May trade for a new horse thoughts please?

[Show Me Chick]

Chickenzoo, Yeah she's a stout looking girl. Nice thick bones. I use to own a Mustang, how I wish I hadn't sold him. I could ride him all day and he was tough as nails. Bulit just like your mare.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
If you think about it though, these book-type "rule of thumb" things are pretty useless and incorrect. The mere crude WEIGHT of the horse doesn't mean all that much. What matters more is how it's built. I have known a 1000+ lb 14 h pony built like a *tank* (part draft) who could carry anyone anywhere, and a 1000-lb tall spindly weak-legged small-footed long-pasterned anglo-arab who quite frankly is just not built to be ridden much by *anyone*. Yet this rule of thumb by weight business would have them being equal.

Also, remember that historically shorter horses have quite often carried quite considerable loads, for a long sound working lifetime, because of being *built* for it. I mean, actual usin' ranch horses of 150 yrs ago were quite often in the 14-15h range, carrying sometimes quite big guys and heavy saddles plus sometimes extra stuff, yet in many cases went soundly for years and years. Etcetera.

And quite frankly this "20% of body weight thing" that it is fashionable to bandy around in books in the past 20 years or so, since our society got all diet-conscious and weight-paranoid, just does not jibe with my personal experience SEEING who's riding what for how long and what the outcome is.

I'm not saying ignore it, necessarily; but I *am* saying not to pay too serious attention to it when horse-shopping.

Please note, by the way, that by this rule nobody over a mere 160 lbs or so should ever be riding Western on a typical average-sized horse of 1000 lbs. Does that REALLY match your experience? I didn't think so

JME,

Pat

 

[Show Me Chick]

When I said 20% I was talking about a sturdy horse. If a horse is 1000lb and has a bad build then I won't put more than a 10-15% load on it's back. But I still would never put over 20% even with good bone. I've seen the damage that other horse owners have done by by over loading their horse. It might take a few years for a horse to come up lame or swayed back but I think that's cruel and borders on abuse. If someone is a heavy person why not just buy a horse with the correct weight that has good bone instead of risking damage?

 

[welsummerchicks]

Yes, actually. But I don't think that means that 21 1/2% is ALWAYS going to cripple a horse instantly, far from it.

The 20% I think is too high a percentage for speed work and top sport type work. Jockeys, for example, often weigh closer to 10% of the horse's weight.

I think it's in the ballpark for the kind of riding most people do, though, as I noted.

Does the horse's weight have anything to do with what it can carry? Yes, I think it does. The idea that an animal should only carry a certain percentage of its own weight is not such a bad rule of thumb and is based on some good science.

Weight definitely can have an effect in harder sport- some eventers studied jumping and proved that.

But it is of course, just a start, as I noted; then commonsense really has to rule.

of course the slim or poorly built animal is up to less weight. That only makes sense. In Brittain, where they have hunter classes, they have light, medium and heavy weight hunters. The heavy weight hunters have more bone, more weight.

As far as being what I experience, yes, I think that in my experience, I have seen heavy riders on less suitable horses cause those horses physical problems....that is....IF they are doing more demanding sport.

My vet thinks so too. A few months ago, he discussed a case with me in which a 300 lb rider was riding a rather small fine limbed horse that weighed about 800 or 900 lbs, that would be about 30%. I won't mention the type of riding, but it was a difficult type of horse sport and at a level that demanded a lot of hard work of the horse. He felt the horse's soundness problems were specifically due to the weight of the rider. So yes. I do think it's possible.

I think a 150 lb rider on a 1000 lb horse is 15% of the horse's body weight. And I think for sport and harder faster use that is not a bad matchup. I don't see a lot of heavy eventers, just one or two now and again. Most appear to be very slim and fit, but of course, they're jumping and galloping at speed and doing a very demanding sport.

20% would be a 200 lb rider on a 1000 lb horse. From what I've seen that's not unusual, but as I said, most people pleasure ride, they are not galloping and jumping an intermediate course, so I don't see 20% as a problem.

Some is tradition. In some riding sports it's common to see big heavy men on rather small horses. The horses are stocky, and that helps I'm sure, but it's more that it is a tradition. Since it's a tradition those in the sport are sure it's OK.

I'm not sure a concern with weight is all bad. We have a problem with overweight in our country and it does affect people's health.

But....I think an obsession with anorexic, model-thin unhealthy figures is very unhealthy too!!! We need to bury that somewhere deep.

Fact is these days it's tough to stay slim. But riding and caring for a horse can be a good exercise. Brushing, tacking up and stable work can be a part of an active lifestyle. The important thing is to do something one enjoys and be healthy and happy.

 

[arabianequine]

I had heard not to put more then 25% of the horses weight on the horse for a rider. I do and did think that horse is too small for that guy thats 320 let alone me at 270.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Only if it's Lady Godiva or GaWaNi Pony Boy LOL

A western saddle usually weighs 30-50 lbs, so even neglecting the rider's clothing and boots and saddle pad and bridle and bit, that puts the alleged upper limit for a 1000-lb 'yer basic horse' at a mere 150-170 lb rider.

It just doesn't jibe with what I see working/not-working in the real world. On average.


Pat

 

[Show Me Chick]

I wish you lived close to me. I have a horse that I would let you try out for a week. He's a awesome boy.

 

[arabianequine]

That is so nice of you to offer showmechick.....I don't know where you live but you can see about where I am assuming you are in another state. I wish people were more like that. Sometimes I don't think they really care if it is a good match they just want the money and thats it for the most part. Like that 18 year old free gelding.....its not sound it had some leg and feet issues I wanna move a little faster then snail pace....so just take to auction or slaughter its never gonna get a home if the owner is not willing to take the time and find the right match and they have to be honest. I told her all the stuff I wanted and would be doing. It seems like it won't happen quickly.....the guy from hermiston oregon called and left me a message to call him. I will do that today.

 

[welsummerchicks]

"Godiva or Gawani".

LOL. I was just assuming that included the saddle, but some saddles aren't too heavy, too. To be a nerd, perhaps the mostly non-moving weight of the saddle isn't as important as the weight of the rider, but I don't see anywhere that anyone has looked into that.

Oh 270, that's not such a big deal. At 270, what 'fits' I think really depends on how hard you want to ride - for casual riding, vs top sport - galloping, jumping. The rule of thumb (20%) gives you a 1300 lb horse - not unusual a weight for a stocky sturdy horse. I've seen some nice QH like that or a QH draft cross, which is very popular in some areas, is possible. What a nice useful type of horse they can be.

 

[Show Me Chick]

I'm all the way down in Missouri.

My boy Diamond is a big brute. He's half Quarter and half Arabian...you would think he would be small with the Arabian in him but he's make most quarter horses look tiny.

I think he's 10 years old now. Before I bought him he was used for civil war reenactments and in the sheriffs search and research party so he's use to about everything. The only problem I've had with him is he doesn't care for my Tennessee walking mare but he likes my other mares.

So my main concern about him is to make sure he fits in with the other horses at someone's house. And yeah I'm not the type to try and screw someone (except I would some dishonest horse traders that deserve it) I've been burned many times in my past and wouldn't want to do that to someone else. I'm not even going to say how much money I've lost and how close I've came to death on some of these stupid horses I've bought from dealers.