According to THE U.S.CAVALRY MANUAL OF HORSE MANAGEMENT (1941) a horse should not carry more than 20 percent of its own weight.
You could be medically overweight, or even obese, by your BMI, but if your horse is big, strong and fit enough, with a saddle fitted well to you and him, and you're fit and balanced, it's possible you could ride him without an issue.
How much weight can a horse carry? As a general rule, a horse can only comfortably carry up to 15–20% of its own body weight, though this may differ slightly from horse to horse. For instance, a horse that weights 500kg can comfortably carry a load of 100kg.
Every horse is different and capable of carrying a different amount of weight than other horses. As a general rule, anything over 300-350 pounds is too heavy for a horse to carry safely.
Deb Bennett, PhD, founder of the Equine Studies Institute and an expert in the biomechanics of horses, has advised that the “Total weight of rider plus tack must not exceed 250 lbs. There is no horse alive, of any breed, any build, anywhere, that can go more than a few minutes with more weight on its back than this.
The researchers found that an average adult light riding horse could comfortably carry about 20 percent of their ideal bodyweight. This result agrees with the value recommended by the Certified Horsemanship Association and the U.S. Cavalry Manuals of Horse Management published in 1920.
The maximum weight a horse can carry is 400 pounds based on the 20% rule. Most horses can safely carry 20% of their body weight. So a large draft horse weighing 2,000 pounds can theoretically safely carry a 400-pound person.
As a general guideline in the UK, a rider should weigh no more than 10% of the horse's bodyweight, but in the US, this limit is doubled to 20% of the horse's weight. This means for a 500kg horse, the range for the maximum rider weight is large – 50kg in the UK (just less than 8st) and 100kg in the US (15st 10lb).
Based on these results, the study's authors recommend that horses not be loaded with greater than 20% of their body weight. A 545-kilogram (1200 pound) horse, then would be best off carrying no more than 109 kg (240 lbs) of tack and rider.
Horses should not be expected to carry more than 15% to 20% of their body weight. On a 450kg horse, that absolute maximum at 20% is 90kg. Anything above that is not fair to the horse and their well being is of utmost importance to us.
It depends on the size of the horse, which may range from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. But let's say this man was riding an animal of appropriate size for him. For the man, that would feel like carrying roughly 30 pounds (about the weight of two bowling balls).
The 20% Rider Weight Rule
The 20% weight rule (ride and saddle) is a good starting point for considering how much weight a horse can safely carry. Generally, ponies will be able to carry a bit more than 20%. While tall horses will only be comfortable carrying a bit less.
I say “likely”, because while scientists have yet to devise a way to accurately ask large number of horses how they feel about being ridden, there has been research done that looks at horse preferences as it relates to ridden work.
The most common reason for saddles slipping is uneven saddle panels. Turn your saddle over and look along the length of the panel from the front and the rear, ensure each side is level and even in comparison to the other side.
If you weigh 250 lbs or more, you can still enjoy horseback riding as long as you ride the right horse. The safety of the horse and rider should always be the priority, so it is important to find the right horse breed that can heavy riders.
The horse breed that can carry the most weight is the shire horse. Average shire horses can weigh up to 2,425 pounds, and comfortably carry 20 percent of their body weight. This means the largest of shire horses can carry up to 485 pounds with ease.
It was determined that when riding bareback certain areas on the horse's back showed high levels of pressure. Ultimately, they can cause pain and tissue damage to the muscle fibers because of their intensity. It was especially noticeable when the seat bones came down on the horse's back.
Some horses have physical conditions or diseases that require an early retirement. Other horses can be ridden late into their life without issues. As a general rule, most horses should stop being ridden between 20 to 25 years old.
Andalusian horses are usually at least 15 hands tall and at least 1200 lbs which means that larger members of the breed are excellent for heavier riders. A 1,500 lb Andalusian horse would be able to easily carry a combined rider and saddle weight of 300 lbs.
Due to this, horse's eyeballs have oversized retinas which magnify everything a horse sees. For a horse, up-close objects look 50 per cent larger than they appear to humans.
Horses and humans may develop a connection or trust through contact or riding or by way of grooming / care. They may show signs of recognition when you or other humans approach them.
If you want to ride in upper-level competitions, it's not uncommon for horses to get an intense training session 6 days a week. However, if you just want to keep your horse in a healthy physical condition, riding your horse three times a week for at least 20 minutes at a time can help maintain a good level of health.
India's Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965, says the maximum for mules is 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) and for ponies the maximum is 70 kilograms (154 pounds).