Query RE: Reiners and BMI

[frugalannie]

OK, Flame suit in readiness. I watched the reiners on NBC yesterday. Fantastic! Talk about well-trained horses and athleticism! I loved watching it, and the post competition interview with the gold medalist was noteworthy for the obvious love and respect he has for his horse.

But…is there a reason these guys favor a relatively high body mass index? (BMI) I couldn’t help thinking that their horses might perform even better with a little less of that on their backs, but then I wondered if the weight actually helps. If it does, I may take up that sport!

[Tamara_in_TN]

[QUOTE=frugalannie;5136553]
O

But…is there a reason these guys favor a relatively high body mass index? (BMI) I couldn’t help thinking that their horses might perform even better with a little less of that on their backs, but then I wondered if the weight actually helps. If it does, I may take up that sport![/QUOTE]

well some of them where slimmer in the old days;) but the fact is that riding reiners you sit still and you sit in your horse

you are not bouncing,twisting,flopping,peddling,posting and so on…they are trained to subtlety, and lightness from the beginning

and so with a still subtle rider, a horse can do very well with a larger load as it were, as opposed to one that lays over his shoulders on a turn or plopps and flopps every stride interfering with him.

Tamara in TN

[canyonoak]

<< and so with a still subtle rider, a horse can do very well with a larger load as it were, as opposed to one that lays over his shoulders on a turn or plopps and flopps every stride interfering with him.>>

hahahah if this wasn’t so long, I’d make it my new sig line.

ROFL.
I can only wonder the horse’s opinion of its ‘larger load’…

[pony_grandma]

:lol: Did you see the post on Off Course? Chubby Guys and Cocktails, I May Have Found a New Sport! The title makes me laugh when I read it.

Some wgt in the saddle can be a positive factor sometimes. There was a lady named Nell that used to do the working cow events - she could sit back and put a stop on a horse!

My DD is a chunky type and this girl can sit a horse. They can’t find the ejector button with her. She sits down and says get over yourself and they say yes ma’am.

[Graymaresrule]

I have a BMI of 29

People will probably say I’m only justifying my weight but I don’t think BMI or weight alone is the beall and endall of fitness indicators.

Yup, I’m heavy but I am very strong, probably moreso than many people with a lower BMI (and half my age)and muscle is more dense than fat.

One of the new buzz words or phrases is 'Functional Fitness" and I suspect some of these heavier riders have it in spades

[Tamara_in_TN]

[QUOTE=canyonoak;5136628]

hahahah if this wasn’t so long, I’d make it my new sig line.
ROFL.
I can only wonder the horse’s opinion of its ‘larger load’…[/QUOTE]

honestly? most prefer a steady quiet load of a larger size…and remember that our trees are different than the englay saddles…the weight is spread out of the majority of the back and sometimes carried on to the loins instead of being so localized

if we take pack animals as examples they can carry 300 lbs of non moving weight just about anywhere,as it does not shift and they do not worry about adjusting for that…but 145lbs of wiggling coiled up hot mess on their shoulder blades messes them up every time;)

Tamara in TNH

[fordtraktor]

Reining requires amazing amounts of balance, finesse, and tact, but not brute strength. A little chub does not interfere at all with their abilities as athletes in their chosen sport. And since it doesn’t interfere, bring on the cocktails.

[Bluey]

Sadly, for some human body types, a higher BMI comes with the passing of years, unless you fight it all your life.

Those men were not exactly young sprigs, were they, but they also do seem to like their beers, looking at their middles.:lol:

I think it was pure coincidence that those at the top this year were a little bit on the fluffy side, because there are others less so showing at the top also.

At the lower levels, many showing today are mature women, although by far not most and some mature ladies also tend to be fluffier than young ones.

I expect that, if reining keeps gaining popularity, as it has done the past years, we will be seeing more of all kinds of body types involved with it.:yes:

I do think that physical fitness, especially riding, is a definite asset.

[LJStarkey]

As it happens, the reiners were asked this question during the press conference after the team competition.

Here’s the answer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg4nSfrodQY

[au_panda]

@Bluey;5136688

I think it was pure coincidence that those at the top this year were a little bit on the fluffy side, because there are others less so showing at the top also.

At the lower levels, many showing today are mature women, although by far not most and some mature ladies also tend to be fluffier than young ones.

ROFL:lol::lol::lol::lol: Hey, I’m not chubby, I’m fluffy!!! Thanks for a new take on an old problem. Now I want a fluffy reiner (the horse,not the fluffy guys) - they were awesome!

[alter12345]

Reining at the highest levels has traditionally been a “man’s” sport. I mean a real man’s sport. Much like cutting. And as was so thoughtfully pointed out by Bluey- maturity often adds lot’s of things to a person, including some things no one wants. Especially when living “well”.

Of course there are lots of young and skinnies in reining but the really good ones, who stick around a long time and and are very successful ( thus getting some years on them) obviously age like the rest of us.

Of course there are exceptions to everything. One of the best evah was skinny as a rail (in that same hard living, drinking way that adds to some and takes away from others!)- Bill Horn.

[Graymaresrule]

@Bluey;5136688

Those men were not exactly young sprigs, were they, but they also do seem to like their beers, looking at their middles.:lol:

Unfortunately beer is not the only thing that lands in the midsection.

[Phaxxton]

@LJStarkey;5136704

As it happens, the reiners were asked this question during the press conference after the team competition.

Here’s the answer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg4nSfrodQY

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[lalahartma1]

Hahah, I was just commenting this morning on this to a friend. You don’t hear about ‘being too big’ for the horse in the western events!

[NCRider]

Until they joined FEI, reining horses weren’t expected to last as competitive mounts much past the age of 4 so please don’t take the fact that there were some fat men competing at WEG as evidence of the fact that being fat doesn’t have a negative impact on your horse’s health. Please notice that there were no fat endurance riders. There also aren’t a lot of fat working cow hands. Before I get accused of being a fattist, I’m a good 25-30 pounds over my healthy weight (which I define as what I weigh when I am eating properly and exercising appropriately) so I’m lumping myself in the group of riders who could be better partners for our horses if we’d get in better shape.

[yadayada]

I guess being overweight may not necessarily interfere, but it certainly doesn’t do the horse any favors. And it definitely doesn’t do much for our sport’s image as a ‘real’ sport. Isn’t reining going to be in the 2012 olympics? It’ll be interesting to see these guys lumbering around the opening ceremonies next to the gymnasts and swimmers…

[winfieldfarm]

Don’f forget that the job of riding a reiner is not the same physical demand as riding a jumper or an endurance horse.

I think the difference is that reining riders are shaped very much like older riders in other events. It’s just that the event lends itself to older riders remaining competitive later in life by skill, not by fitness

[Phaxxton]

@yadayada;5136835

It’ll be interesting to see these guys lumbering around the opening ceremonies next to the gymnasts and swimmers…

It’ll be a lot more interesting to see them standing up on the medal stand, as they did at the WEG.

[Foxtrot_s]

It must have some physical demands - I’d for sure be spun off at those speeds in the spins.

[KC_and_the_Sunshine]

Embarrassing. Surprised they didn’t have cigs hanging out of their mouths too.