My mom says I can't get a horse because...?

Question

...she says she knows nothing about them and if the horse was sick that she wouldn't know it! I live in a town that is not zoned for horses but I would stable them at a barn that I would take lessons at! I have been taking lessons in english riding for a few years now and have always had a love for horses. I am doing jumps and cantering at this point. Please help!

I would pay for the actual horse with the savings of almost $1,000 in the bank.

Answer 1

Have you ever taken care of a Horse before? -How about at the Stable where you take your riding lessons from? The point IS, they're a LOT of work, expense, & responsiblity- that you need to do EVERY SINGLE DAY... So you'd really better know what you're DOING -before you put your Mom through the trouble of getting one for you. See if you can get some kind of job working with horses- for the Summer. Maybe if your Mother sees how dedicated you are at working at it- she might change her mind. It's worth a try! Good luck. :)

Answer 2

Have you considered leasing instead of buying a horse out right? Leasing is usually a much more affordable option- and means that you are only responsible for expenses related to the riding that you do, as well as a portion of the upkeep costs. Horses ARE expensive- your mom is right about that. They are also a huge committment in terms of time. As for not knowing what to do if the horse is ill, your mom just needs to make an effort to educate herself a little bit. She needs to do some reading about horse health and first aid, and maybe talk with a local equine vet about routine care and the costs of it. That will help her get a better understanding of what the real costs are likely to be. If you decide to board your horse, then perhaps you can set up an arrangement where you can work at the barn in exchange for your lessons or a discount on the board fees. This is common at most places I have been to- it's called being a working student. It's also a great way to earn your lesson money- and it has the added bonus of helping you make friends with other people at the stable who ride. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Are you able to pay for the stabling? Depending on where you live, that will be a few hundred dollars every month for the horse's housing, food and care. You will have to pay vet bills that will run you several hundred dollars per year for basic preventative care (also consider what it will cost if your horse gets sick or injured), and paying for the farrier which the horse will need to see every 6-8 weeks. It's an expence of several thousand dollars every year that you will need your parents to pay if you are not able to do so yourself.

Are you able to be at the stable to ride nearly every day? If you live in an area where there are limited turnout facilities (I live in NYC where turnout is nonexistant within most of the city stables) you need to make sure that your horse is exercised every day. It's not something that you can decide you don't feel like doing because you're tired or not feeling well or need to study for a test. This is a huge responsibility and if your parents don't feel that you or they are up to it, then it's not something you should try to do at this point.

Talk to your parents about leasing a horse. Many riding schools and stables will lease horses either on a full-time (where you are their exclusive rider) or half-leases (where you share riding privileges with someone else or the stable) and it will give you a chance to see if you really have the time to devote to a horse and can deal with the responsibility. Depending on the stable, it will run a few hundred dollars per month, but it will give you a taste of what horse ownership is like.

Answer 4

It really depends where you live. If you live in a large city, there probally will be a riding club. but I guess it would be pretty expensieve. I used to live in the city and boarding my horse their was $1000 a month, without the lessons! In your question you mention you are cantering and jumping at this point. I'm 12 and I know how to gallop, so probally try buying when you know everything. Do you know anything about grooming? H You really need to know stable managment because no one will be running around looking after your horse. Owning a horse is a big commitment.! ( Ok, fine I pay syces to tack up my horse and feed it and stuff for me.....:( ) Here's some options I would do:

* Give your mum some lessons: Give her a few lessons at the local riding club. Riding is an expensieve sport, so lessons can be quite costly. Remeber riding is an expensive sport, so maybe you can't afford the vet bills, so your mum and you might not be able to afford the horse, let alone the stabling, and the horse itself!

* You look after the horse. You first need to get on to your mum's good side first. She needs tho trust you alot, so you can prove to her that you can look after your pony!

Good Luck!

Edin

Answer 5

Try and join 4-H. It will get your around the hrs es at least and continue to take lessons. Or why dont you try leasing a horse? There are alot of people out there who dont have time to ride their horses, but dont want to sell them. Good thing about that is you wont have to pay for medical costs, shoes, shots, food, ect.... Unless you do a partial lease, then you would help with all the above, but it will give you a good idea what horses really cost. They are expensive to keep.
And keep saving your money and when you are out on your own then you can buy a horse. I wasnt able to buy my first horse until I turned 30. As a matter of fact I had never even got to take lessons or be around them. Talk about driving me crazy.
But anyway, you should let your mom know there are other options out there for you to be able to be around horses, other than her having to incure all the costs.
But good luck and I'm rooting for you.

Answer 6

Well-trained horses are going to cost waaaaaaaay more than $1,000. Even just boarding the horse for a month is going to cost more than that, plus all the tack you need to get, vetting is expensive, farriers sometimes even more expensive... I would first try seeing if there is a stable near you that has an Equi-Lease program, where you sort of "rent" the horse and it stays there, but you can take it to shows and whatnot. It's a HUGE responsibility,and most people who ride, if they haven't had horses their whole life, they don't end up buying one until their late thirties or forties, when they are more financially stable. So yeah, I wouldn't try getting one just yet.

Answer 7

the previous posters were pretty spot on, 1k wont get you very far with horses and you mm has a good reason to be concerned and not want to pick up a vet bill. horses are expensive to maintain. perhaps you can shareboard or lease a horse at your lesson barn. you would be able to pay for the lease out of your savings and the person who owns the horse your leaseing will pay for and worry about maintaining the animal so that way everybody wins. just amke sure you get a using lease not a free lease or cost of care lease.

Answer 8

1K will not get you very far with a horse... even if you bought a cheap horse, there is still feed,monthly boarding, vet bills, farrier bills, supplies, tack, training, etc. Horses are a HUGE responsibility and a 100% commitment. You and your mom need to do some serious research about horse ownership before committing to own one yourselves. Horse ownership, especially for first-timers, requires a constant thirst for knowledge to better your horse-sense and keep up to date on the betterment of your horse's well-being. As for your mom not knowing anything about horses, invite her to take a few lessons or sit in while you handle the lesson horses to let her get comfortable with the potential idea of owning a horse.

Answer 9

How can we help?

You're doing the right thing... keep taking lessons. Save your money by working as a teenager and when you are on your own you can buy your own horse.

Your mom has some serious concerns that should be considered carefully. When a horse gets sick it's usually a very big deal and can be very expensive to treat. It seems sometimes like horses are either in perfect health or at death's door. You have to be prepared and have the money just in case of illness or injury. You can't skimp on veterinary care with a horse. Keeping a horse is very expensive.

My son is saving money in high school to buy a car when he graduates. You could do the same but use your money to buy a horse and start a savings account to use if he should need extra vet care.

Answer 10

Your mom has some really good points and if you can't keep the horse with you in your town, I don't think that is fair to the horse.
They are very expensive - vet bills especially.. Why don't you wait until you are living on your own and older, that way you can make the decision then
Taking riding lessons meanwhile is a good way to prep yourself and a good way to spend time with them without having to own one. A horse is a long commitment, you might change your mind about it in a few years and then what will happen to the poor horse?