I want a horse..dad has objections?

Question

i want a horse but i cannot seem to convince my dad that i can look after one.ive asked for a normal horse..a miniture horse and i got a horse for christmas when i was 10..i was too young to look after him not to mention his sweetitch was hard to care for.since then ive been desperate for a horse because ive always loved them..anyone have any tips on hw to convince my dad?

Answer 1

show your dad you can take the responsibility start just by doing little things he doesn't ask you to do and do things when he asks you to do it, maybe even volunteer at a horse stable.

remember horses are alot of time and alot of money!

Answer 2

Yes it's great to have a horse but also an extremely big responsibility. The main thing you forgot to mention is your Age a vital information to be able to advise you. You mentioned you were to young at the age of 10 to groom a horse and look after it, I have a little girl who's 12 now but has been helping in the stables and looking after her own English Thoroughbred since the age of 7. I sympathise with your dad especially if he's not a horse person, but you have to prove to yourself that you really are one. It's not enough to love horses. A horse needs 7 days a week looking after no matter rain or sunny, besides costly to maintain. But if you're so eager then I would suggest you get some part time job in a stable/equestrian centre to get the experience and feel in practical terms how it's like to look after one and what it involves. You will also need to learn proper riding to be able to exercise a horse, no matter what breed or size it is.

Answer 3

the first question you need to ask your self is:

can my parents truley afford to keep a horse or pony. I've had a total of 5 horses (6 if you count my moms) through leases and buying them....and we only have kept TWO. and there the two that we currently own, and my parents really had to give up alot so i can have them, one is loaded with vet bill (20 and authritus) and the other has high farrier bills becuase she wears 4 shoes and i show her atleast once a moth so those bills on top of her.

are you taking lessons? if your not you should seriously consider starting up and then riding for a few years before you buy a horse, learn good and correct horsemanship and your dad should loosen up and get you a horse.


I know this is NOT the answer that you want to hear but you should really wait on getting a horse. look around in your area at good horse farms and breeders and dont go for something just because it is cheep. look for a quality horse somewhere between 10-15 mabey older, thats an easy keeper and in good health and is bombproof. but dont be suprised if the horse costs 5,000-20,000 as thats how much most good horses will cost you. I got mine for 3,500 and my parents last year payed mroe in vet pills than they did for her. and i can only w/t on her becuase shes lame. my other horse on the other hand is quite green and we got her for 5,500 and training her alone takes up 5 or 6 days of my week.

Answer 4

My suggestion is to find a local riding barn and take lessons there until your father is comfortable enough with your level of responsibility and riding abilities to consider buying you a horse. Horse ownership is not an easy task. You need to learn as much as you can about horses before you purchase one. Reading books, hands-on training, and advice from others are all excellent ways of learning about horses. Prove to your father that you are capable of caring for a horse. Help earn the money. Remember that horses are very expensive to care for. Not only is there the large sum that must be paid for the initial purchase, but you also have to remember tack, farrier bills, vet bills, feed, and hay, among other things. It will be even more expensive if you decide to pick up showing your horse. The best option would be to board your horse at a local stable. That would take off an unimaginable amount of stress. If you keep your horse at your house, you'll have to feed it twice per day, muck out stalls, worm your horse, keep your horse well-groomed, etc. That means no more vacations because you'll need to be home to feed the horse. You'll have to get up very early every morning to feed the horse before school. There are good reasons that your father is wary about buying a horse.

However, I hope that everything works out and that my advice was helpful. Good luck!

Answer 5

Ive owned a couple of horses in my time and its a lot of hard work, 24/7, including holidays. Why dont you ask your dad to lease a horse for a month (or longer) from your local equestrian centre. Most places do this and provide help and support at the same time. Its cheaper than owning a horse, you get all the perks and it will show your dad how capable you are. Maybe once he sees this he will reconsider. Good luck!

Answer 6

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "ive asked for a normal horse..a miniture horse and i got a horse for christmas when i was 10.." did you get a mini horse? or do you have a horse? Could you clear that up...

Try taking some lessons, lease a horse, work at the stable to pay off your lessons/lease cost, and stick with it. If you work to pay off your lessons/lease it will help prove to your dad that you have grown up and are willing to take responsibility. Also keep your grades up, and offer to do some extra chores around the house to show that you can be all around responsible, and to prove that you will be willing to do the extra work owning a horse requires.

Answer 7

There are GIGANTIC financial responsibilities with keeping a horse. the stabling ,food , farriers , vet.... i used to want a horse but the commitment would of been too much for my family...however i now have a share horse which gives me the best of both worlds. the financial commitments are small (occasionally you may find that you may ride for free as lots of people just want their horses exercised) AND i get to ride when ever i want. I find this best for me at the moment and i think your dad probably has a good reason for not letting you. Consider helping out at your local yard or something similar.

I hope that you will consider my opinion :)
good luck

Answer 8

How about taking a summer job at a ridding school[they are always looking for volunteers] show him how well you can do how much you are learning about looking after and caring for the horses, this may convince him you are serious, and that you are capable to care for a horse.Other than that why not first loan a horses, have it for say six months on loan, after you have show your dad how well you can do this also may convince him.

Answer 9

When it comes time to purchasing a horse there is more than want to consider - you have to put aside your wants to realize that you are taking another life into your hands. There's a lot more to caring for a horse than feeding and grooming. In addition to the initial cost of the horse, tack, grooming supplies and other basic essentials, there are routine vaccinations, farrier work, and if you're boarding a yearly coggins.

Example of horse care for a year: I spend $300 on grain. I buy what would be around 450 bales of hay for $1.75 a bale (in Wisconsin we have to feed more hay in the winter - fiber + protein = warmth) bringing the total for feed & hay alone to almost $1100. The farrier comes out for a clip every 7 weeks or so at $25 a clip that's $175 for the year. Now my show horse has shoes and that's $65 for a four set initially and then shoe maitenance (lost shoe, loose nail, etc) so for him it's $95 for the first visit of the year alone. So figuring the above expenses (without the shoes) we're up to $1262.50 for routine maitenance that doesn't include vaccinations and wormer.

Now, if you don't have the means to provide pasture AND shelter at your own home you'll have to board. Depending on where you live and what you're into board can cost you anywhere from $175-$375 a month. The cheapest stable in my area that has stall and pasture board is $170 a month and that includes feed, hay, and an indoor and outdoor arena. The next stable up from that has two outdoors, puts on shows, has jumps and starts at just pasture board for $175 - that's no feed, no indoors. For the stall boarding it's $295 including feed. So figure that's $2040 - $3540 a year just in keep, not including routine farrier and vet visits, and yearly coggins. If you're going to need lessons you can bet on doubling either number (again depending on what you do, who you get your lessons from and where you live).

Figuring that it's going to cost at least $2000 a year for you to keep ONE horse, how do you plan to pay for an emergency vet call? What if the horse heaves from dusty hay, colics, goes through a fence, or needs his/her teeth floated?

Now, aside from the financial cost to maintain a horse is the committment. You are going to have to spend time with your horse every day. A horse needs daily grooming and at least bi-daily riding. If you do not handle that horse routinely, it will become independant because he/she has learned that they can not depend on you. I know someone that "collects" horses - they are fed everyday, have minimal shelter and pasture, but they are never handled. Those horses are now a herd that is pretty much feral. That pasture is their's and a human best not be entering the pasture unless they are feeding or treating.

So what happens when you go to college? If you are going to college for anything Equine most colleges usually have nearby stables for boarding. But if that's not what you are going to school for - who is going to care for your horse then? In the even that the horse lives at your house - who will care for the horse if your family wants to go away for the weekend?

I really hate to sound like I am laying into you, but I want to make sure that you are reading the whole story and not just looking at the polished cover. Simply put your horse will be your child for the next however many years or decades (depending on the age said horse is when you get it). If you can not picture yourself surviving as a teen mom then you probably aren't ready to own a horse. I tend to agree with *R S C* on the leasing and lessons. While it's still costly it will show your dad that you are deticated to your responsibility and won't put such a strain on your family. Besides, then you will be able to decide what you really want. If it comes out that horses aren't your thing once all of the work is done then there won't be any hurt feelings or a homeless horse.

Answer 10

Try telling your dad that you can take care of him a horse needs special care such as excercise,feeding,money to buy the food don't ask your dad for money it's your horse YOU need the money to get the food and a place where it can sleep not just outside try building a small horse den for the horse