25/04/2025
*** RIDER WEIGHT ***
I’ve kept quiet about this topic for a while now, but after seeing some very upsetting photos of riders who are very clearly far too heavy for the horses they are on, I feel I need to speak up again.
It is a PRIVILEGE to ride a horse; not your right.
It is not ok to ride a horse you are far too heavy for because it helps your mental health. I absolutely understand that medical conditions, combined with many different medications, cause weight gain and an inability to lose it, however hard some people try. So ride a horse that is a suitable size for you. I also absolutely agree that we shouldn’t be publicly shaming someone on social media for being very obviously too heavy for their horse, but it is just as bad to state that said rider looks absolutely fine on the horse, when they visibly are very clearly too heavy.
The 20% rule is far too generous, but it’s a start. You shouldn’t weigh more than 20% of your horse’s ideal body weight when fully dressed to ride and holding your saddle.
Horses can’t speak, so we need to be their voice. It’s not ok to be several stone too heavy for the horse you are riding. And no, “riding light” doesn’t decrease what the scales show, or the load you are placing right in the middle of your horse’s back.
Riders are meant to be athletes. Riding is a sport.
More to come I’m afraid, as the photos have really upset me.
