[2DogsFarm]

Non-riders have no idea what is involved in riding a horse that is not part of a livery string.

I am having some work done on my house and the very nice contractor just asked me if I could "teach him to ride".
This guy weighs at least 300# and has bad knees.
I told him my reliable lesson horse is now retired (in all honesty I wouldn't put that much unbalanced weight on Vern) and the other one is not beginnner-safe.
Hopefully, end of discussion.

Maybe your possible BF just wants to get close to a horse?

When push comes to shove around here, I just put the wannabe on Vern, with a helmet, on the longe line. Vern has the patience of Job with ground-zero riders.
Walking is all most end up wanting, but the few who ask for more are generally ready to say Uncle after a short trot.

[Catersun]

Sounds like a good response - humane but realistic. Better to be clear now (but do show interest in the guy, even if you can't let him ride, so as to get the ball rolling in case he IS a catch!). I've been married five years and I'm still having trouble clarifying with my husband why exactly he can't get on my gelding that randomly spooks and bucks.

Maybe try clarifing why he's welcome to get on.. but would most likely not Stay on the horse LOL Mir made it very clear to Mr. Catersun that he was welcome to date and marry me... but he would not EVER be riding her.

I should add that Mr. Catersun came with Horsemanship vs 5.1.2 installed.

[flypony74]

Cut the dude some slack. He was just trying to show some interest in your hobby and make conversation in what has got to be an awkward situation.

Just smile and tell you that you'd love for him to meet your horse, and if he is genuinely interested in riding, you'll be glad to find a suitable mount for him and give him a few pointers. It's not a big deal.

[GoForAGallop]

Cut the dude some slack. He was just trying to show some interest in your hobby and make conversation in what has got to be an awkward situation.

Agreed. That's what people DO when they first meet...they try to make conversation about whatever topics have been presented to you. Were you a skier, I'm sure the comment would have been something like "Maybe you can take me up on the mountain someday!" or someone really interested in pottery "Maybe you can show me how to work the wheel sometime."

Does he really want to ride/ski/make pots? No, probably not, but he's just making conversation. Once you guys figure out more stuff to talk about it probably won't ever be brought up again.

Yeah, horses are an expensive hobby and a lot of work and we don't want that messed up. But for god's sake it wasn't like he told you "Oh, I used to be the only one able to ride this 21 hand black stallion when I was a kid, without any saddle or bridle, and he listened just to my voice and we won races and jumped Olympic size courses." Then I'd be worried. Seriously, it was one sentence.

Plus, he shouldn't even be seeing the horse until several dates in, as hopefully you'll meet in a public place the first few times. And by then you can explain things to him.

Not to burst any bubbles, but if I were on a website like that and got a blown-outta-proportion response like that, I'd write ya off as crazy and move on to the next person with some knowledge about horses that I didn't really need.