| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Alphamare
New Member
14 Posts |
 Posted - 26 May 2010 : 10:38:18 PM
|
I am interested in your expert opinions all you arabian lovers.
Do you believe they are weight carriers and what is the weight carrying capacity of the average 1000lb arabian?
I have done some reading on the net and there are mixed reviews so i expect there may be divided opinions on here.
I know a man who does 6hr trail rides on his arabian man and he weighs 18stone. She does not struggle at all.
Your views? How much would you let yoru arab carry and how much do you think they could carry?
|
|
Report to moderator
|
|
|
natntaz
Platinum Member
England
2919 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 10:46:41 PM
|
My old boy carries me easily and has done over the years
as i have put on the pounds. I think all Arabs are different
in some are fine and some are thick set. I think they can
carry more weight than we think, but i do think 18 stone is
very heavy and i would not put anyone who weighed that much
on my horses. Prob up to about 14 stone max. I would not put
this sort of weight on a youngster either. I think prob max
of about 10 or 11 stone as keeping balanced with weight would
be hard for them  I also think it depends on what sort of
work they are doing to. |
   
Natalie Pix. Essex. Tariq ibn Radfan and Taroub |
Report to Moderator  |
|
|
Alphamare
New Member
14 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 10:25:04 AM
|
Thats true some are thicker built that others.
I do think 18stone seems really heavy but honestly his mare had no worries at all.
Ive read that its because they have short backs and dense bones that they carry weight well, i think of them carrying men through the desert sands and i dont find it too hard to believe.
I wouldnt put a heavy beginner on my girl but i think i wouldnt put anyone heavier than 14/15 stone if they were a good rider.
Thats what she carries now between 13-15 stone. She is a bugger arab though at 15'2
Any other views? What do you all think? |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
alethea
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1526 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 10:29:24 AM
|
Arabs are real good weight carriers but i have never seen one carry someone of 18 stone before. Does seem a little on the heavy side
Alethea
Aristotle Arabians |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Alphamare
New Member
14 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 10:46:49 AM
|
Yep honestly and they were doing day long (6hr) hacks.
I also know of a place that does trecking with arabs and they hcarry some weight.
I would happily put my husband and one of my friends who weight about 16stone on my girl for a short hack but not as a continous thing.
I kind of think of it like us carrying somethign really heavy up the stairs. Ok to do occasionally but not all the time.
I am not the lightest fairy! |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
swalk
Gold Member
United Kingdom
769 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 12:00:07 PM
|
[quote She is a bugger arab though at 15'2
[/right]
 I do love a funny typo!! |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Alphamare
New Member
14 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 12:06:49 PM
|
I didnt even notice :D rofl!!!
oops
she is a bigger arab, and wouldnt you believe that as i was typing that bugger came out again. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Loopy Lou and Saahm
Bronze Member
England
123 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 12:11:40 PM
|
It made me 
Edited to add - I am not a small person (but definitely not around the 18 stone mark and I am dieting at the mo  ) and I do worry about my boy carrying my weight especially as he is getting older but he seems to manage fine but we are not doing as much hard work anymore. |
    
Louise from Norfolk |
Edited by - Loopy Lou and Saahm on 27 May 2010 12:22:19 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Clutha
Bronze Member
155 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 12:38:39 PM
|
| One of the ridden arabs at Devon County last week was carrying a tall & none-to light guy (reckon horse about 14.3hh). Horse seemed absolutely fine about it though have to say rider did look very big for the horse. |
Pip |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
angel2002
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2502 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 1:12:01 PM
|
I was told no more than 12 stone on a 15hh arab of average build and that INCLUDED the saddle, girth & stirrups which can weight over a stone 
There is of course the old arguement that some lightweight riders can 'ride' heavier than they actually are and some heavyweight riders can ride lighter.
Please don't take offence....Your friend may weight 16 stone but by adding the tack your arab will be carrying more like 17 stone, not a weight I personally would put on any arab, 15'2 or not.
18 stone is, in my opinion, far too heavy for an arab to carry. Even if she did look like she was not struggling I bet she was 
|
Angel
Passion Arabians
    |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Minty Arab
Silver Member
England
482 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 2:08:33 PM
|
i agree with angel, i was always told as a guide 12 stone including tack for an arab around 15.2 hh, i have always used the same calculation that the BHS use which is divide the horses ideal weight(not actual weight if fat!) by 6 then minus 2% for light breeds to give the total weight including all tack and rider when fit and in good condition, although there are several different calculations you can use i have always found this one to be the most accurate, hope this is of some help.
Emma x
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
fidodido
Gold Member
England
797 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 2:11:12 PM
|
Have to say i agree with Angel, 18 stone in my opinion is far to heavy for an arabian and i would imagine that someone of that weight would find it difficult to find a saddle that would not only fit them but also fit an arabs back .
I own a 14'2 and a 15'1 and neither are slightly built but i wouldn't want to put anyone over 12 stone on either of them, and for this i would want them to be in reasonable ridden work and not just backed youngsters or being brought back into work after time off.
I also think you have to look at the overall picture as well and if you look very big on a horse then it is probably better to ride something larger.
Angie |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Alphamare
New Member
14 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 2:51:47 PM
|
I hadnt thought of the tack issue! My friend doesnt ride her often as its only when they visit us and she reallyseems to cope fine.
I did read somewhere that arabs can carry up to 30% of their own weight 
I dont think i would put that much on a horse! Thats like 300lbs! |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Alphamare
New Member
14 Posts |
|
|
Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 3:18:43 PM
|
I thought it was 20% of their body weight..? Ozzy is 14.2hh and at his correct weight (he is a little porky at the moment  ) he is 402kg on the weigh tape.
20% of this is 80.4 kg which is 177lb or 12.6 stone.
I weigh 10st 9lb (naked) so with clothes, boots, hat, saddle etc you can add at least a stone making it just under 12 stone.
I am paranoid that i'm too heavy for him and am always on a diet (i've lost 5lb in the last few weeks ) but he carries me fine and never complains. I don't ride him for more than 2 hours at a time and most days it is only an hours hack. |
       |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Marie-Molly
Gold Member
United Kingdom
929 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 4:37:04 PM
|
12 stone (well 75kg) is the MINIMUM weight required in FEI rides over 120 km. That's a very long time in the saddle!
Arabs can cope with much more than that over long distances, so I am not suprised about the 18 stone man riding his mare. |
    |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
alison
Platinum Member
Wales
1810 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 8:07:13 PM
|
I wonder if this is a wind-up. Most of our beautiful Arab horses are between 750 to 1000 lbs they are a very strong agile breed, with good bone and able to carry good weights. But sixteen stone 'are you joking' if not tell your friend to stop riding and find a bigger boned heavy cob type, as we all know our beautiful Arabs will put up
with so much but 16stone is a big weight for lots of breeds.
Any reputable riding centre would never let someone of sixteen stone on a 15.2hh Arab horse, they would be put on a good solid cob or similar.
Again I think this is a wind up, if not then I feel very sorry for the horse in question to carry such a weight for so many hours.
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Cinnypony
Gold Member
1160 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 9:36:42 PM
|
All the riding schools I know of have a top weight of 14st.
However when on the other side of the pond the limit seemed to be 16st and none of the places I went to had big weight carrying horses.
We obviously have a different opinion over here as to what is acceptable and I would rather be safe than sorry. Also I can't imagine (m)any horses that cold carry 18st.
|
    
Cinnabar Moth --------------- -----------CF Matilda ----Red House Gaia
Susi
https://www.facebook.com/CinnabarEndurance/ |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 09:45:47 AM
|
| I think 18 stone is too heavy, I would only consider a large heavy weight cob for someone that heavy and even then I think its pushing it. |
 |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
angel2002
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2502 Posts |
|
|
vanishtrik
Bronze Member
England
136 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 10:32:02 AM
|
| just reading these posts with interest, and people assuming that 18st means the person is fat! many years ago i worked for a gentleman who in his day was a top point to point rider (he did struggle to keep his weight to the minimum) but he was a very tall man and solid built and in his old age still enjoyed to ride his thoroughbreds even though he was 18st and he was a very good balanced rider, i know these were thoroughbreds but i thought Arabs have denser bone and therefore able to carry weight |
 |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
angel2002
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2502 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 11:16:09 AM
|
I am not assuming that at 18st a person is fat. Unless of course they are 5' tall then perhaps I would 
My OH is 6'1 and around 17st, I wouldn't say he was fat but there is no way I would let him ride any of my Arabs who range from 14'3 to 15'2. He is, in my opinion, too big and too heavy for any of them.
It isn't just weight we are talking about here, it's also the height of the person and the overall picture given.
Lets face it, nothing looks worse than a person perched on top of a horse they are obviously far too big for, be that weight, height or both.
General rule is 20% of the horse's bodyweight gives you the total weight that can be carried by them INCLUDING tack. There are of course other factors that may mean they could carry a little more such as conformation, fitness, rider ability etc but as I said I would not, under any circumstances put 18 stone on the back of my 15'2 arab, even if they are good weight carriers.
|
Angel
Passion Arabians
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
vmt4000
Junior Member
45 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 1:23:19 PM
|
| I have been reading this post with interest as according to guidelines I am too heavy for my 15.3hh gelding. I am just wondering how the original desert arabian would have coped with a full grown man, food, weapons, bounty etc, over treacherous terrain and for sustained periods of time? Especially taking into account that these arabs were on average 14.2hh. Do you think our arabs aren't as tough and hardy as their ancestors? |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Alphamare
New Member
14 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 2:15:00 PM
|
| vmt4000 that was kind of what i was thinking! Knee deep sand. harsh conditions. Smaller horses than a lot of ours are now. Full grown men and all their kit. I wonder how much they weighed? |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
vanishtrik
Bronze Member
England
136 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 2:20:21 PM
|
| angel2002 it wasn't your comment i meant, it was fidodidos comment about were you would get saddle to fit an 18st person the implied they would be fat |
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
vmt4000
Junior Member
45 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 2:27:11 PM
|
| Hi Alphamare, I would hazard a guess of around 13/14 stone at the very least, on horses most likely not as well nourished as ours today. I am not saying that all arabs can easily carry circa 16 stone but 12 stone for a 15.2hh arab seems hardly anything. So I assume that men shouldn't be allowed to ride arabs? That reminds me of PHA Silvern Rislam and Darren Crowe; Is Darren too heavy to ride him then? Perhaps all this breeding strictly for the show ring has been to the detriment of our noble breed, I'm not saying that everyone does but a large proportion of our larger breeders certainly do. |
Edited by - vmt4000 on 28 May 2010 2:29:10 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Topic |
|
Weight carrying?
