Too heavy for horse?

Question

Is 12 stone / 168lbs too heavy for a 15.2hh thoroughbred x to carry? He is light-medium boned I suppose. Thanks.

Answer 1

if 168lbs is too heavy for a horse then i shouldve never rode a horse! a horse CAN carry 20 % of it's body weight, so just get the wieght of the horse and do the math and you'll find a better answer then some here have given.

Answer 2

Depends on if you are riding in a heavy western saddle or not. And what you are planning to do, jump, event, trail ride...

Answer 3

OMG OMG OMG Girl get yourself a Clydesdale to carry all that weight around. =}

Just Kidding. Have a nice day.

Answer 4

Unless you plan on working him for 30 min. twice a week then I would say yes.

Answer 5

yes. you should be riding at least 15.3-16.2hh of medium to draft build

Answer 6

if you ride western then ride in a synthetic or even a synthetic english and no you not

Answer 7

that depends.

If you are going to only walk along the trails  for an hour or so, likely no.

If you had anything else in mind, sure...that horse is too small for you, even if you had no saddle.  15.2 isn't a big horse, likely it weighs approx 900-1000 lbs.  Not much more.  That is asking you to carry almost 20 pounds on your shoulders.  How long could you comfortable do that, and what could you do carrying that much weight?

Answer 8

I'm on the heavy side too and was told a horse can carry 1/3rd of it's weight so I think you're fine.  (Be sure to keep in mind the weight of your saddle when calculating the load.)

Answer 9

omg some of these people are evil!

Of course your not to heavy for it! Aslong as you wont be riding it hard for 8hours etc (like people on hunt horses do...) you will be fine!!!! 12stone is not heavy! a neighbour is bigger than me, i wouldnt like to say how heavy, but she rides any of our horses, from TB's to shires x's and ponies to ..... ! so of course weight matters, but you will be fine! dont worry you wont go breaking its back or anything silly like that (im heavier than you and still break in welsh ponies.... and no its not cruel as they are quite stockey)

Answer 10

yes if you want to ride than ride a hevy draft horse

Answer 11

yep horses are strong, go for it and have fun!

~2htoohorse~

Answer 12

I would say that 12 stone maximum is ok for light schooling/hacking etc. Its also the way you carry your weight that makes it easier for the horse. If you are tall and thin it is easier for the horse to carry than short and stumpy!

Answer 13

Nope at 168 lbs you're fine.  Typically the rule of thumb is 20% of your horse's weight and at 15.2 hh, I'd say he probably weighs about 1,100 LBS if he's light to med boned.  

And with you using "stone" then I'm going to assume you're either in the UK or in OZ and you probably ride English, so your weight's not an issue.

Have fun.

Answer 14

yes

Answer 15

The rule of thumb is that a horse can carry up to 20% of his weight, but several factors to consider are the overall fitness level of the horse and particularly the development of the muscles of his back which support the rider.  Also, the horse's bone - which you indicate as light-medium.  The rider's fitness level and riding ability are factors, as well. A well-balanced, fit rider is much easier for a horse to carry, than someone who is not in control of his or her own body.  Hope this helps.

Answer 16

Yes of course, Don't mind people who say your too heavy, If you have a light and balanced seat then there is no problems.

Thoroughbreds are stronger horses than they seem and well capable.

Answer 17

NO. Adults ride ponies ALL the time in europe. You are fine and so is your horse!

Answer 18

I dont think so. My step dad rides my 15.2 TB occasionally and Jazz doesnt have a problem. He is 180ish. His conformation will play into how much he can carry. If he has a short strong back and strong legs he will be able to carry more than a long backed nasty with weak loins. I wouldnt try to do really hard work though. If you are wanting to get into jumping or higher level activities, I would look into losing some weight or getting a warmblood type horse.

EDIT: ladyren if a 15.2 thoroughbred weighs 900lbs. I would be VERY worried about it. My horse (of that size) is 1175lbs and he is on the light side.

Answer 19

It depends how well you're balanced. If you ride like a sack of potatoes, you're too heavy. But if you can balance very well, you'll make the horse's job easier and can ride him.

Also, it depends on what you're doing on him. If it's just trail riding, you should be fine. If it's barrel racing or eventing, it's not fine.

And it depends on how much he'll be ridden. If you're only riding him once or twice a week for short lessons, it's fine. But if you want to ride him for a couple of hours every day, you're going to need a bigger and stronger horse.

Answer 20

depends on the type of saddle. I weigh that much and rode a thoroughbred about that tall and the horse carried me fine. I would think you could if the horse is fine with it. ( sit on the horse before you start riding.

Answer 21

Hello,

MY input;

You shouldn't weigh more than 1/3 of the weight of your horse.  IT is more about the size of the horse.

YOU shouldn't be TOO heavy!  But, you need to figure out the weight of your horse.  They sell weight tapes and then you just need to divide your horses weight by 3 and if it is more than your weight (don't forget the saddle is part of this figure too), you will be JUST fine!

Answer 22

Depends on a couple of things.  How fit is the horse?  Is it old and skinny?  Or strong and muscular?  Also, how good is the rider?  Does she bounce, or does she have a quiet seat?  How much work is the horse doing?  Is it light trail riding?  Or 4' jumping competitions?

My guess is no, the rider is not too heavy.  But consider all the variables when making the decision.