COOL!
[QUOTE=Manni01;8739905]
Yep :)[/QUOTE]
Ok sign me up! 
Back to the original topic for a minute - I just found a snippet of video from a recent show. Is it helpful to see what heavy / too heavy looks like? Maybe not what you imagine.
Bear in mind this horse is a large-framed Oldenburg x Belgian Draft. Picture me on a less substantial horse and I think itās clear where my trainer was coming from.
[HR][/HR]
Here is a summary of more recent research finding that a horse can safely carry up to 20% of its body weight, which would include rider and saddle.
http://www.horsesciencenews.com/horseback-riding/how-much-weight-can-a-horse-carry.php
I just bought a 14 hd pony that weighs around 700-800 lbs. I am figuring that I can safely ride him with a relatively heavy (Prestige Eventer Saddle) with these calculations. I just canāt gain any weight.
Many of the warmbloods are 1500 lbs or so making them within the range to carry a saddle and 280 lb person.
Forget about height. This is why the Fjords can carry substantial weight with no problem.
This is also assuming no soundness issues.
Excellent post, thanks for being so candid. How do you know if you are a good fit for your horse? Iām no featherweight but I am shortā¦
Nice ride in the video and you look well suited for your horse!
[QUOTE=BigMama1;8740137]
Ok sign me up! :-)[/QUOTE]
you are welcome to come anytime and I agree with Countrywood
Okā¦I confessā¦I ride a 13.2 hh Newfoundland Ponyā¦a former Dressage Cup pony. Best fun that you can have while still keeping your clothes on!!!..if you ever get a chance to ride one.
Not a plus-size rider, but an adult re-rider, riding a confidence-builder after a bad fall. Trainer/0wner is fine with the match. This pony has bone and is built like a tank, but packages beautifully. My goal is to be sufficiently comfortable in the canter on my 16hh mare and that is happening because of this amazing pony.
Dunno my point other than to be open to possibilities and that each situation is unique to the individuals involved. If I was looking for another horseā¦I would be snapping that NFLD pony upā¦aside from a lot of heart, he is a comedian.
Nowā¦how did I end up preaching to the choir 
[QUOTE=Puggly;8740643]
Excellent post, thanks for being so candid. How do you know if you are a good fit for your horse? Iām no featherweight but I am shortā¦[/QUOTE]
I would say know your horse and have a good set of eyes on the ground you trust. The 20% weight rule is a decent guideline to start with, but not a hard and fast rule. Evaluate your horseās conformation, body type, fitness and the type of work you are doing. Is he sound and comfortable and happy when you mount, ride, and dismount? Does he struggle with any specific movements? Does he struggle more with you than other riders? I suspect most people have nothing to worry about but itās good to be aware and sensitive to the issue if you are a larger or unbalanced rider.
[QUOTE=Manni01;8740679]
you are welcome to come anytime and I agree with Countrywood[/QUOTE]
Thank you Manni and Countrywood. Iām already talking the family into a January vacation in Sarasota
[QUOTE=Dee-Vee;8740807]
Okā¦I confessā¦I ride a 13.2 hh Newfoundland Ponyā¦a former Dressage Cup pony. Best fun that you can have while still keeping your clothes on!!!..if you ever get a chance to ride one.
Not a plus-size rider, but an adult re-rider, riding a confidence-builder after a bad fall. Trainer/0wner is fine with the match. This pony has bone and is built like a tank, but packages beautifully. My goal is to be sufficiently comfortable in the canter on my 16hh mare and that is happening because of this amazing pony.
Dunno my point other than to be open to possibilities and that each situation is unique to the individuals involved. If I was looking for another horseā¦I would be snapping that NFLD pony upā¦aside from a lot of heart, he is a comedian.
Nowā¦how did I end up preaching to the choir [/QUOTE]
So cool! I actually grew up in Newfoundland and our ponies are a unique breed. Built for work and amazingly strong for their size. Also amazingly smart and stubborn LOL. I taught summer riding camps in my teens and several of our schoolies were Newfoundlands. Poor kids didnāt stand a chance!
More recent as in the 2008 study? the one that had ā8 Light Riding Horsesā as its total sample size, horses that had been turned out for a while before being brought up and subjected to testing?
There is a Japanese study mentioned here http://www.thehorse.com/articles/31900/how-much-weight-can-horses-comfortably-carry that suggests up to 29% is the cut off.
Lets face it the truth is more complicated, some horses will struggle with 10 -15%, I would guess a lot will be OK in the 15 to 25% mark, then a few that can carry more. Also depends what we are talking about when we talk about ācarryingā 30 minutes stroll on a level trail, a days hunting in rough country, jumping, distance riding, 3 day eventā¦so many criteria to look at.
[QUOTE=KBC;8742991]
More recent as in the 2008 study? the one that had ā8 Light Riding Horsesā as its total sample size, horses that had been turned out for a while before being brought up and subjected to testing?
There is a Japanese study mentioned here http://www.thehorse.com/articles/31900/how-much-weight-can-horses-comfortably-carry that suggests up to 29% is the cut off.
Lets face it the truth is more complicated, some horses will struggle with 10 -15%, I would guess a lot will be OK in the 15 to 25% mark, then a few that can carry more. Also depends what we are talking about when we talk about ācarryingā 30 minutes stroll on a level trail, a days hunting in rough country, jumping, distance riding, 3 day eventā¦so many criteria to look at.[/QUOTE]
Why of course. There are many other factors. I certainly did not suggest that this is a set cut off.
I think that we hunter/jumper/eventer/dressage sorts are much more attentive to weight issues in riding. Heck, how often do you see a petite saddlebred or arab ridden by a large person or a cutting horse ridden by a large ride with very heavy saddle?
Other factors include conformation, bone, fitness, and more.
My 16.2 OTTB who lacks muscle and topline probably weighs over 1200 lbs but I would not put a heavy person on him. Heck, he rounds his back and takes little bucky steps even when I get on him and I am 5ā3" medium stature.
Contrast this with a 1200 lb 14.2 draft which could likely carry any weight in some instances.d
I think we are (almost) all in agreement. What is happening to COTH? quick, someone post something outrageous LOL
[QUOTE=BigMama1;8743165]
I think we are (almost) all in agreement. What is happening to COTH? quick, someone post something outrageous LOL[/QUOTE]
I think NP is a dressage God, and my perfect clinic would be one joint hosted between him and RG
Now excuse me while I wash my mouth, er typing hand outā¦
Lots of different shaped riders and horses in the Pony Cup- anyone watch?
[QUOTE=SendenHorse;8744583]
Lots of different shaped riders and horses in the Pony Cup- anyone watch?[/QUOTE]
I couldnāt watch the live stream. Is there an archive link anywhere?
[QUOTE=BigMama1;8744669]
I couldnāt watch the live stream. Is there an archive link anywhere?[/QUOTE]
Wondering the same thing.
I scribed at a show on the weekend and was happy to see a number of heavier looking riders. All rode well and all were well matched with their horses. I did note a few who looked too tall for their ponies, but thatās more of an aesthetic issue
[QUOTE=KBC;8744433]
I think NP is a dressage God, and my perfect clinic would be one joint hosted between him and RG[/QUOTE]
OMG, that NP?
