First thing's first; you are no equestrian at all without a horse! I am going to introduce you to the art (yes, art!) of buying a horse, and hopefully answer some questions you may have.
Before considering any horse, there are a few questions you need to answer. The first of these is: What am I going to do with this horse? In other words, what is your goal? Do you want to be a weekend trail rider? Are you planning on taking lessons in Dressage or jumping? Do you want to join the fast and furious world of rodeo? Not all horses are created equal. There are over 200 breeds of horses, all with different attributes and abilities! Within these breeds there are subtypes, and not to mention every horse is an individual, no matter his breed or type! So how do you know what horse to look for? Start by researching breeds. For the weekend trail rider, a nice, smooth Tennessee Walking Horse might fit the bill, or the even-tempered, hardy American Quarter Horse. If you would rather pursue an English riding sport like Dressage or Showjumping, a Thoroughbred or Warmblood might be better. For a child, a Welsh Pony would make a fantastic child-sized jumper. The Quarter Horse dominates the rodeo world because of their temperament and amazing sprinting abilities. Before looking at those ads, take some time to explore riding disciplines and the breeds that best suit them.
Buy a horse that suits your discipline--Me as a teenager with my now 26 year old Arabian mare, Shasta, rounding a barrel at a barrel race.
The next question you may ask is: Where am I in my riding abilities? Since it's safe to assume that most of you reading this blog are beginners or the parents of beginner children, I'll talk about what you need to look for in a horse suitable for the beginner rider and children.
First of all, you need a horse that is already fully trained in whatever discipline you plan to pursue. However, steer clear of performance horses! While your horse may have a show record, a high-powered performance horse in its prime will be too much horse. They are powerful and energetic, and used to a proficient rider. They usually do not react well to rider error, and can inadvertently cause injury just by doing their job (i.e., jumping a five-foot fence).
A beginner needs a horse that is easygoing and more forgiving to mistakes. It is safest to look for a horse over the age of ten--preferably 15 or older. Nowadays, this is not a very old horse at all. You will have at least another 10-15 useful years with this horse. I am currently riding a 13 year old and a 26 year old! Today, with advanced veterinary care and knowledge of horsekeeping, horses can live well over 30 years. Some will almost make it to 50! Plus, by the time a horse is 10 to 15 years old, it has had extensive training and has been ridden by many people. This being said, the horse has had the chance to "mellow out" in his temperament, meaning the training and experience he has had has made him a more easygoing horse than he was when he was younger. A horse like this can easily be handled by any level of rider.
Younger horses tend to be "spooky" (shy or become deathly afraid of seemingly nonsensical objects), and they like to "test" their riders. Young horses go through a stage in which they are trying to find their place within the herd hierarchy. Out in the pasture, they will test their boundaries with other horses, and under saddle, they will test their boundaries with you. A beginner rider may be timid or misunderstand the horse, making it difficult to reinforce your position as the herd leader. Such an incident can, and most likely will, result in injury. When riding a young horse (anything younger than 10 years old), you are greatly increasing your risk of injury or even death. No horse is 100% safe, but why increase your chances of getting hurt when there are plenty of good older horses for sale? Breeding and training horses can be a goal when you become more experienced with horses. To research more on horse behavior, I recommend the book How to Think Like a Horse by Cherry Hill.
The next thing to consider is price. You may have already discovered that a horse like I have just described does not come cheap! There is a good reason, too. Have you ever heard the saying "You get what you pay for."? Well, this is one scenario where that will come into play. Personally, I would be wary of any "beginner" horse for under $2,000. Quality training, breeding, and care all come at a price. If a horse is cheap, it is lacking at least one of these three things. Quality horse training starts at $500 per month and goes up from there. It is very likely that a good horse spent three months as a youngster just being started under saddle. That doesn't include the training and experience it took to become such an easygoing 15 year old! At this point, we have already spent $1500 just on training! It may have taken another three months (probably more) to start him in his specialized discipline, plus the fees to show the horse, plus more advanced training and more showing, and the list goes on. You may be adding this up in your head right now. This is just training! It probably cost a few thousand dollars to breed this horse, and who knows how much to properly care for it for 15 years! Now you know exactly where that price is coming from that you see on that ad. This is where many people stop to think twice about horse ownership, and for good reason. It's not just a commitment, it's an investment!
Before wrapping this up, I want to go ahead and revisit the reasons why you should own a horse. At this point, you have heard about injury and ungodly sums of money. I want you to think back to what made you want a horse in the first place. They are beautiful, powerful creatures, and they have much to offer us. My horses have taught me the meaning of patience, responsibility, and trust. Many horse owners will tell you what their horse means to them. They are partners, teammates, and coworkers. Some are even therapists! When riding, always remember that it is the relationship between horse and rider that counts. Everything else will follow. To find a good horse, find one with which you can have the best relationship, and you will be happy.
Join me next week for sample For Sale ads, and how to look for a horse!
See ya later!
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