• Welcome to the Chronicle Forums.
    Please complete your profile. The forums and the rest of www.chronofhorse.com has single sign-in, so your log in information for one will automatically work for the other. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Chronicle of the Horse.

Announcement

Collapse

Forum rules and no-advertising policy

As a participant on this forum, it is your responsibility to know and follow our rules. Please read this message in its entirety.

Board Rules

1. You’re responsible for what you say.
As outlined in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, The Chronicle of the Horse and its affiliates, as well Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd., the developers of vBulletin, are not legally responsible for statements made in the forums.

This is a public forum viewed by a wide spectrum of people, so please be mindful of what you say and who might be reading it—details of personal disputes are likely better handled privately. While posters are legally responsible for their statements, the moderators may in their discretion remove or edit posts that violate these rules. Users have the ability to modify or delete their own messages after posting, but administrators generally will not delete posts, threads or accounts upon request.

Outright inflammatory, vulgar, harassing, malicious or otherwise inappropriate statements and criminal charges unsubstantiated by a reputable news source or legal documentation will not be tolerated and will be dealt with at the discretion of the moderators.

Credible threats of suicide will be reported to the police along with identifying user information at our disposal, in addition to referring the user to suicide helpline resources such as 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-273-TALK.

2. Conversations in horse-related forums should be horse-related.
The forums are a wonderful source of information and support for members of the horse community. While it’s understandably tempting to share information or search for input on other topics upon which members might have a similar level of knowledge, members must maintain the focus on horses.

3. Keep conversations productive, on topic and civil.
Discussion and disagreement are inevitable and encouraged; personal insults, diatribes and sniping comments are unproductive and unacceptable. Whether a subject is light-hearted or serious, keep posts focused on the current topic and of general interest to other participants of that thread. Utilize the private message feature or personal email where appropriate to address side topics or personal issues not related to the topic at large.

4. No advertising in the discussion forums.
Posts in the discussion forums directly or indirectly advertising horses, jobs, items or services for sale or wanted will be removed at the discretion of the moderators. Use of the private messaging feature or email addresses obtained through users’ profiles for unsolicited advertising is not permitted.

Company representatives may participate in discussions and answer questions about their products or services, or suggest their products on recent threads if they fulfill the criteria of a query. False "testimonials" provided by company affiliates posing as general consumers are not appropriate, and self-promotion of sales, ad campaigns, etc. through the discussion forums is not allowed.

Paid advertising is available on our classifieds site and through the purchase of banner ads. The tightly monitored Giveaways forum permits free listings of genuinely free horses and items available or wanted (on a limited basis). Items offered for trade are not allowed.

Advertising Policy Specifics
When in doubt of whether something you want to post constitutes advertising, please contact a moderator privately in advance for further clarification. Refer to the following points for general guidelines:

Horses – Only general discussion about the buying, leasing, selling and pricing of horses is permitted. If the post contains, or links to, the type of specific information typically found in a sales or wanted ad, and it’s related to a horse for sale, regardless of who’s selling it, it doesn’t belong in the discussion forums.

Stallions – Board members may ask for suggestions on breeding stallion recommendations. Stallion owners may reply to such queries by suggesting their own stallions, only if their horse fits the specific criteria of the original poster. Excessive promotion of a stallion by its owner or related parties is not permitted and will be addressed at the discretion of the moderators.

Services – Members may use the forums to ask for general recommendations of trainers, barns, shippers, farriers, etc., and other members may answer those requests by suggesting themselves or their company, if their services fulfill the specific criteria of the original post. Members may not solicit other members for business if it is not in response to a direct, genuine query.

Products – While members may ask for general opinions and suggestions on equipment, trailers, trucks, etc., they may not list the specific attributes for which they are in the market, as such posts serve as wanted ads.

Event Announcements – Members may post one notification of an upcoming event that may be of interest to fellow members, if the original poster does not benefit financially from the event. Such threads may not be “bumped” excessively. Premium members may post their own notices in the Event Announcements forum.

Charities/Rescues – Announcements for charitable or fundraising events can only be made for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Special exceptions may be made, at the moderators’ discretion and direction, for board-related events or fundraising activities in extraordinary circumstances.

Occasional posts regarding horses available for adoption through IRS-registered horse rescue or placement programs are permitted in the appropriate forums, but these threads may be limited at the discretion of the moderators. Individuals may not advertise or make announcements for horses in need of rescue, placement or adoption unless the horse is available through a recognized rescue or placement agency or government-run entity or the thread fits the criteria for and is located in the Giveaways forum.

5. Do not post copyrighted photographs unless you have purchased that photo and have permission to do so.

6. Respect other members.
As members are often passionate about their beliefs and intentions can easily be misinterpreted in this type of environment, try to explore or resolve the inevitable disagreements that arise in the course of threads calmly and rationally.

If you see a post that you feel violates the rules of the board, please click the “alert” button (exclamation point inside of a triangle) in the bottom left corner of the post, which will alert ONLY the moderators to the post in question. They will then take whatever action, or no action, as deemed appropriate for the situation at their discretion. Do not air grievances regarding other posters or the moderators in the discussion forums.

Please be advised that adding another user to your “Ignore” list via your User Control Panel can be a useful tactic, which blocks posts and private messages by members whose commentary you’d rather avoid reading.

7. We have the right to reproduce statements made in the forums.
The Chronicle of the Horse may copy, quote, link to or otherwise reproduce posts, or portions of posts, in print or online for advertising or editorial purposes, if attributed to their original authors, and by posting in this forum, you hereby grant to The Chronicle of the Horse a perpetual, non-exclusive license under copyright and other rights, to do so.

8. We reserve the right to enforce and amend the rules.
The moderators may delete, edit, move or close any post or thread at any time, or refrain from doing any of the foregoing, in their discretion, and may suspend or revoke a user’s membership privileges at any time to maintain adherence to the rules and the general spirit of the forum. These rules may be amended at any time to address the current needs of the board.

Please see our full Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information.

Thanks for being a part of the COTH forums!

(Revised 2/8/18)
See more
See less

Weight limits at barns

Collapse
X
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #21
    I have only ever heard of a posted weight limit at trail ride places. Our barn does not have a firm limit (thank goodness because I weigh 200lbs) but the BO has turned away prospective students simply by letting them know we don’t have a suitable school horse for them right now. That being said, I find most heavier riders are upfront about their weight when calling or emailing to ask about lessons.

    In the past we have had some larger warmblood and draft cross school horses, as well as smaller but sturdy draft crosses, so have been able to accommodate most riders without any issue.

    Comment


    • #22
      Originally posted by PonyPenny View Post

      Here is a short Youtube video. The only good thing is no mule has leaped or has fallen off the rim. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ePoDDaEYt8
      I stopped watching after 10 seconds.... noper. Not going to ever do that.

      Comment


      • #23
        Actually, barring a rock face crumbling underneath you, you're probably about as safe as you're going to get sitting on one of those mules (reassuring, I know )

        Between their surefootedness and their extremely strong self-preservation instinct - far stronger than a horse's - I'd feel pretty OK on one of those mules. But I also don't mind heights.
        Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not. Remember that what you have now was once among the many things that you only hoped for.

        Comment


        • #24
          I haven't done the ride at the Grand Canyon, but we did it at Bryce. There was a weight limit there, too, and somehow I was the only one on a horse not a mule. It was really fun, and no scarier than hiking the trails ourselves. Actually, I feel like the equines were maybe safer, because they all knew the trails and were quite surefooted, whereas I'm likely to trip over nothing or twist and ankle Having hiked part of both trails the mules use at the GC, even as a person not good with heights, I didn't find it particularly scary on either Bright Angel or South Kaibab.
          A Year In the Saddle

          Comment


          • #25
            Originally posted by PonyPenny View Post

            Here is a short Youtube video. The only good thing is no mule has leaped or has fallen off the rim. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ePoDDaEYt8





            Especially the part with the mule trotting down the 'steps'!!
            "When I look back on my life, the times I have been stingy or unappreciative haunt me. I don't regret one instance of generosity." --PeteyPie

            Comment


            • #26
              Every barn I've ever ridden at has had a 200lb weight limit.
              Show me your horse and I will tell you who you are.

              Comment


              • #27
                I did a trail ride at Lake Louise up to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House and back. Going up was fine, but going back down !!! When the horses make one of those switchback turns, there are moments when your view is nothing but a horse neck and head hanging out over a sheer drop in front of you.

                I was riding right behind the guide and commented on the horrifying view. She said yeah, when she first started on the job and went out with an experienced guide to learn the trails, she spent half the time with her eyes closed.

                The first thing I did when I got back was scratch "Grand Canyon mule ride" off my Bucket List.

                In response to the OP, I've ridden at trail ride places with a posted weight limit, but never at a lesson barn with an official weight limit. In my experience it is something that is judged on an individual basis and dealt with as a personal matter between the stable and the person.
                "Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything
                that's even remotely true."

                Homer Simpson

                Comment


                • #28
                  Did the Grand Canyon ride and that's what it looked like from the saddle. I loved it!
                  \"Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it.\" Anne of Green Gables

                  Comment


                  • #29
                    When I was looking at lesson barns in New England a few years ago there were many many places with a posted weight limit right on the web site, sometimes as low as 175. Given that the usual lesson student is a teenager, it makes some amount of sense to keep horses appropriate for that, and it mostly seemed to be the big places with very busy lesson programs that had a flat advertised limit. In any case it wouldn't surprise me at all to see same.

                    It cuts both ways, though. I've talked about it with a barn manager who runs a busy lesson program, and she says that she has horses that can take even beginners over 300 lbs if they've tolerably balanced but that much lighter-but-bouncier riders have been a problem, and so having a flat limit posted would be pretty useless.

                    My personal experience is that if one is a serious (and hopefully somewhat competent) student it's just about always determined on a case-by-case basis, and as a regular student on the tall-and-heavy side that it's been a concern but not a fatal one. Of the two trainers I ride with regularly, I lease a horse from one who seems happier to have me on him than some much lighter riders, and use a lesson horse of the other but keep it to low-impact work. (Jumping BN and below, basically.)

                    There are a whole lot of horses in the world. I expect there's one for almost anybody.

                    PS: I was also recently in Aruba, which has some spectacular trail riding, and there are at least six places that offer same and they all have weight limits posted someplace as well as some height limits. In actually contacting them by email, though, they were a lot more flexible by prearrangement. (I was expecting to end up riding one of the smaller population of quarter horses on the island, but I ended up on the biggest Paso Fino I've ever seen! Also, the Natural Pool ride via the peak of Mt. Arikok is of most epic awesomeness. Even in tropical heat!)

                    Comment


                    • #30
                      There is a horse for everybody but lesson barns can’t own all of them. That’s actualky more limiting then rider size, they can’t keep horses that only work occasionally. Too expensive and getting more so. Same with keeping a saddle in a size most cannot use just in case somebody might need it someday,
                      When opportunity knocks it's wearing overalls and looks like work.

                      The horse world. Two people. Three opinions.

                      Comment


                      • #31
                        Lesson barns around here have a few big study horses at each barn for those overweight riders.

                        Comment


                        • #32
                          Originally posted by amb View Post

                          PS: I was also recently in Aruba, which has some spectacular trail riding, and there are at least six places that offer same and they all have weight limits posted someplace as well as some height limits. In actually contacting them by email, though, they were a lot more flexible by prearrangement. (I was expecting to end up riding one of the smaller population of quarter horses on the island, but I ended up on the biggest Paso Fino I've ever seen! Also, the Natural Pool ride via the peak of Mt. Arikok is of most epic awesomeness. Even in tropical heat!)
                          I vacationed in Aruba a couple of summers ago. The friend I was with is not a rider and it was hot, so instead of riding, I let her talk me into going deep sea fishing, which I wasn't that thrilled about to begin with, and cost me about $300, and I never caught a single fish, and the swell was huge so I didn't even enjoy the boat ride. Blech. Never again.

                          I'm really sorry that I didn't tell her to go ahead and go fishing while I went riding. I really liked Aruba, though.

                          "Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything
                          that's even remotely true."

                          Homer Simpson

                          Comment


                          • #33
                            I don't know how anyone can look at someone and guess what they weigh. I wouldn't cut weight at most of these limits and def wouldn't cut it if you weighed me with a western saddle. I wear size 32 in breeches (dovers brand) or a 30/31 in jeans and I'm only 5'6 and short legged. That's like a size 12, heck I'm a 13 in Jr. clothes. Now grant it I have huge boobs (38 G) and alway have to double up on bras when I ride. So I carry most of my weight around my face, I feel like that makes me look bigger than I actually am and I still bet no one could guess my weight by looking at me. Most women carry their weigh in their hips which I feel is much easier to hide. I don't think I could guess within 50lbs anyone who weighs over 175. If they are short and heavy I know I have no idea what they weigh. Not to mention the more muscle you have the more you weigh. I can carry around a 50 lb bag of feed no problem (if someone helped me lift it to my shoulder I could probably carry 2 bags) and then some people can barely lift a saddle on to their horse. I feel its all about strength and balance not actual weight. Plus it depends on what your riding goal is. I just like a nice slow collected wtc and I'm happy. I'm not trying to do eventing or breeze racehorses or anything all that strenuous to the horse. I can do more than walk but heavy training/competition is not my thing. Trail class at a horse show (obstacle course) is my favorite class to compete in. It's mentally challenging but I wouldn't call it physically challenging at the most shows.
                            www.abernathyfarm.com

                            Comment

                            • Original Poster

                              #34
                              The whole thing is interesting...I am a fat rider, I have my own horse, I think it would be a challenge to find a barn with horse and tack to fit me, and that is reasonable.

                              There seems to be a opinion (not here necessarily) that says weighing everyone is some how discriminatory, but to me that gets over assumptions about weight, and people's different builds. I had to laugh, in a sad kind of way, when there was some arguing that weight limits are somehow sexist, because a man would be allowed to ride at heavier weight than a woman, once again because of the weight perception.

                              I don't know about you, I have a list of requirements for people i MAY let ride my horse, so far there are two on the list besides me, my coach and the trainer at the barn. I support any private individual deciding who rides their horse, so I have to give the same courtesy to a barn owner, they can set any limit they like, their prerogative.
                              I'm not sure if I grew out of stupid or ran out of brave.

                              Practicing Member of the Not too Klassy for Boxed Wine Clique

                              Comment


                              • #35
                                A horse can safely carry only so much weight. It only makes sense to limit what you allow them to carry. If someone exceeds that limit, it isn't discrimination, it is putting the best interests/ health / soundness of the horse first.

                                As it should be.

                                Comment


                                • #36
                                  I rode twice in the same week at a trail ride place in Grand Teton National Park this fall. Weight limit 200 pounds (not including tack.) First day we had some people who might have been close to the limit. They weighed everybody, including 120 pound me. Three days later, same crew working but no riders who seemed close to the limit, and they didn't weigh anybody. Nobody was offended either way.

                                  Comment


                                  • #37
                                    Other than trail ride commercial operators, I’ve never seen a weight limit posted at a barn.

                                    Comment


                                    • #38
                                      Originally posted by PonyPenny View Post

                                      Here is a short Youtube video. The only good thing is no mule has leaped or has fallen off the rim. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ePoDDaEYt8
                                      Good times. I've done something similar in Yellowstone: rode a horse over a suspension bridge. It was this one: https://garywright.smugmug.com/keywo...;trail;bridge/

                                      (Not my picture - I just found it on google image search).

                                      I guess at least there were rails in place?

                                      On topic, I've only ever seen weight limits at trail ride places (usually around 220 lbs). I think that makes sense, as the horses have to deal with bouncy beginners all day. I've had to fill in my weight on a lot of sign-up forms, but I've never been weighed.

                                      Comment

                                      • Original Poster

                                        #39
                                        Originally posted by Garnet_Z View Post

                                        Good times. I've done something similar in Yellowstone: rode a horse over a suspension bridge. It was this one: https://garywright.smugmug.com/keywo...;trail;bridge/
                                        That will be another no, in fact HELL NO from me
                                        I'm not sure if I grew out of stupid or ran out of brave.

                                        Practicing Member of the Not too Klassy for Boxed Wine Clique

                                        Comment

                                        Working...
                                        X