My friend needs help.......?

Question

my friend is 19 stone and she loves horses.........she is always askin people if she is able to ride horses??? and shes tryed loosing waight she has come jogging with me but people shout horrible things to her and she gets upset can anyone give me some advice to tell her???????

and does anyone know if she is able to ride horses ?????

thanks

x

Answer 1

OK, well, there are some answers on here that are just plain WRONG!  A heavy person is far from being the right type of person to "break" a horse, unless that person meant "break" as in snapping the horses backbone in two!

Anyway, you must consider her weight in relation to her height.  If she is 6 feet tall and 266lbs., she is probably good to ride.  If she is 5'4" tall and 266lbs., she could be putting herself and the horse in danger.

People who are shorter and rounder have trouble controlling the way their wieght shifts on the horse's back.  Around here, we call it "sawing the horse in two".  Their weight simply rocks side to side as the horse moves.  If the horse's rig is equipped with a breast strap, that strap will have cut into his chest by the time the ride is over (think trail ride).  Do you want your horse to be injured?

The other thing about not being able to control the way the weight shifts is that the rider could more easily fall off should the horse loose its footing, stumble or jump to the side.  Do you want your friend to have a greater risk than most for falling off?

I am not saying she cannot ride since I have no idea how tall she is.  But, I thought I could give you the ability to know for sure whether or not it is SAFE for her (and the horse).  IF you think she can ride, make sure to put her on a heavier, stocky horse.  If you have one that isn't too tall, but is sturdy, use him.

I went on a trail ride with a girl who was rather large and had a huge English saddle (it was about 30" long, no joke).  She ended up injuring several horses because she could not keep her weight balanced and tore up their chests with the breast strap.  She also fell off one thick horse because she could not stop her momentum when she was getting up on him.  How embarassing!

I am sorry that people say mean things to her.  There is always a kind way to tell someone they are too heavy to ride....people don't have to be brutal.  

I hope this helps.  Maybe you can help your friend get in better shape for riding if you think she shouldn't be riding right now.  Safety first for both human and horse!

Answer 2

Tell her to take up lessons! Riding is an awesome way to get in and stay in shape! I actually just read an article thats states horseback riding does actually raise your heart rate so its ruled as a cardio workout. Even if she only starts out walking and trotting, it takes muscle and energy to stay in the saddle.

Good luck to her!

Answer 3

yeah she can ride!!

my mom is a little more then her and she rides =]

tell her not to listen to all those jerks shout those things at her

the same thing happens to my friend and all those people are just losers who have no lives lol

good luck to ur friend

Answer 4

Of course she can ride horses, it will help her to lose weight and get fitter too.

I have seen bigger people ride horses, they just ride more solid ones ( not necessarily huge but cobby or heavy hunter types)

Answer 5

it doesn't matter how big she is if she can get on by herself and wants to learn and ride then she is able. the best way is to just do it and ignore what other people say. an average horse weighs close to if not 1000 pounds so they will be able to carry her with no problem. I hope she goes for it! all she needs is the determination to overcome. tell your freind good luck! and don't give up!

Answer 6

I think anyone should be able to ride. If the horse is ok with her on his back then the ride should be smooth. The only thing she has to worry about is her balance but it should get better as she learns. my boyfriend is close to 300lbs and rides comfertably with no problem. He is an everyday cowboy and it is no problem.

Answer 7

If I was in your position, this is what I would do; Without saying anything to your friend, ring around or email, riding schools in your area. Ask if they have any weight carrying horses. Some stables are able to accommodate your friend. They do keep the odd horse that can carry 19 stone easily., Then speak to the proprietor, explaining about your friend. Tell your friend that you have found a nice riding school.(do not mention anything about her weight, just say that you have checked out the school and they can fit her in.) Then you book the lesson for her, so nothing gets embarrassing for her. Good luck.

Answer 8

Anyone can ride horses.  Im not sure how much 19 stone is in pounds, but as a general rule a horse must weigh 5 times or more what their owner weighs.  So, she would need a horse that weighed more than 95 stone.  Tell her not to listen to others, everyone is different and her weight does not define her.  Riding horses is a great way to loose weight, it is more work than non-horse people think.

Answer 9

19 stone = 266 pounds. While your friend CAN ride, there will be limitations. Horses can carry a maximum of 20% of their body weight. So, half of 266 is 133 (9.5 stone). And 133 is 10% of 1330 pounds (95 stone). The horse has to be a minimum of 95 stone to carry her, and if she wants to ride for extended periods, she needs a stronger horse, so 107 stones (1500 pounds) would be a good size horse for her. This is the size of a large horse or a small draft. Still, she should keep trying to lose weight, it would widen her horse choices. Good luck!

***ETA***

I read that trotting for 1/2 hour is the equivalent ot jogging 10 miles. Check out a few barns to see if they have some larger horses (preferably a draft barn). When you find one with a few beginner - safe big horses, tell your friend that you found a barn for her. If she rides there, she should start losing weight, little by little. Once she is down to about 200 pounds (14 stones), she can ride considerably smaller horses, at 1,000 pounds (71 stones) at minimum, but preferably 1200 pounds (86 stones).

Answer 10

no offense but idk if that would be a super safe idea. some horses would be able to carry that much weight but it would probably be difficult for her to ride for long periods of time or control the horse as best to her ability if she weighed less. under 200 lbs. is probably the best for someone who wants to ride horses often

Answer 11

Argh...people who say things like that...INFURIATE me!!  *mumbling under my breath*

I think the best response is to stare at the name caller right in the eyes...and not say a word to them...just stare.  You wouldn't believe how uncomfortable it makes people.

YES, your friend can ride.  My husband rides my 14.3, 1000 pound quarterhorse and he weighs 240-250 pounds.  Now granted...we dont do heavy workouts on her.  But she will carry him for a 4 hour trailride with NO problems.  If it was a problem...I wouldn't do it.  We include rest stops for horse and hubby.

Done with common sense...horses are alot stronger than people give them credit for.  And getting lessons to learn how to balance is a great idea.  And horses also come in larger sizes for the larger rider.

I commend your friend for trying to do what she can...and you for being a friend to her.  Tell her not to let the jerks bother her...*easier said than done*  I think the idea of headphones is an awesome idea...then she can't hear the rude remarks.

Answer 12

i think that if she wants to ride horses then she should set her mind to it. and the same goes with her weight. I would use those comments that those people give her and use them as a way of motivation and prove those people wrong and the next time they see her and they don't recognize her but she recognizes them then she should be like "I'm that girl you saw jogging and  the same girl you threw rude comments at. why should i talk to you?"

Answer 13

first of all i don;t want to be rude but really now horses can carry a lot they will not die or break their back. Now regarding the weight, first of all to lose weight she should accept who she is, after that she should have a model in mind(and i'm not refering to a top model) a real person. U can enter on oprah site coz she has a campaign - she's chalenges america to lose weight, maybe that can be an inspiration for her. And she should never forget that losing weight is one step at time. So really encourge her to go on and ride a horse and to lose weight. Good luck!

Answer 14

She can ride.

Horses can take a lot more weight than people think, particularly for a half hour ride or so, with a beginner.   She shouldn't have a problem with that.

I'd suggest starting her on a Haflinger or similar draft type pony.  They can pack the weight, they're not too tall and intimidating, they're easier to get on and off of, and it's not so far to the ground!  I always feel thin when I'm riding a Haflinger.

As anywhere else, there will be stupid snotty idiots who may say something.  I'd recommend scoping out a good barn where the instructor will shut them up or private lessons until she gets the confidence to ignore them.  

I once watched a heavy set girl win an open jumping class, and had to listen while idiots in the stands were saying she weighed too much to even be on the horse!!  Jealousy, sheer jealousy in this case.  Ignore them.  They're not worth the hurt they cause.

I didn't know the girl at all, but I got great pleasure watching her then win the equitation class.  She deserved to, and the judge saw what I saw.  A girl in control of her body, doing everything well, and a horse having no problem.

Answer 15

Hello,

Well, I did the math in US it is 266 pounds.  So you should make certain if she rides it is a BIG, strong horse.  By the time you add in the tack and saddle.

I would go by the rule of 5X's the weight of the rider and all of the tack too.  That would mean the horse should weigh about 1500 LBS. or 107 stones.

Keep up the exercising, its great for both of you.

Answer 16

Your friend is probably fine to ride, assuming the horse she picks is of adequate size. I think 19 stone is about 230 lbs? If she is short, she may find balance may be more of an issue with her weight that high, while if she is tall and her weight is more evenly distributed, balance will be less of an issue. Regardless of whether she is short or tall, heavy people can ride "light" if they are trained to ride properly. I have seen very light people sit very heavy on a horse, and have a heavy hand while someone much larger has a more delicate hand and sensitive seat. Your friend should continue trying to lose weight for health reasons...maybe stick to a gym for a while so she doesn't have to be accosted by passers-by (I can't believe anyone would do that...geesh). But yes, she can totally ride!

Answer 17

Tell her not to listen to them. That she is trying to better her self and listening to those nasty remarks will only hurt her efforts. Tell her to keep her head up and to go for her goal and don't let anyone stand in the way. She could also wear headphones to help her not hear them. And yes,heavy people can ride horses, they are actually the best size to "break" the horses. Good luck to your friend.