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> From: Lynn Kinsky <lkinsky@silcom.com>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: Re: Horse:Rider Weight
> Date: Saturday, January 25, 1997 10:13 AM
>
> >General rule of thumb has been that a horse not carry more than 20% of
his
> >own weight. I knew rides years ago (CTR's) that would not let a rider
start
> >if rider weight exceeded 25%. So your 200 lb person (I assume with
tack?)
> >can be carried by a 1000 lb horse. A friend of mine rode my 5 yeard old
> >arab-appy mare (about 950 lbs.) VERY successfully on several 50's..she
> >carried 250 (rider and tack).
>
> All of the discussion about rider vs. horse weight seems to beg the
> question about horse fitness/leanness. I could turn my 800 lb Peruvian
> into a 1000 lb one by just letting him pork out -- and then theoretically
> it would be OK for him to carry my 200 - 215 lbs of rider and tack, since
> we'd meet the %age criterion. But if we did that I don't think we would
> have gotten our 1700 NATRC miles, let alone have him still sound! There
> has to be some way of taking into account the "hidden rider" the horse
> carries in EXCESS body weight.
>
>
> -- Lynn
>