Choosing A Horse That's Right for You (aka Won't Kill You)

To help you decide if owning a horse is right for you, you should invest some time in making sure this is the right hobby for you. Horses are a lot of work and it's not all daisies and lollipops. Stalls need the manure mucked out everyday, geldings have sheathes that need cleaned and you can find some nasty stuff lodged in a hoof.
Find a local facility that offers riding lessons. Look for a place that lets you get involved with all different levels of horse ownership, from saddling to grooming and, of course, riding. Need help finding a place that offers lessons? Try EquineNow.

You'll also want to make sure you're familiar with the different types of tack that you'll require for the riding discipline that you choose. If you decide to go western, this website might be helpful: http://www.western-saddle-guide.com. If you decide to go English, try this one:
http://horses.about.com/library/blpartsofsaddle.htm
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Make sure to keep your tack clean and organized.
Tack can be very expensive to purchase and replace. Since you're just getting into the sport, I would recommend using eBay to start your tack collection - it's a great place to get good deals on tack!!!

Make sure you choose a good large animal veterinarian. This is someone that, at a minimum, you'll have annual contact with about your horse's health. Vets are not cheap, and for large animals, they'll usually charge a farm call fee.

You'll also need a good farrier. You'll want a reliable farrier. Many are notorious for being late or unreliable. Look at your local farm supply store for advertisements for farriers or ask the person who you've been taking lessons from.

Once you have the basics down, you'll want to decide exactly what it is you want to do with this horse hobby. Are you a competitive person that likes speed and excitement? If so, timed events (barrel racing or roping) may be for you. Are you competitive, but like the classier side of horses? If so, then you may consider English or Western showmanship. Are you young enough to have the opportunity to participate in 4-H? If so, this is a great place to start to get a wide variety of experience on all different levels. Do you like just hanging out, camping and enjoying nature? Then trail riding sounds like its right up your alley.

Once you determine what you want to do, then it will determine the type of horse you want to buy. The more specialized you get, the more expensive the horse you will buy. Good, competitive show horses can costs tens of thousands of dollars. But solid trail horses can be won for just two to three thousand.

If you're into trail riding, this is a great website to find trails near you: http://www.horsetraildirectory.com/.

Depending on what activity you plan with your horse will determine the type of horse that you buy. Ask around at your riding stable for the horse that you've determined you need. Farriers and veterinarians can also be great references!

Look at different horse shopping websites. My personal favorite is DreamHorse.com - there are great ways for you to search by breed, location, discipline, price range and much more!! You may also want to consider the following websites:
Equine.com
Horsetopia.com
HorseClassifieds.com

As a beginning rider, make sure you that you pick a horse that is relatively "bomb proof." A horse that will be patient with you as you learn and will help guide you. Most of the time, this will mean an older horse (~10 years) with lots of experience and a wide variety of riders. I would recommend not purchasing a horse older than 17 years old because you could shortly thereafter encounter health problems that will cost you time and money and will take away from your focus of developing as a horseman. Always remember the old adage: "You get what you pay for!"

Once you've found a horse that fits the description you're looking for, don't be afraid to contact the seller and ask all of the questions that you're wondering. Don't try to purport yourself as an experienced horseman if you're not - often times, a seller is trying to find a buyer that's a match for their horse as much as the buyer is trying to find a horse that's a match for them! If the seller understands your situation and this is your first horse, they'll help you along in finding a match that's right for you. Trust your instincts - there are many "horse traders" that are just in for the money and will try to sell you anything. Most of the time, you can recognize these people by the demeanor, just as the same as you would recognize a sleazy used car dealer.

When you decide that you want to physically see the horse for yourself, set up a time when you can go and try out the horse yourself. Tell the seller that you'd like to ride the horse and give it a try. Make sure that you see the horse being caught in the pasture/stall, watch it being groomed and saddled and look for any quirks that the horse might have. Have the seller ride it first!! If the horse is fresh or not as experienced as the seller claims, it could be dangerous for a novice to jump right up there. Have the seller ride the horse around, so you can see how the horse moves at all of its different gaits: the walk, trot and canter. If you've chosen a specific event to compete in, this might also be a good time for the seller to show you how the horse performs in that event. Once you've watched the seller show the horse off, now it's your turn to get on and see how well you fit together. Ride the horse around and don't be afraid to try everything out. Make sure you back the horse up, ride in all three gaits in both directions and see how easy the horse is to generally get along with. Some sellers will allow you to take the horse home and "test drive" it for several days. If you do this, make sure that the levels of responsibility in the event of an accident are clearly outlined in advance.

Once you've found a horse that you're ready to purchase, I would highly recommend having your vet check it out before purchasing. Have the vet watch the horse move at different gaits and check the hooves and mouth. Make sure that the vet determines the condition of the horse as "sound."
Another option that you have that might help you ease into horse ownership is leasing. Take a look at this website if this is something that you might be interested in: http://www.equusite.com/articles/basics/basicsLeasing.shtml.

Most horses do not come with a "return policy." However, there are many understanding sellers that don't want their horses to be paired up with an unlikely match any more than you do. Ask all these questions before buying the horse!

If you get the horse home and it turns out to be a bad bucker or maybe has health problems, then you might want to consider talking to the seller about returning it. However, if the problem is that the horse is difficult to control or doesn't like your new facility, the problem may be more with the owner than the horse.

Make sure you ask ALL of these questions before buying the horse.