Rider too heavy for horse?

From: Kim

Hi! I love your advise and learn so much from your newsletters and you site! Thank you! I realize maybe only I can answer this question but maybe you can give me some guidance.

First, as a little back ground, I rode growing up and had to sell my horse before going to college. I started riding again after about 18 years of no horses. I have 3 boys all of which have taken riding lessons before had got back into it a year and half ago. We were given a wonderful Welsh pony who has uveitis (SP) (moonblindness) and is blind in one eye one year ago. He is 15 y/o and 13.2 hand but of rugged frame weighing 650,680 when not overweight. He is well trained and does lateral work (I don't know much dressage) he also is a wonderful jumper-he has energy yet is very good with my 7 y/o riding him. I have been his primary rider-I'm 5'6 (have short legs long body) and weigh 123. I rode him in and adult eventing camp for a week last spring and loved it. I love him and am very enthusiastic about riding and learning more dressage.

Here's the question! Right now my 7 y/o son is taking lessons on Foxy at a local indoor. He is only trotting and gaining confidence with Foxy. (his trot is a bit propelling!) I would love to use Foxy to learn more dressage and also take lessons with him as I would like to see him working at his potential. Am I too heavy for him (I consider myself a balanced rider who has started using my body parts separate from my seat).

Now that it is winter and he isn't ridden regularly (maybe 3 times a week besides my sons lesson) on short rides no cantering as the ground is now hard and only some trotting. Should I give up this silliness of wanting Foxy to be at his best-let My boys enjoy him and take lessons on a horse more my size with the knowledge that in a few years I will get another horse? Which is better for Foxy-I have just become so attached to him and enjoy him so? It seems that I maybe being unrealistic as I really won't have time to ride him to get him in good condition until my youngest starts school full time next fall.

He did get sore after the Adult camp-as we were riding 2 times a day in extremely hot weather and we did jumping-nothing over 2' 6". It was his shoulder that was bothering him. It continued to bother off and on all summer-that means I'm too heavy? He has arthritis in his shoulder? Or it just takes a while to recover from even a minor muscle injury when not ridden consistently. He had some massage and being a physical therapist continued to do massage which helped a lot.

Sorry this was so long-I guess the bottom line is I keep going back and forth between-he's wonderful for the kids to he is so well trained and it is all going to waste. My oldest is 10 and is no longer interested in riding. When he got Foxy-I figure even if the kids didn't use him he would be a great companion pony for a horse I would get one day.

Thank you so much for listening even if you can't answer my question. Kim

Hi Kim! Foxy sounds like a dream pony. I can entirely understand why you'd like to go on riding him.

I don't see why you shouldn't ride him. If you're a balanced rider, you won't get in his way, and you're certainly not too heavy for him. At 123 pounds, you represent less than 20% of Foxy's own weight, and a healthy equine should be able to carry that amount if it comes in the form of a well-balanced rider. ;-) Pound for pound and inch for inch, ponies are better weight-carriers than horses -- think of the Highland ponies used to pack deer out of the hills!

Given his soreness after the jumping camp, though, I probably wouldn't jump him if I were you, or at least not until he is a good deal more fit. He's fifteen years old, not tremendously fit at the moment, and would benefit from quiet riding and dressage training through the winter and until your youngest starts school next fall. At that point, when you have more time, ask your vet to take a long hard look at Foxy with YOUR interests and goals in mind. Remember that jumping is a demanding sport, and that there's a great deal of impact on the horse's front legs. Still, having said that, there's a great deal that can be accomplished with a good conditioning program. Remember that bones take a year or more to remodel, and that tendons and ligaments take almost that long to remodel -- the muscles will come FIRST, within a few months, so don't be fooled into thinking that muscles mean total fitness. ;-) It's quite possible that six months after starting a sensible conditioning program, you would have a powerhouse-pony that could indeed carry you over low jumps. Your vet will have to tell you what he thinks about Foxy's shoulder and in what ways (if any) this will restrict your riding activities.

It wouldn't be a bad idea for you to take occasional lessons on other horses, but I really don't see any reason for you to give up riding Foxy.

Jessica

Back to top.