A colt/filly....or a.....Older Experienced horse?

Question

I appreciate any horse I get, I only want one horse though but I
know I can't have her=(
but I was wondering if adopting a young horse would be a good idea for me!

I am very experienced in horses
(don't like to brag but) very good rider my trainer says
LOVE HORSES SO MUCH
and need one real bad
and many more reasons

I am still a younger kid growing up but I am almost a teen!
I am wondering if getting a baby horse that is a little calmer would be good idea so I can bond with it, but I am worried about just the training and my parents won't want to spend that much money.

Should I get an older experienced horse, harder to bond with kinda but already trained? I WANT TO ADOPT THOUGH!

I bonded with a baby stallion paint named music where I ride and a lot of people don't get along w/ him that good, he kicked his owners, but he seems to like me! Although I do feed him carrots a lot=) LoL

but I am kinda stuck and confused on which is better

PLZ HELP.....thanks



♥Mickey♥

Answer 1

Micky
I would suggest getting a experinced horse because i am 11 and have a colt and I LOVE HIM TO DEATH but you cant ride him..sometimes he is kinda boring....

Answer 2

You will enjoy an older schooled horse. At your age - almost a teen - you may find it difficult to come up with the time and money needed to properly train a young horse.
A horse already broke can be ridden right away and you both will learn much from each other. I have ridden for years - started in pony club at the tender age of 9 and still would take a horse that is well started over a youngster.
I don't know where people get the idea you cannot bond with an older trained horse. Years ago I bought a TB gelding that was 18 years old. He truly was one of the best horses I ever owned. He was a school master. He was in my life for only 6 years and I learned so much from him.

Answer 3

I know that having a younger horse sounds so much more appealing right now, but you have to understand something. No matter how experienced you are of a rider, it takes a lot of time to train a young horse. Plus, with you not even being a teen yet, if something would go wrong, it wouldn't take much to hurt you if you got thrown off a young horse.
You can bond with an older horse just as well as you do with a younger one. A horse can tell a good person between a bad one, so an older one is just as capable of bonding. An older horse will provide you with just that much more experience for when you get older and will prepare you for all the training that has to go into a young horse. You can learn A LOT from older horses. I spent up until the time I was 14 riding my grandpa's old team riding horse and older horses, then when he got his younger horse I started riding him, which believe me was a challege even though I was an experienced rider.
It's great that you want to adopt a horse. But, you can adopt a horse of all ages not just younger ones. I would suggest you get an older gelding that is patient, because even for you, you are still learning. Everyone that rides a horse learns something new just about every day they enter a barn about their horses, or something about the tack they are using. There is nothing that you can't learn being around a horse a long time. Wait until you get a little bit older for a younger horse. They are a handful, and I wouldn't want to see you get hurt being so young. Wait until you can bounce a little bit better when you hit the ground.

Answer 4

You make my day and are a breath of fresh air! I have had thousands of horses literally pass through my hands during the course of my life and have only ever seen a couple that I would honestly say were abused and often wonder about the disproportionate amount of horses that owners claim to be abused on this board. I even get the impression some people relish the telling of how bad the previous owner was and how they have "saved" it from a fate worse than death. Even horses that come from rescues are not all abused, some have just gotten too much for inexperienced owners or the owners have run into problems and for one reason or another cannot afford to keep them. It appears to me that people on this board think that racing is barbaric, showing is cruel, breaking is inhumane, keeping a horse stalled is torture and the only thing a "true horeselover" should do is keep them in a field and stare at them. Not sure though how they come to the conclusion though it's ok to ride them though? Reading between the lines on many on these threads leads me to believe that a lot of problems are caused by the inexperience of the owner and the fact that the horse has realized this and taken advantage of the situation. When I go to a pasture with 50 mares, there are always the ones that don't want to be caught, maybe because it knows it's going to the breeding barn to get infused again or maybe because it just plain prefers to be out with it's buddies. I don't think for one minute it's been abused. Abuse to me is deliberate and with the intent or knowledge to cause an animal to suffer, eg leaving a horse with no food or water for a month. Any rational person knows that is going to cause the animal to suffer. Discipling a horse that weighs a ton is the responsible thing to do before it does serious damage to itself or others. It's like my son, if you don't teach him right from wrong and what behavour is acceptable, you are setting not only yourself up for trouble but him too later in life. Great question and I'm going to give you a star! It's refreshing to see that not all reason has left the building. (spell check isn't working so I apologize for any mistakes)

Answer 5

If you are experienced, then do it. HOw long have you been riding? Before you get a horse (or foal) I'd check out the training. Find out where and how much it will cost. Remember that if you do get a foal you will not be able to ride it for a few years. An alternetive would be an older horse. Think about saving a horse that would otherwise be slaughterd. No matter what keep in mind that horses are a big responsibility and cost a lot. Make sure you have the time and money before adopting one.
Have funand good luck!

Answer 6

A foal to a yearling takes a lot of time, patience, training ability and money to raise more so than a older horse who already has the basics and even greater on him/her already.

I was 11 when I got my first horse as she was 4.5 years old. Trust me, It isn't as easy as you think at your age. I thought as I had a lot of experience I could train her. Little did I know I would be in the hosptial.

It took a lot of time, a few trainers and lots of hospital visits for me to finally get to that point of not needing help.

I gained alot of experience of what to do and not do. When I breed my mare for my colt, now gelding, I was educated enough on Equines and training after 7 years of experience day in and out.

I honestly recommend a older horse. Those also involve training and lots of patience too; however, just because the horse is older doesn't mean the horse can't bond just as a foal can. Sometimes it is hard for a foal to bond. I came a cross a few and not every foal is the same in traits, personality and training ability. Some are highly spirited and stubborn.

Then once you get the hang of it and experience, advance to a younger horse.

Answer 7

ok so you aren't even in your teens yet....you are probably not ready for a horse!! just because your trainer supposedly says you are a good rider doesn't mean you are ready for your own horse. you probably aren't an experienced rider, and WHY would you want a younger horse? are you crazy? if your parents dont want to spend money, then how are you going to pay for training, tack, and everything else that you need for a young horse. im not trying to upset you, but I am training my 21 month old appendix QH right now, and I trained my other horse to race, so I know what it takes. You've probably not been riding more than a few years, so in no way are you ready for this. Stallions in particular are very troublesome, and can be downright mean. My Danny was a sweetheart from the start, but as a 6 month old stallion he could get very mean, mostly to men. Kicked and fought, I was the only one that could handle him. Once he was gelded, he was the most calm horse I've ever seen. Last night I put a full-body blanket on him for the first time, and he just stood there, not paying any attention. I would recommend a gelding over a mare or stud, as much as I have loved my mares.

An older horse is no harder to bond with than a younger horse, it is often times easier. My first horse was a then 17 year old Russian Arabian mare named Chestara. I saw an ad in the paper for a different horse, so I convinced my mom to call. The owner, Vickie, told me about this old arabian mare with one blind eye. I went to see her, and fell in love instantly. I was nine years old. Chester passed away last month, and it has been very difficult for me. She taught me most of what I know, and was so willing and loving. Older horses AREN'T hard to bond with. We were inseparable, and if that's not bonding then I don't know what is.

Horse ownership takes a lot of responsibility. Clean the stalls, water, grain, hay, cleaning your horse, vet bills, dental bills, injuries, tack, boarding, TIME for all of this and riding, and so much more. It is three times as hard with a yearling, and even more with a baby. It is frustrating that I can't ride my gelding, because he is still growing and I am training him myself. I hope to get on him in the next few months, but it will only be riding for a few minutes. If you buy a young horse, remember it will be years before you can ride them. Otherwise, you will ruin their legs, and cause many bone problems. Try leasing an older horse, and get a feel for owning your own horse. That's what I did with Chester, and she was given to me a few years ago. When you know you are ready, start looking at horses LOCALLY. You don't go far away for your first horse. You will know when you have found your horse. It needs to be one that is TRAINED, and you will just have this undeniable connection when you see them for the first time. Good luck

Answer 8

You are too young to be dealing with a stallion for sure. Are your parents able and willing to take on the expense of caring for a horse? What will become of the horse when you go off to college in just a few short years? I don't know where you live but in my area there are several horses up for adoption and some are only 10 + 12 years old. There are also many rescue groups all over who are happy to adopt them out to good homes which enables them to care for more who need there help. I got my first pony at 10 and my first horse at age 12. To this day I have the grandaughter of my first horse.

Answer 9

Hi Mickey,
Get a trained horse. When I was your age, I fell in love with a filly. She was cheap too. But there was a reason for that. She still needed to grow up, so I couldn't ride her for another 3 years, plus 90+ days of training= $1,000-3,000, + boarding a horse you can't ride is NOT a good choice. Are you parents horse lovers too? If not, I understand.
If I were you, talk to your trainer. She will guide you to the right horse.
REMEMBER GREEN ON GREEN = BLACK AND BLUE
Go with a trained older horse, for example: 20+y/o been there done that type. You can find plenty of adoptable older geldings for free and under $750. Just check dreamhorse.com or petfinder.org

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

Answer 10

Go for a trained horse. You will bond. You sound like your an animal person and they will know that so don't worry about bonding.
Young horses, need a lot of special training & it's costly.
A stallion will need to be on his own, fenced in a paddock with high fences and they can be pretty wild if they get wind of a mare in heat.
Mares can be a bit funny mood wise when they come into season. Not all of them, but just be aware of it.
Geldings are pretty stable, mood wise, and you can put them in a paddock with other mares & geldings so they have company.

I got a 3 year old gelding 20 years ago and we took about 6 months to bond. He had been mistreated so it took a bit longer than normal. But once we bonded, that was it! I could do anything with him. He trusts me compleatly. I can even get him to walk down stairs! He's just great. Can't imagine life without him. And 3 is still young for a horse. Their bones arn't fully formed till 3 years there still growing till then.

Happy to chat via email if you wan't more info or want to ask me anything else!

Good luck!

Answer 11

Go to this site and put in your own zip code> http://search.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi?action=1&pet.Animal=Horse&pet.Breed=&pet.Age=&pet.Size=&pet.Sex=&location=98208&preview=1&scope=0&x=11&y=13
and see which one in your area that you fall in love with. I would recommend an adult horse, if you won't have help in the initial ground training. If you will have some help, a younger horse would be fine...
Age doesn't matter on bonding. I have bought 11 year olds that bonded like glue!