Do you believe heavier people shouldn't ride horses?

Chubbyhulagirl

I recently read an article about this. Basically, it was an opinion piece stating that someone who is obese or over 300lbs should not be riding horses because it is painful and can actually cause damage to the horse. I don't know anything about horses but I was wondering if this was true. Do any of you own or know about horses? Is this cruel to the animal?

PetulantOne

It would probably depend on the size and age of the horse. Most people don't realize it, but horses are very sensitive, and get thrown out of whack quite easily. That being said, a relatively large adult horse shouldn't have any problem with it.

shelleyspots

Absolutely! It can cause a great deal of damage to the horse. Actually the limit should be around 240 pounds. Their kidneys take a beating with too much weight.

chelsifina

I have heard from a horse trainer that they keep horses of different sizes and types for these purposes. I am positive that there would be an upper limit on weight, but something like a Clydesdale should work for someone who is 300lbs I would imagine.

JanaCanada

http://www.horsesciencenews.com/horseback-riding/how-much-weight-can-a-horse-carry.php

"...the study's authors recommend that horses not be loaded with greater than 20% of their body weight. A 545-kilogram (1200 pound) horse would then be best off carrying no more than 109 kg (240 lbs) of tack and rider."

777Gemma888

Agree with jackien2js. That being said, I have friends (men) who are 200 - 300 lb of muscle and are tall, who comfortably ride their horses. It simply can not be an old mangy horse.

Usually, if a person's huge they should consider stallions, but with stallions comes a whole load of considerations.

summertime_girl

Over 300 pounds? No. There's no horse that can handle a rider that weight, and not end up with damage to their back. A person should not ride at that weight. But a good rider with proper balance could safely ride a suitably-sized horse at around 240, though it's better for both horse and rider, if the rider weighs less. A short-backed horse will be better for a heavier rider. Remember that tack will add another 30 pounds at least.

A horse can pull much more than it can carry though. Drive a horse, if you still want to do something equestrian.

rebasporty

A draft type horse such as Percherons, Clydesdales, Shires, Belgians etc. can handle a 300 person. I would not put a 300 lb person on my TN Walker or Morgan/Quarter horses. I think it would put too much stress on them.

MissJanet55

How odd you would mention this. I think my upper weight the last time I was on a horse was about 150 max. I still felt I was too heavy for the poor horse.

777Gemma888

Over 300 pounds? No. There's no horse that can handle a rider that weight, and not end up with damage to their back. A person should not ride at that weight. But a good rider with proper balance could safely ride a suitably-sized horse at around 240, though it's better for both horse and rider, if the rider weighs less. A short-backed horse will be better for a heavier rider. Remember that tack will add another 30 pounds at least.

A horse can pull much more than it can carry though. Drive a horse, if you still want to do something equestrian.

Agree. However, due to the generalised gist of the OP, it has to be considered that some horses are carrying people in the 300lb range and some horses are pack horses - pulling and carrying heavy loads in excess of that weight, despite the normative rule of 15%-20% of the horse's body weight, as an allowable load.

My point - it depends on the horse and the geographical location. Horses are as varied in size, much like people.

bodiva88

To ride the horses onto the battlefield at Gettysburg, you must be under 250 lbs. To ride a horse in Hyde Park London, you must be less than 175 lbs. These are businesses, so you know they don't make the rules lightly. They want to have as many people ride as they can get to pay. But they also want to protect their investment in the horses. But as someone upthread stated, draft horses, such as Percherons, can be trained as saddle horses and ridden by heavier people. And some of the larger warmblood breeds used for dressage are descendants of breeds that were used as war horses at times when armored warriors weighed quite a lot. They can be ridden by larger riders, as well.

rachelfaith92

I don't believe ANYONE should ride horses. Horses are so intelligent. Would you ride a dog?

TXBelle1174

I own/ride horses and used to manage a "dude" ranch. The standard weight limit was 250 and for anyone that looked to be in the 200 range, we had BIG horses for them. If a larger person insisted they were under the limit but we were skeptical, we asked them to step inside the "scale house" to get weighed. Embarrassing but hey, rules are rules.

It also depends on stature... a 6' 4" man who weighs 250 and is proportionate all over will be much better balanced in the saddle than a person who is 200lbs and is 5'2". This makes a difference on how they carry themselves and their overall balance which is very important when choosing a horse for a rider. A average weight but off balance rider can do far more damage than a heavy, balanced rider. (I dont mean 500lbs, I mean 250lbs or slightly over)

I personally am over 200lbs right now (I weighed much less at the ranch and there were still horses I felt were too small for me) but I am a good rider, very balanced, and very aware of my posture, seat, etc. when riding so I could potentially get away with riding an average sized horse. However, the horse that I have for myself is a big boy. 16 hands, built like a tank, very athletic, and about 1200lbs. He can handle me and then some with no problem. My other horse has been turned over to my daughter. He is shorter, weighs about 975lbs and is lighter boned. I will not ride him until I weigh less than 175lbs.

I think I read somewhere or maybe my trainer told me that the person riding should never weigh more than 20% of the horses body weight. IE: 1000lb horse = 200lb human and so on. Of course there are always considerations to this standard.

That was probably more than you were looking for. I didnt read the other posts so may have repeated some stuff they already said.

TXBelle1174

I don't believe ANYONE should ride horses. Horses are so intelligent. Would you ride a dog?

I personally don't think you should ride a dog if you weigh more than 100 lbs. Unless its a Great Dane, they could probably handle a lot more than say... a cocker spaniel. LOL!

SinCity2003

There is a riding stable here who has a 200 pound rule. That was one of my first goals, to get under 200 so I could ride again. I've been under 200 for over 9 months now and still haven't been to ride

PetulantOne

I don't believe ANYONE should ride horses. Horses are so intelligent. Would you ride a dog?

Seriously? Have you ever been on a horse? They crave purpose like any other species with intelligence. If you've ever had a strong bond with one you would understand what I am referring to.

SalamanderMeg

I don't believe ANYONE should ride horses. Horses are so intelligent. Would you ride a dog?

We have three horses who all get very excited when they see the saddle and the bridle coming out. It's fun for them and a bonding experience between horse and rider.

Nerdybreisawesome

I'm freakin' huge and would feel bad if I got on a horse. So yeah, I don't think extremely heavy people should ride horses. I have seen some horses around here and their backs look sunken in. Is this due to heavy loads or something else?

crazytreelady

Yes, I do. Simply because it can harm the animal.

Chubbyhulagirl

Thanks for the input everyone. I know someone whose family owns a few horses and he invites people over to ride often.

Dave198lbs

I don't believe ANYONE should ride horses. Horses are so intelligent. Would you ride a dog?

many horses love to give us stupid humans rides