Adult riding pony?! Is it ok!?

[Sassy]

I have been riding my son's pony Rolo to give her some extra exersize as she is getting a bit chubby. Our son rides her but at 64 lbs he is really not much of a work out for her and even if she trots the entire time with him she does not even break a sweet and is barely winded. A friend suggested I ride her here and there to give her more of a work out. But I honestly feel gilty riding her. I am 170 lbs ... And Rolo is about 13.hh. I have taken her out twice now. The first ride was just a walk as I really wasn't sure how she woudl be carrying my weight. She seemed fine with it. The seacond ride lastnight both the horses were fresh as we had a storm coming up from the west and a nice cooling breeze and she really wanted to get out and boogie. So we did some trotting. A fair bit actually but she was fresh and willing. When we got back she was not sweated except in the girth a little but it was a really warm day, was barley winded and once we finished untacking/brush down etc and I turned her loose she went way nelly around their enclosure. Running and jumping. This little mare loves to work too. Anyway, aside from my riding her not winding her or brining up a sweat I am concerned with any effects it may have on her joints back etc. Am I too big to be riding her???.

A photo of me with Rolo

[Sirita_88]

I am not picking on you, but according to the US. Calvary (or whoever rides the horses) and some animal welfare organizations, a horse/pony shouldn't carry more that 25% of it's body weight including tack. So 1000 lbs is 250 w/tack.... so a 13 hh pony, probably about 600 lbs should carry 150 lbs.

It's my opinion that it's a great guide. I just feel like a horse/pony's back could get really sore and have impact injury from having too much weight. Heck, I would put more weight on my 15.2 hh horse than my 16 hh horse just because of the way they are built.

Right now I am riding a pony at work, he's about 13.2 hands, pretty overweight, I am 130 lbs, I don't use any saddle to keep the weight down.

At my college our horses range from 14.2-15.2 hh. Our coach will not let anyone ride over 170, and only certain horses if you are over 150.

That's the way I feel, nobody shoot me, and I am not judging you or anyone else, but once again, that's my opinion.

[Freedomnchrist]

I dunno...but if she seems happy.....and is not hurting from it...I don't see why not.

But then again....I could be wrong.

[Sassy]

See that was what I was worried about! Maybe I can find someone smaller to come out and ride her regularly. She needs more exersize then what my son can give her as for a work out.She is gaining weight not loosing even with our son riding her 3xs a week. He is small and a green riding so he doesn''t go for long and usually only walk trot. She is a pony club pony with her last owner and she was riding quit a bit. Walk trot canter almost daily.

[Sirita_88]

What about lungeing her? Nothing major, just some trotting till she breaks a sweat???

[gbarmranch]

I ride our buttercup - she is 12 hands and built pretty sturdy.. but I only weigh about 125..

If you are quiet in the saddle, it fits her, and you don't ride her hard and for a long time, I would think that it would be fine for schooling purposes..

[azhorselover]

I would bet that your pony is more than 600lbs if you want to go with the 25% rule but if your only riding lightly for short periods I think you are ok. Just check his back the next day for sore spots but I bet he will be fine.
Btw I have a mustang mare that is 13.2hh and 900lbs and your pony looks very sturdy and not refined like some ponies.

[cindyf]

She's a good solid looking pony. The horse/pony will tell you if your to large you just have to look for signs. From the looks of it though I think you would be fine on her for a little extra exercise, I see no problem with it. Throw the general rule of 25% out the window, you know your horse and as long as you listen to what your horse is saying then you should be fine. From what you say, she sounds like she could carry you all day and be fine. There are 300# ropers out there on 14hh QH that I know don't weigh no 1400# so I think you should be fine. Every horse is different and it doesn't mean the next 13hh pony would tolerate your weight but she sounds like she does. So i say keep it up!

[Sassy]

Maybe I will get a picture of us together. She doesn't bow at my weight at all. She stays very upright and square. And, she actually wants to go instead of refusing to move out which is something I watched for. You know, and no signs of discomfort etc... I haven't noticed any ackes or pains, lastnoght she came trotting up to be caugh with no hitch in her get along.
I have tried lunging her. She does it really well. I have lunged her until I am tired and she just doesn't get enough of a work out that way. Again she barley breaks a sweet and hardly winded. I talking moist just in the girth and between her bum checks. For a chubby pony she is pretty darn fit...

[lady dumpling]

Those darn chubby ponies! Our Dumpling gets chubby on air.I know exactly what you are talking about Sassy.Do you have an area that could work as a diet pen?I like the lungeing idea also.Maybe you could lunge him before your son rides to give her more of a work out.I was told that good long trotting really works their stomach muscles.

[Sirita_88]

Originally Posted by azhorselover

I would bet that your pony is more than 600lbs if you want to go with the 25% rule but if your only riding lightly for short periods I think you are ok. Just check his back the next day for sore spots but I bet he will be fine.
Btw I have a mustang mare that is 13.2hh and 900lbs and your pony looks very sturdy and not refined like some ponies.

Are you using a weight tape? Those are highly inaccurate... My 16 hh horse is about 1100 lbs. Most halter horses are about 1400 at the BIGGEST.... Shoot, we have a clydsdale/tb mix at work, she's 16.3 built like a tank and weighs about 1300 lbs.... My pony was 13.2 and weighed about 650-700 lbs max... and these are not skinny horses.

[Blonde_03us]

I don't see anything wrong with you riding her, especially at a walk and trot. Ponies were originally made to carry adults. As long as you are not running her up and down hills, I can't see why it would hurt her.

[cindyf]

Originally Posted by Sassy

Maybe I will get a picture of us together. She doesn't bow at my weight at all. She stays very upright and square. And, she actually wants to go instead of refusing to move out which is something I watched for. You know, and no signs of discomfort etc... I haven't noticed any ackes or pains, lastnoght she came trotting up to be caugh with no hitch in her get along.
I have tried lunging her. She does it really well. I have lunged her until I am tired and she just doesn't get enough of a work out that way. Again she barley breaks a sweet and hardly winded. I talking moist just in the girth and between her bum checks. For a chubby pony she is pretty darn fit...

Sassy, your pony sounds more then fit to handle your weight and I would continue to ride her. I see no issues with you riding her. I don't go by stupid guidelines and people saying you can't ride if your over a certain weight that is just plain hooey!!!! As long as the horse shows no signs of discomfort then go for it.

[taelesean]

That 25% rule is supposed to be a general guess for ALL horses, regardless of build or fitness - it's a one size fits all guidline. In fact, the smaller the horse, the greater the percentage of it's own weight it can carry - this is because the structure remains the same whether it's a little pony or great big draft. The bigger horse uses a larger percentage of it's structural strength supporting itself, while the smaller animal uses less - in engineering terms, the relative wieght bearing ability of a structure increases geometrically as the scale of the structure decreases. That's why an ant can carry 50,000 times it's own weight, but if you made an ant that was the size of a dog, it would collapse under it's own weight.

Most ponies can carry as much as a third or more of thier own weight without difficulties, wherease many of the larger draft horses shouldn't carry much more than a fifth of thiers.

[Akita it Girl]

I would stick to the general rule, but that's JMO. Super cute pony, but the way.

[GreyDot]

Originally Posted by taelesean

That 25% rule is supposed to be a general guess for ALL horses, regardless of build or fitness - it's a one size fits all guidline. In fact, the smaller the horse, the greater the percentage of it's own weight it can carry - this is because the structure remains the same whether it's a little pony or great big draft. The bigger horse uses a larger percentage of it's structural strength supporting itself, while the smaller animal uses less - in engineering terms, the relative wieght bearing ability of a structure increases geometrically as the scale of the structure decreases. That's why an ant can carry 50,000 times it's own weight, but if you made an ant that was the size of a dog, it would collapse under it's own weight.

Most ponies can carry as much as a third or more of thier own weight without difficulties, wherease many of the larger draft horses shouldn't carry much more than a fifth of thiers.

Very well put, Taelesean! Basic engineering principles always hold

In fact, if we look at history, the pony breeds have always been extremely hardy. They were bred for this. No-one needed them to be big - only strong, tough and sure-footed. A bigger horse would have taken more feed, while a pony was very strong and took far less to keep. So, as already pointed out, if the saddle fits well and if you sit quietly, there should be no reason not to ride. I wouldn't start JUMPING, but there's no problem with light-medium work.

[Drafty]

You've already gotten a lot of great advice. My opinion is that it depends on the horse. Is the pony fit? Is he structurally correct? Is its bone structure fine or thick? Do you know how to ride or are you like a sack of potatoes (dead weight vs. a rider that is fluid/moving with the horse makes a HUGE difference!!)? I ride a pony that is wider than any draft horse that I have ever ridden, but barely 13hh tall. That little guy is a powerhouse!!! When my big 16/17 handers would be puffing and huffing trying to lug my butt around our hilly trails, that little pony just lowers his head and goes and he never tires. The first time I rode him I was like 'you've got to be kidding me' and I thought the owner was crazy (I was SURE I would squish him). But that pony has never had any trouble carrying me on the roughest terrain for long (4+ hour) trail rides. Never lame a day. No sore back. No stumbling. No grumbling. No complaining. He’s truly incredible. But he is a Fjord riding is what he was bred for -- to be specific, carrying big MEN around!!! He is also very fit, very sound, very correct, with thick bone structure and I do know how to ride and carry myself.

(Forgot to say that I am 155lbs... so we're not that far apart!)

[HorseLvr76]

I also would stick to the rule Sirita88 provided. My daughter's pony is 14h, and I am 170 also, but I will not ride him above a walk, as I feel I am too big for him. He is a stocky Quarter Pony, but I know we want him for long term, and I do not want to damage him in any way

[David]

Originally Posted by Sirita_88

I am not picking on you, but according to the US. Calvary (or whoever rides the horses) and some animal welfare organizations, a horse/pony shouldn't carry more that 25% of it's body weight including tack. So 1000 lbs is 250 w/tack.... so a 13 hh pony, probably about 600 lbs should carry 150 lbs.

It's my opinion that it's a great guide. I just feel like a horse/pony's back could get really sore and have impact injury from having too much weight. Heck, I would put more weight on my 15.2 hh horse than my 16 hh horse just because of the way they are built.

Right now I am riding a pony at work, he's about 13.2 hands, pretty overweight, I am 130 lbs, I don't use any saddle to keep the weight down.

At my college our horses range from 14.2-15.2 hh. Our coach will not let anyone ride over 170, and only certain horses if you are over 150.

That's the way I feel, nobody shoot me, and I am not judging you or anyone else, but once again, that's my opinion.

First let me say you have a sound foundation here with the 25% rule ( I've always heard 30% but it's close enough) but that is just to start with, you can build up from there. You also have to be careful to realize that cavalry rules had to take into account the fact that those horses would cover 60 miles in a day then run full out for another 2 or 3 miles after contact with the enemy. I weigh 285 lbs and my saddle weighs 45 plus my saddle bags full of ice and water puts a horse carrying about 350 lbs, my wife's cousin has a paso fino mare that is 14 2 or 3 and about 900 lbs, I broke her to ride in 03 and built her up to the point that she can now carry me all day ( 7 or 8 hours) and not be sore the next day, I'm not saying it happened over night but it did happen. No I didn't start her out with all that weight ( I was a lot smaller then, the good old college and marriage weight additions, and I have a lighter saddle that I can use on small horses to start with ) and I didn't start her out with 8 hour rides. It's all a matter of progression, so I think as long as you ( the OP) keep an eye on the pony and make sure you are not riding her so much that she is sore then you can build her up to riding as much as you want, just be careful and read your horse to make sure you're not over working her.

The reason I quoted your advise though is that you said you are riding a pony but without a saddle to keep the weight down, that's (IMHO) not the best idea. A saddle is meant to disperse the riders weight and therefore protect the mounts back. So what you are doing is loading one point on the ponies back with 130 lbs instead of spreading 140-145 lbs across the pony's back ( 10-15 lbs for an english saddle). I hope what I'm saying makes sense to you, you're horse will actually feel better and get a better work out if you will use the saddle because it helps the horse carry your weight more evenly and will prevent pressure points.

[rm185western]

Sound reasoning as ever from David

There is a world of difference between horses and people, some horses are able to carry weights that you would think would be beyond them, others would baulk at 15% of their own weight. People also vary in their 'weight equivalent' when in the saddle, some lb people would be easier to carry than a 150 lb person. If you've ever given kids piggy backs, you'll know that some are easy to carry, some you're glad to see the back of.

The 25% rule does indeed apply to a horse in heavy work, and is a great starting point. If the pony is carrying you as easy as you say, and as long as you monitor her then I see no problems.

Have you ever thought of ponying her, taking her with you on a lead when you're exercising the big ones. Thar's what I hope to do with Fancy, as I build her up to carrying me