First lesson blues...how heavy is too heavy?

[elaine@dow-evan]

I had my first riding lesson ever booked for tonight. The stables have just phoned up and told me that, at 91 kilos, I'm too heavy. I am quite tall - 5 ft 9inches. (I wish they'd said when I booked in last week and gave them all the details, and I wouldn't have bought jodhs boots and chaps etc.) I'm very disappointed - although I know I need to loose a bit of weight I don't regard myself as that fat, and my friend's horse coped with me last Tuesday. He wouldnt have let me sit on her back for an hour if he'd been worried about my weight harming her in any way. So, how much should I weigh before I can book my first ever riding lesson and do something I've wanted to do for 40 years? (btw I shall not go back to that establishment...too humiliating!) Of course the horses' welfare is paramount in my mind...hat is why I wannt to learn to ride properly. But I dont think I'll be able to get below 12 stones.

[casa3311]

I weigh about the same as you do and am much shorter, 5'5". I think the weight to height ratio would also be a consideration.

I would think the stopping point would be somewhere between 110 and 115 kg. 91 kg would cut a lot of men out of riding. Maybe their school horses are very small and light boned. I don't think a draft x would have any problem with that weight.

Neither of mine do (15.1h QHxBelgian gelding and 16.3h Selle FrancisxTBxHanovarian mare). I think you just need to call around to a few more yards and specifically ask what the weight limit is.

[domane]

Oh I am so sorry that they cancelled on you :( What a bitter disappointment. Can you not ring round some other places and ask them what their maximum weight is? OK, so you may be a little heavier than average perhaps but it certainly won't be impossible for you to find a horse to ride. A thickset tallish irish cob should have no problem carrying you. There are a lot of men who would weigh the same as you so I'm sure you will be able to find somewhere where you can go have some fun!!! :)

Good luck - and don't forget to let us know how it all goes......

[evilgiraffe]

Echo casa, there will be plenty of yards more than happy to accomodate you. I also agree that it is quite poor of them not to mention this to you earlier!

[Bay Mare]

They should have told you when you phoned to book your first lesson. I agree, though, ask around at other schools. If you are free in 'off peak' times they are sometimes more flexible with their weight limits as the horses may not be working as hard as at the weekends for example.

Good luck with finding somewhere x

[RustyMary]

How rude of them not to say that at the beginning if it was an issue. Look around and I'm sure you will find a RS that will take you - don't be put off from your dream by this minor set-back. Have a look at my thread in Matures 'I've been riding for a year' to see what can be done in only a year with the right instructor - I started a year ago in my mid-forties and it was my life-long dream too - I really feel for you just now, I would have been gutted too. There are many people riding out there who are much heavier than you - as someone said, many men for a start! So go for it, let us know, and by the way - welcome to NR - there's plenty of support here from all shapes, sizes and ages! :)

[NicP]

That is really rude. I can only assume they only have relatively small horses.

Keep looking for a new school and don't be put off.

[newnovice]

That's ridiculous. Many, many people who ride weigh more than you do (probably like me, except I don't know how many kilos I weigh) and definitely a lot of men ride. Find another school, you don't want to go there anyway. I'm overweight and ride and many of the women who take lessons at my barn weigh much more than you. Get out there and find a new riding instructor!

[wanabe]

According to my calculator, 91 kilos is 200 pounds. Gee, I wonder that John Wayne was allowed to sit on a horse! :rolleyes:

[casa3311]

I will say that if you work hard at riding, the weight will "melt" off, or in my case sweat off. I am the same weight as you now, but when I bought Beamer, I was about 20 lbs heavier. I've been watching my diet more carefully and riding every chance I get. My yard is a DYI, so I get my CV exercise in even on days I don't ride.

Dittos on the comment about John Wayne. Also Tom Selick has to be well over 200 lbs. We have a new Halflinger at our yard who's owner is over 91 kilos and she does just find. Of course a Halflinger (or Hay-flinger as her owner caller her :rolleyes: ) is a very substantial pony.

As far as learning to ride, I find that the stouter horses just have a sweeter, more stable dispoistion anyway. Look for someone who teaches on some type of draft cross or other similiarly built horses.

I don't know how things are in the UK, but many of the RIs around here are more like independent contractors and are not employeed by the riding facility. My RI is like that. She has 3 horses at her disposal to teach lessons on, for those who do not have their own horses. She only works each one once a day, so there is less of an issue with a rider's weight.

There is a limit as to how much weight a horse should be asked to carry, but like I said before, you are no where near it, unless this particular school really over works their horses and does more than several lessons a day on each horse. If that is the case, then I don't think I'd want to take lessons there anyway. That kind of overwork tends to lead to very sour school horses.

Good Luck,
Alisa

[camel]

I don't know how far Northwhich is to you but Cheshire riding school would accomodate you, no problem - they have two Shirex

Camel
xx

http://www.atspringhill.co.uk/ - have some weight carriers too (not that you are a particulaly great weight ..lol)

[Peanut]

They should have definitely told you when you booked and made it clear that it's not that you are not in any way too heavy to ride, its just that they don't have suitable horses.

As Rusty Mary quite rightly says, there are horses for all shapes and sizes of riders, so don't be too disheartened, look for another riding school without delay.

Welcome to NR btw and let us know how you get on. :)

[Lou-lou]

Echoing everyone else, I think it's appalling that they didn't declare a weight limit from the first instance. I know there are a few places where 12 stone is the max for beginners, although I think often if you turn up and actually speak to someone and they see that you are not obese they will accommodate you (rather than over the phone). Also, for first lessons beginners nearly always seem to be put on big steady cobby types anyway. I guess it depends on their workload as to how much of an issue carrying weight is. But please don't be put off, I'm sure you'll find a school to take you. And as for the last place you tried, they clearly aren't well organised or focused on your needs anyway so you're better off without them. Good luck!

[muddyjods]

My other half is an 17 stone ex rugby player, and it only took me the three or so hours on the phone each time we've moved area, to find a stables that could accomodate him!!:cool: But i've always managed it, and he ends up on the likes of 17.5 hands Irish sports horses who are jolly handsome too!

So don't be at all put off, there are bound to be stables nearby where your weight won't be any kind of an issue.

Good luck, and I look forward to your first lesson report!

[Trewsers]

They should have told you when you booked the lesson - how disappointing for you. Don't give up tho! Hope you find somewhere else - its not nice when this happens (have read / heard similar situations). A nice sturdy cob would have no probs with you at all!!! (Well, a nice sturdy cob carried my OH for months having lessons!!!)

[fabio66]

dont worry about it, unfortunatley the right person to talk to is'nt always available in the stable,so anyone free will answer the phone just to take a booking,i came from being a 14 stone (rugby) winger to a 12 stone jump jockey weight,surprising that the school didnt have a big charger for you,most have one or two.so crack on and find the right horse in the right school,good luck

[Teehee]

I don't think there's such a thing as being too heavy to ride...you just have to find the proper horse... :)

This is someone way way too heavy and too tall for this pony... and I sure the kid doesn't weigh much... ;) but she shouldn't be on this poor animal!!!!

http://www.compraventa.com/vi/7449869.htm?ca=27_s

[cc rider]

i weigh on average 89k which is around 14 stone and my 15.1hh cob mare handles my weight as if i was as light as a feather. no probs. how very rude and off putting for you to be treated like that. there is no need for such rudeness. i have weighed the same give or take 7lbs over or under for the last 10+ years. i have always been asked how much i weigh wherever i have ridden and they havent always been huge cobs. i love bigger horses anyway and 16hh+ is what i love most.
find another RS if you can that doesnt treat you with such bad manners. good luck.

[stormandsummer]

How very upsetting and humiliating for you too, i could understand if they said no before you had a lesson but not after you had ridden their once :mad:

I am heavier than you and may be i am lucky but i have never been refused a ride and now i have my own horse and he is fine with me, esp when he decides he will take off across a field just cause he can, so he hardly struggles lol.

I hope you soon find a yard that is more sensitive