Size of rider vis a vis size of horse

[Lucinda]

My husband and I are coming back to riding in our mid (OK, late) thirties and I am curious to know if there are any accepted guidelines as to what weight a horse of a particular height should carry. Obviously, this will vary according to the confirmation of the horse and cobby/heavy hunter types are clearly weight carriers but what about Arabs who have a reputation for stamina beyond their size? Any views (and I suspect there are a number) would be appreciated. At 5'8" and 147lbs, I'm not a sylph but my unfortunate husband encounters very diverse reactions from riding stables. He's 5'11" and a very fit and compact 14st+ (196-200lbs) - either he get's a relatively normal TB type or they mutter darkly and wheel out the Shire x!

 

[Allie]

Usually stockier horses, such as Quarter horses, Paints, draft crosses, carry weight the best. Taller horse obviously can carry more weight than smaller ones. My friend has a 14.2 Arabian who is a very small horse, and she doesn't let anyone more than about 175 lbs. ride her. On the other hand, I have a 15.3 Quarter horse who has carried 250+ men with no problems. One of the men at the ranch where I board is rather large (I would guess maybe 230 lbs.), and he has a slightly built 15 hand Quarter horse who has no problems with him. I think it depends on the horse mostly. In my opinion, I would say your husband could probably ride anything 15.2 or bigger with no problems.

I guess the main guidlines I've heard is:

14 hands or smaller, kids or small adults, no more than about 100 lbs.

14-15 hands, medium sized adults, up to say 170 lbs. or so, obviously varying from horse to horse

15+ hands is most likely able to carry any rider, unless they are of an exceptionally skinny build. Obviously, the stockier the horse, the more weight it can carry at the same height (hope that made sense)

Anyway, enough rambling...hope some of that helped...

Allie

 

[bren]

Thanks Sarah,
My pony Girly is only 13hh and I am over 100 lbs(never mind how far over!LOL) but she carries me just fine. Your ponies are stronger then they look. Now I wouldnt let my hubby ride her.
Brenda

 

[Clare]

Hello

I have a 15.3hh arab gelding - who is a typical arab build, I really don't think he would be up to or happy about carrying too much weight.

I really don't think I would let anyone on him over 10 stone. My partner wants to learn to ride, but there is no way he is going on my boy - he is 15 stone, and a friend has a 16.2 shire x tb, so hopefully this will be the one for him to learn on, seeing as mine has such a sensitive back, and would like a beginner bouncing around on him either!

 

[Sarah]

hello!

I good guide to how much weight a horse can carry is to look at the amount of bone they have - what the circumference of the top of their cannon bone is (front leg just below the knee). The more bone there is, the more weight they can carry - so a native type horse or pony can usually carry a lot more than their height may indicate.

Another important factor is what you ar planning to do with your horse. Although a Shetland pony is small, if it is very fit it can easily take a man out hunting for a day (I read this somewhere - I suppose only if you din't mind your feet being on the ground next to it!). If you are planning to do a lot of jumping or hard work, a sligthly taller solid horse would be better than a shorter weight carrier such as a Welsh cob or equivalent.

Arabs and TB's are very strong for their size, but there is a limit to it - a 14h2 arab would probably not be right for your husband whereas a 14h2 native type might.

bye!