Choosing a Horse

When horse shopping, keep in mind a good saddle horse is one that is comfortable with a saddle on its back, is gentle in nature, and is in good health. He should have the ability to carry a rider your size, be able to ride for long periods of time, and have a good disposition. Also, keep in mind who in your family will be riding your horse. If you are not the only rider, then you will need to base purchasing decisions with the least proficient rider in mind. If both adults and children will be riding, then the size of the horse will become particularly important. You will need a horse tall enough to accommodate the adults, but is short enough for children to feel comfortable upon.

You want a horse that you can ride now, based on your riding skill. A beginning rider will need a quieter, gentler horse than someone with riding experience. Some horses "spook" easily, have bad habits such as bucking or stopping abruptly, are "spirited" and need to be run to use up some of their energy before calming down--all of which may make these horses unsuitable for you. Other traits to evaluate are if the horse is halter broken, if it is jumpy or fidgety when being saddled, or tries to nip or bite at you.

More on choosing a horse...

Other Considerations Before Buying a Horse

Keeping a horse can be expensive. Feed, tack, vet, farrier, vaccinations, stable tools, lessons, fencing, shelter, bedding, and supplies all add up. And most of these are not just one-time costs, but are recurring monthly costs. So before jumping into horse ownership, be sure you are ready to make the financial commitment. Enough said.

Horse ownership, on the other hand can help bring a family together and help teach responsibility to children. A family horse encourages teamwork in caring for the horse and to take part in the enjoyment of riding activities. When other family members are interested in being part of the horse owning lifestyle, it is a lot of fun spending time together doing chores and riding as a family.

Other considerations before buying a horse...

Buying a Horse

If you want to buy a horse, then that means you have done your research on horse ownership and you are ready to make a long-term commitment and know the responsibility of taking care of your horse. You should already know what is involved in routinely caring for your horse and all the associated costs. You should also already know where you will be keeping your horse--whether on your own property or at a boarding stable, and wherever you will be keeping your horse, it is safe and ready to house a new occupant. If you are new to horses, consider keeping your new horse at a good boarding stable for a while until you have learned more about horse management.

Before going horse shopping, you will want to have some idea on the kind of horse you're looking for-what characteristics and personality do you want your horse to have? Just like people, horses come in all shapes, sizes, color, abilities, and dispositions. You can gather some idea by using your own past experience taking trail rides or lessons, going to horse shows, reading horse magazines or talking to horse owners. Knowing what sort of horse you want before shopping will help keep you focused and not get caught up in a spontaneous purchase only to find out you ended up with the wrong horse. You also need to know what your budget is for your horse purchase and concentrate only shopping and looking at horses in your price range. If you've been trying out luxury Cadillacs, it's hard to settle on an economy Nissan.

More information on buying a horse...