Thoughts on who to put novice OH on for hacks?

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OH is 6'3'' and 15 stone, want to get him coming for some little rides with me over the summer, he wants to ride Badger but I'm thinking Caffrey would be more sensible?

Caffrey - 16 hands MW but has plenty of bone, very safe/sensible, OH has ridden him before, was fine but struggled with trotting because he's got a really big bouncy trot. (hurt his balls a lot I think! )

Badger - 16.3 MW again good bone but not as much as Caff. Fairly sensible but not used to novice riders and lots of things make him jump! Sure would be fine but not 100% confident like with Caff! OH things he'd find it easier because Badger has a more "normal" trot.

Thoughts?? I'm a bit worried he'll squash Caffrey a bit but figure he'll survive a few little hacks? Or should I just let him ride Badger if that's what he wants and hope for the best?
 
Starbucks said:
OH is 6'3'' and 15 stone, want to get him coming for some little rides with me over the summer, he wants to ride Badger but I'm thinking Caffrey would be more sensible?

Caffrey - 16 hands MW but has plenty of bone, very safe/sensible, OH has ridden him before, was fine but struggled with trotting because he's got a really big bouncy trot. (hurt his balls a lot I think! )

Badger - 16.3 MW again good bone but not as much as Caff. Fairly sensible but not used to novice riders and lots of things make him jump! Sure would be fine but not 100% confident like with Caff! OH things he'd find it easier because Badger has a more "normal" trot.

Thoughts?? I'm a bit worried he'll squash Caffrey a bit but figure he'll survive a few little hacks? Or should I just let him ride Badger if that's what he wants and hope for the best?
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Best of both worlds - start off on Caffey, then work up to badger.

We let my OH have a lesson on Vardi which went ok, but as he is not used to Novice riders he got a bit confuddled as he was doing exactly what Novice OH was telling him to.... unfortunately spanking fast trot due to gripping up in a 20 metre round pen did rather induce a "wall of Death" effect.

We decided that OH could try Vardi again when he was a little more subtle in his riding.
 
Chavhorse said:
Best of both worlds - start off on Caffey, then work up to badger.

We let my OH have a lesson on Vardi which went ok, but as he is not used to Novice riders he got a bit confuddled as he was doing exactly what Novice OH was telling him to.... unfortunately spanking fast trot due to gripping up in a 20 metre round pen did rather induce a "wall of Death" effect.

We decided that OH could try Vardi again when he was a little more subtle in his riding.
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Haha, that sounds quite funny! That's the think I can see Badger ended up galloping off into the sunset if he gets a bit confused! Think he'll have to just buy some more suitable underwear and try harder with his up-downs on Caffrey. ;)
 
From my point of view, This is a very personal question and the answer would depend
on how well you and hubby get on and if he would listen to reason.
If he were my darling hubby, I would insist he takes the safer horse until he is a more experienced horseman (because I love him so much and hate the thought of him & Badger accidentally coming to grief)
To become a better horseman, he has to learn how to trot properly on any horse.....
but being a female , I do not know if this is possible ? ;)
but I do know my father, brothers, and husband can ride any horse regardless of trot type.
,
Caffey probably would be ok for a few short, quiet hacks - hopefully.
Hope you have some great replies here to help you decide
All the best,
Teg :)
 
My very novice OH rides my rising 6yo competition mare because she is the only horse we have who behaves well enough with him, she plays me up sometimes and can be quite cheeky, but out on hacks with him, and me on one of my sisters horses she's angelic and really looks after him. She's never had a novice on her before he rode her, and he only rode her because our usual 'safe and sensible anybody can ride' horse decided to act up with him, so had an emergency swap 10 mins into our ride.
You don't know till you try, maybe let him have a ride in an arena or something on Badger and see how it goes? I would never have let my OH ride Lily under normal circumstances, but it's actually turned out to be the best solution.
 
Don't know if this would make a difference but I had a lesson several months ago and the instructor told me to sit on my coccyx, not my **** as it will give me a better riding position.

Several red faces later...

Well knock me over with a well aimed horseshoe - my man bits don't get squashed anymore and I've got much better balance now - especially when my boy gets confused or annoyed and throws a buck in... Could get him to try that on Caffrey.

BTW used to have a shire X on loan and boy do I know where he's coming from. The kick from the back end every time he took a step in trot never mind canter...
 
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