Re: Am I hurting my horse?

Well, that research was mine and the short answer is that there *is* no straight formula as to rider weight ratios. Certainly not one that predicts failure if you exceed it it. In fact, if anyone ever tells you you can't do Tevis because you weigh more than 20% of your horse's weight, or you'll never top ten, or never win a race, you tell 'em baloney, because it's not true. Plenty of horses carrying more than 30% of their own body weight finished Tevis in good shape, and they weren't any more likely to be at the back of the pack than anyone else. In fact, some of the heaviest riders (in the 600+ horses we measured) were top ten finishers.

So here's what the research *did* say about rider weight and whether or not you weigh too much for your horse (and if you want to read all the gory details, it's on my website at http://www.shady-acres.com/susan/) . What matters more than anything is the condition score of your horse---does she have some cover over her ribs and back, or is she a walking hat rack? The first horse has a MUCH better chance of finishing Tevis than the second horse, regardless of the weight of the rider. Now, if your horse *is* too thin, than she'll have a harder time carrying more weight---she just doesn't have the resources for it. So if you've conditioned long and well, done your homework and your horse doesn't have ribs or hip bones poking out, then metabolically and energetically, there is no reason whatsoever why you can't complete Tevis or give it a darn good try.

Here's how heavier rider weight *is* going to affect you and your horse. It's just simple physics that more weight carried by those legs means more stress and strain. So the more weight the horse is carrying, the more of a problem lameness is potentially going to be. Your weight in relationship to your horse's weight doesn't seem to make a difference. What does matter is the total weight those legs have to carry---your weight plus the horse's weight. The research indicated that as total weight increased (the horse's plus yours), the incidence of lameness also increased, and the likelihood of being pulled for lameness. Horses whose total weight was under 1100 pounds had fewer lamenesses than horses whose total weight was 1200...or 1300 or higher. And it didn't seem to matter how that 'total weight' was divided up. A 1100 pound horse carrying a 125 pound rider (1225 pounds total weight) didn't have any difference in lameness incidence from a 1000 lb horse carrying a 225 lb rider (still 1225 lbs total).

So now you're forewarned and forearmed. Yes, a 14.2 horse can carry a hwt rider, assuming the conformation, saddle fit, your riding skills, etc are all conducive to it. Your potential weak link will be lameness. So, long, slow and steady conditioning for a rock-solid base is more important for you than for the lightweight rider. You need to give those bones, tendons and ligaments all the help you can to support them. Work on yourself so that you have the fitness to get your weight off the horse's back and walk or jog alongside when the situation allows it---especially on downhills.

Just another comment since I'm on a roll here <g>. You mentioned about your being on a diet to lose weight and that's great. But don't just focus on losing pounds, focus on increasing your muscle mass and fitness and let the pounds take care of themselves. Jim Bungardner is a great example. Big, *big* guy, looks like a linebacker, but a lot of muscle in there. He can run most little kids into the ground and he did Tevis, too. The point is that a fit, muscular and smart hwt rider will do better than a skinny, unfit rider that doesn't pay attention. Just something to think about. If you're interested, you might want to read a book by Covert Bailey called "The Ultimate Fit or Fat". It's really easy to read, the scientific basis is dead on and it'll tell you exactly where you need to go to become a tough, fit rider, regardless of your weight.

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