H&H looks into the issue of being suitably mounted, after the Swedish federation says it does not recommend limits
RIDER weight limits have come under the spotlight again as it is agreed multiple factors should be considered when matching horses and riders – and that weight discussions should be approached carefully with young people.
The Swedish equestrian federation spoke out, following reports in the Swedish media. It does not recommend weight limits at riding schools, “for the good of horse and person”, and said weight limits go against Sweden’s national sports confederation’s guidelines for children and youth sports.
The federation said horse welfare “must always be central”, but that matching horses and riders is more complex than rider weight, and should be based on factors including horse breed and size, the horse’s training, rider ability and the riding activity.
“It is important to consider this overall picture,” the federation’s secretary general Johan Fyrberg told H&H.
“Most people at Swedish riding schools are young girls, a group where weight is often a sensitive subject. As a sport,
we should not contribute to the issue, as it could have serious consequences such as eating disorders. Instructors can match rider and horse fine without publicly pointing out a rider’s weight.”
Mr Fyrberg said the stance is “not new” and that most coaches “handle this very well”.
“But after the subject was raised, we chose to be extra explicit with our recommendations,” he said. Rider weight has been increasingly discussed in the UK, and last year the suitably mounted working group was formed to tackle incompatible horse-rider combinations.
Researcher Tamzin Furtado, one of the group’s founders, told H&H it is “excellent” to see the Swedish federation considering mental health.
“I agree some weight limits can be misleading for example, poli
