RE: [RC] "Perfect" horse for heavyweight rider? - Carrie Kitley-Jackson
Chris is definitely right about that. I can only speak from experience. My mare comes from the Witez lines too, a Sambor granddaughter, but isn't particularly big-boned or heavy set. I would classify myself as a Middleweight rider and confess that at times, I've wondered if I were too heavy for her because she is built more on the slight side. BUT . . . she seemingly has no trouble carting my *ss around and in fact, has proved it a few times when she thought she was in a rodeo (she being the bronc). It is amazing how stealthily she carries me up and down huge hills . . . when we're on our way home. =) On the way out she acts like she has Jabba the Hut on her back.
~Carrie <\_~ // \\
"The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears."
~ Old Arabian Proverb
--- On Fri, 9/5/08, Chris A <bayrabhorses@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Chris A <bayrabhorses@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: RE: [RC] "Perfect" horse for heavyweight rider? To: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Friday, September 5, 2008, 10:52 AM
Oh c'mon, there is no perfect horse for the heavyweight rider. It's not breed or size dependent!
I'm a heavyweight rider and I've had 3 horses in distance competition. My old campaigner is a grade arab gelding I've had for 11 years, most of the central region knows him. He's 15.1H, about 1000 pounds and a 5 mph walk. He's 21 now, we've been together 11 years.
My second horse was a 14.2H 900 pound Babson bred Arab gelding. He carried me just fine with lots of energy to spare. I sold him, I'm sorry to say.
My third horse is a 15H Arab mare I bred and raised here. She's about 1000 pounds too.
now you're thinking, oh she rides big, heavy duty arabs....
well, my stallion is 25 Years Young, 14H, pony size, and barely 800 pounds. i haven't ridden him in competition, but have put a lot of miles on him at the local trails. He carries me like a flea on his back, Scampers up and down hills, over logs, around trees, like an ATV. In fact, he can do some of the steepest hills better than my biggest horses.
I think just use common sense and judgement in picking a horse. Don't assume that you have to have a draft cross if you are a big person. I think you need a horse with big bone and big heart, but then that's what works in this sport no matter what size the rider is.
chris
"Great love and great achievement involve great risk," The Dalai Lama
