So, You Want To Buy Your First Horse ~ What You Need to Know

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Jan 24 2010

So, You Want To Buy Your First Horse ~ What You Need To Know

Published by Russell under Horse tips and general

You can probably feel it in your blood. Why? Because the warmer weather is coming. Spring is in the air. As you wander around out of doors you notice that, at last, the grass is starting to grow and the paddocks are recovering their lush, green look. At this time you can vividly imagine yourself meandering down a country lane or cantering across the green paddocks on your very first own horse.

All this feels so good to you, but you haven’t yet got your own horse! So you decide that now is the time to take positive action.

So just what do you need to know?

Here are 6 important and practical tips to help you find just the right horse.

1. Where should you look for your perfect horse?

One of your best starting places are the contacts you have with people who already own a horse. Look for notice boards that you’ll find in your local horse supply outlets, saddle and pony clubs, and riding schools.
Then look for those horses that are advertised in both local and national magazines. One of these, if you’re in its coverage area, is Horse and Hound.
Bear in mind that for advertised horses you’ll need to be quick off the mark. You may well find that the best horses may be quickly sold in just the first few days. You’ll also need to be prepared to travel as many available horses could be quite some distance from your home. Be prepared for some disappointment along the way and realise that it may take some considerable time to find just the right horse for you.
2. What questions should you ask yourself before you go looking for your horse?

Before you even go to look at your first horse give honest answers to these three questions:

*       What is my budget?
*       What do I want to do with my horse?
          Do I want hunt and jump, dressage, or simply trail ride?
*       What is the level of my riding ability?

Make sure you’re totally honest and keep the answers to these questions firmly in mind. It’s easy to go astray by falling in love with a totally unsuitable horse. In such a case you may find that you end up with a horse you cannot control or if, for example, you want to jump, a horse that has a total aversion to jumping. Keep a clear head and let it rule your heart! And remember, keeping a horse can be an expensive business – there is no point in overstretching yourself in buying a horse as you’re going to need to buy saddle, and other expensive tack.
3. When you go to inspect a prospective horse, what should you look for?

Be sure you see the horse in every day situations. Don’t just rely on the seller’s statements, ask to see for yourself. Watch him be saddled up. Does he stand quietly or does he move and fidget around? A horse may behave well when being ridden, but be inclined to kick and bite when being fitted up with his tack, or having a rug put on or off.

Examine the horse carefully for signs of sweatmarks. He may well have been lunged or given a vigorous ride before you turn up making him appear much quieter than he really is. Also realise that a horse that is used to being exercised more than you have time for may mean that you have a much more excitable horse on your hands than you can handle.

4. You’ve never bought a horse before, so what should you do when you try him out?

If you’ve only ridden at riding school or saddle/pony club before, without having your instructor standing in the middle telling you what to do, you may find yourself at a loss. So, before you go to your horse inspection it’s advisable to decide on a short routine you’ll use to test the horse you’re assessing to decide whether this is the right horse for you or not. It’s also a good idea to take an experienced horse riding friend along with you for the inspection. Your friend can also help you with the following sample routines:

Sample routines:
Walk the horse, halting once or twice to make sure the horse is listening to you.
Walk a 20 metre circle, watching to see if he leans in or out. Change rein and repeat this walk in the reverse direction.
If he bends easier on one rein than the other, this is not a fault as most horses tend to have a stronger rein. More important, is he is attentive to you?

Then trot the horse. Does he go forward eagerly, or is he reluctant?
As in the walking exercise, work a circle on both reins. Does he drop out of a trot as he bends?
Does he try to go forward into a canter?
Whatever the result, you will have to decide if you’d be happy with the horse’s behaviour.
Once again, your experienced friend may help you decide.

If you’re happy with the trot, try the canter on each rein. The horse should make the upward transition smoothly when you ask him to do it. It’s important that he do it on the correct leg. If you didn’t learn this at riding school or saddle/pony club, hopefully your friend can help you with this also.

If you want a horse for jumping, make sure you put him over a fence or some other reasonably high jump.
Is he eager or is he inclined to baulk and need a lot of encouragement?

It’s important to decide before you visit the horse and try him, exactly what you’re looking for, and what you’re prepared to work with. There’s no point falling in love at first sight with a beautiful animal you can’t control – or one which is reluctant to jump when that is your reason for buying!

In buying a horse you’re forming a partnership which you’ll have for quite some time. Your partner must be chosen very carefully to make sure he is compatible with your level of riding and what you want to do. Commonsense should rule here – not your heart!

5. When you go to see a horse, should you see him ridden first?

Without a doubt, YES! Should the vendor say there’s no one available to ride him, think about just going home! It may be that the horse is too difficult for anyone to ride. You should only attempt to ride him if you are a very experienced rider – otherwise be prepared to walk away, or at the very least try and arrange a time when you can come back and see him ridden before you try him.

The current owner should ride a routine along the same lines to the one previouly outlined to let you assess the horse’s way of going, and how he responds to the rider’s instructions. If he makes upwards transitions easily for someone else, but not for you, this may be something that can be overcome with some lessons – but be wary. There is a saying that a horse’s ability sinks to match those of its rider! Just because the horse you’ve fallen in love with makes flying changes on demand for its current owner does not mean that it will make them for you if you can’t ride at the same level of competence.

6. You’ve found the horse you want. Is there anything else I should do before buying him?

Just one thing more. And it’s really essential. You need to arrange to have your potential new horse thoroughly checked by a qualified veterinarian. Try to select a vet who is well experienced in dealing with horses. Yes, it is quite expensive, but a few dollars spent now could save you a lot of heartache and many dollars in the years to come.

Finally, be prepared for it to take quite a few months to find the right horse for you and to fit him out with the right saddle and tack, but be assured the wait will be worthwhile. One thing is almost certain. At the finish that palamino mare you had pictured yourself riding away into the sunset may well turn out to be a percherson thoroughbred cross gelding! But whatever size, colour or sex you end up with, if you’ve taken your time choosing, you’ll have a wonderful partnership for many years to come!