Remi Bader, a TikTok star with over 2 million followers, blasted a small horse ranch in Montauk for telling her she was above the weight limit to ride their horses. “Shoutout to Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk for making me leave because I weigh over 240,” said Bader in her TikTok rant.
The video Bader posted currently has over 1.6 million views and is ripe with commenters harassing the small business, but many noted the potential negative health side effects on the horse carrying obese riders.
Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk, New York claims to be “the oldest cattle ranch in the U.S.” and offers horse rides along the beach as well as pony classes for children. Montauk, where Bader was vacationing and complaining about her inability to take a beachside horse ride, is part of the exclusive Hamptons and boasts a median home price of $1.7 million.
The internet is ripe with research and experts advising weight limits for horse riders. The National Riding Stables Horse Rescue, non-profit organization, notes advice from Dr. Deb Bennett, PhD, who says, “Total weight of rider plus tack must not exceed 250 lbs. There is no horse alive, of any breed, any build, anywhere, that can go more than a few minutes with more weight on its back than this. Not even the U.S. Army ever packed a mule heavier than this.“
John Cardillo, a conservative commentator who owns, raises, and trains performance horses, spoke to The Post Millennial about the risks of an individual over 240 pounds riding a horse saying, “You could cause internal injuries to the horse, you can cause spinal injuries to the horse.
Cardillo spoke on the actions of Deep Hollow Ranch is receiving for not allowing Bader to ride saying, “It’s good horsemanship on the part of the owners to keep a morbidly obese person off the horse. This woman is morbidly obese, she has no place on the back of a horse just because she wants to feel good about herself. The ranch is 100 percent right, they’re looking out for their horses.”
“The horse should not have to endure this woman’s poor life choices,” added Cardillo. Remi Bader has been open on social media about having binge eating disorder.
The controversy with Bader follows a concerted effort over the last few years for obese individuals to be viewed as ‘healthy.’ Last year, Cosmopolitan called obesity ‘healthy’ during the height of the pandemic. Later in the year, they promoted plus-size ‘wellness’ despite COVID-19 obesity risks.
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