ANSWER:
Q&A Questions and Answers:
Hi.
My daughter has been riding her horse - a quarter horse morgan mix - for the past 5 years. He was trained by an amazing coach who helped both horse and rider to meet up together. Gremlin was green and my daughter had no experience riding but the trainer was able to get them to ride together safely. Gremlin is about 1000 lbs. and over the past 2 years my daughter has gained some weight. She now weighs approx. 230 lbs.
My question is what can a horse of that weight (and he is 16.2 hands) be able to carry without causing pain or strain on his body? He is also has a hock fusion that is being monitored by a vet. The hock has not fused but is close to being fused. Should my daughter wait until the hock is fused and only do light work with him?
I have put a lot of money into his training and my daughter has been able to continue with that training on her own. I just don't want Gremlin to lose what he has learned because of some time off for the hock fusion. I don't know how to approach my daughter's weight gain without hurting her feelings. I do see Gremlin acting out or is it his age being 8 years old that he does not want to do work? I am not sure what to do for both my daughter and her horse. Please help.
Thank you
ANSWER:
You actually have two questions to answer.
The first is very similar to Q&A 179 - Does my daughter weigh too much for my mustang?
The primary difference is that the horse in the original question was younger than yours. A healthy horse shouldn't have any trouble carrying 230 pounds. Think of it as the equivalent of having two 115 pound girls riding double. I don't like seeing a rider bounce hard on a horse's back regardless of the rider's weight.
Your daughter's ideal weight depends on a number of factors, including her height, bone structure, etc. I've found that girls commonly experience a growth sprurt around age 14. As a result, a young lady who looked a bit overweight at age 13 sometimes looks quite trim at 15. Your family physician can help you decide your daughter's target weight. If the Doc decides that some weight loss would be beneficial, you might ask if my "Cowboy Calisthenics" would help.The second question that you raise is more complex and requires the involvement of a veterinarian. If the joints in the hocks start to deteriorate, it can cause pain - with or without any weight on the horse's back. Your vet can help you with a pain management program, which, in Gremlin's case, sounds like it will involve fusing some of the bones to stop them rubbing together.
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