why is there a weight limit for horseback riding?
112514
Because it can break the horse's back?  :-)    … But seriously, because it can eventually cause arthritis and other serious complications for the horse.   The horse may even downright refuse the load (i.e. not wanna go anywhere and/or tire much sooner on the trail and fail to keep up with the group).    Not to mention, it would be potentially very dangerous for a "weekend rider" of his size to fall off a horse, especially since it would be tougher for him to fit in the saddle safely.  Besides, usually the heavier you are the harder you fall too.   …Who knows, this may prove to be the incentive that your "man" needs to take better care of his health and eventually get to enjoy more of life's pleasures like horseback riding, etc.   Let's hope so.
1031241
Usually an odd number, whatever suits the horse, long neck = less plaits, short neck = more plaits. thin neck, set them high, thick neck set them low. White tape is optional - but not in fashion at mo
450283
you can use them for riding small horses
211916
Here's your answer:\nhttp://saddlezone.com/html-top/saddle_history.htm\n\nEvolved from the Spanish saddle.  I think that it was completely impractical to use an English saddle (and ride English) style for long-distance rides, for shooting, for lasso-ing...  So came along neck-reigning, the saddle horn, and NO POSTING!
590005
They usually aren't. I've seen horses in the wild break a leg, heal up, and survive without human intervention. But it depends on the fracture. If the skin is broken, infection is the biggest danger. It is very difficult to treat bone infection in a horse, and that is the major cause of death in bone fractures. The second danger is laminitis. In nature, the horse carries his weight on the center of the foot, called the frog, and the foot bone directly above it called the coffin bone. Horseshoers have a bad habit of trimming the frog too short so the horse carries his weight on the outer edge of the foot where the shoe is. When the horse is standing for long periods of time on three legs, the connection between the outer hoof and the coffin bone is stressed and can break down. This can result in the coffin bone coming loose in the hoof and cutting through the bottom of the hoof, a condition called founder. This is big cause of death in a seriously injured horse. One big consideration is how the horse will be after healing. If a horse will have a significant limp, or be very arthritic, it is more humane to end his suffering right away. Often, tendons and ligaments are torn. A severed tendon is very difficult to heal. Ligaments will often heal eventually, but it is a long painful process. The horse can be put in a sling, like Swaps was, to keep weight off the leg. This requires that the horse be very cooperative. Often, the injured horse can't mentally take the stress of treatment. Forcing a high-strung athlete in training to suddenly stand quietly in a small stall for months can be torture in and of itself. Horses like Boitron have survived leg amputations and been fitted with an artificial leg. Most often, what I have seen, is that the decision is financial. How much will it cost to save the horse, versus what he will be worth if he survives. Racehorses are usually insured, so if it is put down the owner can take the money and buy another horse. The track vet is usually too eager to put a horse down. A friend of mine had a horse break his knee badly. The vet wanted to put the horse down on the track. The owner refused, and the vet insisted it had to be done. After the owner threatened to sue the vet, the owner was allowed to take the horse home alive. After a year of careful nursing by the owner, the horse not only survived without veterinary treatment but returned to racing and won.
891943
If you are sitting and doing barspins then there is your problem.\n\nMost stunts are done at a relatively low speed while standing on the pedals. The saddle is only used for balance.
1107496
My 10 yr old is in love with equestrian activities.  As a mom I was very nervous allowing her to ride on horses.  She started out on a pony and he gave her more problems, he bucked her off, the only thing that got hurt was her pride (but boy was I scared, I was ready to stop all lessons, sell her equipment and be done with it)  Her trainer has put her on the most gentle mare, after seeing the poor relationship that had developed between her and the pony.  She and this horse have jumped hurdles, gone on cross country trails, worked on dressage moves. \nSo, I say all that to say that while it does have it's dangers, just as football, hockey etc have their own inherent dangers, if you love the sport, you usually form a love relationship with your horse and it and you become a team,  It is a beautiful thing to watch young girls work with these strong beasts.  The dangers of broken bones, possible concussions or worse are probably less than with football, hockey, soccer, etc. since you stay up on your horse 99 % of the time.  And you don't have someone else coming at you to stop you from going to the goal.
633142
horse back riding. It frees the mind and body at the same time.
14530
horseback riding...by far. I am a nature luver. ^_^
583318
Gosh, I have done both.  I love a nice exhilarating horse ride.  OMGosh, I like so have a story for this (As if you didn't suspect).  One time I was on a horse (Her name was Goldie) and she was getting up there in years and didn't like to be rid when she didn't want to be rid.  Well, one time I got her all saddled up with a great deal of trouble.  That should have been my first clue.  She kept bloating out her stomach so the saddle wouldn't stay on.  Any ways, finally got her saddled and I saddle up.  I turned to talk with my friend that was on his horse and she (Goldie) took off towards the barn in a full gallop.  As she turned the corner to enter her stall, she slid on the mud - it had just rained, I loved to go out in the spring after a rain - and her legs came out from under her and splat she went down on her side.  I of course being 11 was nearly buried in the muck with this horse on top of me.  Well, she righted herself and walked into her stall and I lay there stinking to the high heavens covered in mud.  I never rode her again when she bloated her stomach out.  \n\nI have ridden a Harley before too.  Actually I owned a sportster version.  I loved to take it out on hot days to cool off.  So, would I rather do one or the other?  If the horses stomach is bloated, jump on the Harley.  If not, then take the horse.
896328
Women who ride horses are generally fitter than most because they are quite active.  When you are fit and active, you lose body fat.  It's not because they are riding horses, it';s because they are doing exercise while they are riding horses.
381641
Yes it is safe if you get a good horse that is "bomb proof" which means does not get spooked at any thing. Most horses that are rented out are that way, and are used to all sorts of things without spooking.\nPRactice an "emergency dismount" a few times.\nIt is where you grab the horse around the neck with both arms and swing down to the ground quickly. It is the first thing you should learn about horseback riding and is used when you have to get off fast if the horse becomes uncontrollable.\nWhat happened to Superman is a freak accident.\nHe was jumping in the woods. That can be dangerous but you won't be doing that.\nStay in a riding ring with a group.
158417
I dont know if this will help you, but I live in Fairbanks and I have never heard of limitations as to how far you can ride..People here ride everywhere
597407
It has nothing to do with the number of the horse.  The numbers, or positions at the start, are drawn randomly.\n\nThe handicapper increases the weight an individual horse has to carry to slow him down, so that at the end of the race, there is the possibility of a photo finish.\n\nIf the handicapper weighted the horses correctly, every horse will hit the finish line at the same time.\n\nThis is usually not the case, because they do not take into account luck, heart, and how each horse is feeling on race day.
474865
I don't think there is a maximum legal horsepower... after all, there's the Bugatti Veyron, and that has 1,001 horse or something and it's still street legal - there are many other factors to it!
302772
Alot. Jump on a horse and see. Its the only way to find out.
1110259
The horse is transferring energy to the weight (i.e., doing work). Power is the rate at which the work is being done; power=energy/time. \n\nWhen the weight is released, potential is converted to kinetic energy. When the weight hits, the energy can go in a variety of ways:\n1) The noise of the impact carries away energy in the form of sound waves.  These quickly dissipate as heat.\n2) If something breaks, surface energy is created and dissipated as heat. You could consider this as the amount of work required to separate a solid object into pieces.\n3)If the floor flexes under the weight of the load, it stores energy  as a spring.\n4) Permanent deformations absorb energy as work done on the material and dissipate it as heat.\n5) there's probably more, but that should give you the general idea.