Re: Weight Issue

["Mary C. Abbott" <mabbott@oro.net>]

I am relatively new at all this and have wondered about the 165 lb. 
weight requirement as well, particularly as I am planning to work up to 
the Tevis.  It's not me that I am worried about though,--it's my "small" 
horse.  I'm a fairly small person (105 lbs.) and she is a fairly small, 
light horse (14.1 h, 700 lbs.?).  We're sized well together, kind of like 
 I'd imagine a 210 lb. guy would be on a 15.2 hand horse. It doesn't seem 
fair to me that more weight would need to be put on my mare in order to 
compete.  Why can't the entire package (horse & rider and how they 
fit or balance) be considered?  I have a friend who has a 13.3 hand 
dynamo gelding. Is it fair that he has to carry 165 lbs to 
compete--especially since a 16 h. horse can get by on carrying the same 
weight?  I'm looking forward to folks opinions on this.

Mary & Mariah
Grass Valley, CA