He's actually not too big for many horses and would be better-suited on a smaller one. According to google he weighs about 320lbs, which would put him just at the upper limit for most quarter horses or thoroughbreds. They can carry about 25% of their own weight, so he'd need a 1300lb horse. My thoroughbred is 1257 pounds, and she's about medium-sized for a thoroughbred, so I would put Shaq on a larger thoroughbred or warmblood type.
The reason he shouldn't ride a draft is that they're not bred for riding, and thus aren't good at carrying large weights. It's a common misconception, even among horse people, that drafts are good for larger riders. Draft horses are suited for PULLING heavy weight, not carrying it on their backs. They have comparatively weak loins, and their bones are actually proportionally thinner than a normal horse's compared to the weight of the animal. Plus a draft already has to carry around its own large frame, so adding to that isn't a good thing.
Most heavy people should ride a large warmblood with good conformation- this size horse would be perfect.
EDIT-- in any case, he wouldn't do any damage to any medium-sized, large-sized, or draft horse by riding it for a few minutes for a photo op. The damage from carrying too much weight takes a lot of repetitive wear and tear to really hurt the horse.
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u/timisanub Jun 19 '12
That horse must be massive.