How much weight can a horse support on its back?

Answers:
Most people work from a rough equation that a horse can carry 20% of it's own weight as a load on it's back. This is just a very rough guide because it doesn't mean that a very fat horse could carry more weight than his thin stable mate.
Some breeds are better weight carriers, so if you see something with a short stocky body, and good thick legs then he will be able to carry a bigger % of weight than his long backed, lean legged mate.
EDIT
Is this a first, every answer has a thumbs down? Whats wrong with saying that a horses build affects it's weight carrying?

---

depends on how big the horses' butt is. and also how big the rider's butt is. jk jk well actually it does depend on how big the horse is.

---

depends on the horse.

---

Depends on the size and breed of horse. A quarter horse can handle more than an Arabian of the same size. But in general, for a good sturdy large horse...I wouldn't put anyone over about 200 lbs on it's back. But, that's just me. = )

---

It depends on how stocky, and muscled, in shape, and tall the horse is.
Also, obvioulsy a draft horse could carry more than a quarter horse or an arabian.
For a standard saddle horse I would say about 250 pounds, but it depends...

---

I would not put anyone over 200 Lbs on a hot blooded animal but a warmblood or draft can handle more as they are stronger with denser bones.
Depends on the mass 200 lbs of dead weight vs 200 lbs of an experienced rider placing their weight correctly is a huge difference.
A stocky QH can handle alot more than 200, but even a tall TB shouldn't be pushed too far. If you are looking for a maximum think about the carriges draft horses pull. They are veeeeeeery heavy lol.

---

It depends on the size of the horse and condition of its back. In general, I would not put a very heavy person on a small horse or pony; it's not fair to the animal. If it's a privately owned horse, and the horse is healthy with no back problems, use common sense and put yourself in the horse's place. If you were a horse, would you want a very heavy person on your back? I wouldn't. Racehorses have limits for the amount of weight they can carry on their backs because they start training at a young age. Some horseback vacation companies have a weight limit for guests riding their horses; I understand that the mules who carry people down the trails into the Grand Canyon have weight limits.

---

it depends on the height, back length, build and breed. more slender breeds such as a TB can not take much weight for their size in comparison to a shetland pony which could carry an adult it it had longer legs! there is no simple answer, every horse is different.

---

depends on how big and how much strength he has

---

Abought the weight of a 170 lb. person is the max ( if you dont want the horse to pass out after 30 min. in the saddle.

---

Generally about 20%-30%(no more than this) of a horse's body weight. So, in a perfect world, with a fit horse, the maximum weight you would expect an average 1100 pound quarter horse, with a nice short back, could carry 220 to a maximum of 330 pounds including tack. Now, I wouldn't necessarily suggest the top end on a regular basis, in any way. There are larger horses that could handle that. Also, it makes a huge difference if it is dead weight, a novice rider or an advanced/expert rider... So many variables... It really differs horse to horse.

---

I herd 30% of their body weight, give or take
If fit

---

One very simple guide is to take the horse's weight and divide by six to give you the total weight, including rider and tack, the horse can carry. Given this, a 1200 pound horse could carry up to 200 pounds.
Another quick and popular method is to use the 20% rule. You take 20% of your horse's body weight and the result is the amount of total weight your horse can carry. For example, a 1,000 pound horse should easily carry 200 pounds of rider and tack. The 20% rule typically applies to competitive or otherwise "hard" riding. For pleasure riding, many use a 30% rule, so this 1,000 pound horse could carry 300 pounds for shorter distance.

---

ive seen it hold a 350lbs guy so i bet alot.

---

Ive also always heard the 20% rule applies. And it does depend on the conformation of the horse and the age. A shorter backed horse can carry more weight than a long back horse. So for the person that answered the arabian horse could carry less, sorry but they have one less vertabre which makes a shorter back and able to carry the weight better.

---

20% of the horses body weight.

---

Typically a 1/3 of what the horse itself weighs. Unless the horse has a particulary long back, narrow feet or is sway back then much less. The shorter the back and the wider the feet usually carries more weight with ease. We are assuming the horse is sound and has no past or present injuries.

---

I agree that it depends on the horse. My TB can carry a lot more than my little Arabian. I have heard the 20% rule and it sound logical. My TB is strong and can easily carry someone who is 200 and don't forget to factor in the saddle weight as well. Some Western saddles are heavy! Sorry but your question is really broad and hard to answer, use the 20% rule and good judgement.

---

It can support 300 pounds trotting, but not faster than that!!!!!

---

You need to consider the size of the horse, the weight of the horse, the length of the horse's cannon bones, the age of the horse, and the general conformation of the horse. Also, how long is the weight going to be on the horses back? A short ride will allow the horse to carry more than a longer ride. The length of the back in proportion to the rest of the horses body is also a factor. Shorter backs tend to carry more weight than longer backs. But this all needs to be taken as a whole picute of the individual horse as an athlete. For example, a horse with weak hocks cannot carry as much as a horse with strong hocks. A horse with short stout cannon bones can carry more than a horse with longer cannons. Horses younger than two should not carry much weight at all regardless of how big they are..
This all being said, I generally won't allow a horse to carry more than 25% of their body weight. Some pros will only say that a horse can carry 20%. This includes the weight of the saddle and tack. I also ask my vet's advice on how much weight a specific horse can carry. Weight also needs to be balanced. A lightweight rider who leans to one side constantly will cause more problems than a heavier rider that is very balanced. A horse that jumps needs to be carrying less weight than a horse whose job in life is to walk down to the mailbox and back.
Sorry for the long answer, but this is a hot topic for my business