To think I'll never ride again?

[IroningThrone]

I've had some health problems over the last few years that have resulted in me gaining a significant amount of weight. I'm now 19 stone (at 5'7) and just can't shift it despite eating sensibly and exercising. Waiting for a PCOS diagnosis due to symptoms but it's taking ages to get help! I'm not overly unfit (can run up the stairs without getting out of breath, walk 5+ miles every day!)

I really miss the horses and riding! Would love to go for a ploddy hack and enjoy the autumn weather but I feel like I'm just too heavy to sit on a horse and with how hard I'm finding losing weight it just feels impossible. I don't want to jump and race around, just hack and see the world.

Friend pointed out that going by the 20% rule, a big heavy horse would carry me. Not sure it counts for my sort of weight? It would be unfair to the horse, right?

Hey, I worked at a private school giving lessons to small children. I'm pretty sure I still have foot marks from where one little boy kept kicking me rather than his pony 😂😂😂

I live very near the Heavy Horses in Cumbria and they are pretty strict with their weight limits. They show their horses though, and breed on site, so they're very unlikely to take any risks in terms of excess weight and injury.

Saying that though, I'm surprised it's 16 stone for a 6ft adult as I was up there last weekend and I'm sure some of the riders were heavier than that 😬 maybe experience etc. is taken into account as well as how well they know you can ride.

Google PahlaB, my friend has PCOS and it worked for her.

You've got to bear in mind that weight is carried over a relatively small surface area, your saddle panels, and no matter how big and strong the horse is the weight will be intensified there.
Doing in hand work or driving for a time would be a good idea until you get your health issues sorted. Good luck!

I can sympathise. I have put on a ton of weight after 3 miscarriages a d a pregnancy in 2 years plus lots of steroid and hormone treatments. It just will not shift. With the last pregnancy I found a private clinic who found hormone resistance issues and I ended up with gestational diabetes. I am now on the upper limit to be able to ride, probably about 13 stone, but I am 5 foot 2. One of my biggest frustrations is that it is really hard to do the amount of exercise that I used to do with a tiny person needing looked after around work. I used to have my own horse at DIY livery, have 2 border collies, cycle to and from work, run home and walk the dogs in my lunch break and run back and I went to a climbing wall once or twice a week too. Now I cycle to and from work and go on lots of slower walks with my little one. I second what others have said about driving. If you learned to drive and then got a driving horse the you would have the driving to enjoy a potter around the countryside and all the field and stable work to help build some muscle. With PCOS, building muscle can help loads with the insulin resistance. You may also want to join a gym and do some weight/resistance training rather than all the cardio style classes (advice I would take myself of I had any time left at all). Maybe eventually this would help you lose enough weight to be able to ride as well as drive your horse. Best of luck. I really feel your frustration.

Just because a horse can carry your weight doesn't mean it should.

Agree with some previous points, a “heavy” horses strength is in its chest and shoulder, not it’s back. And while they are more appropriate for a heavier rider than a wee sports pony, I would still say that 19st is too heavy
Riding light is also absolute bollocks spouted by people that failed their physics GSCEs who use it as a justification to ride horses they are far too big for.

I do feel for you OP. Could you look into helping at a stables? Or preloved always seems full of people looking for help with Youngstock which is a good way to have rewarding horsey time without riding, as long as you’re confident on the ground? Which it sounds like you are

I was over 17 stone when I started learning to ride. I rang a lot of places and eventually found a small school with no weight limit due to an enormous Irish draft horse who is nearly 19 hands and built like a brick outhouse. He has no trouble carrying me whatsoever.

My instructor is lovely and said that she has never had a heavy enough student that this horse couldn't manage. He is crazy strong but since he is a competition horse he is very well trained and looks after his beginner riders. I nearly shit a brick when I saw the size of him but once on he is very well mannered.

Look at smaller riding schools who aren't necessarily online. Particularly ones with horses on working livery.

@Notanotherwindow old fashioned, true hw hunters are rare enough these days, I’m not a regular visitor to riding schools but I sincerely doubt they are stashing many on working livery.

The hunter my dad had when I was a child could have carried a 17 stone beginner in an arena, but I’m not convinced it would have been kind to do it regularly. 17 stone of rider on a hack would have been fine. Even looking back at old photos, rather than the viewpoint of a small child, he would have made almost every ID I’ve seen since look like a tb by comparison. So if you’ve come across one with enough bone to take a 17 stone beginner in a school, I’d say it’s an exception, rather than evidence there’s likely one around to take 19 stone.
Plus the fact riding schools tend to have lower limits because people lie about their weight, and the workload is generally more.

And frankly, I don’t think we should be exploring the maximum weight a large horse can take, it’s a direction the horse world should stay well away from. I’d love to ride little games ponies again, as I’m tall I accept I can’t because I’m never going to be light enough again. I don’t think I should be investigating whether someone might have a stockier sec a that might carry me, or telling myself its ok because I want to.

I completely agree that pushing the envelope and testing how much horses can carry is not the way forward. While I appreciate and sympathise that the OP has health issues, imo if you want to ride you need to accept that for the welfare of your horse you need to manage your weight. Noones saying you need a BMI of 20, but to expect a horse to carry a 20st rider on a regular basis is not fair

I’ve got an ID, he’s 17h and weighs 700kg. I wouldnt let someone of 19st sit on him let alone ride him.

Yeah, with the greatest of sympathy, this seems like a bad idea for the animals' sake. They do enough for us as it is.

Would something like rowing or kayaking get you that sense of moving through nature? Great exercise too.

This!!

If you are a horse lover I'm sure you'll do the right thing. Carriage driving might be an option.

A friend had great success with the gastric band. Eating what you did when slim may be irrelevant to your current metabolism.

I'm in the same boat. I'm not sure I will ever get back to rising weight. Just sold my horses as a result ☹️
That said a friend of mine who is 21 stone has just started riding on one of those simulators. She is really enjoying it and is finding the exercise really beneficial. She's hoping to get back to riding weight and fitness in due course. Sadly I live too far away to join her

I am eating the same! I'm probably eating better now to be honest, no early morning bacon sarnies at shows!

Would you PM me the general area of that yard please?

Can't find any driving places near me unfortunately. (I live near ish to Hartlepool, if anyone knows of a place!)

Fasting is the only thing that seems to be helping me shift weight, I skip breakfast, no snacks and just eat lunch and tea
I exercise as well

Riding wise, I rode at 16 stone on an ID x TB with decent bone that was absolutely fine carrying me. Rode her for about 10 years doing a bit of everything

@PeloFondo I actually just read that as farting and wondered briefly why I'm still so fat? 😳🤣

You're right, OP, most heavy horses are bred to pull, not to carry weight. Their hocks and backs aren't as strong as other breeds, and so they can't usually manage the 20% weight limit without running into problems. Very large horses are often prone to other health problems too- it's like very large dogs, they aren't really designed to be that big and get weaker with size.

A short backed, chunky cob type might be up to your weight, but it's also the issue of getting a saddle to fit which is comfortable for you and also fits the horse. Depending on your height, you'll likely need a longer saddle, and this won't necessarily fit the type of horse able to carry you.

I do think if you could get down to even 16/17 stone there would be more options available- certainly I know some riding schools which have had 16 stone weight limits in the past, so it's not impossible. I know it's really difficult to shift the weight with health issues.

I agree with those saying that we shouldn't necessarily be exploring the maximum weight a horse can take.

I'd definitely try to explore driving further though OP- there are places that do residential courses etc.

You have my sympathy, I am battling my weight to ensure that I am not being unfair to my horse and the thought of not being able to ride is dreadful.

I would definitely recommend carriage driving. A friend of mine drove because she could no longer ride and I used to love going out with her as groom/backstep it is such a lovely way to get out with a horse.

Horses can pull far more than they can carry, especially driving or dual purpose breeds. She had a 13.2hh pony, you don't need a heavy horse if you are driving, a traditional cob would be perfect. You would get the fresh air and exercise without worrying about your weight compromising the horse.

Many RDA centres have carriage driving ponies and can do lessons. Alternatively the British Driving Society can provide details of instructors.