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What you need to Know about Buying your First Horse
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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."
It is very important for your safety and the welfare of your horse to educate yourself as much as possible before buying one. There is much more to keep horses than dogs or cats. Read some books and take riding lessons. Join a local horse club and go to meetings, and visit some online discussion forums. The United States Pony Club is a great way for children to learn about horses.
How much do Horses Cost?
Before you buy a horse, you need to consider the expense of owning one. They can range from free to hundreds of thousands of dollars, but it is the ongoing maintenance and care that is most costly. Once you have a horse, you need feed it, have a place to keep it, de-worm it every six to eight weeks, have the farrier come out every six to eight weeks and have its teeth floated (filed down) twice per year. Sometimes free horses cost the most in on-going care, so it is a good idea to have a veterinarian check the horse over before agreeing to take it.
On top of all of that, horses are accident-prone and require a lot 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 to 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.
Where to Keep your First Horse
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—there are many of these in the Sacramento area. This way, you can get some hands-on learning before you are in full charge of your new family member.
Also, keep in mind that once you have a horse at home, you have to work 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 feed twice per day, or you can break that up into three meals. The latter is actually better for the horse’s digestion, but most people have a hard time working that into their schedule. Sometimes free-feeding is an option, but not always. You also need to make sure someone can take care of the horse when you can’t. Keeping the horse at a boarding stable usually means that someone else will take care of all of this for you, and you just have to find the time to groom and ride it.
What kind of Horse to Buy for your First Horse
When it is time to go horse shopping, you will need to decide what breed of horse you want. In order to pick a breed that's right for you, it is a good idea to go 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 of nearly any breed will do.
As a beginner, you should get a horse that is 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 are a lot of factors (and controversy) involved there. Basically, if you're a 300 pound man, don't get a 14 hand Arabian.
All breeds 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,and many are, but not all of them are "bomb proof," either. Meet individual horses and decide whether they are right for you.
The most important thing is that the horse you buy is well trained for whatever you want to use it for. For trail riding, the horse should have experience going on trails...some get spooky or nervous and that is not good for a beginner rider. A novice rider should buy a horse that has several years of experience.
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.
If you educate yourself and buy the right first horse, you will be more likely to have a wonderful experience than if you go at it blind.
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