Can stables weigh my daughter rather than accept my word?

[TheQuaintLemonDuck]

Are stables entitled to weigh my daughter rather than just take my word for it?

Of course! Welfare of the horses is paramount. Equally being completely honest about your riding ability. I’ve seen many people declare breezily that they are competent riders when clearly they are not!

Why would she be embaraased? Theyre not going to broadcast it, just find a suitable pony or horse.

Can you say something? These poor creatures are going to get destroyed long term.

I think people sometimes need to think about just how a horse carries a rider. You may be able to lift a fair amount of weight normally, but get down on all fours and how much can you carry on your back, pressing on your spine? Over a relatively small area?

Exactly what I thought when I read this. The parent in that was awful

@TheQuaintLemonDuck ⬆️

The thread was posted on the very first page, and has now been posted again by the OP of that thread. Yes, people regularly lie about their weight and their children’s weights when it comes to riding. That’s why it is common to weigh them on site to confirm.

Which is it? Are you pissed off they don't want to take your word for it or worried she will be embarrassed? Why would she be embarrassed? Has she gained a lot of weight? Will she have a problem with going on a bigger horse? My kids aren't embarrassed about their weight because we don't make it a thing, and they understand that they are growing. If she is sensitive about the number on the scale then just ask them not to show her the weight.

Weigh your daughter again and put that weight on the form. Why would she be embarrassed?

And if she is, not feeling embarrassed is not more important than the horse's physical well being.

The link has been posted on this thread; I've seen it

Yes - in fact they SHOULD weigh the riders. Anyone can lie about their weight or their child's weight.

1. Maybe you aren't horrible enough to damage a living creature in order to protect your child from seeing that they are horribly overweight, but some parents definately are.
2. Parents live in denial about how overweight their kids actually are.
3. Even if your child is light for their age, their exact weight may affect which pony or horse is best for them.

I don't know anything about horses, but this is showing up in my trending topics but....
Yes, I'd have thought stables would weigh and not just take someone's word for it!
They could tell you anything, be in denial, embarrassed or whatever.
Keeping the horse safe should be paramount.

Thread from last year from the stables point of view.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5359192-really-irritated-with-this-girls-mother?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Having read the thread from last year, I'm hoping OP is now getting the daughter's correct weight and amending forms so she actually has a pony to ride?

Oh come on.

She does, but that doesn't mean she wants all the other kids to know.🙇🏻‍♀️

I agree it's important that the stables does weigh them all - ALL. It's also important they record it, but they don't need to announce it. Some would gleefully have flashing LED screens. Some would only weight the 'overweight' kids.

Decent stables will be mindful if how it's done & @TheQuaintLemonDuck they said they will weigh ALL the kids - this encourages parents/applicants not to lie which means they can better plan ahead which horse each child will be placed with. It's a minefield getting it all done for a camp.

Weights/preferences/experience

childrens experience & comparability ith each other /horses comparability with the other horses within the groups.

a LOT goes into it. Then it's all fucked up if the parent/applicant has lied (or made a mistake) about the riders weight.

it's not just one/two children that need to change horses.

its not personal.

if it's a decent stables they will be discreet.

Why are you worried about your daughter being weighed?

People who don't want their kid to be denied riding a horse because they're too heavy for it.

We keep scales in our office for this very reason. We have adults who are over our published weight limit lie at booking and then get really annoyed when they turn up and we cant accommodate them; equally we have parents who lie to keep their kids on the smaller ponies.

We don’t weigh everyone, but when you’re a size 16 claiming to be 9 and a half stone you’ll be asked to jump on the scales quickly…

If @TheQuaintLemonDuck is concerned (and I would be if my child had perhaps gained weight and it was a sensitive issue), then she could say to stable that you are not sure of her current weight and could you both pop in at a quiet pre-arranged time to have the weight check and see which ponies/horses are available at the camp?

Then it is discrete and not embarrassing and OP can simply say it needs to be done to match her to the correct size horse?

From a horse welfare pov, they should weigh every rider. Especially inexperienced ones. If you don't like it, other riding schools are available.

Why is this a problem?

Yes it's animal welfare they need to look after their horses

Yes but you could ask that they blind weigh her? My dd has had an ED and knowing her weight could be catastrophic.

And this why a parent might lie - to spare their child the embarrassment of being deemed to heavy for a particular animal.

Lots, I can assure you and as a teenager, I was one of them. I lied because I didn't like the horse they wanted to put me on, I preferred a sweet pony instead. At that age I put myself before the pony and it was an evil thing to do but I was very self conscious about my weight. The thing is I never really wanted to ride, I was just copying my sister and all I wanted to do was spend an hour cuddling the pony. Strangely my mum would have baulked at that concept if she had known what she was paying for.

I also lied when I went para-gliding and in a helicopter - stupid but I eventually learnt. There are lots of me around, you have to be one to know one.

So yeah, I get why they weigh you. Also me and my sister in law weigh the same and are the same height, she is a 14, I am an 18. Appearances can be deceptive.

I mean they can't physically man-handle her on to the scales, but they can say "get on the scales or don't ride".

People lie all the time. Sometimes through not knowing or through embarrassment or just because they don't feel the limits set by the riding school are fair.

Some people lie because they see large men on horses and think it's being sexist, not realising that weight distribution also matters. Or think of horses pulling logs or drays and forget that animal welfare has moved on.

And in my significant experience with riding stables, they actually only weigh if a) they are a trekking centre type place where most customers are single time users or b) they think you're on the cusp.

Riding skill also makes a difference. You can be heavier if you are a skilled rider, because your weight distribution is better and less taxing on the horse.