How To Buy A Horse
by S.G.R.BThe first things you need to know when you begin shopping for a horse is how good of a rider are you and how ready are you to care for and keep a horse. Don’t kid yourself – taking care of a horse is a huge responsibility and you need to be honest about your own experience, knowledge, and capabilities. After considering those things, you should give some thought to how old or young, large or small, and fast or slow your horse should be.
At some point you’ll find a horse that you’re sure is the one for you. But don’t leap before taking a good, honest, look. What do you want to achieve and is this the horse for you? Are you going to be hunting, driving, barrel racing, trail riding, or jumping? Are you going to ride at all? Driving – that is, hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh – is a wonderful sport.
Now consider the horse’s temper. Is this a calm horse? Spirited? Respectul or overbearing? If you aren’t comfortable with horses, don’t get a pushy horse, as you will find it ruling you and not the other way around. Be sure that the horse’s training and background is a good fit for your plans – don’t buy a barrel racer if dressage is your dream.
If you don’t have horse experience then do not buy a young horse and try to train it. An untrained horse and an inexperienced rider is a recipe for disaster. Buying an untrained or hot-tempered horse can cost you and the horse in the long run with injuries to you, your horse, or both.
Take a professional trainer or an experienced friend with you to check out horses. Count on their knowledge and experience to avoind buying more horse than youre ready for. Ask your trainer or friend to ride the horse and give you an honest opinion of whether this horse is appropriate for you. If the current owner is riding the horse, and they insist you don’t need to try the horse – run, don’t walk as far away as you can, and keep looking.
Take your time. Do not rush this process. Take a look around some of the popular horse websites and read other’s experiences with buying horses. Avoind the mistake they made and emulate their successes. Becoming a horse owner is a big step in the life of any equestrian – make sure you take that step wisely and carefully.