Friday, May 8, 2009

How much weight can my minature horse hold?

he weighes about 350-400 pounds and i was wondering how much he could hold. the minis i work with carry little kids around on trails all day and we rode one of them bare back today who was small like 200 pounds how much do you thinkmy mini can hold?
Answers:
Minis are quite small but very strong for their size, meaning they can pull a decent amount of weight. However, because of their size it is not a good idea for a person over--I would say around 50 pounds to ride a mini, as it may be too heavy for them to acheive a lot work with the person weighing them down and it probably isn't too good for their backs either.
Well, as you know, mini's are only suppose to be ridden by small children. If it's 200 lbs. then i would say it might be able to carry a max of 225. Glad I could help!
There ment for small kids only

i rode a Shetland pony for a friends to train him when i was 13 but i was only 105 pounds but if i was any bigger i would have been to heavy

it isn't quite the weight that hurts them it is the weight and ahveing to work wiht you on his back so just be mindfull
Uh, excuse me, but minis should NEVER ridden, by ANYONE, not even toddlers! Miniature horses can be used to PULL small carts, but that's it. Due to their small size, minis ARE NOT FOR RIDING! If you want to ride, get a Shetland pony or a full-sized horse. You would be doing harm to the mini; if I lived where you are, I would report you for cruelty to animals.
Minis shouldn't carry anyone except maybe a two year old. They are capable of pulling an adult but they should NOT have ANY weight on their backs. A pony is OK but minis are built differently.
Minis should never be ridden...they are not designed to be ridden and you can do alot of damage to their body by letting even children ride them. They can pull carts...teach them to drive. Ponies can be ridden, but not minis...why do you think there are no under saddle classes for minis...
minis are ment to pull not ride...shetlands are ment to ride
General rule on mini's is that they can hold up to 40 lbs. And if a child close to 40 lbs is riding a mini they are not to be ridden long. Maybe once around a circle.They are only ment for young children to ride. But more so they were bred to pull small carts, and to be cute.

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

How much weight (in pounds) can the bigger breeds of horses or the riding ones pull?


Answers:
that depends on what you mean. the clydesdale i know can pull about 700 pound blocks behind her easy enough. but on wheels its completely different. she can pull an 11000 pound tractor without much strain. once she gets it going she can trot in nice active paces pulling that much. and she isnt as big as they get. she's 16.9 hands. which breed in specific were you asking about?
i've seen a team of two shire horses pull 15000 pounds at a light canter without breaking a sweat. they were both big stallions though. shire horses get almost as big as clydesdales and percheron are next in line when it comes to avaerage size. though the biggest horse alive is percheron who reaches 19 hands that isnt average its quite rare. clydesdale stallions avaerage at max of 18 hands.
a sigle draft horse can pull at least one and a half times it's own weight. maybe not at an active canter but they should be able to get to a good trot with that much. even the lesser ones can pull that much.
a team of two draft horses can easily pull three times their own weight on wheels.
A horse can easily pull a wheeled vehicle that is six times his own weight, however most carriage or draft horses are used at only 25% of that capacity. A carriage or draft horse averages in weight from 1200lbs to 2300lbs, therefore they are able to pull anywhere from 7200lbs to 13,800lbs.

How much we ladies love our horses? Read this poem and find out!?

To cute not to share:
A Horse Husband's Lament.
My wife, she has a quarter horse, with flaxen mane and tail,
She thinks he is the finest thing that ever jogged a rail.
She calls him Dandy Darling, and if the truth I tell,
That fancy pampered quarter horse has made my life pure HELL!
My wife she used to cook for ME and serve it with champagne,
Now she'd rather feed that horse and fix his special grain.
She rides him every morning, and grooms him half the night,
The last time that she kissed ME it was just to be polite.
He dresses better than I do, with matching wraps and ties,
My wardrobe's so neglected now, that I attract the flies.
One day my wife was shopping, she was down at the mall,
And fancy pampered DANDY was just standing in his stall.
He looked so smug and sassy, that I began to grin,
I'd saddle that fat sucker, and take him for a spin.
I've wondered since, if cues I gave, he might have misconstrued,
For when I climbed aboard that horse, he rightly came UNGLUED.
He bucked and spun, and snorted fire, and threw me through a fence.
I saw big stars and there are 6 teeth that I ain't heard from since.
My wife came home and saw me, just a lying in the dirt,
She rushed up to her HORSE and asked him, "Sweetheart are you HURT?"
He'd scratched his nose a little bit, and the memory galls me yet,
She left me lying in the mud, and ran to call the VET!
Answers:
I love it! My husband agrees!! The only difference is I own a Morgan. FYI Morgan horses are the foundation of Quarter Horse! The Quarter Horse Joe Hancock was sired by Redolent a son of a Morgan Red Oak!!
that is a cute poem . . . very clever and catchy :) thanks for sharing!
lol...my husband will love that!
Cute poem. Just goes to show that we horse-loving women need to marry men who SHARE our passion for horses, otherwise, the marriage is in trouble!
Oh this is priceless!!
Haha I love it! Its so truuue too :P
My husband let me buy a horse when we forst got married. The first thing it did was bite him. Then they formed a guy bonding thing and he let me buy another horse. Who threw him every time. It went this way for a few years ... I traded up and up and got me a nice mare who likes him and he likes her after a long rodeo of rides, so the mare had some foals, who all made their dents and dings in his hide. He bought me a farm to keep 'em all on for as long as I want. And I've kept him, but he says that on the scale of my affections, he always comes last... after the critters, but to me, he is definitely the star, by far the best.
I read this. I know it's true. And yet I STILL hope to end up with a good horsewoman. Apparently male or female when they install a love of horses they remove all traces of sanity. :-)
Very good. I know there are many more than my other half that will agree with this one. Thanks for sharing!
I just read your poem. This is absolutely the very best poem I have ever read! AWESOME! You should be paid money to write like this.

How much water should a 1200 lbs, 21 year old horse drink?

I live in the desert southwest. Temperatures up to 102 degrees at the hottest. In winter the temperature is rarely below 40 degrees. Horse is in 1/2 covered open air pen. Horse has a drinking problem, and puts stress on her kidneys, so water intake is restricted.
Answers:
Since everyone else has answered your question about the amount I will offer some suggestions on helping her ingest more water. Is she drinking out of buckets or a watering tub. It is important to maintain water freshness. In a stall environment I always provided my horse with 2 full buckets which were changed (not topped off) 2 times a day. You might provide a separate bucket with flavored electrolytes which might help in the high heat. Leave a supply of electrolyte-free water as well. Are the buckets/water tub in the shade? If she will eat wet hay you might soak it for a short time drain off the excess water and feed her this hay. It is a good way to get water in her system. If she is on good grass she the moisture content in the grass also helps because her body doesn't need as much excess fluid to digest a food that has a higher moisture content. Think of eatting shredded wheat against salad. Salad actually adds to the moisture content in your body. When feeding grain I always added water (warm to hot depending on the season) to my horses grain. Not too much but enough to let the grain soak it up and become moistened. Some horses might not like it so add small amounts at first as to not put her off her feed and increase accordingly. This is a good way to introduce more water to her system. My horse actually used to dunk his own grain until I started wetting it for him. Lastly introduce a mineral salt block and a plain salt block to your pen if you have not done so already. This gives them the free choice of which salt they prefer. Good Luck.
"They require a plentiful supply of clean water, a minimum of 10 to 12 gallons per day per horse."
This is for a normal horse, so I don't for sure if this would be right for your horse since it has a drinking problem.
Sorry to hear about her condition. Hope she gets better soon. Good luck!
If you know she has a problem then i guess the vet told you and you should be asking the vet. 15 gallons is "normal" I would still say around there for your horse since the weather is so hot
15-20 gallons a day. horses need alot of water to keep themselves hydrated %26 cool.
The average horse drinks 12 gallons of water. They can drink up to 20 on a hot day.
That is a very interesting question. I have been reading about this also since one of my horses is now 29. Older horses develop problems and that is one of them. Mine has Cushings disease and drinking excess water is one of the symptoms. I would get advice from your vet.
A vet told me that sometimes when they drink alot of water the could be diabetic. But, also it's better if they are drinking alot than not drinking at all. Call your vet and ask if it's anything to worry about.
My 25 yr old mare has a soaked stall also. But she told me not to worry.

How much should this weigh?

how much should a 1 year old draft/quarter mix weigh!!
and if you don't know then how much should a 1 year old draft weigh?
Answers:
I'd estimate it at around 750lb, Kinda depends on how many hands your colt/filly is. Even gender might be a small factor. Also the type of draft horse would help a whole lot. If he's part Welsh = short stocky. Belgian = tall Stout not as bulky. Even the quarter horse varies. Usually their 14.8 - 15.1, 2 if your lucky. A fully grown Welsh/Qtr @ 15.2 hds %26lt; > 1,000 -1,100lb. The Belg/Qtr @ 16.5 hds %26lt; > 1,300+. This question is good but it needs more info.
a one year old draft mix is growing so depending on how mane hands tall the horse is he shoul weigh between 500lb to 1000lb. he should almost weigh close to the amount when he is full grown but it is ok if he weighs a little more or less its ok hes still growing.
This varies greatly from horse to horse. Most likely between 750 and 1100 pounds depending on the draft breed used in the cross, the size of parents and other progenitors, and care/feed.
Don't worry about how much the horse weighs as long as he is in good body condition. You should be able to feel ribs, but not see them unless the light is right, and practice will let you tell at a glance if a horse is at the correct weight taking into consideration build, time of year, conditioning, etc.. If you think your horse may be too heavy or too thin, here's a website to help you learn if he's at the correct weight:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/live...
Here's a site with some information on finding an accurate weight on your horse: http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/he...
A healthy 1 year old draft usually weighs between 700-1200 lbs. Your horse should weigh about the same, maybe less because of the quarter horse in it. Good luck!

How much should my horses weigh?

Does anyone know of a good site that can help determine how much your horse should weigh?
It is purely out of curiosity that I am inquiring. I have a 16.3h TB and a 14.2h Arabian. Both were severely underweight when we got them and just wondering where they should be. We used a weight tape to approximate weight so we could worm them earlier this week. Arab was around 730lbs and the TB was right around 1150.
Both recently came from homes where they were not cared for properly so please don't think I starved them! I just have a soft spot for animals in need!
Thank you!
Answers:
I would also suggest the body scoring charts to help determine if they are where they should be. They don't sound way out of an average, but without seeing the horses its real hard to answer this question as there is no "set" weight guidelines.
I would say around 650-700 pounds or more
Your 16.3 TB should be somewhere between 600-700kg (x2.2 to get lbs! sorry) and I would guess that a 14.2 arab would be about 400 kg ish. Hope this helps, I find "condition scoring" better, if you put that phrase into a search engine along with "horse" you should get some charts etc. Good luck with them, they sound lovely. xx
The TB should be around 1200-1300 lbs, the arab more like 900-1000 lbs.
Are their ribs showing alot and over all look in poor health? That is how I tell.
It's not exact weight so much as Body Condition Score you should be looking at; it's much easier to evaluate and tells you just as much about where your horse should be.
http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/ht...
A 16.3 TB should be approximating around 1200 lbs, possibly a little more if he's not fine-boned.
A 14.2 Arab should be around 900-950.
(these are definitely generalizations and could vary with your horse's body type)
Not seeing pictures of the horses, it's hard to say what their condition is. for their heights, the estimated weights don't sound THAT far under a good condition...
That said, can you see their ribs, and other bony structures of their physique? How prominent is the tailhead? If the answer to the first is yes, the ribs, should blades and hips REALLY stand out... the horses are in serious need of groceries. if they are noticable, but not overly pronounced, the horses are on the thin side. If the horses have spongy flesh along the tailhead, they're on the fleshy side. I'm attaching a link that has some pictures and a more detailed description of how to determine body score. Good Luck!
Arabians generally weigh around 900 up depending on height. Since yours is 14.2 he should weight around 900 lbs. Some horses need to be less than that depending on conformation. My arab/qh weights about 1000 and he looks kinda chubby and he is 15h. Your thoroughbred is 16.3 and should weight around 12-1300lbs. But like I said that depends on conformation and how much weight they could carry and look healthy. I'm so proud that there are people out there that will take a horse in need and be happy with just a possible pasture ornament.
the tb should be about 1,500lb and for the arab about 1,100lb. that would be about what they should wiegh and the tb should be sleek and muscular. hope i helped.
i think your TB is at a good weight. anymore than 1200lbs. would be a little over weight for a TB. they are supposed to be leaner than other horses. for the arabian, since it is so small (pony size) they should be probably be 600-800 lbs. if you can see their ribs and you can feel their ribs they are too skinny and don't weigh enough. all horses are different though, some horses need to be a little heavier than others, ask your local vet about their weight just to make sure. if they are still underweight, start giving them supplements and better quality grain. i use weight builder and oil for my younger kiger mustang who has trouble keeping on weight and it is helping him tremendously. hope this helps. let me know if you need anymore help.
best to ask your vet as their different conformation will determine the correct weight.
Don't worry about how much they should weigh, every horse weighs different.Just see if the ribs are showing, and if the face is full. That should be all you need.

How much should I sell my weatherbeeta horse rug for?

Its a weatherbeeta winter rug, 5 6", its very warm and heavy and only been used for one winter, just needs a wash.
What do you think a fair price to sell it for would be?
Answers:
If it just has a little dust and hair on it, probably 50% of price paid. However if it has caked on dirt or fading which may not be removable unless a professional cleans it then 30%. If it has any tears then perhaps 20% of the orig price.
Anything that still looks reasonable and has little wear should go for around 50% of new price, I would advertise it at a little over that, so the buyer can beat you down on price and think that they have a bargain. If you are not going to get it cleaned before you advertise then you need to come down by the price of a proffesional clean.

How much should I sell my saddle for?

I have a 16" dark oil mahogany Rider's Choice roping saddle. It is used, but in good condition and VERY comfortable. The only flaw is the leather on the back is a little worn from where it was bucked off of my horse.
How much should I price it as? It goes for over $400 on ebay new.
It looks like the saddle in the link w/o the white points.
http://cgi.ebay.com/riders-choice-17-rop...
Answers:
The thing is, people can buy horses for cheap than what that saddle is going for.
I would advertise it for $350 obo and see where it goes from there. I wouldn't turn down $300 for it.
i would price it at about $300 to $350 obo. or $275 firm. but it's up to you. i wouldn't go over $300 firm if you plan on selling it.
As long as the tree is not damaged I would say try to sell it for $275 firm.
how ever much u want but not a ridiculous price
see if can get it for at least $400 if not lower ur price. sounds like a nice saddle so you should be able to sell for a good price. GOOD LUCK!
Start with 350, 375... that would be the best as long is it is still in pretty good condition. But I dont think 300 would be too bad of an offer.
You should give it to me for free! Just kidding.
I don't think 350 or 400 is too bad. It looks like a very nice saddle and I'm sure there will be someone willing to buy it for that. Otherwise, you can always lower the price.