How heavy is too heavy to ride?
luckypony71
Posts: 399 Member
Scout is 3 years old and fine boned. He is just a tiny bit over 13hh. I have been waiting until I reach 150lbs to get on his back. My daughter hops on him once in a while, but he does not get ridden often. I have a friend that is coming home for the summer and she offered to put some miles on my baby. She weighs 170.
That got me thinking - why not me instead of her? Technically if I follow the 20% rule I would have to wait until I weighed 140lbs. I figured 150 is only 10 pounds more.
The main reason I wait is because a friend of mine started riding her 4yr old mare and she was very heavy. Over 200lbs. The mare now has hock problems. She won't admit it but I think it was because she was too heavy for a horse the wasn't done growing.
So How heavy is too heavy? Should I wait or should I ride. Please someone talk me out of getting on my pony.
That got me thinking - why not me instead of her? Technically if I follow the 20% rule I would have to wait until I weighed 140lbs. I figured 150 is only 10 pounds more.
The main reason I wait is because a friend of mine started riding her 4yr old mare and she was very heavy. Over 200lbs. The mare now has hock problems. She won't admit it but I think it was because she was too heavy for a horse the wasn't done growing.
So How heavy is too heavy? Should I wait or should I ride. Please someone talk me out of getting on my pony.
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I usually think the 20% rule is too conservative. But the 3 years old and fine boned part would worry me. I would not take your friend up on the offer. If you do ride him, I would not do long rides and would space them out (maybe every other day or more). Just my two cents.0
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IMO - A three year old bone's aren't fully fused yet - so ANY and all riding should be gone about tactifully.... that being said
I've seen "light" riders cause much more damage to a horse's back than some heavy rider's. When I was in college I got a pretty amazing backhanded compliment from an instructor pointing me out to one of her students that even though I was a heavier rider, I rode very light...
If you can balance yourself, then i would agree, yes, why not you? A three year old bearing weight for a short amount of time at low speed isn't going to hurt him. A three year old galloping day in and day out with 120 pounds on his back may not even hurt him....though there's usually some issue doen the road with racehorses unfortunetly...
I would say go for it - but be smart - he's three - so walk, trot a little if you are able to carry yourself lightly and balance yourself, stay out of deep footing or any situation where he may have to strain - and all this has nothing to do with your weight - it has to do with the fact that he's 3. Go have fun - I really don't think your size is a factor here, at all.
**If you want to be talked out of your pony maybe something else is going on?? if you are nervous or don't think its the right time then wait - you two have alllllllllllll the time in the world to work together. Do you do any ground work?? If you are feeling iffy I would suggest trying some stuff from the ground - no better way to build your and his relationship!!0 -
We do all kinds of ground work. I have even started showing him in Showmanship classes. What holds me back is that this is probably the last horse I buy. He is 3, I am 42, if he lives to be 30 or more I will be in my 70's. Will I want to keep riding? I hope so. Will I buy another horse? Probably not since I would not want to leave one behind if I went first. I am counting on one of my kids having a horse for mommy to ride.
That being said I just don't want to hurt him. He needs to stay sound for the next 25 years or more. Our other horse has so many leg issues that he basically sat out this entire show season.
Scout is a great pony to ride. His trot is so smooth my daughter just rides him bareback. He gets worked very lightly. I have been putting the bigger heavier western saddle on him to make him carry more weight. When I get on it will most likely be bareback first.0 -
I would just do what you feel is right then - like you said - you have 30 years! You don't need to rush! But again I think it has more to do with HIS age then YOUR weight, ya know?? In my experience with starting babies slow wins the race - it sounds like he is already pretty well broke to ride, but if you aren't comfortable then continue with the ground work - sometimes the hardest part is knowing when to stop, and you might have SO much fun riding him you might push it too far and inetvertantly cause some problems. But I think you are good - 3 is a perfect age to start working - I think they are just fine to be in heavy work at 4 and pretty much jumping solid courses and doing solid work at 5 - again, just IMO - I have a friend from Ireland and her dad breeds and sais its quite common practive to jump then at least 4 feet when they are only 3!!! But horses are more livestock here - in this case - he's your family :-0. My mare wasn't broke until she was 6 and i do tent to think that her body was saved quite a bit because of that - but Im in the huunter jumper world and at the pace they show these horses their bodies are pretty much done at age 15 :-(
I have a good friend at my farm who bought her first horse EVER three years ago. She's 68 and working at the barn and riding I swear have dropped 20 years off her - I can only aspire to be riding when Im that age! She really amazes me!0 -
I also feel the 20% rule is a guideline, and it may be a bit conservative. I regularly jump on a 13.3 hand 5 year old Quarter Horse with cutter lines (so very stocky build) when one of the kids at the barn has trouble with her leads. However, there is another 13.3 pinto at the barn that I would never even consider getting on because he is SO fine boned and I'd feel like I was both breaking him in half and that my feet would drag the ground.
I also agree with the commenter who said it is about skill, not always weight. I successfully show dressage at Intermediate B & Grand Prix and I am 205 pounds. I have a friend who is also over 200 pounds and she is fantastic with fixing problems when people have them on hunter horses. We both work together to encourage each other to keep working on our weight loss, but we both can do a LOT that many thinner riders cannot do.
However, with a three year old, I would personally feel better putting the smaller person on it for a while. It not only gives the bones a longer time to get strong, but it doesn't overwhelm the horse. I've learned to put a kid on a youngster and just do pony rides instead of just hopping on myself because it tends to give a much happier, more willing young horse when it is time for me to get on.0 -
So Chico is going away to rehab for a month. I think I might just get on Scout's back this weekend and just go for a short walk around the property. 10 minutes max. Just to see how it goes. If I get on and his back bows I will get off immediately and wait until I am lighter.
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That's great! Hope you have an awesome ride!! I think it will be fine since you are so sensitive to his needs.0
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Just dropped about $900.00 last night on deep lumbar and SI injections for my mare. Meanwhile.... I have never been to a chiropractor even! She's been wonky since she hit her head on the trailer 3 weeks ago and has refused to jump anything since then...even poles... we didn't really think it was her back until she started dragging her hind left ever so faintly... such sensitive animals!!!0
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Just dropped about $900.00 last night on deep lumbar and SI injections for my mare. Meanwhile.... I have never been to a chiropractor even! She's been wonky since she hit her head on the trailer 3 weeks ago and has refused to jump anything since then...even poles... we didn't really think it was her back until she started dragging her hind left ever so faintly... such sensitive animals!!!
Chico has had Chiropractors, massages, he goes to rehab to get laser and other therapy. I am the same. Never had a professional massage and rarely get a pedicure.
The things we do for our horses. and they still like to make us worry.
I hope your mare is okay.0 -
That's great! Hope you have an awesome ride!! I think it will be fine since you are so sensitive to his needs.
thank you - looking forward to it. Just told hubby my plans today. He said to make sure I don't ride alone. I know better, but at least he cares.0
