What kind of Horse to Purchase for my 10 Year Old Daughter..?

Question

We are interested in purchasing a horse for my 10 year old daughter but have no clue what kind to get her. We are also interested in information on boarding stables in the Leesville LA area. Thanks...

Answer 1

Okay let us try to help you out here. I will assume you know little about purchasing a horse. Horse dealers will rip you off and you will more than likely sell you a horse that in lame in one way or another. So a good place to start is an equine rescue, most equine rescue are looking to place a horse in a forever home, and they will guarantee the horse to be sound and safe. I did do a search on petfinder and found an equine rescue in Texas

Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society
P O Box 4944

College Station, TX 77844
Phone: [phone]

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/TX847.html


You should be looking for a horse 15 hands or smaller, a Hand is a measurement 1 hand equals about 4 inches, or a Mans hand. A good age would be over 5 but fewer than 16, you are looking for a horse that is quite, and is for a beginner.

My other suggestion is if you child has little to no riding experience, find a barn in the area where they give lesson, this way you and your child can learn about the care of the horse and learn to ride. Many of these places also sell horses. If you buy a horse from a place that gives lesson, make sure you have an equine veterinarian check the horse out before you buy it.

One last thought DO NOT BUY from a horse auction, the people selling them have no back ground on the horses, these horses are bought in one state and shipped from state to state, until they get the price they want to turn a profit. These horses are in many different sale barns. They will pick up all type of sicknesses and you will not know it. in addition some seller will tranquilize a horse, and when you get it home you have a screw ball that will hurt you or your child, and you always here the phrases in the sale any dummy can ride it, and if you can hold the reins you can ride it.

Well I wish you the best, I will leave you with the link for petfinder as there where a lot of other horses in your area I had just picked out the rescue as I know they way rescue operate. As I also do rescue for horses and guinea pigs, (O:
http://www.petfinder.com/

Answer 2

Well, you will probably not get down this far but I'll give this a shot. Kids really can't understand about expenses. When my oldest son was old enough to have a truck I told him that we couldn't afford it at that time. He didn't understand this. So, one night I sat him at the table and showed him my expenses and what I owed every month. I would have had to put him on my insurance, buy his tag, pay the monthly payments and the parts when it broke down, not to mention the up keep of oil changes. So I ask him if he knew any way that after paying all of my bills where I could find the extra money to buy him a truck and be able to pay for his while paying our bills? As someone mentioned about showing the expenses of a horse and what may happen (Which no one knows until it does) what a vet cost. A horse is an accident waiting to happen. I also explained the sacrifices me and his mother were already doing just so him and his brother and sister could have a future. So, I had him work with me on the ranch, then when he got older got him a job with a friend of mine who was a mechanic. Now he is one. Kids just don't understand so maybe just show her why at this time get her a horse. My son did get a truck two years later and trust me, he took very good care of it as he bought it with his own money.

Answer 3

I would not look for any certain breed. All breeds have gentle horses. I would look for a senior horse, 15 and up are usually more experienced and more likely to be "bomb proof"
I would also ask a horse friend to help you search. Unfortunately there are a lot of dishonest horse dealers out there just wait to take advantage of first time horse buyers. I will make one more suggestion, before you buy a horse why not pay for lessons for a year. It will give her and you some much needed knowledge about horses and help you and your daughter decide if a horse is really what you want.. Good Luck

Answer 4

i would wait until she is older because at this age you will be the main caretaker of the horse. you will have to devote hours everyday mucking the stall, cleaning her feet, brushing her, giving her exercise, feeding her. it is a very big deal to have a horse and you have to be very devoted to caring for the horse. can you see your ten year old doing this everyday?she will be a teenager soon and her interests will shift to friends, clothes, boys, going out to the mall etc and might lose interest in the daily care of a horse. i would enroll her in some riding lessons where you care for the horses afterwards. she will be shoveling the poo and doing all the not so fun part of owning a horse. who will care for the horse when she goes to college? most horses live to be about 30 years old. not to mention vet bills, feeding, equipment for the horse are all very pricey...try starting out with smaller animals like a hamster and see how responsible she is with it. after a couple months if she starts to lose interest and isnt cleaning the hamsters cage as much, playing with it etc you will know that she definately isnt ready for a horse or other time consuming animal like a dog..

Answer 5

Any horse really. Look on a breeder's website, and look for horses that are great with children. I wouldn't suggest an Arabian... they are usually very spirited. Peruvian Paso's are gentle and the smoothest ride you could ever have. Ponies are also quite gentle, but a ten year old will soon outgrow a normal sized pony, so try a larger pony.

Answer 6

Oh how fun!!, well for horse boarding places I would look in your local paper and or on the internet. The type of breed of horse that would be good for a 10 year old would probably be of the pony type. A Dartmoor is a good breed. Plus its not too tall of a horse. And if you want her to be into the english/jumping kind of riding then this would be a good horse for her. Also a POA (Pony of the Americas) is a good horse to. You can ride western or english on this horse and they are around 11.2 to 13.2 hands high. These horses are very versatile and I would actully recomend this horse over the Dartmoor. POA's have normally appaloosa markings. If you want more information on POA's I would yahoo or google them. Good Luck!

Answer 7

Well, it depends how long your daughter has been riding. an older, more experienced horse may be ideal. Quarter Horses and other good tempered breeds are also ideal. You should look for a horse that is advertised as having "no vices" which just means that they have no bad habits.

Answer 8

Thats so great! I dont think there ever is an "ideal" kind of horse. I have had all kinds and each ones personality is totally different. Try to find those listed as a childs horse and go from there with it...have the owners ride it in front of you and just try to get a gut feeling...good luck!!

Answer 9

I'd go with an appaloosa. They have mild tempermants, are very reliable, and are quite beautiful, so you'd know she'd like the pretty little pony. They really don't even get that tall, so she'd easily be able to get on and off. If she says she wants an Arabian, that's cool if you find a kind one. Some can be a bit hot-headed.

Answer 10

You should buy her an older aged (18-?), Tennessee Walking Horse, gelding. The tennessee walking horse is the perfect breed for anyone, they are very willing and when you ride them it is like "ridin' in a cadalic", in other words smooth as silk. like floatin' on air. One other horse breed that would be good for her is the Quarter Horse, they are like the the tennessee walker, but they don't havthe smoothness like them. Good luck finding her a horse. if you any other questions just ask me.