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Location: Illinois | What's everyone's opinions on how our weight affects our horses performance? Some say not at all, some say big time. Someone told me to think about it like racehorses and jockeys, there's a reason why they're small. I lost a lot of weight (50 lbs) due to a chronic appendicitis and it seemed as though my horse ran faster. After having the appendix removed after over a year of flare-ups I seemed to gain most of that weight back. We seemed to run slower. Do you think that a 40-50lb difference could move you in divisions in open races, or am I just insane?
Edited by JLazyT_perf_horses 2015-10-06 11:26 AM
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Posts: 1482
 
Location: on my horse | I've recently put on about 50 lbs from thyroid issues and can tell a huge difference in my riding, it takes me longer to get up and down while making a run and my reaction time is much slower. That more than anything is what I think affects my horse's ability to run with me on her back not so much the weight itself. I'm still not extremely "heavy" as before the weight gain I was underweight but its more than enough to slow me down and affect my balance/riding which results in slower times. |
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| I recently Lost 60 pounds, because I wanted to. My good horse clocks the same as before but my 4 year old colt really has clocked faster. I'm a guy and I was well over 250 when I started. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | WWould you run faster with a 10lb backpack or 50lb? Of course rider weight affects the horse. BUT rider stability also plays an equally important part. If you're 110lbs but go around yanking on your horse's mouth, "starfishing", getting thrown off balance in turns, etc. you are going to slow your horse down more than someone who weighs 140lbs but rides very quietly and stays balanced.
Edited by cavyrunsbarrels 2015-09-30 1:36 AM
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Are you as STRONG as you were when you were lighter? Are you as in control of your body & balance now as you were then?
If it were all about weight the guys would clock a division lower than the girls running at the big races - they don't! I know a guy that has had girls run his horses and he's over 50 pounds heavier and he still clocks as fast they do.
I think the only time weight makes a big difference is if it's a small horse, say 1000 pounds and under. Otherwise, its more about strength and balance. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Can weight affect a horse, absolutely. Can the horse overcome it, yes. I love the old stories about Seabiscuit (who was not a big horse) frequently carrying 20 pounds or more than any other horse in the field and still winning. Sometimes it has as much to with the rider's ability, the horse's power, and the horse's own drive to win. |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Absolutely........ At the end of the day - look at the girls making the NFR and any 1D winners at big shows - I'm not talking about local jackpots. You're not going to see their horses packing any extra. It's a daily battle, but thinking weight doesn't matter with all other things being equal...is unrealistic.
Same rider - in top physical shape is going to outclock their heavier self.
Edited by MS2011 2015-09-30 9:12 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Well Mike Green is around 215 lbs i'd say i'm not good at guessing men's weight and Micheal Duffie i'd say weighs 50lbs soaking wet along with the saddle. Riding BamBam the bay up at the top, lil mike is usually 3 tenths faster. Well that is when Bambam is tuned up for him LOL
Has anyone noticed thats not Famous he is riding at the top it is Bambam?
Anyways I don't think weight plays a huge factor as far as them running but it certainly does as far as your mobility, flexibility, and strength to stay with them and not get in their way.
Edited by astreakinchic 2015-09-30 9:20 AM
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | FLITASTIC - 2015-09-30 12:32 AM I recently Lost 60 pounds, because I wanted to. My good horse clocks the same as before but my 4 year old colt really has clocked faster. I'm a guy and I was well over 250 when I started.
I always thought you were a woman LOL |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | hoofs_in_motion - 2015-09-30 7:21 AM FLITASTIC - 2015-09-30 12:32 AM I recently Lost 60 pounds, because I wanted to. My good horse clocks the same as before but my 4 year old colt really has clocked faster. I'm a guy and I was well over 250 when I started. I always thought you were a woman LOL
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| astreakinchic - 2015-09-30 9:17 AM
Well Mike Green is around 215 lbs i'd say i'm not good at guessing men's weight and Micheal Duffie i'd say weighs 50lbs soaking wet along with the saddle. Riding BamBam the bay up at the top, lil mike is usually 3 tenths faster. Well that is when Bambam is tuned up for him LOL
Has anyone noticed thats not Famous he is riding at the top it is Bambam?
Anyways I don't think weight plays a huge factor as far as them running but it certainly does as far as your mobility, flexibility, and strength to stay with them and not get in their way.
and they have allie pictured on slick not sporty lol i wondered about that too |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | Yes I think weight does play some part, but more on your stability and balance and strength. I notice a HUGE difference in my riding when I consistently work out. Mostly legs and core. It was amazing the difference. I felt more stable and just felt I was able to ride better. My gelding can be rough at times, and when I don't do my leg workouts, it's a workout for me to feel like I'm riding him the way I need to, and even then I feel like I'm riding crappy. But as long as I have the strength, it feels amazing and like I know what I'm doing! |
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Posts: 1525
| I don't and haven't seen any fat girls at the NFR....and I have seen some fat girls that can ride the hair off a horse. So...Idk... (by the way, I weigh 170 and am 5'6") I am not a skinny-mini.
Edited by MOTIVATED 2015-09-30 1:09 PM
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Expert
Posts: 5290
| MOTIVATED - 2015-09-30 11:08 AM
I don't and haven't seen any fat girls at the NFR....and I have seen some fat girls that can ride the hair off a horse. So...Idk... (by the way, I weigh 170 and am 5'6") I am not a skinny-mini.
Without naming names, there have been a few very hefty girls run at the NFR. If you want names, PM me. |
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Expert
Posts: 1525
| FLITASTIC - 2015-09-30 1:15 PM MOTIVATED - 2015-09-30 11:08 AM I don't and haven't seen any fat girls at the NFR....and I have seen some fat girls that can ride the hair off a horse. So...Idk... (by the way, I weigh 170 and am 5'6") I am not a skinny-mini. Without naming names, there have been a few very hefty girls run at the NFR. If you want names, PM me.
Pmd you |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | MOTIVATED - 2015-09-30 1:08 PM I don't and haven't seen any fat girls at the NFR....and I have seen some fat girls that can ride the hair off a horse. So...Idk... (by the way, I weigh 170 and am 5'6") I am not a skinny-mini.
There have been some that were bigger than others, but none that I would consider BIG. There haven't been any bigger girls at the NFR for several years now, unless you want to call FT big. (and if you do I suggest you go stand next to her and see) I've heard rumors about her supposed "weight" but I think that the numbers are exaggerated to help a few girls egos. |
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 Peecans
| This is my im not a size 0 thoughts LOL
Not a whole lot, rider ability means a whole lot more. Even a small gal hanging off the side of het horse and banging its back and face is going to slow the horse down. If you can move with your horse, and not throw it off balance you dont need to be tiny, you need to be fit. Not everbodys structure is like thoes really skinny girls, I mean CJ is a tiny tiny lady waste wise but she is very fit too. I could never be that size ever its simply not possible.
Barrel racing is NOT track racing. If we didn't have to , rate, position, turn our horses weight could be a bigger deal, but its not for what we do.
I struggle with my weight and personal image a lot, I've stressed I've cried I've hated my self for my outward appearance. And I still struggle with it. But you know what, at my smallest weight size, I was also the weakest id ever been, I could not ride my horse nearley as well, I did not have the strength or energy to keep up with them.
Weight is not the be all and end all.
Edit to add - im not talking obesity, clearly a person needs to be healthy, but theres a lot of diffrent weights that are healthy.
Edited by della 2015-09-30 1:35 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 591
| With all other factors being equal, the more extra weight you carry the slower you go. Period. F=ma, the greater the mass, the greater force of gravity that is acting on that object. So the heavier something is, the more it has to work to overcome gravity and will go slower over time.
There is a reason sports that have a time factor involved spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to have lighter and more streamline equipment to go tenths faster (NASCAR, track events, etc)
At the end of the day, the heavier something is, the harder it has to work and the slower it goes. |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | rachellyn80 - 2015-09-30 2:25 PM MOTIVATED - 2015-09-30 1:08 PM I don't and haven't seen any fat girls at the NFR....and I have seen some fat girls that can ride the hair off a horse. So...Idk... (by the way, I weigh 170 and am 5'6") I am not a skinny-mini. There have been some that were bigger than others, but none that I would consider BIG. There haven't been any bigger girls at the NFR for several years now, unless you want to call FT big. (and if you do I suggest you go stand next to her and see) I've heard rumors about her supposed "weight" but I think that the numbers are exaggerated to help a few girls egos.
If FT is considered big, then I'm a beached whale compared to her. |
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Peecans
| 3 To Go - 2015-09-30 12:26 PM
With all other factors being equal, the more extra weight you carry the slower you go. Period. F=ma, the greater the mass, the greater force of gravity that is acting on that object. So the heavier something is, the more it has to work to overcome gravity and will go slower over time.
There is a reason sports that have a time factor involved spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to have lighter and more streamline equipment to go tenths faster (NASCAR, track events, etc)
At the end of the day, the heavier something is, the harder it has to work and the slower it goes.
Unless its roleing down a hill ;-)
I personaly feel, that I have an ideal weight thats personal to me, where you are fit and can ride your best and it might be heavier than suzzy sally next door, and if I went to her weight I would slow down because I could not ride my horse effectivley. |
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Expert
Posts: 1525
| Murphy - 2015-09-30 1:36 PM rachellyn80 - 2015-09-30 2:25 PM MOTIVATED - 2015-09-30 1:08 PM I don't and haven't seen any fat girls at the NFR....and I have seen some fat girls that can ride the hair off a horse. So...Idk... (by the way, I weigh 170 and am 5'6") I am not a skinny-mini. There have been some that were bigger than others, but none that I would consider BIG. There haven't been any bigger girls at the NFR for several years now, unless you want to call FT big. (and if you do I suggest you go stand next to her and see) I've heard rumors about her supposed "weight" but I think that the numbers are exaggerated to help a few girls egos.
FT isnt "big" she just isnt petite...and when you ride a horse that is petite you look "big" haha...but I have been around FT many of times and she definitely is not "big" as in FAT...can we just say that word? Fat...Fat Fat Fat...I have not seen any truly Fat women at the NFR....athough I have seen some that are heavier than others as in not petite. There is one that I remember a couple years ago...that ran a stud...and I thought...she kinda looks heavy..and then I saw her in real life and decided maybe the camera just didnt like her so much haha...because she was not FAT either. Maybe our definitions of Fat are different...mine is the evidence of "Rolls" plobbing over their pants....for instance...I know that I have gotten FAT when I dont want to tuck in my shirt at rodeos ahahaha...that is when I cut down on the pizza and beer...just saying. I will never be petite...I lift too many weights...I have to wear a size bigger shirt so that my arms fit in them haha...my legs are no different. I mean no one has looked like a busted can of buscuits at the NFR...at least not that I have seen!
Edited by MOTIVATED 2015-09-30 1:54 PM
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Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | I've never met anyone who was fit and "looked" fat. I've seen plenty that are considered "skinny" that were soft and weak. The thing that I try to keep in mind is that I can ALWAYS do better, be better, look better, and feel better. The mindset keeps you driven, self hate gets you nowhere. Turn everything you do into work for your body. Carry water insead of using the hose, park farther from the store, lift things you would normally drag, carry buckets instead of using a cart or motorized vehicle to feed. I have a desk job and NEED the physical exercise after work to get tired.
The furthest I have been away from my ideal was last year. I spent several months on strict bed rest, pregnant with twins that were ultimately born 6 weeks early via c-section. My muscles were mush, my abdominal muscles had been cut, and I was still 35# from where I like to be 4 months after they were born. I tried at that time to make some runs on a horse that I was keeping for a friend and it felt AWFUL. At that weight, even though I was getting my strength back I felt wobbly and out of control of my body. I'm back in "my" ideal size range, which is less than what some people think is appropriate for my height, but I am far from weak and I feel like I can ride my horses to the best of my ability. My BMI is 20.
...now all I need to do is get a horse trained for myself! |
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Location: Lexington, Ky | rachellyn80 - 2015-09-30 2:53 PM I've never met anyone who was fit and "looked" fat. I've seen plenty that are considered "skinny" that were soft and weak. The thing that I try to keep in mind is that I can ALWAYS do better, be better, look better, and feel better. The mindset keeps you driven, self hate gets you nowhere. Turn everything you do into work for your body. Carry water insead of using the hose, park farther from the store, lift things you would normally drag, carry buckets instead of using a cart or motorized vehicle to feed. I have a desk job and NEED the physical exercise after work to get tired.
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 The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington | Yes weight matters in barrel racing. It's that simple. |
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Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | poloracer - 2015-09-30 2:36 PM rachellyn80 - 2015-09-30 2:53 PM I've never met anyone who was fit and "looked" fat. I've seen plenty that are considered "skinny" that were soft and weak. The thing that I try to keep in mind is that I can ALWAYS do better, be better, look better, and feel better. The mindset keeps you driven, self hate gets you nowhere. Turn everything you do into work for your body. Carry water insead of using the hose, park farther from the store, lift things you would normally drag, carry buckets instead of using a cart or motorized vehicle to feed. I have a desk job and NEED the physical exercise after work to get tired.
Don't even get me started on you and your sister! I am SO jealous of the gorgeous scenery you have to make your runs more enjoyable. I've always liked cardio, but Greg is determined to get me to start lifting a little  |
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Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Just ride big horses like I do and you don't have to worry about it!   
Edited by Fairweather 2015-09-30 4:08 PM
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 Morale Booster!!
Posts: 1459
| And this post... Is why I have such a hard time going to barrel races. This post just proved to me that people do look at you and wonder what you are doing there!!! I have put on some weight, I didnt ride for over 7 years because I was hauling my kids to high school rodeos. When I started back, it felt terrible so I quit. A year later I decided that I really wanted to run again. I have lost some, but not enough by any means. And each and every time I go to a barrel race I wonder how many people are looking at me wondering why I am there! Thank you for the confirmation of what I have been thinking. So very sad!!!!! |
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The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington | 3turns - 2015-09-30 3:17 PM
And this post... Is why I have such a hard time going to barrel races. This post just proved to me that people do look at you and wonder what you are doing there!!! I have put on some weight, I didnt ride for over 7 years because I was hauling my kids to high school rodeos. When I started back, it felt terrible so I quit. A year later I decided that I really wanted to run again. I have lost some, but not enough by any means. And each and every time I go to a barrel race I wonder how many people are looking at me wondering why I am there! Thank you for the confirmation of what I have been thinking. So very sad!!!!!
Why in the heck do you care? Your barrel racing and doing your thing. NO one here said anything about larger people running barrels. NO ONE. I packed extra weight in the end of my barrel racing, and the only one that it bothered was ME! SO quit looking around for someone to blame as to why about anything happening in your world. IT's your life.... live it.
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Morale Booster!!
Posts: 1459
| fatchance - 2015-10-01 4:28 PM 3turns - 2015-09-30 3:17 PM And this post... Is why I have such a hard time going to barrel races. This post just proved to me that people do look at you and wonder what you are doing there!!! I have put on some weight, I didnt ride for over 7 years because I was hauling my kids to high school rodeos. When I started back, it felt terrible so I quit. A year later I decided that I really wanted to run again. I have lost some, but not enough by any means. And each and every time I go to a barrel race I wonder how many people are looking at me wondering why I am there! Thank you for the confirmation of what I have been thinking. So very sad!!!!! Why in the heck do you care? Your barrel racing and doing your thing. NO one here said anything about larger people running barrels. NO ONE. I packed extra weight in the end of my barrel racing, and the only one that it bothered was ME! SO quit looking around for someone to blame as to why about anything happening in your world. IT's your life.... live it.
And because you know me.. You know that I am looking for someone to blame??? I didnt say I wasnt going. But thank you for that uplifting post. I feel so much better now. |
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The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington | 3turns - 2015-09-30 3:56 PM fatchance - 2015-10-01 4:28 PM 3turns - 2015-09-30 3:17 PM And this post... Is why I have such a hard time going to barrel races. This post just proved to me that people do look at you and wonder what you are doing there!!! I have put on some weight, I didnt ride for over 7 years because I was hauling my kids to high school rodeos. When I started back, it felt terrible so I quit. A year later I decided that I really wanted to run again. I have lost some, but not enough by any means. And each and every time I go to a barrel race I wonder how many people are looking at me wondering why I am there! Thank you for the confirmation of what I have been thinking. So very sad!!!!! Why in the heck do you care? Your barrel racing and doing your thing. NO one here said anything about larger people running barrels. NO ONE. I packed extra weight in the end of my barrel racing, and the only one that it bothered was ME! SO quit looking around for someone to blame as to why about anything happening in your world. IT's your life.... live it.
ALL I was trying to say is go run barrels and enjoy yourself and your life.
Sorry that I have upset you, not my intent.
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 How freakish is that?
Posts: 3927
Location: Oregon | Hey, it's pretty much common sense that all else being equal a horse is going to run faster with less weight on it.
That said, never let what you think other people think of you stop you from doing what you love to do. And in reality "they" probably don't really give a crap what you weigh anyway.
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | On the same horse with equal riders weight will matter immensly. Dale Youree always said that on a the same horse with equal riding ability 10 lbs added 1/10th of a second. I'm sure that wasn't scientific and was just Dale's learned opinion from years and years of experience. I would bet that, if it was put to a scientific measure he wasn't far off. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 597
| 3turns - 2015-09-30 4:17 PM
And this post... Is why I have such a hard time going to barrel races. This post just proved to me that people do look at you and wonder what you are doing there!!! I have put on some weight, I didnt ride for over 7 years because I was hauling my kids to high school rodeos. When I started back, it felt terrible so I quit. A year later I decided that I really wanted to run again. I have lost some, but not enough by any means. And each and every time I go to a barrel race I wonder how many people are looking at me wondering why I am there! Thank you for the confirmation of what I have been thinking. So very sad!!!!!
I have to say that I have a friend who is a great trainer, she's a dang good roper and a pretty darn good barrel racer too, and she's a big girl, she's thick and athletic and strong. I hope to have 1/2 of the ability that, that girl has and I know A LOT of girls in my area feel the exact same way! Your weight is just a number, it can go up or down, that's up to you, your attitude no matter what the scale says is also up to you. I would hope that what other people think wouldn't kill your dream. Keep rockin' don't let anyone or anything slow you down! |
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Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | 3turns - 2015-09-30 5:17 PM And this post... Is why I have such a hard time going to barrel races. This post just proved to me that people do look at you and wonder what you are doing there!!! I have put on some weight, I didnt ride for over 7 years because I was hauling my kids to high school rodeos. When I started back, it felt terrible so I quit. A year later I decided that I really wanted to run again. I have lost some, but not enough by any means. And each and every time I go to a barrel race I wonder how many people are looking at me wondering why I am there! Thank you for the confirmation of what I have been thinking. So very sad!!!!!
Go follow Cowgirls With Curves
http://cowgirlswithcurves.com/
And this - Body Shaming In The Show Ring.
http://www.ifthesaddlefits.com/body-shaming-the-show-ring/
Not everyone is strong enough to not pay any attention to comments and attitudes about weight and just live their life and ride their ride. That takes confidence in themselves and in their ability that they don't have yet. I have struggled liken that for 40 years and I'm just now learning to tune all that out. |
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10D Crack Champion
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10D Crack Champion
| crapshooter - 2015-09-30 6:04 PM Hey, it's pretty much common sense that all else being equal a horse is going to run faster with less weight on it. That said, never let what you think other people think of you stop you from doing what you love to do. And in reality "they" probably don't really give a crap what you weigh anyway.
Ditto! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | oija - 2015-09-30 7:50 AM
Can weight affect a horse, absolutely. Can the horse overcome it, yes. I love the old stories about Seabiscuit (who was not a big horse) frequently carrying 20 pounds or more than any other horse in the field and still winning. Sometimes it has as much to with the rider's ability, the horse's power, and the horse's own drive to win.
You're right---that all important heart. . . . |
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Mrs. Troy
Location: western Nebraska | I lost 20lbs this summer and I feel better. I have had so many wrecks I just hurt all over. Losing some weight has seemed to help my back. But, My horses are running the same as before. So 20lbs has made no difference to them. I will never be small like a Lisa Lockart type and I am just fine with that. Whatever weight you are if you are happy and love to run barrels -then do it. That is why we all do this-we love running barrels. I do know one time I was probably the heaviest I had been and we were still rodeoing. A woman asked me if I was pregant-I said no, just fat. You know what-I won the barrel race that night and then went out for ice cream! I hate these posts- a skinny minny should not be able to make a heavier girl feel bad-and that is what these do! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | I'm not small by any means, I'm 5'4" and thick but solid, I'm probably the most toned I've ever been but I've bulked up lifting weights, I've started dieting more but since I started Crossfit my CORE strength has improved immensely! And with that said, I can stay UP with my horses and stay more balanced in and around our turns. This has improved my times and performance, working out and strength training I believe is crucial for barrel racing. Yes it would be great to get slimmer and go faster but for me I'm just happy to have my balance and strength because that has made a world of difference! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| I carry a little over 20% of my body weight in gear all day every day. It matters. (Law enforcement, carry the duty belt on my waist plus vest/boots). It *REALLY* matters when I chase someone on foot. I'm out of breath and out of gas much earlier than I should be and it feels like I'm slower.
Can't be too different for a horse. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
| fatchance - 2015-09-30 5:58 PM
3turns - 2015-09-30 3:56 PM fatchance - 2015-10-01 4:28 PM 3turns - 2015-09-30 3:17 PM And this post... Is why I have such a hard time going to barrel races. This post just proved to me that people do look at you and wonder what you are doing there!!! I have put on some weight, I didnt ride for over 7 years because I was hauling my kids to high school rodeos. When I started back, it felt terrible so I quit. A year later I decided that I really wanted to run again. I have lost some, but not enough by any means. And each and every time I go to a barrel race I wonder how many people are looking at me wondering why I am there! Thank you for the confirmation of what I have been thinking. So very sad!!!!! Why in the heck do you care? Your barrel racing and doing your thing. NO one here said anything about larger people running barrels. NO ONE. I packed extra weight in the end of my barrel racing, and the only one that it bothered was ME! SO quit looking around for someone to blame as to why about anything happening in your world. IT's your life.... live it.
Sorry that I have upset you, not my intent.
Fat Chance I am over weight and I still ride, I totally agree with what you said, and though it bothers me to be overweight, I'm really not too worried what others think of me (and honestly, most people at races don't have the time to be criticizing and looking at other riders!) You're right, its our life, we need to enjoy it! Thank you! And I don't take this post as people trashing 'fat' riders...I agree that the extra weight slows ME down, so naturally slows my horse down because I 'pop' back in the turns, and also I am just not as steady with my hands as I used to be... |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | I am bigger than I should be, and I ride smaller horses. Ideally I should weight around 130, but honestly I don't know if I will ever get back to that point. I was super skinny and looked sickly. My target weight on a BMI chart is less than that. I am 5'3" and weigh 150. I can look at others and know I am larger, and I can see some rolls in my pics. I wear a 7 or 28 jean and large shirts. Some years I get down to 140 and feel really good, but the weight always seems to creep back on. For me as long as I stay under 160 I am pretty happy. I don't have time to go to the gym, and when I finally get inside the house at night I stilll have those chores to do.
Bottom line if I am happy with me, then no one else matters. |
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Location: East of the Pecos | doglady - 2015-09-30 8:50 PM I lost 20lbs this summer and I feel better. I have had so many wrecks I just hurt all over. Losing some weight has seemed to help my back. But, My horses are running the same as before. So 20lbs has made no difference to them. I will never be small like a Lisa Lockart type and I am just fine with that. Whatever weight you are if you are happy and love to run barrels -then do it. That is why we all do this-we love running barrels. I do know one time I was probably the heaviest I had been and we were still rodeoing. A woman asked me if I was pregant-I said no, just fat. You know what-I won the barrel race that night and then went out for ice cream! I hate these posts- a skinny minny should not be able to make a heavier girl feel bad-and that is what these do!
I hate these posts too. I almost didn't read it because I knew some girls would take offense to mentioning weight, and others would take it with a grain of salt. If you are participating in ANY sport that requires a level of fitness, then it's up to each individual if they participate for fun at whatever weight they are comfortable, so just have fun and who cares. I look at a 1000 calorie chicken fried steak and know it will taste good and the little devil on my shoulder says eat it anyway, but my horse says please don't, so usually I eat it and regret it. If I decide to run at pro rodeos again, I'll eat lettuce instead. The devil's in the details. Hope this makes sense. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| I struggled with body image my whole life. I was never obese but often fluctuated up and down 25 lbs. About 5 yrs ago at 36 I basically had a breakdown, not just bc of my weight but life, anyway fitness (I actually am a cert pt now) and a healthy lifestyle changed all that for me. I've maintained a healthy weight and I'm not skinny, I'm STRONG and healthy. It's made a HUGE difference in not only my riding capabilities but also my confidence! I don't give a flip what someone thinks about my physical appearance. Only you give someone elses opinion of you control! I don't think my horse is faster bc I'm skinny but bc I'm able to stay balanced and seated. |
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Location: Lexington, Ky | rachellyn80 - 2015-09-30 4:14 PM poloracer - 2015-09-30 2:36 PM rachellyn80 - 2015-09-30 2:53 PM I've never met anyone who was fit and "looked" fat. I've seen plenty that are considered "skinny" that were soft and weak. The thing that I try to keep in mind is that I can ALWAYS do better, be better, look better, and feel better. The mindset keeps you driven, self hate gets you nowhere. Turn everything you do into work for your body. Carry water insead of using the hose, park farther from the store, lift things you would normally drag, carry buckets instead of using a cart or motorized vehicle to feed. I have a desk job and NEED the physical exercise after work to get tired.
HA! We do have a pretty spot but I need to start lifiting more too. I just like cardio so much better!! |
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Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | With all of the questions about saddle fit and kissing spine...have we considered that if you aren't fit these things all seem to go hand in hand? Ultimately we are sitting on a hard object that we are trying to make conform to soft tissue on a horses back. If you are bouncing on your butt every stride and aren't able to stay in the middle even the best fitting saddle is going to make one sore. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | Personally, I bet there is more that just weight that affects this. I wouldn't worry about it much either way. How good you ride and are in time with the horse has much to do with it as anything. Look at it this way. 50 lbs more or less is only a 5% change for a horse. That is not very much.
Here is a story from my vet. It is in his book. It's just a funny story.
Ass Spavin
There are just some things that you cannot learn in school. Some situations cry out for more than learning and science. This was one of them. All I knew about the woman was that she was from San Angelo, and she had a barrel-racing horse that was lame. I had no idea that the episode that was about to occur was going to require every ounce of tact I could muster up and actually leave me at a loss for words. Unbelievable.
Six people crawled out of the bowels of the giant dually pickup that pulled the brand-new three-horse slant. I was guessing that the entire rig had cost about $70,000. Wow. Here they were, the woman who was the barrel-racer, her husband, her sister, her sister’s husband, and both of her parents. As I watched the unloading process from the back door of the clinic, it became painfully obvious that this woman was bossy. She had brought all of these people and had a job for each of them. It was like a military drill as she assigned each one a task and saw to it that those tasks were done to the very last detail.
As I entered the scene with a handshake and introduction, she gave me a slight smile and then went directly into a detailed description of what was “ailing” the horse. It seemed that the only complaint was that the horse was not running as fast as it had last year. In other words, it was about a half of a second slower this year than it was at the same races last year. Her “crew” had saddled the horse, and she was promptly on board, still talking as she trotted off.
No one else in the entire group had uttered a word up to this point. They gathered around and looked closely at me while I looked at the horse. It was as if they were watching my face for any change in emotion or expression. It was making me a little nervous. They were so focused on me that I was startin’ to wonder if I had a booger or something stuck to a tooth.“How long has this critter been lame?” I asked as I wiped my arm across my nose and sniffed.
The spokesman of the group seemed to be the brother-in-law. He replied, “Ha, that’s what we wonder.” I had no idea what that meant. The pressure of the situation was rising as I discovered that I couldn’t see anything wrong with the horse. I had watched the woman trot around the parking lot for what seemed like ten minutes, and that horse had not taken a lame step. The pressure went up even more when the brother-in-law informed me that I was the fourth vet she had brought the horse to. I was hoping they would give me some kind of hint as to what the other vets had said was wrong with the horse, but they just stood there and stared at me as I watched the horse. Not wanting to disappoint them, I finally stated, “Well, he sure might have a little bone spavin.” I figured this was a safe guess; nearly every barrel horse in the world has some degree of it. It is an arthritis that develops in the hock.
As these words left my lips, I began returning their stares to see if my statement stirred any emotions. To my surprise, it seemed to rustle up a disgusted look on each of their faces. The spokesman brother-in-law said, “That horse ain’t got no bone spavin. If he has any kind of spavin, it’s ass spavin.”
Once again, I had no idea what that was. Nine years of being a veterinarian and I had never heard of that one or read about it in any of the literature. Not wanting to look stupid, I continued to watch the horse trot endlessly around the parking lot. I began thinking perhaps it was something the horse had caught from a donkey. After all, ass spavin sounded a little mulish or even a touch anal. I was wondering if I had missed that lecture in vet school. The brother-in-law had said it so confidently that it must have been a term that the family had heard somewhere.
I was digging for some way to ask questions and gather clues without appearing uninformed. Finally, I asked, “Which leg is it in?” To this, the brother-in-law stated, “It ain’t in no leg. Tell him what the deal is, Robby.” Everyone gathered in even closer as Robby, the husband, began to explain the situation. “You see, Dr. Brock, my wife has gained about twenty pounds in the last year or so. We know that there is nothing wrong with that horse; it just can’t carry the extra weight as fast. We heard that you were good at explaining things and hoped that you could tell her; none of us has the guts to.”
All I could do now was look at her pronounced muffin top as she trotted the horse in circles. What page of my notes from vet school should I turn to for the answer to this dilemma? My mind became numb as my face became red. Two hours these people drove just to put me in this situation. They were all afraid of her, and I was finding myself scared to death of her also. What in the world was this bossy momma going to do when I told her the horse was fine; she was just too thick? “That’s right, bigun, you lose some tons, and this critter will be at least a half a second faster.” Two hours these people drove, and now there I stood, sweating. What would you have done?
Get the gift that will make them smile Crowded in the middle of Nowhere. By Bo Brock Amazon.com
Edited by Tdove 2015-10-02 5:02 PM
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Mrs. Troy
Location: western Nebraska | Tdove - 2015-10-02 4:39 PM Personally, I bet there is more that just weight that affects this. I wouldn't worry about it much either way. How good you ride and are in time with the horse has much to do with it as anything. Look at it this way. 50 lbs more or less is only a 5% change for a horse. That is not very much. Here is a story from my vet. It is in his book. It's just a funny story. Ass Spavin There are just some things that you cannot learn in school. Some situations cry out for more than learning and science. This was one of them. All I knew about the woman was that she was from San Angelo, and she had a barrel-racing horse that was lame. I had no idea that the episode that was about to occur was going to require every ounce of tact I could muster up and actually leave me at a loss for words. Unbelievable. Six people crawled out of the bowels of the giant dually pickup that pulled the brand-new three-horse slant. I was guessing that the entire rig had cost about $70,000. Wow. Here they were, the woman who was the barrel-racer, her husband, her sister, her sister’s husband, and both of her parents. As I watched the unloading process from the back door of the clinic, it became painfully obvious that this woman was bossy. She had brought all of these people and had a job for each of them. It was like a military drill as she assigned each one a task and saw to it that those tasks were done to the very last detail. As I entered the scene with a handshake and introduction, she gave me a slight smile and then went directly into a detailed description of what was “ailing” the horse. It seemed that the only complaint was that the horse was not running as fast as it had last year. In other words, it was about a half of a second slower this year than it was at the same races last year. Her “crew” had saddled the horse, and she was promptly on board, still talking as she trotted off. No one else in the entire group had uttered a word up to this point. They gathered around and looked closely at me while I looked at the horse. It was as if they were watching my face for any change in emotion or expression. It was making me a little nervous. They were so focused on me that I was startin’ to wonder if I had a booger or something stuck to a tooth.“How long has this critter been lame?” I asked as I wiped my arm across my nose and sniffed. The spokesman of the group seemed to be the brother-in-law. He replied, “Ha, that’s what we wonder.” I had no idea what that meant. The pressure of the situation was rising as I discovered that I couldn’t see anything wrong with the horse. I had watched the woman trot around the parking lot for what seemed like ten minutes, and that horse had not taken a lame step. The pressure went up even more when the brother-in-law informed me that I was the fourth vet she had brought the horse to. I was hoping they would give me some kind of hint as to what the other vets had said was wrong with the horse, but they just stood there and stared at me as I watched the horse. Not wanting to disappoint them, I finally stated, “Well, he sure might have a little bone spavin.” I figured this was a safe guess; nearly every barrel horse in the world has some degree of it. It is an arthritis that develops in the hock. As these words left my lips, I began returning their stares to see if my statement stirred any emotions. To my surprise, it seemed to rustle up a disgusted look on each of their faces. The spokesman brother-in-law said, “That horse ain’t got no bone spavin. If he has any kind of spavin, it’s ass spavin.” Once again, I had no idea what that was. Nine years of being a veterinarian and I had never heard of that one or read about it in any of the literature. Not wanting to look stupid, I continued to watch the horse trot endlessly around the parking lot. I began thinking perhaps it was something the horse had caught from a donkey. After all, ass spavin sounded a little mulish or even a touch anal. I was wondering if I had missed that lecture in vet school. The brother-in-law had said it so confidently that it must have been a term that the family had heard somewhere. I was digging for some way to ask questions and gather clues without appearing uninformed. Finally, I asked, “Which leg is it in?” To this, the brother-in-law stated, “It ain’t in no leg. Tell him what the deal is, Robby.” Everyone gathered in even closer as Robby, the husband, began to explain the situation. “You see, Dr. Brock, my wife has gained about twenty pounds in the last year or so. We know that there is nothing wrong with that horse; it just can’t carry the extra weight as fast. We heard that you were good at explaining things and hoped that you could tell her; none of us has the guts to.” All I could do now was look at her pronounced muffin top as she trotted the horse in circles. What page of my notes from vet school should I turn to for the answer to this dilemma? My mind became numb as my face became red. Two hours these people drove just to put me in this situation. They were all afraid of her, and I was finding myself scared to death of her also. What in the world was this bossy momma going to do when I told her the horse was fine; she was just too thick? “That’s right, bigun, you lose some tons, and this critter will be at least a half a second faster.” Two hours these people drove, and now there I stood, sweating. What would you have done? Get the gift that will make them smile Crowded in the middle of Nowhere. By Bo Brock Amazon.com
This is funny!! |
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | FLITASTIC - 2015-09-30 12:32 AM
I recently Lost 60 pounds, because I wanted to. My good horse clocks the same as before but my 4 year old colt really has clocked faster. I'm a guy and I was well over 250 when I started.
I am a guy too. We have a different issue with weight when we are big men as it relates to how much total weight a horse should haul. Most say that 20% of the horses body weight is the upper limit. That would be 200 pounds for rider, saddle and tack on a 1000 pound horse. I am 6'7" and while I am not overweight, I still weigh 250 pounds. Add a saddle to that(my ranch saddle weighs 42 pounds) and that means I need a 1500 pound horse. I don't ride a 1500 pound horse, but don't ride colts anymore. I don't much like really big horses, and prefer a well built horse that is handy. I do make sure my 1150 pound horses are really fit before I ask a lot of them. This can be an issue with smaller horses for women depending on what your saddle and tack weigh. In most cases where you are within the 20% number, there will be a difference in potential time if you ask your horse to carry more weight. That is simple physics. But, there is much more to it when you factor in balance, timing and talent. No way to measure those. |
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 Love Me Some Robert Redford
Posts: 2335
Location: WV | That was good |
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Love Me Some Robert Redford
Posts: 2335
Location: WV | Way to go |
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10D Crack Champion
| This thread doesn't make me feel bad. I need to get on the diet wagon myself.
It would make me feel bad if it was just a bunch of supermodels posting their bikini pictures eating cheesecake with their hottie husbands or boyfriends standing with their high dollar horses in front of their million dollar homes.
I'm going to go eat a snack. Maybe cheesecake!
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| When I was packing some extra weight and trying to feel good for being a buffet hog ..
I asked my feet if they minded the extra weight ..
they answered ...
WE DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS ... |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| 3turns - 2015-09-30 3:17 PM
And this post... Is why I have such a hard time going to barrel races. This post just proved to me that people do look at you and wonder what you are doing there!!! I have put on some weight, I didnt ride for over 7 years because I was hauling my kids to high school rodeos. When I started back, it felt terrible so I quit. A year later I decided that I really wanted to run again. I have lost some, but not enough by any means. And each and every time I go to a barrel race I wonder how many people are looking at me wondering why I am there! Thank you for the confirmation of what I have been thinking. So very sad!!!!!
Who cares if they are looking at you? When you start clocking they will be looking at you more I could honestly care less what someone else thinks of what I look like. I am there to barrel race because I LIKE to RACE!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| ...also, in Brazil you CAN'T race unless you weigh 165 or more or I think they handicap you like they do flat racers. So most of the barrel racers there are guys. |
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Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | RodeoCowgirl4u - 2015-10-05 2:56 PM ...also, in Brazil you CAN'T race unless you weigh 165 or more or I think they handicap you like they do flat racers. So most of the barrel racers there are guys.
Pretty sure that the 165# number is tack included... |
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To what extent does a rider's weight affect the horse?