

Thanks. I’m glad some others feel the same. Yes it was an unaffiliated HT, but I hadn’t considered approaching a steward - this is my first year competing at anything and normally I’m too occupied with my own horse to look much at others, but because I wasn’t riding I was looking more … I have no idea why anyone would do this, it was honestly awful to watch … maybe someone else did say something ….

Personally i would have approached a steward/organisers and expressed my concerns very strongly - this is clearly a welfare issue and the organisers have a duty to uphold welfare standards.

I have seen minutes of animal welfare committee meetings from country level shows and it is clear that stewards will intervene if they are concerned about riders being too large/heavy for a particular horse or pony and will ask them to dismount and withdraw from the class.

@maxelly

Sounds quite extreme - if nothing else surely a grown woman's legs would be scraping the floor on a pony that size, never mind her weight? I sometimes jump on ponies that size (for 15 mins schooling I hasten to add, not a jolly round an XC course, and I'm nowhere near 14 stone!) and it feels ridiculous, actually very unbalancing because my legs are so far down the sides, what would possess someone to want to go off and try and jump a pony that size ?

Yes like others if I was feeling brave/felt it was a genuine welfare issue then I'd have mentioned something to the head steward or organiser who can retire them if needed or at least have a quiet word...

I do find your comment about a grown woman’s leg scrapping the ground vey odd. I have been involved with native ponies for years. Our 12 h.h pony is ridden and competed by 2 adult riders. They are 5ft 2 and their legs don’t extend below his barrel. This is not a child’s point and jumps quite happily round an 80 cm track

Well, I didn't mean literally dragging on the ground, I may have been exaggerating for comic effect! Obviously I don't know you or your pony but all the 12.2s I know are children's ponies, they are Welsh As or dartmoor types mainly and fine for lightweight adults to ride/school occasionally but personally I def feel too long in the leg on them (and I'm far from tall) so wouldn't particularly want to jump or do much fast work on them. Plus despite being a healthy weight I would say I am also too heavy to ride a pony that size regularly or to do fast or hard work with them. As a native person would you not say the small breed natives usually are ridden/shown by children? Highlands, Connie's, Welsh Cs and Ds etc perfectly suitable for small adults but they would properly be 13hh +, wouldn't they?

My own mares are ponies so I'm not the sort of person that will only ride a big horse but they are more like 14hh and that makes all the difference IMO. But obviously every pony/person is different and if yours takes up the leg well and is up to adult weight, doesn't struggle with its work etc then obviously that's fine but doesn't sound like it was the case for this combination?

Sorry I've realised that read wrong, I do know that in showing m&m classes the rider can be any age and adults do show small ponies. I more meant that I don't think there's many small breeds that are suitable as an adult ride for xc etc. But I'm open to being corrected!

@maxelly think it really depends. My friend is 5ft 7 and has a 13.1hh section B that she mostly does dressage on but she also jumps and does XC etc. Bareback her legs do hang pretty far down but she's about 8 stone wet through!

I would also have raised it with a steward. Everything we enter has notes in the Ts&Cs about horse welfare and the right of the organisers to step in in such cases.

I'm both tall and heavy, and am very careful about what I ride. When I was lighter I used to loan a beautiful and v chunky 14.2 Highland but the second I gained weight such that I was over the percentage limit I gave him up. There are bigger native breeds at our yard that I ride some of the time, but e.g. the 15.2 Welsh D I will do occasional low level activities on but nothing fast paced or endurance like. My share is 18.1 and well built so with him I can do pretty much anything!

I have at times been encouraged to ride smaller horses, some people including owners say 'oh it's fine, x rode him and he had no problems'....which might be the case, but very often problems don't occur or just aren't apparent straight away, and some horses tolerate discomfort without complaining, yet it is still discomfort.

I'd say something. Sick of seeing far too overweight people on horses/ponies. Saw a clearly obese woman on a post yesterday, lots of oh you look great comments. Ridiculous. Fat is fat. Too heavy is too heavy.

I don't think there's many small breeds that are suitable as an adult ride for xc etc.

Exmoor ponies can comfortably carry adult riders. They tend to have a good depth of barrel. I've felt larger on slight 14hh ponies than I feel on Exmoors. They are quite possibly the exception that proves the rule though. They have good bone and they're very strong for their size. In some ways they're not great as children's ponies because of their strength and temperament.

Actually Dartmoors and Exmoors are perfect for the smaller adult, as are a lot of shetlands, as well as children from lead rein age and up. Some are more suited to children and some are most definitely more suited to adults.
The person in this case may not have been a suitable size for their pony but please don't assume that any adult on a smaller pony shouldn't be riding them or enjoying a range of activities on them.

I have no idea why anyone would do this, it was honestly awful to watch … maybe someone else did say something ….

I hope they did.

I hate that you can’t have this discussion without being accused of fat shaming

A little while ago it blew up on a local FB group when a friend who owns a riding school very politely refused a woman lessons as she was too large for the horses she has.

It’s very clear she has a weight limit on her website and on all the forms you fill in prior to your lesson for the welfare of her horses.

It's about the welfare of the horse, not the feelings of the rider.
I really hope someone did say something to a steward at that event. Seeing this happen at an organised event should be reported to the organisers.

I can’t understand the mindset of people who do this.

I used to love to ride, was OK but at hacking bot competing level. I’ve put tons of weight on due to medical issues and I am now too heavy…so I don’t.

The closest I get is leading DS during lessons. It makes me a bit sad, but I’d be far sadder to injure a horse.

lastqueenofscotland
I had forgotten that I commented on this thread! The comment “rides light” absolutely came up repeatedly on the page I was on!

I wouldn’t have said a thing out of fear that they would get angry or i would be wrong- I’m 60kg, 5”3 but wearing a body protector, jumper, scarf, hoodie, three t shirts and jacket in the middle of winter I look much to big for my 15hh. I also lost weight to break my other pony ( I was 15% of his body weight before and didn’t fancy pushing my luck on an unfit horse) so I suppose I am a little concerned about rider-horse weight ratio regardless.