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Started by Lois Luckovich Nov 7, 2022.

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Started by Vickie Lawson. Last reply by Jackie Cochran May 30, 2015.

Any Nova Scotia Riders in this group?

Started by Anne Gage May 4, 2015.

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Comment by Cindy Jeffery on March 16, 2010 at 10:33pm
Hmmm reading this I wonder how the horses made out in the old days (17-1800's) I'm sure there were overweight people back then too. I'm sure we all have ancestors that were overweight and rode because of necessity, I don't believe back then everyone had the perfect BMI to ride a horse.
Comment by Tracy McDermott on March 16, 2010 at 9:10pm
I have to comment on the weight factor for horses backs. If you are riding on flat land and just at a walk then your horse should be able to carry the same weight as a fully packed pack horse. If the rider is grossly overweight (BMI over 20% of ideal weight for height and gender) then the weight distribution is centered on 2 spots right behind the shoulder and over the loin (Kidneys), short rides are OK, but 1 hour is enough.
Hill riding with incline and decline, bending and walking with a canted footing is only for the well matched rider and horse, big wide person big wide horse (not fat) If the rider is grossly overweight I don't care how agile, they cannot distribute their weight enough to not cause discomfort or damage. Spine damage may not be apparent on the day it's done it may come up 2 or 3 days later but we all know how it feels and if not first hand then we all know someone with chronic back pain.
The bottom line is be honest, a horse is not a car you can't just change out the seat, a horse has only one spine that has to last all it's life, when that is damaged unfortunately the horse looses it's life. If you ride you are responsible for your half of the riding experience.
Comment by Linda White on March 12, 2010 at 8:05pm
Thanks, everybody - lots of good info. I've always worried about that, in particular with small horses/ponies and with horses of slight build. But then I looked at polo ponies with their 6 ft + riders and wondered if I'm overly cautious. And I often see Western male riders on 14 HH horses that I would have guessed were too small for them. Anyway, I will continue to pay attention to that and I think the rule of thumb - 20% - is as good a guideline as any.
Comment by Shirley on March 12, 2010 at 7:59pm
I have heard a rule of thumb. Rider and tack should not be over 20% the weight of the horse. So 200lbs on a 1000 lb horse. But I agree with the others that you need to take into consideraton other factors also.
Comment by Cindy Jeffery on March 12, 2010 at 12:15pm
I was checking out guest ranches in the U.S. and many of them put a limit of 250 lbs. I think this goes to what Jan said about fitness. Most lots of people who go to guest ranches or trail ride rentals are tourist types and aren't terribly fit to ride horses.
Comment by Sherry Cassetori on March 12, 2010 at 10:37am
Erin, You sound like my barn owner, Your job and hers is truly a labor of love.
Comment by Ellin McGinley Daum on March 12, 2010 at 10:34am
In the past I've heard that a full size horse, don't know how to interpret that, can carry about 250 without strain. Don't know if it still holds.

From a barn owner's perspective: we charge $325 per month full board which includes feed, hay, stall cleaning 7 days/week, turnout/in, blanket/unblanket, use of indoor/outdoor lighted arena, maintenance of total facility, care, custody and control insurance, manure removal, bedding purchase, mortgage, electric, port-a-potty rent and handling for the vet and farrier. It may surprise you to know that there is very little to no profit at the end of the month, but I can have my own horses which satisfies me.
I charge $30/ half-hour for lessons, $60/hour, will trailler a horse for a reasonable fee, breed to my Andalusian or Egyptian Arabian stallion, deliver foals, do first ground training and then additional if wanted by owner to earn extra money for major projects.
Would you believe I love my life and wouldn't want to do anything else? Will be 65 in April and my only problem is mounting from the left because of a bum knee, but the horses don't care if I mount from the right. Will never quit unless totally unable to do the work.
Comment by Jan Jollymour on March 12, 2010 at 10:08am
Hi, Linda:

I've never heard of a formula (although there may be one). That would be difficult to implement with consistent success, as how much weight a horse can reasonably bear has a lot to do with conformation rather than just size (of the horse), fitness of both horse and rider, and the correct training of both. One of my Dutch coaches is 6'4" and 200 lbs, and he's fit and not overweight, and he can ride anything productively....and on the other hand, I know smaller riders who are a little overweight and very underfit, and they cause horses of all sizes and fitness levels a lot of grief.

We have an indoor arena because we're not on the west coast of BC, we're in the interior, which gets a LOT of snow. This year's been great, but I would miss training for 4 - 6 months of every year without an indoor due to the depth of the snow. When I lived at the coast I had an "all weather" ring surface with drains, so no mud, but it cost $30,000 to put in. Boarding at the coast runs from $250/month to $1,000 per month, and training can be an additional $500 - $2000/month. Boarding at my barn is $450/month all-in, but full training is an additional $1,200, and lessons are $70/lesson. I have a long waiting list for boarding, training, and lessons, so I must be doing something right.
Comment by Sherry Cassetori on March 12, 2010 at 9:08am
back to boarding, I live in NE PA I board my horse for 400.00 a month that includes hay, feed, turnout , blanketing if needed, and stall cleaning. My lessons are 30.00 an hour. I guess this is a good deal.
Comment by Linda White on March 12, 2010 at 8:48am
Not to change the subject, but quick question: does anyone out there know the formula to tell how much weight a horse can bear (ie: 20% of its own weight? does it depend on height/weight of horse?). I'm talking about the rider's weight of course.
 

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