*Opinion* Does anyone really think a small thoroughbred should be asked to carry more than nearly 16 stone?
Opinion
A lot of people seem to be missing a big point about horse welfare, still.
It’s now nine years since the Great Yorkshire Show first asked people to dismount if they were not an appropriate size for the horses or ponies they were riding but there is still a big issue here.
H&H reported this week that Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) had brought in a new equine welfare framework, and that as part of this, its rules on rider-horse weight ratios were to be actively enforced.
The piece was posted on H&H social media and just about all the comments were as expected.
There was a lot of support for RoR, but there was also “whataboutery”; why is this being addressed when there are so many worse welfare issues. There was “what about big men riding, this is just misogyny”, there were people saying it’s fat-shaming. There were lots of comments about people who “ride light” and that a heavier but balanced rider is better than a lighter but less balanced one. There was even something about “skinny people bouncing about” and yanking mouths.
But this is about horse welfare. If you used the argument that this isn’t worth looking at because being beaten and starved is worse, you would then overlook most welfare issues, and horses or ponies being asked to carry excess weight is detrimental to their wellbeing.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
It’s been said over and over again but this is not fat-shaming; it’s not about whether a rider is overweight or not, it’s about suitability of the rider-horse combination. You could be an 8st size zero and you would be too big for a 12.2hh pony. You could be 15st and medically overweight but absolutely fine to ride a bigger horse.
Yes, it is probably easier for a horse to carry a balanced 18 stone than an unbalanced load of the same weight – but it’s still 18 stone. If you were asked to carry a heavy load, it would be easier in a balanced rucksack on both shoulders and with wide padded straps than awkwardly swinging on one shoulder, but all the balance and careful loading in the world won’t make it weigh less.
And it’s not just weight – it’s size. A friend asked me to ride her 14.2hh a few years ago and although I was ok on the weight front, I was too tall. This meant the saddle that fitted the pony didn’t fit me, so my weight was wrongly distributed – I was too big for that pony, so I didn’t ride her.
The “suitably mounted” topic is a huge one, and of course a multitude of factors come into it; saddle fit, horse fitness, condition and conformation to name but a few. And it is a hugely sensitive topic that has to be dealt with appropriately – but it does have to be dealt with, as part of the commitment to always putting horse welfare first.
The RoR rules state that the total weight a horse should carry is ideally no more than 17% of its own bodyweight, the absolute maximum is 20%. For a 500kg thoroughbred, that’s 85kg (13st 5lb) or 100kg (15st 10lb). Does anyone really think a small thoroughbred should be asked to carry more than nearly 16 stone?
- To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You may also be interested in:
‘It’s not fat-shaming, it’s horse welfare’: saddle fitter’s warning on damaging effects of excess rider weight
“These people are often good riders who do everything for their horses, except the one thing that would truly help
The rider weight debate and why it’s not fat-shaming: H&H responds
H&H responds to the latest news on a big issue for the equestrian industry
Suitably mounted: what does it mean? Your views sought on tricky topic
‘It’s abuse’: owner pledges not to ride again until she has lost three stone
‘You’re not suddenly two stone lighter just because you ride well’
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.