I have to disagree with the “theory” on what Drafts are deisgned for. A well conformed horse whether heavy or light is capable of carring weight.
Heck, what were medevil knights riding? What do you suppose a knight with all the armor, and the horses armor, would top out at?
The Medevil knights rode cob-type horses, not draft type horses.
I have friend who is a military museum curator. He recently did some time touring some European museums with extensive collections of human and equine armor. It was his conclusion, based upon his observations, that this armor was much more consistent with cob conformation than draft conformation.
Next time you do a tour of a collection (not just a single example) of armor consider this as an explanation of size and shape.
I’m not “bashing” draft horses; far from it. They are admirably suited to drayage. They not, however, always admirably suited to saddle work.
Dr. Deb Bennett has some interesting things to say about this in her conformation books and in “Conquerors.”
G.
I’ve read the articles too that say horse armor is consistent with a moderate to hefty built 14-16 hand horse. Not a gargantuan 18 hand Shire. The European museum exhibits is pretty common knowledge. I think that heavier draught horses were used but they weren’t necessarily the size of modern full drafts.
I don’t believe that heavy draught horses used to be 18 or 20 hands tall as they are today. I think more generations of selective breeding for size and impressiveness has yielded the huge horses we have today.
“But if we examine the medieval armour made for horses, the shape indicates that the animals could not have been similar to the heavy Percheron or Shire horses we know today. Exhibits in the Royal Palace museum of Madrid, for example, make it clear that equine metal protection in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period fit small, stout horses known as cobs.”
Margaret E. Derry. Horses in Society: A Story of Animal Breeding and Marketing Culture, 1800–1920. Buffalo, N.Y.: University of Toronto Press
G.
That’s me and my “cob-ish” Clydesdale/Standardbred cross. She’s only 15.2 but built like a truck, short-backed and solid as a rock. Hence, she easily carries my weight. I ride balanced, light and her feet are almost perfect. Granted, I know I weigh more than I should, but I’m working on it.
I have had several COTH’ers come ride with me and all have said that I ride light and balanced and that Penny is more than capable of easily carrying me wherever we go. I am UBER conscious of her conditioning and never, ever push her…I’m probably more conservative that I have to be, but I want her around for a long time.
Very interesting. I wonder if the modern day cob even resembles the cob of the middle ages.
Seems modern “style” horses are taller which may not indicate how strong they are. Earlier horses where probably shorter in stature but plenty stong.
In the Anglo horse world “tall” and “strong” are very often synonymous. In the REAL horse world the two terms have little in common.
Loin girth, joint size, bone density, muscle density, fitness, strength, and rider skill are all way more important than height.
G.
Now THAT’S what a call a “field ready horse”!!! :lol:
G.
Very very nice…:yes: I bet theres some power behind those muscles…:eek:
She’s gorgeous.
Fancy,
I’m a bit overweight due to a medication I’m on, plus pre-menopause doesn’t help either.
I always thought the same when I was young and thin. That it was always the persons fault, why don’t they diet, why don’t they excerise…etc. I dropped weight very easily.
Trust me, I feel very humbled.
I started working at a stable in mid December. Feeding, haying, scrubbing and dumping buckets. I cleaned 8 stalls. Doesn’t sound like a lot. But these horses were in pretty much 24/7 except for work and deeply bedded. Manure pile was not close to the barn…a lot of up hill pushing…:yes:
I thought, wow! I’ll lose some weight. In 4 months I lost nothing!!! And I mean nothing.
I watch what I eat, don’t eat junk. The medication slowed my metabolism way down…it sucks…
My pony is a stocky 13.1 hands and handles me fine. I’m a balanced rider, certainly don’t bounce all over…
Just please remember. Not everyone who is over weight is that way on purpose and wants to be that way…
My husband is 6’6" and not one of those skinny tall guys, in fact he has been mistaken for Matt Leinart (quarterback) on multiple occassions:lol: He’s probably pushing 250lb. His horse loves him, they do low hunters and jumpers together and just hack around. His horse is 16.2H a bit stockier and shorter lengthwise. Here’s a pic:) http://calranunculus.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/TrevFelixCreek.jpg
But he never rides my TB, as mine doesn’t like the weight and mine has arthritis issues anyway. But my mom’s smaller (15.3) appendix likes my husband too and goes great for him, so I’m not sure it’s dependant on height.
You can tell by the way the horse goes if it is comfortable or not. But really, 160lb is nothing to a horse unless it has soundness issues.
And I also get a bit sick of people on these kind of threads accusing people they have seen riding overweight of abusing the horse, or not “trying” to lose weight. People are more complicated than we can imagine. Nobody wants to be overweight. Live and let live.
Nice horse ChocoMare! Beautiful.
Thanks all…I’m blushing!
Yes, Penny can motor on. She might be built like her clyde dam, BUT she moves like her Standardbred sire. A trot that moves!!!
She has truly become my horse of a lifetime. I can teach a total beginner kid on her and she’ll plod along for fear of Ashley falling off. I can then put a much more experience kid on her and she’ll move out more but still cautious. Then I can get on and do a 2 hour trail ride, with hills and/or some low jumps.
And, yes, she’s a PMU product 
If there was a way of guaranteeing that another foal would come out like her, I’d find a Clyde/S’bred to get another cross. Hmmmm, maybe I’ll call it “The American Cob” and see if I can sell them for outrageous prices like the Gypsy Vanner (aka: Irish Cob) people can? :winkgrin:
Nah…I’m too honest. 
Nope - The “American Choco Cob”… :winkgrin:
Granada,
Your hubby and his horse look great together… He doesn’t look big at all.
P.S. I like the look on your horse’s face in the photo… She/he is sooo intently watching your hubby and his horse. 
I think you are fine! I have an appendix paint that is small (for me) 15 hh at the most - I can ride him and he does just fine! I personally only like to ride a horse that is 16.1 or higher, but I am almost 5’10"! If this person was truly worried, she wouldn’t have leased the horse to you in the first place - especially since you were heavier when you first leased it! (You said you have been losing weight.) Concentrate on balanced riding an enjoying yourself…if she has a problem with that, then I’d find yourself another horse!
[QUOTE=Huntertwo;3149747]
Granada,
Your hubby and his horse look great together… He doesn’t look big at all.
P.S. I like the look on your horse’s face in the photo… She/he is sooo intently watching your hubby and his horse. :)[/QUOTE]
Thanks Hunter! my hubby gets along great w/ his horse, but he is self-conscious of his size. He rides dirt bikes and mountain bikes too and is always complaining that he is too big :sigh:
Yes, my boy was wondering why he couldn’t go play in the water too, but I didn’t want to risk dropping the camara while I was holding it down by my knee, lol:)
Choco, your mare is adorable. She looks so happy and shiny:yes: Thanks for sharing the pic!
I’ve generally only heard (and applied) the 20% rule when talking about pack horses. A horse’s carrying capacity for ‘dead weight’ is lower than its capacity for carrying ‘live weight,’ because a rider can shift as necessary to balance the load- leaning forward to go up steep hills, for example. The panniers on a pack horse are (we hope) going to stay where they are, so that horse is going to have a heavier load going up a steep hill than the horse being ridden.
I’ve got a new little horse to play with, 14.2 at age 3 and I’d be astonished if she’s as heavy as 800 lbs. The gentleman that started her weighs well over 200 pounds, and when I watched him work her, she was just fine, because he was a capable rider, well balanced. To say it another way, a 100 lb rider who can’t stay balanced is probably more work for a horse than a 200 lb rider who can stay balanced.
Dunno how good a rider I am but here goes. My two nags are 15 hands. Sadie is built like an old fashioned QH, except she’s a racking horse. Wide load, but consistently weight tapes around 900 pounds. Pleny of bone. Totes my 180 pound (that’s butt nekkid weight) self plus saddle. Barefoot. For hours and hours. Several times a week. She was formerly shod, ridden on long trail rides maybe 6-8 times a year. Former owner was 250 in his socks, easy, and rode her in a big ol Wade roping saddle that was probably another 40-50 pounds. My saddles tend to be lightweight synthetics, never over 25-30 pounds with pad. So, is poor little Sadie more overworked now than formerly? Again, I dunno, but her feet, now that they’ve been unshod for two years, have nice cupped soles now, she’s filled out some, (so much so she is getting a wide tree saddle, none that fit her when I got her fit her now) but she is NEVER lame and she seldom acts tired. Her back is absolutely beautifully level.
The other horse is narrow as a toothpick, might weigh 850. He is ridden several times a week, for miles and miles at a time. He is NEVER lame, and NEVER gets tired. He had big ugly cracked hoofs a year ago, now he’s got big ugly uncracked hoofs. Next to Sadie he looks like Ichabod Crane. He has a spring in his step whenever he is ridden that has to be experienced to be believed. Oh, and my riding buddy, who usually rides him on our long (6 hours or so–15-18 miles cross country) weekly trail rides, is probably 20-25 pounds heavier than I am and uses her (heavier) leather saddle when she rides either of my horses.
My 14 hand POA used to tote anyone and everyone any and everywhere, and that included Mr Jeano, then a svelte 185, 6’1", and a complete novice.
George Morris has infected too many people with his fataphobia, I think. I’ve pointed this out on another thread, but back when the Tevis cup was a new event, at least one participant got worried about what would happen if his horse threw a shoe in the mountains and took along horsehoes and an ANVIL so he could re-shoe if necessary. And those were big ol hairy mens riding little bitty A-rabs…
