Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [RC] Weight of horse compared to rider

Becky Huffman wrote:
"My husband is 6'3 and when he rides, rides a purebred mare that is 14.2.
He is about 210 with tack and she carries his weight as easily as she
carries my 40lb son with his 6lb saddle..... His feet do hang *slightly*
below her belly, but she has width and substance to take up enough of his
leg that he can properly cue her with his calves."
------------------------

Hubby and I know a breeder of QH reining horses near here who owns the 1999
USET Champion (numerous other championships too) who competes and does
pretty well in amateur classes. All of their reiners are tiny -- but built
well and tough as nails! The guy who competes in amateurs is around 6'2" and
competes on various horses which are all no more than 15 hands tall -- and
his current mare is about 14 hands.

Anyway, Becky brings up a good point that it's important to be able to get a
leg on the horse. That should be an important criteria for person size vs.
horse size. Also, I've noticed felt "underhorsed" on a tall horse and have
felt like I had a lot of horse under me on a little one. I'll take the horse
that feels like a lot of horse.

The mare I ride is at least 15 hands (been a few years since I measured her)
and on the leggy side. I worried about her future with me when she was 4; it
was like riding a worm, she was so gangly and uncoordinated -- a lot of work
to stay on her. Now, as a coming 7YO, she feels solid. We train on rooty,
muddy, slippery, gulley-filled trails with lots of fallen trees and I'm sure
that has helped her coordination immensely. I feel like I have sufficient
horse under me and although my feet almost dangle below her belly, I can get
a leg on her. Hopefully she'll feel more and more solid as she matures
physically. If not, I'll be longing for a clone of my friend's little mare
who felt big.

Deanna



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