Are You Ready To Buy Your First Horse?

Owning your own horse will take a fair amount of time and effort and money. You need to be prepared to spend more time on looking after the horses needs rather than actually riding the horse. You will need to spend time on a daily basis to supply food and fresh water, and a general check up. If you plan to ride your horse regularly you will also need to spend the time and energy keeping your horse fit and healthy to ride. You have to remember that you will most likely need to wait for the farrier, vet, dentist when you have appointments. When you do ride it takes time to catch, groom and saddle your horse as well as finishing with a cool down and wash.

Are you ready financially to Buy Your First Horse?

Owning a horse can cost a lot, with the initial expenses and the ongoing expenses. Buying the horse is just one of the many initial expenses you may face, others include transport, tack, feed bins and rugs. The key ongoing expenses are generally livery or boarding, farrier, vets, vaccinations, worming, feeding, repairs and replacements to saddlery.

Buy a First Horse Thats Suitable For You



First things first, decide on what you will be wanting the horse for. Be realistic on your riding experience, would you know how to deter your new horse from rearing if he started to develop this habit? What about when your horse refuses to turn left in a pace faster than a walk(this can develop with a combination of untrained rider and untrained horse). Generally for a first horse you will want an older more reliable horse. Young horses are still learning and therefore develop bad habits easily, and having less world experience can be easily spooked at new sights and sounds.
The most important aspect to look for in a horse is the temperament and training and experience of the individual horse. Some breeds ie draft horses and quarter horses are known to be gentle and quiet while Arabians and Thoroughbreds are known to be flighty and spooky. This is a generalisation and there are still exceptions among breeds. When choosing the color of the horse leave this as a last option, when you have a number of suitable trained and good tempered horses only then choose by color. Try to buy for your height if you are too big for a horse not only will it look funny but it may develop problems with the back.

Where to Look to Buy Your First Horse

Word of mouth is the best way to find a horse. People that have seen that horse are not likely to refer a naughty, ill-educated horse-with exceptions. Avoid auctions at all costs many problems can be disguised temporarily and you do not get a trial option, or even see and handle and ride the horse yourself. Notice boards often are good options for local searches, check out the saddlery, pony club and riding school notice boards for possible horses. Most equestrian magazines also have a classifieds section and check out the internet.

When Looking into Buying Your First Horse



Have your list written down for what you need in your horse and what you would like
and what you do not want with you before you call. Also have a list of questions you need answers to before you go to look. Some questions that are important include
Why are you selling the horse?
How old is the horse?
What is the horses temperament?
How high is the horse?
How much does the horse cost? Are tack and rugs included in the price?
Is the horse a mare, stallion or gelding?
What color is the horse?
How experienced is the horse?
Does the horse have any injuries(past or present)?
Has the horse got any vices(bad habits)?
Does the horse have any conformation faults?
How is the horse out hacking
What about near traffic
And alone?
And in company?
How does the horse behave with other horses, both when
ridden and turned out?

If the horse is fitting your criteria over the phone then it is time to schedule an appointment to visit the horse. It is important that you take someone more knowledgeable then yourself on horses and with some horse buying experience as a guide or a second opinion. If you do not know anyone try asking a riding instructor but you may have to pay them in some cases. When you get there make sure you get to see the owner catch, lead tie, groom, pick up all hooves, saddle and ride the horse. If it misbehaves with the owner it may not be worth riding it yourself. Ask your second opinion person to ride it if it looks safe, let them put it through the paces. If you both feel safe and confident then you should have a try-after all you will be planning to use it.

Does the horse respond easily? Is it comfortable to ride? Does the horse listen when you ask for a halt or to slow down? Does it stand still when you do halt?



Remember not to Buy Your First Horse on impulse, be patient and look at all the options available. If you like a horse take a few days to think about it and try to get a trial first to really check if you are compatible with the horse. Go for the experienced horse it will be a far pleasanter ride in the long run. And try to get hands on experience doing everything you would do with your horse before you buy one and bring it home. Read all you can on looking after horses and arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before you Buy Your First Horse. I have chosen five books below that will help you become the best horse owner you can be.