Buying a Horse? Some Things You Need to Think About

Being a long time lover of both horses and the internet, I have read many horror stories of people who bought a horse without knowing what they were doing and both they and the horse suffered for it. Did you go out and buy a car and start driving it without learning about cars and how to drive them? You wouldn't think of it! Yet, every day people go out and buy horses thinking, "we'll learn as we go."

Please, please, please educate yourself as much as possible before buying your horse. There's so much more to keep horses than dogs or cats! Read lots of books and take some riding lessons. Join a local horse club and go to meetings, and visit some online discussion forums.

Next, you need to consider the expense of owning a horse. Buying the horse is the cheapest part! Once you have it, you need feed it, have a place to keep it, de-worm it every 6-8 weeks, have the farrier come out every 6-8 weeks, have its teeth floated (filed down) twice per year. On top of all of that, horses are accident-prone and require lots of veterinary care. If you take on a horse, you are committing to taking care of it, possibly for the rest of its life (and they can live for 30-40 years). If the horse colics and needs surgery, be prepared to break out the credit card. The horse market is horrible right now, so if you decided at some point that you have to sell your horse, it could take a long time.

Once you decide that you can, indeed, afford a horse, your next task is to decide where to keep it. Even if you have room to keep a horse at home, you might consider boarding it at a stable that has an instructor for a while. This way, you can get some hands-on learning before you're in full charge of them. Also, keep in mind that once you have a horse at home, you have to consider it in your day-to-day life. Who will feed it twice a day and clean up after it? Horses need to be fed about every 12 hours if you're feeding twice a day, or you can break that up into three meals (that's actually better but most people have a hard time working that into their schedule). Sometimes free-feeding is an option, but not always. What if you want to go out of town? Who will take care of them? So much to consider!

Ok, now that I've scared you a bit...it's time to decide what breed of horse you want. In order to pick a breed that's right for you, I would suggest going to a number of horse shows or fairs so you can see different horses in action. You also need to decide what you're going to do with them...if all you're going to do is trail ride, a couple of hours a day at most, any sound, sane horse will do. You'll want something quiet, well trained, and big enough to carry you comfortably. The general rule of thumb there is that the rider should be no more than 20-25% of the horse's weight, but there's a lot of factors (and controversy) involved there. Basically, if you're a 300 pound man, don't get a 14 hand Arabian. Please don't let anyone tell you to avoid a certain breed! All of them have good and bad specimens. For example, people LOVE to badmouth Arabians, saying they're crazy and not for beginners, but many are very gentle and quiet and take care of their owners. These same people will tell you that Quarter Horses are the best for beginners, but not all of them are "bomb proof," either. The most important thing is that the horse you buy is well trained for whatever you want to use it for. If you're going on trails, the horse should have experience going on trails...some get spooky or nervous (any breed) and that's not a good combination with a beginner rider! You want a horse that's at least 7 or 8 years old, because they don't get started under saddle until at least 3 and you want them to have some years of experience. They've usually outgrown any silliness by this point if they're going to. If you want to show your horse, decide what discipline you want to show in: english? western? dressage? jumping? Make sure the horse is capable of doing that discipline, and it would be helpful if they have a show record.

Lastly, you need to set a budget, for the purchase price and care. I got a very nice horse for $500, but I lucked out. Just keep your eyes open--the market is horrible right now and you can often find great saddle horses for cheap. However, keep in mind that just because a horse is cheap, that doesn't mean it's a good deal! It may have all kinds of problems that will cost you more money later on. Shop around and take an expert with you if you can. By the same token, shop around for boarding stables, farriers, and veterinarians to get the best care you can for a price that you can comfortably afford.

Owning a horse is a wonderful, rewarding experience. If you are well prepared before you begin horse shopping, you will be ready for anything that comes your way!