| When asking the question, "how much weight can a | | | | circumference measurement. Then divide that result |
| horse carry?" you often hear a response similar to "it | | | | by two. A number between 75 and 85 is good. If the |
| depends on the breed of the horse, its conditioning | | | | number is over 85, you probably need a larger horse. |
| and conformation, how far and how long you will be | | | | Using this method, I measure the circumference of |
| traveling, the horse's bone structure, the type of | | | | the horse's cannon bone and get 7.5 inches. The |
| weight the horse will carry (for example live [rider] or | | | | body weight of the horse is 1,150 pounds and the |
| dead weight [gear]), weight distribution" and so on. | | | | rider and gear weigh 235 pounds for a total combined |
| So with this sound advice from your fellow | | | | weight of 1,350 pounds. Divide 1,350 (total combined |
| horsemen, surely you now have a much better idea | | | | weight) by 7.5 (cannon bone) and I get roughly 185. |
| of how much weight your horse can carry. No? Of | | | | Divide 185 in half and my final resulting number is 93. |
| course not. Though your colleagues are correct in | | | | Using this calculating method, I either need to lighten |
| stating all the above factors, you are still left in the | | | | my gear or get a larger horse to get the number |
| dark without any guideline on how much weight a | | | | down to around 85. |
| horse can carry. Can my horse only carry 80 pounds, | | | | Some horse and rider guidelines where carrying |
| or is he capable of carrying 300 pounds? | | | | weight is concerned: |
| Fortunately some very smart horsemen over the | | | | Pick a horse with bigger cannon bones, wider loins, |
| years have come up with a few methods for us to | | | | shorter back |
| calculate a starting point to help determine how much | | | | Avoid using heaving saddles and only carry necessary |
| weight a horse can carry. One very simple guide is to | | | | gear |
| take the horse's weight and divide by six to give you | | | | Make sure the horse is conditioned for the type of |
| the total weight, including rider and tack, the horse | | | | riding you doing |
| can carry. Given this, a 1200 pound horse could carry | | | | Keep proper riding posture and balance |
| up to 200 pounds. | | | | Give the horse a break on longer rides - get off a |
| Another quick and popular method is to use the 20% | | | | while and let your horse rest |
| rule. You take 20% of your horse's body weight and | | | | Avoid riding in areas where footing is not desirable - |
| the result is the amount of total weight your horse | | | | such as mud, deep sand, asphalt |
| can carry. For example, a 1,000 pound horse should | | | | Avoid letting the horse trot or canter |
| easily carry 200 pounds of rider and tack. The 20% | | | | The maximum weight a horse can safely carry does |
| rule typically applies to competitive or otherwise | | | | vary by the breed of the horse and how hard it's |
| "hard" riding. For pleasure riding, many use a 30% | | | | worked. There is no absolute rule about how much |
| rule, so this 1,000 pound horse could carry 300 | | | | weight a horse can carry, but generally speaking the |
| pounds for shorter pleasure rides. | | | | lighter-framed the horse the less he can carry. A well |
| Measuring a horse's cannon bone is used by some in | | | | conditioned horse or a stout horse can generally |
| determining the approximate weight a horse can | | | | carry more. Some breeds are bred to carry heavier |
| carry. A measurement is taken around the | | | | weights like the Quarter Horse, Arabian or Icelandic |
| circumference of the foreleg, just below the knee. | | | | Pony. Riders with good balance also make weight |
| Add together the weight of the horse plus the rider | | | | load less of a problem. |
| and tack, and divide this sum by the cannon bone | | | | |