Healing Reins of Kentucky, Inc. (HR) will adhere to the following guidelines when making decisions regarding rider weight. Each guideline is in place so that every member of the team (horse, rider and volunteer) may have a safe experience. Horse health, rider’s weight distribution, rider’s ability to dismount without hurting the horse and each volunteer’s ability to safely assist a rider are all very important considerations. Rider will be weighed on-site at intake or first lesson or when deemed
necessary during a session.
- Each horse will be evaluated as an individual and assigned a maximum carrying weight.
- Considerations will be made for age and health/soundness.
- Each rider will be evaluated as an individual. Considerations will be made for rider’s height, range of motion, balance and ability to dismount independently.
- Each team will be evaluated to ensure that an appropriate volunteer/instructor is available to complete all emergency procedures including an emergency dismount.
In general the following rider height to weight ratios will be followed:
Rider Height Maximum Weight
Under 5’0” tall 150 lbs.
5’ to 5’6” tall 175 lbs.
5’7” to 6’ tall 200 lbs.
6’1” to 6’5” tall 250 lbs.
The maximum amount of weight each horse can carry is determines using the following formula:
- 20% of the horse’s weight minus the weight of tack minus 10 pounds for degrees of unbalanced rider movement. (Unbalanced rider movement is determined through instructor observation while rider is mounted and thorough balance exam while non-mounted.) Other considerations are: observation of equine movement while carrying weight, and veterinary input.
- Each horse has a maximum number of lessons they may participate in per week. Therefore the number of horses available to carry higher weights may be limited.
- If, after an evaluation by at least two HR staff members, a rider is determined to be over the weight limit of any available HR horse, the participant has the option to participate in other HR programs, such as therapeutic horsemanship.
Riders may be asked to weigh-in on Healing Reins scales at any point during their sessions.