How Long Should You Have Ridden Before You Buy A Horse?? And Which Breeds Are Best For A First-Horse Buyer??

Question

Hey everyone!
Im 16 and have been riding for a while, and i think i am ready to buy my own horse. Ive done the research and everythin, i know where i would board it, and all that stuff.
I am just wondering two things:

1. What breeds are good for a first-horse buyer? (a friend reccomended Hanoverians 'cause they have a great personality and are versatile)

and

2. How long should you have been riding before you get your own horse? Some people at the equestrian center i ride at only waited three years, some waited more. How long should you have been riding before you get your own horse, 'cause i dont want to get this horse and not be ready for it.

Thanx sooo much everyone!!

Answer 1

Go for it!

Thinking about this some more, the main thing is commitment. You have to be sure yourself before you take on a horse. If you are keeping the horse yourself, not just paying someone else to do that and using it once in a while, then you have to be there every morning and every night. You can't tell your horse "sorry, I didn't feel like feeding you and turning you out this morning". When I kept horses I was up at 6am, stables at 6:15, home at 7:30, work at 8:30, home at 6pm, stables at 6:30, home at 9pm, fed by 10 and had time to sit and watch the news before heading off to bed. It's a life choice.

You don't need to have ridden at all! I used to drive a horse box for a woman who bred and showed Welsh Section Ds for a hobby and did not ride them at all. Her son also showed in-hand and didn't ride, few of them had ever even seen a saddle.

Everyone loves their own choice in horse, what you end up buying depends on where exactly you are as well as the characteristics of the particular breeds. I used to keep Arabs as well as cobs and I know one of each that would have been absolutely ideal for anyone. They were both brave, obedient and solidly dependable. They were kind and gentle and easy to look after. They'd both follow me around like dogs but were well able to manage a two hour ride through Bedfordshire every day.

But it depends what you want to do. Arabs are the very very best long distance horses, but they are too small for jumping. Some can also be bad tempered and unpredictable, one of my friends was knocked out by her sister's Arab.

Hanoverians are great horses, but then so are most of the European warmbloods.

One bit of advice that I was given early on was that a horse costs about as much as a car, if you want something cheap for getting around then it's anything from $500 to a couple of thousand. If you want a quality horse that's going to be with you for years then you can pay 5-10k. If you are looking for something competitive then you are in the $10k+ range and the sky is the limit.

My favorite horse was a Cleveland Bay x Thouroughbred, essentially the same background as the Hanoverians which are carriage horse crosses too. He was an athletic 17.3 hands with a great attitude, unless you tried to make him follow small ponies, in which case he'd amuse himself by trying to bite them to make them hurry up. He was fast and would jump anything. But he was not a novice ride, he tested anyone who got on them, and they'd better win or they were doing what he wanted.

Try to get a horse with a good attitude, one that's easy to catch and box, who picks his feet up when asked, who doesn't crib, windsuck or weave, who doesn't have conformational issues, isn't too old, isn't frightened of things like plastic bags and passing cars. My favorite Arab wasn't frightened of anything which made her very safe in traffic.

In the US quarter horses are safe solid and predictable choices. In the UK an Anglo (Arab/Thoroughbred) is a good safe bet though more people seem to buy cobs than anything else, but then that's because they require little to do well.

You need to read up on breed characteristics and see how they match what you want to do. Be honest with yourself too. Ending up with a great looking horse that's no use for what you do would be a sad disappointment.

The cutest horse I ever saw was an Irish Draught cross Arab, like a 17hh Arab with a really calm and sensible attitude, he was a dressage horse with Dane Rawlins (I think).

Have a look at the Irish Draught, I think that would be on my list if I was to start again.

And I think you need to ask this in the horse section where you'll get more opinions!

Answer 2

There is no one particular breed that is better for new riders than others. You have to go by the individual horse's personality. I personally prefer quarter horses, but I will admit there are some good ones and some worse ones. My favorite was a quarterhorse/Morgan mix, or "Quargon". As a general rule of thumb, a horse will become more calm with age, so a good horse for a beginner will usually be over 10 years old, often over 15. Get someone that is experienced with horses to go with you. You need to ride the horse while that person watches and that person needs to ride the horse while you watch. There are things you can't see while riding, such as if the horse is turning it's rear hooves out.

There is no set time to wait. You need to ask yourself if you have the time and money to care for it. Will you be at the stables alot, or just once each month? Have you taken into account the expenses for vet bills; regular dewormings; farrier services; feed; hay; tack purchases, repairs, & upkeep; and grooming supplies?

Do you have an experienced horse person that you can rely on that can help you in situations where you're not sure what to do? Do you know an experienced horse person that has seen you around horses?

And don't buy the first horse you see, no matter how much you love it.

Answer 3

There is not quite a suite period of time you will have to wait earlier than you get a horse, as long as you purchase a horse that fits your ability stage. If you purchase a horse that is quite top strung then it's not relevant how well a rider you're, you can have a tough time. As for the breed, breeds do not quite subject. I say this considering that it is the horses character persona and even as there are features (Thouroughbreds being top maintainence, and so on) the primary factor for you are going to be how they manage and trip. Andalusions are nice horses however very pricey and I've but to listen to of 1 that is well for a newbie. I could wait till you've gotten been using a little bit extra. You can enlist the individuals who paintings at and possess the steady you trip at to aid you out additionally. They will recognise individuals and will consultant you in the direction of a horse that's suitable to your measurement and ability stage. Good success.

Answer 4

There are allot of different theories on "when to buy your first horse." You just need to keep allot of thing in mind when you are shopping around, but there is one very important statement that I want you to remember first and foremost!

DON'T GET IN A HURRY--Life is to short, and there are too many GOOD horses, for you to waste time on a bad one.

When shopping around, think about what you want your horse for, ie, trailriding, barrel racing, horse shows, jumping, or all around events. Different horses excell at different events. Next you need to decide if you want a horse that is deadbroke, or one that is still green and that you are going to have to put allot of hours in the saddle right away to make sure he/she is going to have lessons reenforsed.

It has nothing to do with the number of years you have rode, it has to do with the experience you have gotten in those years, and how much of a natural you are. For example, I give lessons, one kid has been riding for 3 years and still needs to be on my beginer horse, another just started in March and started on the next level of horse last month. Some people just take to it more naturally.

In your search get all the info you can about the horse and when you go to meat and greet the horse listen to your gut, and leave your feelings out of it. Remember up front, every horse will be beautiful and you will want them all. But as you meet the horses and ride them around and get the feel for what they do and compare that to your mental checklist for what you need a horse to do, listen to your gut. Does it sound like the owners are covering something up or leaving something out. Do you feel uncomforatable on him/her. Is the horse to much for you to handle, because if it is here on familiar grounds, back at your place you are really going to be in for it.

Bottom line is know kind of what you want, and go from there. Personally I say a first horse for someone should be around 10-15, a good calm age. Before you buy though you need to sit down with someone (an adult, your stable owner would be great for this) and have them go over what it costs per month to keep a horse, and what vet expenses you will have. Because the CHEAPEST thing you will fork out will be the cost of your horse.

Best of luck with search of your new horse.

Raye

Answer 5

long time, i have 3