Lessons for plus size riders

[OhMoreDrama]

I used to ride as a kid and I'm really missing it now - my boys go riding and I'd love to join them!

I'm just under 18st but tall with it - 5'10!! I used to be a lot slimmer but stated on anti anxiety meds and they made me put on loads of weight even though I was eating less.

Do you think any riding school could cater for me? I only really want to plod about and maybe hack out occasionally.

You may find somewhere, but the average riding stable won’t cater for you. I researched a while ago (when I weighed less than I do now!) and found most stopped at 14st. It’s based on the horse’s weight, most places estimate a maximum carrying capacity of 10% of the horses weight.

I figured! I'm actively trying to lose the weight but it's not easy unfortunately.

For horse welfare then most yards won't cater for your weight I'm afraid unless they are heavy horses.

I was 17st when I started and managed to find somewhere. They had 2 large horses, a 17hh and an 18.2 ISH. They're built like tanks.

You need somewhere with big fuck off horses. Not little thoroughbreds but whacking great sport horse. If you're in or near Essex pm me and I can recommend.

OP, well done for asking yourself this question. I dont agree with the pp who suggested looking for a place with ‘fuck off big’ horses as very large and heavy breeds were never bred to carry heavy weights on their backs- but to pull carts and carriages etc- their backs are no more resilient to the damage caused by overweight riders than their smaller counterparts (economies of scale don’t work for horses in this way).
A disproportionately large number of heavy or draught horses end up irreparably lame due to being overloaded.
I would suggest getting involved in horses on the ground- stable management, equine care, liberty work, in hand trec etc is all fantastic for general fitness and the happiness of being with the horses may also boost you up in reaching weight loss targets!!

I already do a lot on the ground! I also eat a healthy diet and swim regularly! It's the medication that's causing the issue unfortunately!

I think you will struggle, I have the same issue though I am just over 15 stone. I heard about a heavy horse stable and thought, great, but even they have a weight limit of 13 stone. Most local stables here have a limit of 11/12 stone. These are massive BHS approved yards with 40 plus horses and ponies. I’m sure they have horses who could carry me for a plod about. Trouble is if they advertise a higher weight limit they would get all those people as others don’t cater for it. You can’t expect a riding school horse to do 4 hours a day carrying larger riders.
If you want a plod on a weight carrier I think the only chance is to find a friendly owner who would let you sit on briefly.
If anyone knows a yard with a higher weight limit in the north west please let me know.

Sorry, anyone who allows this does not care about horse welfare.

I'm a fatty myself and would never sit on a horse because it's cruel. We have two ponies and get quite a few enquiries from overweight riders who want to share them, but it's always a "no".

Look into carriage driving as the weight a horse can pull is much more than the ridden weight they can carry.
RDA centres sometimes offer it & have volunteers which people often get alot out of
They might offer shares as well.
Carriage driving people are also usually more friendly & welcoming than other horse people

Is there a way you could get involved on the ground? Riding schools often look for helpers, or some local horse owner who wouldnt mind someone fussing and grooming them to get your horsey fix and also weight goal motivation If you get down to 15st you may find somewhere

It’s not fair on the horse to have someone of that weight riding them. The limitations are for horse safety.

I'm shocked that anyone would even consider getting on a horse at that weight.

Do men not really ride then? 11 1/2 stone isn’t much for a bloke I’d have thought. Sorry if this is a silly question!

I'd say that is significantly over the weight limit. As someone said further up, the big boned cobby types are often built to pull so often aren't the weight carriers people assume they are.

I am fat and wouldn’t consider getting on a horse. Sorry OP.

I rode fine at 16 stone but now I'm a bit heavier I wouldn't (rode a 16.2hh ID cross who was more of a man's horse and ignored anyone on her back under 12 stone)

Lots of men ride their own horses, or horses belonging to people who are ok with them carrying that weight. It’s increasingly hard to find riding schools with higher weight limits. I think most schools are squeezed by the cost of living crisis (those that survived Covid) and bigger horses cost more to keep.

There is also a huge difference between a privately owned horse carrying 16 stone and being ridden 3/4 times a week for 30-60 minutes than the sort of workload a riding school
horse would have

Let it be an incentive to lose weight!
It’s really not fair for horses to be carrying excess weight- Weight bearing Irish Draughts might be able to carry 13 stones at a push, but most yards have upper weight limits for a reason.

In USA it’s awful to see horses staggering under the weight of heavy riders.

Young’s Shires were Draught animals - Bred to pull vehicles rather than have downwards pressure on their spines.
It’s not fair on the horses.

A wheeled Dray is no problem for them they lean into their collars and pull.
Physics very different.
Would you rather carry heavy shopping on your back or pull a trolley?.

I am perfectly aware of that thanks and I didn't say I approved of it but there ARE some places that advertise heavy horses and put larger riders on them.

It's not a silly question at all. All commercial riding schools have a weight limit and you're right that this would exclude a lot of men. Horse riding at a recreational level is far more popular among women than men though.

Sorry OP, zero judgement, I made a couple of inquiries when was about 16st several inches shorter than you (bastard neuro meds) wanting to know about cobs. I was told a limit of about 13st by a couple of places, one of whom said they'd make an exception for a rider with experience but i decided in the end it just wasn't fair on the horse.

I can ride, know how to sit etc so wouldn't have been a bouncing sack of spuds on the horses back but the horse's welfare has to come first.

As PPs say, heavy horses have much of their weight bearing power in their shoulders really, not their spines (similar to how elephants shouldn't be ridden ).

Please don't take it personally. I really didn't.

The average weight for a man is apparently 13.16st so that would include quite a few if some schools go up to 13st (like the ones I asked unless this has changed). But IME much more popular amongst women/girls anyway at riding schools. Perhaps not in circles where everyone has their own horses anyway

I don't see any overweight men ride horses where we are. The boys/men who ride are all quite fit and usually fairly short from what I can see.

You don't really get many 6'5 overweight men on horseback.