Do you believe heavier people shouldn't ride horses?

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

It's one of the reasons I'm losing weight. I would never subject a horse to me right now, but I miss riding.

a man called Horse

one of my favorite movies

just sayin

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.

My horse once got a chiropractic adjustment and was a new man! But, horses can handle a LOT of weight. So long as the horse matches the size of the rider its usually ok.

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

I shouldn't bother to reply to something so stupid, but obviously dogs aren't large enough for humans to ride. But dogs are happier doing a "job" as well. Horses, like most higher level mammals, enjoy doing things with a purpose. They like the structure of training. Have you ever even been around a horse?

As many people have already stated, horses can be hurt if the rider is too heavy.

Now i really want to go horse back riding!

I think it is up to the horse... they can be very expressive.