I really can’t tell you how many times I have started the ‘Am I Too Heavy Too Ride‘ page, only to get so far and not like the format. Or how it is sounding, of course I am going to be biased to overweight riders, I’m one of them and like them I want to ride. I am also going to be negative towards the slender people who like to voice their opinions of weight limits onto us.

I personally feel a lot of the time it all boils down to a general negative feeling towards overweight people and sometimes it’s just another way to get a dig in at them. Nothing to do with ability talent etc. it’s all about the aesthetics and personal preference.

The last draft I wrote was a nice long winded 500 words –before I even got to the nitty gritty- trying to fight the side of an overweight rider. Using links and information I have sourced. I then thought hmm really like with dieting all people really want to know is the nitty gritty, how much I weigh and do I ride.

That’s all I wanted to know…. Oh hang on one last but most importantly will I HURT MY HORSE!        Well here’s the thing I don’t know, they don’t know… the only one who knows is my horse and he’s showing no signs of being in any kind of discomfort.

So rather than dazzle you with numbers, percentages and scientific reports of load bearing. I thought I would keep the page just about my facts and figures and my personal journey to becoming a rider again.

Much the same as I wanted to shift the emphasis of this blog away from my dieting struggles, and more to my struggles as an overweight rider. So rather than this being a blog about someone on a diet to ride… it’s about a rider who is dieting to ride better.

Over the years I have sourced a lot of information which I do want to share with you, as this blog progressives.

But the one biggest piece of information I found interesting was the theory that horses can take 20% of their body weight and although I have seen for leisure/pleasure sometimes 30% mention it has often been shouted down by the so called experts.

Now I am no expert and wouldn’t like anyone to quote me, because really all I am doing is quoting what I have read elsewhere. But the really interesting thing  is if you put in a search for ‘weight limits for donkeys’, one of the first you will find says 30%… I rest my case :-p