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Horse VS Rider size

4K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  EighteenHands 
#1 ·
I've been a little cautious lately and have been thinking that i may be to big for my horse..
What is a healthy size (weight) a horse can carry without causing harm?

I'm 5'7 and i wieght 155 pounds, my horse is a Arab/Saddlebred and is just shy of 15.1hh. He also is 6 years old and quite lean, he weights roughly 950 pounds.

i used to never think to much about this because my rides usually were only 45 minutes, but now he has moved to a new place and there is no arena to work in. Only millions of trails, which can become very hilly! i have a hard time finding a place for flat work... so my rides now are ALOT longer, about 1-2.5 hours.

am i being to hard on my horse? or am i just paranoid?

he doesnt seem to mind, but hes the kind of horse that sucks it up, and wont show signs of discomfort with anything. please help!
 
#2 ·
Well, I think normally a horse would show discomfort if the rider is to heavy. Does it feel like he is easily carrying you? Horses are surprisingly strong, I would say he's definitely fine! But hopefully some of the experts on here help more!
 
#3 ·
My Gosh, your horse could probably carry another 50% of you! I bet he is in no way taxed to carry you. If he is has not done a lot of hill work , then don't do a lot all of a sudden. Work up to it.
Most people don't come anywhere near to what a horse finds "hard" in the level of their riding. I ride 2 hours at a time regularly, with mild hills and such, but Mac is used to it. My friends trailer out to the hills and do 3 or 4 hour rides no problem.
YOu are so NOT to big for your horse.
 
#4 ·
Highly doubt it, if you were he would let you know. Being lean doesn't make him weaker, my pony Dante is 14hh like 800, hes got a big peruvian neck and belly, but little refined arabian bones and legs. A few weeks ago my friend who is 5'7" or 5'8" 160lbs got on him and he didnt even seem to notice! He just trotted around like usual. Unless he is shaking, exsessively tripping, or falling down etc. he is carrying you fine
 
#7 ·
my horse weighs they same as yours and I'm 160 lbs and we high tail it,jump,go up and down steep hills. I heard that if you use a mounting block to get on your horse and your horse lines up to let you on they don't mind you riding but maybe that's an ol' wise tale...try it and see. My horse just stands there. Also the better the rider the easier the horse can carry you.
 
#8 · (Edited)
At one time we had a POA mare that was right at 13hh. She had a very stocky body and tree trunk bone for legs. We bought her for our Grandkids to ride, but I would occasionly put my approximate 160lbs on her and ride her to keep her sensible for the kids. Even my 200lb husband rode her on several occasions. I always kept an "eagle eye" on her to check her for maybe being over taxed with carrying us heavyweights. She never had a problem with dealing with us, but we never pushed her beyond her limits as for we only did short rides. Heck, she never ever even broke into a sweat.

Here is Holly the POA with my sister and her grandson on board:
 
#11 ·
The conservative estimate used is that a horse can carry 20% of their weight, but most horses can carry a lot more. Our stocky Paint mares can easily carry 30% of their weight all day with energy to spare.
 
#13 ·
An Arabian is a pretty darn tough little horse and you are no where near a weight limit or no one would be riding a horse EVER!!!:lol:

Years ago I knew a guy that showed Western Pleasure on QH's. Big shows - not little local shows...one of the horses he rode (for a client) was a horse named Mac. Mac was probably about 15.2 and a good sized horse body wise. He had 64 Western Pleasure Points and 63 Halter Points with AQHA. Mike was humongous and I mean that literally. He weighed every bit of 325 lbs if he weighed an ounce and he would get on any of the QH's and they never flicked an ear or grunted or anything. He got on...rode them, trained them, etc. and they were just fine. The famous AQHA cutting horse Smart Little Lena was all of 13.3 hh - and I am sure he was carrying a cowboy that wasn't tiny.

I am by no means a light weight...I am certainly queen sized and Biscuit carries me just fine up and down hills, etc. He is around 15 hands, built like a foundation QH. My friends ride Arabians and they are tough as nails so have a good time and banish that thought.
 
#15 ·
Hello,
I maintain a resource center for plus sized riders (not that you are plus sized!) and I ran an article called "How Big is Too Big?- The Great Weight Debate" where I touch upon the weight bearing capacity of horses. Here is a summation of my article:

Scientific studies show that horses can safely carry 20% of their body weight with little indication of stress, while horses who carries 25-30% of their body weights experiences higher heart rates, faster breathing, and more muscle soreness and tightness. The article concludes that a 1200lb horse would be best suited for carrying no more than 240lbs of tack and rider.

Other research demonstrates the importance of equine fitness in correlation with weight bearing capacity, concluding that the standard for a horse is to carry 20% of it’s body weight safely, but it is strongly suggested that “it depends” on factors such as the horses health, overall fitness level, and type and duration of riding he is used for.

I have another article coming up next week called "How to detect lamness in your horse" where we go over ways to make sure your horse is sound with proper fitting tack to prevent lameness potentially caused or exacerbated by a rider's weight. Briefly:
  • Look for non-specific signs
  • Look at the whole horse
  • Watch your horse move
  • Listen to your horse's footfalls
  • Feel for under saddle clues
  • Observe your horses feet
I think at 155 pounds your horse is MORE than capable of carrying you, but if you have cause for concern check your tack for proper fit and keep him/her well conditioned to avoid potential soundness issues. It is nice to see owners who are respectful of the horses well-being!
 
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