I have a student who has been getting heavier and heavier. She’s tall around 6 foot but I’m sure she weighs at least 200lbs. I have her on my draft/warmblood cross but even she’s starting to look uncomfortable. Most of my students are little.
I don’t want to make anyone feel bad or cause any kind of eating disorders but I also need to keep my horses safe. How do I approach this? Anyone know any good articles about safe weights a horse can carry. This woman is very cerebral and maybe if she sees the facts spelled out it will make sense to her.
Sorry I meant to put this over in the Hunter/Jumpers.
Would a 6’ tall 200lb man be a problem for that horse?
It’s rarely about weight as much as it is about coordination and the ability to control the weight.
If the woman’s increasing weight means she is losing balance and coordination, then that’s what you have to address, moreso than her weight. There’s a fine line between addressing her riding ability, and how you feel her increasing weight is affecting that.
I find it hard to believe that a draft cross is uncomfortable with only 200 pounds. I do not consider that too heavy to ride. I don’t know how heavy your draft cross is but let’s figure 1400. At the standard 20% she’s still well under. 15% of the horse’s weight and she would still make the weight.
I have draft cross that can easily carry the hubby who is over 200 pounds.
Now, if the rider was approaching 300 pounds, I might have second thoughts.
I agree with JB, it’s more about balance and coordination, at any weight.
I agree with the poster that stated that no one would think a 6’, 200 lb. MAN would be too heavy for the average draft/warmblood horse.
It’s difficult for me to believe that a 6’ tall, 200 lb. woman would be too much for a draft/warmblood cross. Unless it’s the smallest cross ever, and her feet dragged the ground. It’s hard for me to picture her looking heavy, unless all of her weight is in one area. Now, she might be uncoordinated or unbalanced because of lack of riding experience (and I was THAT when I weighed 135 lbs. and started English riding), but that will come. And personally, riding IS exercise, which helps weight loss.
At my heaviest, I was 5’4". weighed 220 lbs., and rode a 17 hand, large-boned Thoroughbred. At no time, did I feel that I was too heavy for my horse, nor did he EVER exhibit trouble carrying me. I could walk and canter with no problems; however, his sewing machine trot WAS a problem for me.
Time passed, and I was two years without a horse. I was looking for an old-fashioned Morgan, like the mare I had owned before the Thoroughbred. I had lost, maybe 10 pounds, and went to look at an older, 15 hand Morgan gelding. Before showing up, I thought that the owner would look at me and pull me off the horse, thinking I was too heavy and uncoordinated for her gelding.
When I got on him, it was a perfect fit. He didn’t have any trouble AT ALL carrying me, and I was totally comfortable and coordinated at ALL gaits with him. I got him, he was able to trot all day long with me (his preferred gait), and I have NEVER felt like I was too big for him. Now since then, I have lost 40 more pounds (always a good thing), but I could stand to lose more weight.
So, is it the weight or what’s being put out there as “normal” (so stick-thin that breeches hang on them) that’s really the problem?
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I can tell when my horse is uncomfortable. Aesthetically it’s not a problem. My mare is around 16.1 and big boned as you would think, but as the rider (who is a beginner) get heavier she is getting more sour. I use her about 3 times a week with other students and she is fine, moves forward positive attitude. She is my gentle giant and a great beginner horse. Yesterday when said rider went to get on my mare kept side stepping away from the mounting block something she never does.
I don’t want to hurt anyones feelings but I also don’t want to hurt my horses. I know some people believe school horses are disposable but these horses are my family and for life.
[QUOTE=Snowfox;7299360]
I can tell when my horse is uncomfortable. Aesthetically it’s not a problem. My mare is around 16.1 and big boned as you would think, but as the rider (who is a beginner) get heavier she is getting more sour. I use her about 3 times a week with other students and she is fine, moves forward positive attitude. She is my gentle giant and a great beginner horse. Yesterday when said rider went to get on my mare kept side stepping away from the mounting block something she never does.
I don’t want to hurt anyones feelings but I also don’t want to hurt my horses. I know some people believe school horses are disposable but these horses are my family and for life.[/QUOTE]
You are the only one that truly knows your horse well. If you feel the horse is showing signs of being uncomfortable due to her weight, then you definitely have to say something. But, in this day and age of being so politically correct, you have to be very careful in regards to wait you say, so that it isn’t considered discrimination. Sigh!
I would just be honest and say that, at this time, you just don’t have a horse suitable enough for her size. You tried using your draft cross mare, hoping she would be a suitable mount, but she is now showing some mild signs of behavioural issues because she is starting to get uncomfortable. …you probably can’t say that at all, but maybe someone else on here can word it much better than me. 
No one is expecting you to hurt your horse. Just hard to belive that a 16.1 hand draft cross can’t handle a 6 foot, 200 pound person. Unless your horse has some other issues going on, or is a fine boned 1000 pound cross, the weight shouldn’t be an issue.
OP: I’m guessing your 200lb estimate may be way low. At 6ft tall and 200lbs, her BMI would be 27, with 23-25 being close to ideal for an average woman, and >30 being considered obese. A person that size may appear to be a bit “built” but should not look like they are carrying much extra weight. If she really is only 200lbs, I doubt it’s weight causing the issue, and more likely is imbalance and/or common beginner issues causing your mare to become sour. I agree that if you don’t have a horse you think is suitable, just tell her that. I wouldn’t blame it on weight alone, especially if she is only 200lbs.
I’m not sure about all that. I am 5’11 and 3/4 and weigh 145. Back in my lean mean showing days I kept it to 135. So I pretty much know normal height to weight ratios.
I have no desire to fat shame anyone. I just think there is a reasonable and safe weight to ask a horse to carry. And I am just trying to come up with a way to say it to her that will not make her feel bad or that I am judging her. I know how sensitive people are about weight.
I had one of my students come out and tell me she weighed 238 pounds. Another didn’t tell me but was noticeably bigger than the one that did. Both rode a 16.1 hand TB school horse. They never got past trotting more than a few times around the arena at a time but didn’t seem to hurt the horse any. My guy is the same size but has a bad back, he would have literally crumpled at the mounting block had they try to mount, so I don’t think rider weight/size of horse alone is enough of an explanation.
I’m sure part of it is that my mare never has to carry that kind of weight and it just isn’t nice for her. I know there is a big difference when I carry a hay bale vs a 50lb salt block.
Check saddle fit and placement. You may find it is something like a tree problem in the saddle, not the rider. I would expect a horse of that size to have no difficulty carrying 200 pounds, no matter what gender the rider is or where the weight is placed on the person. Do you have access to a shorter, stockier critter with a wide back? Usually that is the conformation that = weight carrying ability.
I’m fairly certain a draft mix should comfortably carry the rider weight wise. A person could be 100 lbs and if unbalanced be just as detrimental to a horse. A 200 lb rider that can follow the horse well is far superior to a small rider that can’t. I truly can’t believe that your horse has issues due to weight alone. I know several larger guys (not huge obese but stout guys) that ride about 1000 lb quarter horses no problem. I would concentrate on developing balance and emphasizing following the horse. Lunge lessons would be very beneficial. If you still feel a problem I would be looking to see if there was a physical reason that the horse had an issue.
I usually a horse that size which is reasonably fit, without any physical problems and wearing a well-fitting saddle is not uncomfortable carrying a 200lb rider. Smaller horses carry men (and women) that size and larger quite frequently on longer rides. Unless the rider is incredibly unbalanced, or is really rough on the horse’s back, I can’t see a reason for the horse to be uncomfortable.Assuming the horse she is riding weighs 1200 lbs, the rider you describe is below the 20% bodyweight maximum. I would look into tack fit, or if the horse in question has a long, weak back or a history of back issues.
If the rider is having problems balancing, bring up some exercises that she can do at home to improve her balance and overall fitness; tell her she must do these things in order to progress as a rider. She will improve in strength and balance, which will help her regardless as to whether she loses weight or not. Overweight riders can still be quiet, balanced, and effective riders. Although I have a hard time believing a 6’ woman weighing 200lbs is really overweight as I am 5’4", and when lean and fit I weigh 115-120lbs.
[QUOTE=Snowfox;7299850]
I’m not sure about all that. I am 5’11 and 3/4 and weigh 145. Back in my lean mean showing days I kept it to 135. So I pretty much know normal height to weight ratios.
I have no desire to fat shame anyone. I just think there is a reasonable and safe weight to ask a horse to carry. And I am just trying to come up with a way to say it to her that will not make her feel bad or that I am judging her. I know how sensitive people are about weight.[/QUOTE]
You do know that your weight is very low for your height, don’t you? Back in my lean mean days I was around 125 and am 5’6". And that looks really thin on me. Much below that looks emaciated I’m currently 145 and trying to lose a few.
However if your horse is truly soured by this rider then you need to deal with it. FWIW many of my trainers horses try to move away when he is mounting. And he does weigh more than most of his amateurs but i think it’s something he does unconsciously that makes them move. And his horses do not act sour under saddle although I’m sure they appreciate a lighter rider sometimes.
Human weight seems to be the inverse of horse height.
Like when the 18 hand horse is sticked and is actually barely 17 hands.
Pretty sure that if you actually weighed all the scrawny people, you would be surprised at how much they actually weight.
A 6 foot tall female of slender build it very likely to weight 150 to 160 pounds. The height simply redistributes the weight.
To follow up on JBD’s example, I’m 5’4" and relatively fit. At 135 pounds I constantly get silly “you need to eat more comments” and fit into size 2 clothes. I’m just saying this to reinforce that your guess at weight could possibly be off, which in my view would make more sense than your horse struggling with 200 pounds.
It doesn’t really matter if the horse should be able to carry that weight or if the rider weighs more than you are guessing, if you don’t have a horse that she can ride then she can’t ride with you anymore. Just like we don’t have any ponies so can’t teach the tiny kids.
I would for sure check saddle fit. Is she fitting IN the saddle or is all her weight back against the cantle. That would make me grouchy.
If it isn’t saddle fit, I would figure out some way to diplomatically tell her that you are unable to accommodate her. It sounds like the mare is speaking loud and clear.
Susan
OP, I agree with those who suggest that this rider must be more than 200 lbs; I’m 5’6 and 170, and I’m on a 16hh draft cross in the river crossing picture on my facebook page, below, and I don’t think it looks like animal cruelty (would love to lose more weight, though, for sure).
BUT, that’s irrelevant if you feel that your horse is physically uncomfortable carrying this individual, and I think it’s great that you care so much about your schoolies (I’m the same way with mine, and I know exactly what you mean, can’t afford to sour the gentle giant). Perhaps a good way to bring it up is in terms of Fitness, not weight. Maybe as part of a conversation about goals. Like, “Janie, I feel like we have reached a plateau in your progress at the moment. What are some things we can do to help get to the next level? One area that might really help would be to improve your strength and self-carriage on the horse.” and maybe go from there?
