Over the generations humans are increasing in size
I haven’t written a blog for quite some time, mainly because I feel my horse-life is moving at a very slow pace currently and there are limited, interesting, updates I can give you guys. Yet today I saw a picture circling around Facebook which sparks a very personal and passionate issue of mine; the rider’s weight and the horse.
This is a very controversial blog and I do apologise if I offend particular people but, being a psychology and sports management student and past mental health sufferer myself, I understand completely that weight gain and weight loss isn’t exactly simple. But it is very important for our health and our horses.
I’m not going to blabber on about the reasons behind my own weight. As far as I’m concerned it’s blindingly obvious that I need to drop a few kilos, gain strength and cardiovascular fitness before I hit the eventing season full-time again. Having said this, walking down the street in the everyday population you wouldn’t consider my body shape to be considered ‘fat’. In the horse world though, it is. And this is the main issue we face today.
20 or even 30 years ago weight, exercise, nutrition and all of that wasn’t even a secondary thought for the professional horse riders around the world. Today, it is becoming increasingly popular. I’m not here to fat shame, body shame or make anyone feel awful about themselves, I’m here to point out that human beings are changing. We are heavier. We are heavier because we are taller, we are heavier because we are broader and we are heavier because our average BMIs are increasing.
How many people are taller than their parents? I’d hazard a guess that the majority of us are but how many horses are taller than their past generations? Very few. These are very important factors to consider when riding horses, no matter what discipline.
Science and education are spectacular tools that everyone who has a smartphone has access to. So there’s really no excuse not to educate yourself on not only the horses but your own anatomy and being.
Did you know that the horse is only capable of comfortably carrying 20% of their own body weight? That means a 500kg thoroughbred (around a 16hh-16.2hh fit horse) is capable of carrying up to 100kgs. Any more than this and their respiration rate increases, their heart rate increases and so does the impact on their joints. 100kgs doesn’t just mean the rider, it means the gear as well.
Giving an example, my past eventer Touch of Honour is a 16hh ball of muscle; he’s a thoroughbred but he’s a very traditional looking sprinter, big boned and muscular. When he was at his fittest competing at 1* level he weighed 480kg. That means all of my gear and myself couldn’t weigh more than 96kgs for him to be able to compete comfortably which wasn’t a problem for my 65kg frame during that time. Since having an accident and other personal issues I gained considerable weight, therefore vowed to never compete him at that level until I could be sure he would be comfortable. After all, what’s the point?
If I had, the ramifications would not be worth the possibility of success. First, I’m putting my horses under unnecessary stress for a ribbon… not exactly how I was raised to act. Second, the training and the time of impact spent on his joints would have cut short his career considerably because of the wear and tear.
For one of my younger horses however, my current weight isn’t an issue. She’s a 16.3hh, broad backed 600kg plus truck (a very beautiful, elegant truck but truck none-the-less). Her breeding is Paint x TB. She has the height and work ethic of a thoroughbred but the broad back, large shoulders and rump of a western breed. She’s built to carry a lot more weight than other breeds or types. Sitting on her, with my current 80kg frame and gear isn’t an issue but it will be an issue if I decide to advance through the eventing, dressage or jumping levels. Why? Because the more advanced movements of dressage, the higher obstacles of jumping and the faster pace of eventing means more time and more strain on her body. So the heavier I am, as her rider, the more I can inflict or prevent early set retirement through injury.
Get out there and do it - for example go swimming, you can even take your horse
Before I continue, I must also point out the importance of health on the rider. When I say we need to be conscious of our total weight in kilograms, I by no means suggest skipping meals or subjecting yourself to malnutrition with the idea it’s to your horses benefit or to look good in white breeches. We spend countless hours each week carefully treating our horses as athletes. As a rider, and as the other half of your equine partnership, you also need to consider yourself and your health important. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t need ‘equestrian workouts’ to be a better horse rider. Riding your horse, spending those countless hours in the saddle is the only thing that will increase your feel for the horse, your feel for striding and increase your experience. If you’re riding five or more horses every day, your exercise and strength levels are probably covered. If, however, you’re like myself and just weirdly obsessed with your hobby then get your butt moving! Just a quick google search or even Instagram stalk and you can find exercise routines or ideas to help you along the way. Lift weights, run/walk/crawl (the latter my personal favourite) up some hills. Do yoga, do pilates, do boxing, thai-chi, swimming, surfing, exploring national parks – just move! Other athletes use cross-training to benefit their strength and fitness levels for their own sport, as we also do for our horses. It’s time we also do the same and actually act like the athletes we are. You don’t need to become a gym-junkie-ball-of-muscle like the amazingly eventing fit Amanda Ross; but I would suggest upping the ante of an active life-style in the best way you know possible and in the most enjoyable way you can.
Sugar is more addictive than cocaine, keep this in mind. It sets off the exact same chemical reactions in your brain that a drug addict gets from their substance of choice. Be careful with it. Eat a salad, or a steak. Drink plenty of water but also enjoy your wine. You can be a healthy, well rounded individual without eating clean or paleo strictly. Just make sure the majority of the food you put into your mouth is for the benefit of your body and its health, not for the satisfaction of your cravings or feelings. You are an amazing individual whose partner in crime is a speechless communicator. Embrace this, embrace what you can do and let it give you the strength to do even more.
So riders of all ages, levels, disciplines and sexes just remember one thing. We as a population are becoming larger, therefore heavier. We also, as an equestrian population, have the ability to educate ourselves at the click of a button. It is our responsibility to realise our opportunities to increase and prolong both our horses and our own active lives. I don’t know about you but I certainly don’t want to be a walking cripple at 50, and I doubt my horses want to be forced into an early retirement at 15 due to the same issues.
Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and can use it as a good excuse to eat more apples and get those lungs pumping and muscles moving!
Happy riding xx
