The myth has reared its ugly head again. I just read where someone in all innocence and enthusiasm asked if it's true that Icelandics can carry 300+ pounds. The person asking sounds genuinely concerned, but enthusiastic - and who among us can't identify with a genuine enthusiasm for riding and owning horses? The person asking is new to horses, new to riding, and weighs close to 300. I really feel for this person. The really sad part about this particular myth is that, once it's spread, who wants to be the wet blanket to step up and tell someone it's not nearly that simple? I don't enjoy hurting people's feelings, but man, it's just SO sad to hear people being told such stretches of the truth, leaving the poor horses to suffer, and likely the potential rider as well. I would encourage anyone, any size, to exercise and get moving and horses are the means I mostly choose to stay active myself. Is it the right activity for everyone? Are Icelandics the right breed for everyone? Are ALL Icelandics equally suited for carrying weight - of course not.
We've debated this before, and I hope we all (long time list members) understand that there are no magic answers for how much weight an Icelandic horse can carry. There are RULES OF THUMB we can follow, but we do understand that there are exceptions to the rules. I think we also understand that there are so many factors involved that a blanket rule will never work - conditioning, terrain, skill of the rider, speed being ridden. And that's without even getting to the individual conformations and athleticism of the individual horses. Cary is not 300 pounds; at 235-ish pounds, not by a good 60-65 pounds. He's also pretty darned athletic for almost 52 years, (past mounting anyway), his weight is distributed well, he has a reasonably balanced seat, and he's a more than adequate rider, one who's been riding for almost 20 years. He doesn't run his horses to death, and he generally doesn't ride any horse all day. He mostly walks when he rides, but he does enjoy a good stretch of gaiting...and he rarely canters or gallops. He also knows when to say when - in the mountains last fall, Skjoni slipped a little in the mud and was SLIGHTLY off, so Cary didn't ride him any more for the rest of the week, even though he seemed all better the next day. And still, I know that there are a good many Icelandics who seem to strain even when Cary mounts, while Skjoni never seems bothered by his weight. Honestly, I think Skjoni is an above-average Icelandic horse regarding weight-carrying, but Cary is still quite careful to watch for back soreness, any lameness, changes in attitude, etc. - any sign of stress at all. I would never ask Sina to carry Cary - she's a stocky little mare, but still not the biggest, and there's simply no way her back is long enough to accommodate a saddle big enough for a person Cary's size. Cary has mounted her a couple of times, and you can visibly see her strain - and this was before his current knee/hip problems, when he could still mount fairly gracefully. Some Icelandics aren't as suited for weight-carrying as is even Sina...and would this mostly-stoic breed always show the strain? I don't think you can count on them to show it; Sina is not as stoic as many Icelandics are. Could Skjoni carry over 300 pounds? Falki? Tivar? MAYBE, if the rider was really careful, AND they didn't ride all day, AND if they rode at a walk for a good percentage of the time, AND if they were careful to monitor saddle fit, AND if they got the horse into shape gradually... BUT, just on the saddle issue alone, Skjoni has shown a definite preference for a treeless saddle. Would even a really good treeless saddle like a Sensation provide enough support for an additional 60-75 pounds above what Cary weighs? For how long? With what kind of padding? Cary and I certainly don't know, and I'm pretty sure we've put more thought into saddles for big riders than most people have. So, if you are a bigger person - and I'd count "bigger" as being over 200, certainly over 250 pounds - and you'd like to ride, I'd never say no. But please, realize that horseback riding is not a "victimless" sport. There are certainly some big-boned, athletic Icelandics, but please don't assume they all are capable of carrying you. And please, do your part. Take lessons - GOOD lessons on a mature horse suitable for carrying weight, from a rider to teaches a balanced seat, and one who doesn't teach you to do all your riding with your reins. Work on your balance - exercise, take some yoga or Pilates, whatever... read the conformation analysis books to learn what physical traits are important to weight-carrying (NOT height..., but DO look at cannon bones, widths of pelvis, spring of the ribs, good straight legs, etc.) I hate to be a wet blanket...but I hate even more to see nice, well-meaning people being encouraged to hurt horses. Karen Thomas, NC -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.6/617 - Release Date: 1/5/2007 11:11 AM
