[honeydoozy]

Originally Posted by MelissaH

Female riders, my weight, are far and few between. I don't know why. Maybe they are too intimidated to try. I am not an english rider but i sure wouldn't want to squeeze my cellulited thighs into those tight little pants!

I know why. Well, maybe ONE reason (a big one, no pun intended)...

There is a whole heck of a lot of intolerance out there, particularly with trainers and riding schools. Unless you start out with your own horse, or gain weight *after* getting involved with a trainer, it's very very hard to get a foot in the door, and get started.

I'm 5'11, 250... I go to the gym 5 days a week, and have been riding for years and years. I'd say I'm FIT, but not firm. There are cowboys out at my barn that are big and bouncy and live on beer and beef... no one criticizes THEM. So not fair.

Most all of the riding schools and rental barns here have "weight limits" which very clearly exclude ME, and those even remotely (within 50 lbs) like me... even though I'm more accomplished than most of the students in the program. Now that I'm horseless again, taking lessons really isn't an option - so what to do?? Keep looking for my own WonderHorse, I guess.

But like I said, in a lot of cases, even that doesn't solve the problem - a lot of trainers just don't want to work with those that don't fit their physical expectations or desired profile. (but I'm still looking for a trainer who understands me... i know he/she is out there!! )

[ThisIsMe]

A lot of people's insurance wont cover riders over a certain weight. That's why some larger people have problems finding an instructor/trainer.
My insurance wont cover riders over 100kgs.

With being an eventer, it's about being fit. It is dangerous for an unfit rider to be taking a horse out on XC. The AIS has really cracked down on the fitness of equestrian athletes here.

Like it or not, showing can and does make you fit into a certain mould. Depending on the judge. Whether its your gear, colour of your horse, your weight or how much bling you've got on you will have something against you.

[Super Step]

I have some observations on this.
You seldom see overweight people riding English. I think a good point was made that a well fitted Western saddle distributes the weight better.

I can not in my mind compare a 230 pound person riding 15 seconds of competition to rope or steer wrestling with soft arena footing to someone 230 pounds riding for hours up and down hills in rough terrain. Yes, I know these rodeo competitors must spend time in training, both the horse and the rider. But if one has ever roped or steer wrestled (I have both) then you know this is practiced in rotation and is not continuous, non stop. We spend as much time scoring calves and working the box as we do tracking calves.

To compare a 230 female pound person to a male who weighs 230 is a little off base because women in general naturally have a higher percentage of body fat than do men. Thus the ratio of fat calls and muscle fibers will not normally be the same in man as in women. The distribution is different. The weight may still be the same but one is usually more solid.

I am overweight according to the charts, and no, I can not run as fast as I once did, and I will never have double DD'S.
But I can still bench press 300+ lbs. if that will get me any points with the judge.

If I had created a thread and posted pictures of women I considered overweight, riding horses and asked for everyone to be more considerate of large riders, I would be getting 8 pages of bash Tim.
Do I think people should be more considerate?
Yes, I sure do.

[Chester]

Flak Jackets for sale.

[3WishesDun]

Originally Posted by chester

Flak Jackets for sale.

Fire in the Hole!

[Lou3]

Think we may need one of these!

[Lou3]

Originally Posted by Super Step

If I had created a thread and posted pictures of women I considered overweight, riding horses and asked for everyone to be more considerate of large riders, I would be getting 8 pages of bash Tim.
Do I think people should be more considerate?
Yes, I sure do.

here ya go This is what we would have done to ya! lol. only jokin Tim you know we love you too much to bash you for 8 pages - 7 maybe!

[3WishesDun]

LOL.... Tim can take it....


Lou3- your avatar is sooooo adorable! Is that your pup?

[Lou3]

Yes thats the pup I hand raised last summer. He does not look like that now!

[harli36]

Within the last year or so there was an equus article that summarized a research study. The study used several different types of horses, stocky, thin etc and observed the horses way of going while they were carrying 10% of their bodyweight in lead shot and 15% of their body weight in lead shot. While the horses were carrying 10% they found that they shortened their steps, thus taking more steps to cover the said amount of ground and that their feet stayed on the ground longer. Thus their legs and feet were experiencing more concussion and they had to hold the weight up for longer periods of time. And the amount ot concussion and weight bearing period became worse when the animals were carrying 15% of their body weight. 10 and 15% is still a long way from the long accepted and never researched 25% carrying limit. I can only imagin what the numbers would be w/ that amount of weight being carried. We must also remember that lead shot doesn't bounce around. So it's easier to carry 10% of lead shot then 10% of person that's bouncing around. Now is a horse carrying 15% of it's bodyweight going to be lame at the end of his life because of it? Probably not but is a horse carrying 25% of it weight it's whole life over rough terrain w/ rough ridding? Who knows not enough research has been done but maybe this is one of the reasons why we have so many horses with lamness issues in America.

In quickly glancing through some of the posts it seems as though some people are mad w/ the idea that riding schools and trail outfits don't allow people over a certain weight to ride. But they are only looking out for the health and safety of their animals who have to carry riders everyday for long periods of time. Much unlike a horse owned by one person who is usually at most ridden once a day 4 or 5 times a week.

I will admit I'm thin I've always been just under my weight brackett for my height. I have never even thought of going on a diet in my entire life, in fact I have always struggle to keep my weight up but my entire family is this way and it's just as much of a problem as not being able to lose weight. But lets not forget that thin people get discriminated against as well. Larger people, especially some larger women, can be the nastiest, even though I'm fit and I don't look anorexic thin how many times have I heard behind my back things like "oh she must make herself sick every night" or "she must have been on a diet for her entire life". Let us not forget that these comments hurt just as much as "she's too overweight". People also have a tendency of thinking that every thin person out there is mentally condenming every larger person out there. To be honest, as long as you take care of and love your animals I don't care how much you weight and I probably won't even notice your weight. The only time I see overweight rider's and it makes me upset is when they are obviously too big for their horses and their causing them obvious discomfort.

Now that, that's said, I also can notice a HUGE difference in my riding from when I'm in shape and when I'm not. Yes there is a wide gap between being thin and being in shape. Just because your thin does not mean your "in shape" and within reason someone can be in shape and not necessarily be thin. As riders we all want to ride well and in order to do so we all have to be in shape. We expect our horses to be athletic so in order for the horse and rider team to be at it's most fluid the rider has to be athletic also, or at the very least working in that direction.