# Horse Breeds for Riding when your DH is a GIANT!!!!!



## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Hi. Trying to do some research but not having much luck. My DH and I would like to get a horse at some point within the next couple of years (we need to get a barn, the pasture fenced and debrushed, etc). 

I'm trying to decide on the breed of horse to make the plans for. The problem is that my DH is (literally) a giant. He's 6'9" and about 350 lbs. What breeds of horses can he ride where it would be comfortable for both him and the horse? We aren't really interested in a sporthorse, but I would like a horse that will move faster than a walk at times. I've always loved draft horses and am kinda figuring that we would need to get one. I've heard that you can ride draft horses, but is it comfortable?


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

You might think about a draft cross. If you get something that is big bodied that will take up a lot of leg you won't need a tremendously tall horse, and the additional bone with the draft cross should work well. I had a mare here for breeding some years back that was a Percheron/Tennessee Walker cross and her rider had been an unusually big person. 

She had a nice disposition, the TWH gave her a little more ability to move out well and the bone and body from the draft sire allowed her to carry the weight easily enough.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Drafts can be very enjoyable rides. And it's what you're basically going to be looking at for your DH's size. A cross could work, too. But it would need to be a drafty cross, not a sporty-er cross. IOW, it would need to have inherited a fair share on the draft side. You don't want a cross that looks like it's a TB with big hooves, for instance. 

You want thick, straight, well-conformed legs and a nice, thick, muscular body.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

What HH am I looking at for a minimum? I'm thinking 17HH for a minimum but don't know if I'm way off base or not.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

You want to consider the horse as a whole. For instance, everyone was excited when we brought Sid, thick, sturdy tall appy at 16.2 or so. He is a monster. But when my somewhat larger friend got on him, I was surprised to see Sid flex his back and kind of look uncomfortable. Luckily it was a short ride around the pasture; honestly, their own 15.3 QH handles the guys better. And arabs, for instance, have one less vertabrae and one less rib, makes the back shorter and sturdier. They can carry a lot of weight on a relatively small frame. Icelandics are also notoriously stocky. This could be why you're not getting a lot of hits when you research: a draftie might not ALWAYS be as strong as an icelandic, for instance. It really all depends on the horse. There are big sturdy non-draft types as well like a Walker, maybe a gaited horse might be able to carry him more easily as well.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

I love Icelandics!! They are really pretty but DH could probably sit on the poor horse and touch the ground. lol Off to research TW's... What are some other breeds that may be a good fit.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I know of a very stout 15.1 hand Icelandic Gelding but he just sold to someone in SC.
There are big Icelandic's out there but you do have to look.

My 13.3 hand Fjord was 1100lbs and no fat on her. I know of some 15 hand Fjords and they are big, stout and could handle your DH weight.

The taller the horse, doesn't mean your legs won't hang down. I used to ride my friends 16.2 hand TB... felt like my legs where dragging the ground. This horse had a medium gullet saddle and a narrow build.
On my 12.3 Icelandic, I don't have that issue. Her Gullet flare would 13 1/4" wide! And she takes up my leg well.

What you need is a stout horse with a round barrel that will " Take up leg".
Draft crosses, the bigger Fjords... have a friend with a 15.2 hand Haflinger that looks like a mack truck...she is a seriously impressively big horse!!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

It does vary from horse to horse as to whether they can or will carry weight. I have seen very large horses sit down under much less weight than you mentioned and small horse soldier on.
I have foxtrotters and it's one of the first things mentioned in their breed standard is that they should be able to carry weight. It is frequently easier for a gaited horse to carry weight because they do not lift the person out of the saddle then have them coming back down on them. They do not have to lift the person up with each stride as at least one leg is always on the ground.
But your husband is very substantial and I think a half-draft, half gaited would be the good shot.
You will hear people talk about weight limits of 20 to 25% of the horses weight but this is not true for gaited horses especially. But this like most things is really an individual thing. The work a horse is expected to do would effect the amount of weight they should carry as well as the horses age. Frequently a horse of 8 or 9 will hold up better than a youngster as they have reached their most substantial amount of bone by then.
You need to consider the saddle your husand uses too- a saddle that has a larger surface area in contact with the horse's back will spread the weight out more but remember that saddle is weight the horse carries too.
Test riding the horse is going to be paramount in your case.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

My best friend is a horse trainer, and before he had Lap Band surgery he was huge (6'4", 350). He trains a lot of Police horses and most of them are draft crosses.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

I would also say look at some draft crosses. Try many, many (as in dozens, at least) horses before you decide which one to consider buying.


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## Qhorseman (Jul 9, 2010)

I have a Arab/Belgian cross, one of the best dispositions I have ever seen in a horse.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

So I should plan the barn stall/door heights/etc for an 18 HH horse just to be safe but we may not need a huge draft? There isn't really a perfect breed for us? 

Does it matter that DH is very proportional (not all leg)and isn't really fat- You would never guess he weighs as much as he does unless you were standing right next to him and looking up.


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## HorseGirl31 (Apr 7, 2010)

Haflinger?


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Ohh- Haflingers are really pretty! Off to read up on them, thanks!


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Draft cross with a short back would be my recommendation. Some have a smoother ride than others, so definitely test ride. Look for good hooves, a short, strong back and a rideable trot.

Some crosses turn out really unbalanced, so don't look at a couple of ugly ones and get turned off all the draft crosses. And by "some crosses" I don't mean some breed crosses, but some individual crosses. The roll of the genetic dice sometimes results in a not-so-smooth blend of draft and saddle horse; a draft head on a saddle horse neck, for example, is one of the more common flaws I see in draft crosses. Or a big, bulky draft torso and thin little saddle horse legs and feet. It's as though they didn't mix the ingredients thoroughly enough and some of the butter and some of the eggs stayed in "chunks" in the batter when they poured it into the pan.

A Percheron or Belgian crossed with a quarter horse or a TB can make a really nice mount. Not to say that other crosses aren't good also, but those are the ones I have had personal experience with and can recommend.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

One of the sweetest gentle giants I knew was a Clydsdale/Thoroughbred cross, about 16.3HH but STOUT with thick, heavy bone and large feet.

There are excellent excercises you can do to really strengthen ANY horse's back; which I would do for any horse prior to riding, but you would probably want to do alot of them for whatever horse you get your DH prior to riding. I usually put a horse through at least 6 weeks of consistant back-strengthening before I get on them.....a horse's back is not naturally made to carry weight. Their spine is specifically designed to carry weight UNDERNEATH itself! To support and carry the whole ribcage and abdomen.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Qhorseman said:


> I have a Arab/Belgian cross, one of the best dispositions I have ever seen in a horse.


"Ahhh! A leaf! Oh well, who cares..." LOL!


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Also, consider the rider's seat. A large person can have a very light seat, whereas his small friend just flops around up there...I'd rather have the large person with the quiet seat.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

I definitely agree with those that have said you need to be looking at the whole horse, not just the breed or just the height or just the weight. When you go looking you should be looking at three things first and foremost: 

Conformation -- It's not just about breeding quality or show standards or what looks pretty to the eye. Poorly conformed horses experience more stress in the joints that can lead to early breakdown. Does it always happen with a poorly put together horse? No. But choosing a well put together horse gets you off on the right foot, at least. 

Thickness of Build/Bone - You can take the thickest belgian in the world, breed it to a TB and end up with a foal with a huge body and little tiny pencil legs. And in the "leisure" market for horses a lot of the draft crosses end up this way. It's something you really want to stay away from. You want a horse with thick, substantial bone through the legs. 

Body Condition Scoring - Another thing you're going to see a lot of is people advertising horses that are "huge" and "built like a tank". But in reality all they are is obese. You need to know the difference between a fat horse and a fit horse with a good, thick build. You need to know what YOU are looking at because sellers will not be able to tell you. Most horse owners haven't a clue where to even start. Your DH needs a fit horse with ample muscle, not a horse that's bordering morbid obesity.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

laughaha said:


> So I should plan the barn stall/door heights/etc for an 18 HH horse just to be safe but we may not need a huge draft? There isn't really a perfect breed for us?


No.
In fact, most 18 HH "huge draft" horses are not built for carrying weight. You think "A big rider needs a big horse" But as olivehill and others have said, you have to look at the total conformation.

The biggest horses are built for pulling, not carrying. And this day and age, very few horses earn their oats plowing all day, so most of your drafts are actually bred (for the past 50 years) for parades and flash. 

There's no perfect breed and you can't even be looking at a strict size (ie; he's 6'9" and MUST have a 17HH mount) what you need is a short-backed horse with solid bone and rounder barrel who is well-muscled.
You will be surprised at the size of the horse that can do it. Watch some rodeo. Look at the size of the steer wrestlers and then the size of their horses. Proportionately, smaller horses can carry more weight (as a general rule)

Also important is if your DH rides. A well-balanced rider is easier for a horse to carry then someone who doesn't have a "feel" for it but is 100 pounds lighter. What I would do is go to the biggest stable around that offers lessons and get some. You'll learn a lot more then riding and find out if it's something you will both participate in enough to go all the way with. If you really love to ride, but he never really has but thinks it would be nice - what if you get this massive stout horse and he doesn't enjoy riding? Will you be comfortable?


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## olsonla (Dec 5, 2005)

If your DH is 6'9', then you would probably like somthing that LOOKS proportional... There is nothing wrong with riding Draft Horses (ESP Percherons!) Hopefully you see the link of the COngress that was held in IA in OCT. Western Pleasure and English class's both had 20+ entries, and they had all gaits judged. It sure is awsome to see 20+ 18 hand Percherons at a "lope" around the ring! 
Of course most "Hitch" horses prob not the best WP or trail type horses, but the thing with Draft horses, are they have NO written breed standard, so it is very easy to find drafts of all different types, and some breeders are starting to focus just on riding now... 

I also ride my guys around the farm all the time, usually just bare back. Just make sure if you become unseated, you have a log or stump to jump up on! Good LUck in your search, 

ps. Check out Draftsforsale.com for drafts and draft crosses! 

World Percheron Congress 2010 
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXurpSiyPaQ[/ame]

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.horsephotos.ca/&h=8d3b3 

Lori Volden
www.cannonvalleypercherons.com/


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## HorseGirl31 (Apr 7, 2010)

Where is the video of percherons cantering? I would LOVE to see that!


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

One thing I see a lot of up here is Fresian crosses. The Fresian is a big animal. I don't know much about horse breeds but you might research Fresian crosses.


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## rider (Feb 11, 2003)

I rode a draft cross at a lope bareback it was like sitting in a rocking chair amazing he didnt care to lope but it sure was a nice easy ride. cant say they are all like he was tho.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

This is our Hanovarian Stallion, ES Donavan. He is 17.1HH and is being ridden by a 6'1" woman. Modern warmbloods are bred warmblood to warmblood (or approved Thoroughbreds or Arabians sometimes), but the Warmblood breeds were developed 100's of yrs ago by breeding Draft type horses to hotter riding horses....


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

my dad 6'4 and big rode my 14.3 peruvian paso pony. I yas young and small and the darn thing was VERY VERY strong and dragging me around off the ground and bucking while I was in the saddle. My dad decided that the horse needed manners lessons so he rode her. She could walk and trot but not buck. Mind you he was slightly heavy for her but he didn't look too silly riding her because she was wide and his legs had to go around.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Thank you all very very much!! You've given me lots to think about and research. DH has never ridden (cuz of his size) but has always wanted to. He has a CR250R (big dirtbike) that he does trails/hill climbs/etc on but I'm not sure how that would translate to a good seat on a horse. 

JillCostelo- that horse is GORGEOUS!!
LonelyFarmGirl- Fresians are beautiful horses, but I've never seen one for under $10,000 and we don't want to pay anywhere near that for a horse. I've never seen a Freisan cross, will have to research that.
Olsonla- Thanks for the links. In the World Percheron Congress 2010- At 2:00 exactly there is a phenomenally stunning white horse in the western riding- is that a percheron??? I've never seen a mane or tail like that on a percheron before and it looks quite refined (bodywise).


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Draft/Quarter Horse or Draft/Morgan crosses would work. The height of the horse isn't as important as how wide they are- the wideness "takes up the rider's leg." The rule of thumb is a horse can carry 20-25% of it's weight in rider and tack.


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

I would avoid the 17+ hh horses if possible. You have to feed that giraffe, after all. Something around 16 hands should be easier to find, cheaper to feed, and as long as it has the short back, big barrel and good bone, should pack weight at least as well.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

The price tag on a fresian is exactly why there are so many crosses about. 
Add to that the fact that no purebred can be registered without being inspected by the association at 3 or 4 years old and the parameters are very strict.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

The farmers in the late 1800s and early 1900 found that a work horse was most efficient if he was in the 16 hand and 1600lb range. Much taller or heavier and he started requiring more feed to get the same amount of work out of him. Much smaller or lighter and he didn't have the weight to give him the traction needed to really dig in.

When it comes to packing around that much weight, I think you will find that a stout, conditioned, well-built horse in the same height/weight range will serve your husband well.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I second the thought of a more moderate sized horse with a sturdy build. I was taught oh so many years ago that any horse much over 15 hh actually was less efficient at carrying weight because their bones, tendons and muscles had to deal with their own weight as well as the rider. Of course a horse that is too small or lightly built will have balance issues with a big man, also you'll want a wide barrel so his legs don't hang. 

The other factor, which has been mentioned is conditioning. If the horse is fit and has a strong back it will do a lot better carrying weight.


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## Witterbound (Sep 4, 2007)

Here's an option....

http://fortsmith.craigslist.org/grd/2207589961.html


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

I would SOOOOO ride a longhorn!!!! Not too sure about DH though.


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## RedSonja (May 16, 2010)

Our Belgian mare is 16.2hh and 1600+ lbs. She's stocky rather than hitchy. My DH is 5'10" and 250lbs and they fit well, and she could accommodate plenty more in height and weight . There are non-hitchy drafts out there but you have to look for them.

The suggestion to take lessons first is a good one. Good way to make horse folk friends and learn about horses for sale that never get advertised.

-Sonja


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

From TheHorse.com:

Conformation analyst Deb Bennett, PhD, of the Equine Studies Institute, notes that the primary requirement of a riding horse is to bear a rider's weight on the freespan of his back without strain, and that certain conformational qualities can make that easier for the animal. In her well-regarded book Principles of Conformation Analysis, she offers the following wish-list for weight-carrying ability: 

â¢An excellent loin coupling--broad, short, smooth, and strong, yet flexible for coiling. The circumference about the loin and groin should be about the same as the heart-girth; 
â¢A short to medium-length back; 
â¢A neck set high on the shoulder, with a shallow vertebral curve at the base of the neck; 
â¢Moderately high withers, with a peak that lies well behind the horse's elbows; 
â¢A pelvis that constitutes at least 30% of the body length and slopes from 18-22 degrees; and 
â¢A total body weight of less than 1,450 pounds (658 kg). 
Bennett suggests that weight-carrying ability, as demonstrated by endurance horses and military trials, is primarily a function of body breadth, especially over the top of the loins, rather than a function of height. "Few tall horses--over 16 hands--are broad enough while at the same time staying within the ideal weight limit," she writes. "Potential soundness goes way down as weight exceeds 1,450 pounds (658 kg). Consistently, winners of the old military-style endurance rides were men mounted on broad-backed horses that were just tall enough to fit them." 

Interestingly, Bennett makes a case against massive size being the best criterion for weight-carrying capacity. "Draft horses (are not) particularly adapted to bearing weight; huge size does not confer weight-carrying ability. Although they have increased the animal's weight through selective breeding, draft-horse producers have been unable to obtain a proportional increase in bone," she writes. "No large draft horse possesses eight inches (20 cm) of bone (bone means the circumference of the forelimb measured just below the animal's carpus, or knee) per 1,000 pounds (454 kg) of weight; by this standard, a 2,000-pound (907-kg) drafter would have to have a 16-inch (40-cm) cannon/tendon circumference. Statistics instead show that modern draft horses average only five inches (12.7) of bone per 1,000 pounds, or 10 inches (25.4 cm) of bone on a 2,000-pound horse. This is fine, so long as the adult animal is never expected to work at suspended gaits, but does most of his work at a walk. 

"However, since suspension--thrusting the body clear of the ground--is a necessary quality in riding horses that trot or canter, they cannot be massive and be expected to remain sound." 

Her opinions are borne out by historians, who tell us that the mounts of medieval knights were not the towering Shire-type beasties we envision, but stocky, short-ish equines averaging about 15 to 15.2 hands. 

The type of horse Bennett has described in her wish-list might indeed be the sturdiest, soundest animal in terms of weight-carrying ability, and that's an important consideration if you're a man who's six feet five inches tall, weighs upwards of 250 pounds (113.4 kg), and intends to ride the length and breadth of South America, averaging 50 miles (80.5) a day, without stopping. It might even be your most important criterion if you're a 150-pound (68-kg) woman who intends to foxhunt two or three times a week in all sorts of terrain, and expects to be out for five to six hours at every meet. 

But fortunately for the vast variety of horse types and breeds out there, humans have all sorts of uses for horses, not all of which require superior weight-carrying ability. Become a skillful and well-balanced rider and show consideration for your horse's limitations, and with any luck your horse will never have to seriously test his weight-carrying ability--or, as Gellman says, "vote with his feet."


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)




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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> From TheHorse.com:
> 
> Conformation analyst Deb Bennett, PhD, of the Equine Studies Institute, notes that the primary requirement of a riding horse is to bear a rider's weight on the freespan of his back without strain, and that certain conformational qualities can make that easier for the animal. In her well-regarded book Principles of Conformation Analysis, she offers the following wish-list for weight-carrying ability:
> 
> ...


Excellent article, Lisa. Thank you for posting it.


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