Verity Perrott MSc Veterinary Physiotherapist

24/08/2025

Why is Pilates so beneficial for riders? It’s about CONTROL! Joseph Pilates called his method Contrology: the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit, achieved through conscious control over every movement. Without the ability to accurately manage your own movement on the ground, how can you expect to give clear instructions / aides when mounted?

31/05/2025

Be fair to your horse, do the maths…

𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼.

Now we know this is not always a comfortable topic to discuss, but it is an important one for animal welfare.

The old rule of thumb is that a rider can weigh a maximum of 20% of a horse's body weight.

However, a 2019 study found riders exceeding 15% of the horse's body weight (17% if including tack weight) caused the horses to become temporarily lame and/or have significant behavioural signs of musculoskeletal pain, when ridden for 30 minutes of walk, trot and canter work.

Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that 15% should be the maximum rider weight limit, especially if asking for a significant amount of trot and canter work. It is also important to remember that this must be calculated from a horse's ideal weight. An overweight horse cannot carry any more weight than it would if it were a healthy condition. For example, for a 500kg horse with a healthy body condition score, the maximum rider weight would be 75kg (85kg including tack). It is worth noting that a heavier saddle will reduce the rider weight that a horse can take.

It is also important to consider the size of horse required to match the saddle size required by the rider. A saddle's length should never extend past the horse's last thoracic vertebra (last rib), and it is not acceptable to compromise on this to allow for the rider. Therefore, we must ensure to ride an appropriate size horse to allow a correct saddle seat size for our shape, weight and height.

Note - the above study acknowledges that the results are not necessarily applicable to walk only exercise (e.g. walking hacks), as significant concerns were only seen at trot and canter.

𝗦𝗼, 𝗹𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲.

To read the study, please go to: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eve.13085 #:~:text=The%20conclusions%20and%20clinical%20relevance,bodyweight%20and%2For%20weight%20distribution.

25/04/2025

*** RIDER WEIGHT ***

I’ve kept quiet about this topic for a while now, but after seeing some very upsetting photos of riders who are very clearly far too heavy for the horses they are on, I feel I need to speak up again.

It is a PRIVILEGE to ride a horse; not your right.

It is not ok to ride a horse you are far too heavy for because it helps your mental health. I absolutely understand that medical conditions, combined with many different medications, cause weight gain and an inability to lose it, however hard some people try. So ride a horse that is a suitable size for you. I also absolutely agree that we shouldn’t be publicly shaming someone on social media for being very obviously too heavy for their horse, but it is just as bad to state that said rider looks absolutely fine on the horse, when they visibly are very clearly too heavy.

The 20% rule is far too generous, but it’s a start. You shouldn’t weigh more than 20% of your horse’s ideal body weight when fully dressed to ride and holding your saddle.

Horses can’t speak, so we need to be their voice. It’s not ok to be several stone too heavy for the horse you are riding. And no, “riding light” doesn’t decrease what the scales show, or the load you are placing right in the middle of your horse’s back.

Riders are meant to be athletes. Riding is a sport.

More to come I’m afraid, as the photos have really upset me.

17/02/2025

Congratulations to Harry Fry Racing, fantastic performance from Altobelli 👏 🏆 👏

21/01/2025

What a weekend for Harry Fry Racing, so proud to play my part In their success 👏 👏

Our Winter Millions Winners 👑

🏆 Gidleigh Park | £75,000 Lightning Novices' Chase
🏆 Altobelli | £30,000 Holloway's Handicap Hurdle
🏆 Idaho Sun | £40,000 National Hunt Flat Race

Thanks everyone for all the lovely messages. Weekends like the last don't come around all that often in this game with a small team so we'll be enjoying it for a few more days to come.

A superb effort from the whole team at Higher Crockermoor 🙏

Royal Windsor Racecourse | Ascot Racecourse | Grosvenor Sport

28/11/2024

More good news today - thishorse had an unusual injury to his sesamoidean ligament and tendon sheath. He has had a course of Indiba alongside careful management by his owners and the vet is very happy with progress.
If you would like to discuss Indiba or need guidance on your rehab journey with your horse, DM me HELPanimalhealth.uk

13/10/2024

Indiba RF therapy has proved a valuable tool, in the last five years, I have treated:

- fractures ✅
- splints ✅
- tendon injuries ✅
- osteoarthritis ✅
- back pain ✅
- neck pain ✅
- fibrotic myopathy ✅
- PSD ✅
- haematoma ✅

Plus much more … if you think your horse might benefit from this scientifically proven therapy, get in touch. Indiba is INCLUDED in my standard physiotherapy treatment (no extra charges or hidden costs!)