How'd you get your first/current horse (along with other questions)?

Question

Like, how did you convince your parents (or yourself) to buy one? Did your parents think it was too costy? Including all that boarding, tack, and grooming supples, etc? What do you use your horse for? (jumping, trail riding, etc.) Anything else you want to add?

-->I love Chincoteague Ponies, what can you say about that? ( I own NO horses) *tear tear* :(
If you happen to have a Chinco Pony, did you get it in Virginia? Where theyre mostly at? Or did you get lucky and get it somewhere near you? And how much do they usually cost?

Answer 1

My parents bought her for me, because I nagged a lot and it was the only thing I cared about. The best way to convince your parents to get you a horse is to convince them to like horses too. Now that I've been riding for almost 12 years, my dad really enjoys the horses too. So after we got the first one, and she had a baby (surprise) we moved to our own horse property and it was very easy to convince him to get more. If they don't like horses themselves or don't understand why you like them than it'll be a REALLY hard sell. But now that my parents know that it's the most important thing to me, and because my dad likes them, it's pretty easy. Tack and stuff I would accumulate before you get the horse, I had just about everything I could need before I got my mare, so my parents couldn't use that as an excuse.
Also, Chinco ponies are not worth it. Because of Margaret Henry's books they go for ridiculously high prices. My trainer who visited there on vacation told me that the cheapest foals went for 1000 or over. And that some people were crazy enough to pay over 12K for one that looked like Misty!

Also!! Most important: Your parents have to know that you're responsible and that you're going to take care of the horse. If you're not out there every day (or some other reasonable amount of time) first of all, you shouldn't have that horse. And second, your parents will rightfully tell you that you need to sell it.

Answer 2

I own two horses right now, a quarter horse and a paint. My dad grew up with absolutely no animals, and my mom grew up with every animal you could imagine. For years, I begged for a horse, but my dad wouldn't budge. My cousin owns a horse business and she mentioned she had some great horses. We told my dad we would just look at them. (haha of course we knew we were doing more than 'looking') When we found maddie (my quarter horse) we made my dad come and look at her. and if you're looking for a chincoteague pony, oh man i dont know how someone can turn down a face like that! haha. It's a good idea to have some way to earn money and tell your parents that you will be more than happy to pay for (or partially pay for) your horse's board, tack, etc. I use my horses for just about everything. Maddie: i show in western pleasure, trail obstacle, trail riding, western horsemanship, and showmanship. Mac (my paint 4 y.o.): i show him in Hunter Under Saddle, english pleasure, english equitation, showmanship, and pinto circuits.

good luck with finding your chincoteague pony!

Answer 3

I was in high school. I got a job, and I made monthly payments on the horse. I bought him from my agriculture teacher. My best friend surprised me with a stall and shelter that her family built for me. Otherwise, I would have been able to keep it on my teacher's property at no extra cost. Before I even acquired that horse, I began building up all of my tack and supplies FAR in advance so the cost of everything wouldn't be such a blow. It is ROUGH paying for the feed (in California, anyway, being a student in high school). I live in Virginia NOW, but know nothing of Chinco Ponies. I had a thoroughbred.

Answer 4

My current trail horse is pretty awesome. he is an American Warmblood(QH crossed with draft) I love him to death! He is the best trail horse ever. We have taken him thru a Wendy's Drive thru and he was like whatever. He is only 6, and he has sucha playful personality. The other day I hung my helmet by his stall and walked over to watch a horse work, then all the sudden I hear a flapping sound I turn around and he throws my helmet on the ground as if to say "YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO RIDE ME NOW" I love him, and then if I have to go to the bathroom I use his stall, he'll move to block and make sure no one can see me.

My first pony was a chincoteague pony, my daddy baught him for me, he was rotton. But taught me a lot

Answer 5

Well, I trained horses for my aunt for 6 yrs before I owned a horse. I would do all the ground breaking for foals- 2yrs, and she would do the riding.
For all the help I was giving her, my aunt kept wanting to get me a horse, but my mother said no. After 6 yrs I got a foal that I really clicked with. She was also the first horse I rode regularly, and the first horse I completely trained (all I rode were green horses, but they were always broke at least walk/trot before). Well, my aunt was going to sell her, and the more I rode and showed her, the more her price went up (I think she was selling for 8k at 3 yrs when I got her). Problem was, the mare would not look good and would act dead to cues if anyone but me rode her.
My mother finally gave in (probably with my aunt bugging her) and I got the horse for a christmas present. For Christmas, all of the relatives chipped in as well, and I got all of my tack and supplies that way. I boarded her at my aunt's, which was $100 a month pasture board. My mother paid half, and I worked off the rest by feeding horses, cleaning stalls, baling hay, etc.
Once I turned 18, I had to start paying for everything myself for her. I am a 5th yr in college now, and work 40 hrs or so a week, mainly to pay to keep her with me.

I ride dressage- schooling and showing first level. We are very slow about advancing (she is already 8), but both of us are new to upper level dressage, and I just get lessons when I can afford it.

Answer 6

I had wanted a horse ALL MY LIFE, but since we moved around a lot, my dad said I couldn't have one. I had to be content with riding lessons and paying for hour long trail rides... I was a VERY good kid, never got into trouble, did my chores without being asked, got good grades, never begged for things I couldn't have... So my parents promised me that I could have a horse when Dad got out of the Air Force and we settled down. In the meantime, I saved up my money...

This was 1974 and things were much, MUCH cheaper. When I was 16, Dad retired from the Air Force and we settled down. By then he decided that I should save my money for college, but Mom and I talked him into letting me have a horse. I walked on AIR for a few days until we finally went to look at a horse. She was SO pretty! I bought the first horse I looked at, partly because she was pretty, but also because I was afraid my dad would change his mind! You won't believe what I paid -- $250 and that included a saddle, bridle, saddle pad and brushes!

In those day, boarding only cost $100 a month -- for FULL board. And shoes only cost $20!!! Can you believe it??

I had to sell her before I went to college, but I loved having her.

I hope you get your horse someday. Just remember, good things are worth waiting for!

Answer 7

Well unfortunately I didn't get to "buy" my own horse until all my kids were grown. I simply went on trail rides with friends. But...when I got my own horse, she was a beautiful TWH and could she run. I bought her over the internet after going to see her and ride her about 5 times. But. She must have been tranquilized when I rode her, because when I got her home she took off with me and well. I had to have surgery. But....she did stop and she stood behind me so traffic couldnt get to me. You have to really be careful buying your first horse. Its best to take someone knowledgeable with you because unfortunately we have a lot of unscrupluous people in this industry. Then again, there are some very good ones. :)

Answer 8

I've had horses all my life- the first equine I ever rode was a wild-ride Appaloosa with my mother, around the age of two.

My mother always insisted that she needed to have her head examined (around the time I was born, she had 45 horses). And, no, she never thought that her horses were too costly.

I don't have any Chinco Ponies, but I do have seven Mustangs, two of them Kiger, and five from BLM sales. They're wonderful horses (though only a trainer needs to be getting them; they're wild), and I'm looking into buying a Brumby. The Mustangs all cost 125$ each, from BLM sales.

Answer 9

Long story, I never could convince my parents despite the fact that they rarely saw me at weekends or holidays. I did get riding lessons eventually as Mother got a bit worried about me riding half broken ponies in fields without proper supervision ( which was never as bad as she seemed to think). This eventually led to me working at the riding school and being offered a couple of horses when they were for sale - not that I could do anything about them at the time. But one was my favorite and I nearly gave the whole thing up when he went. Years went by and I had a friend who got a horse on loan who told me that the people she loaned from needed someone to ride another horse for them. I went along - it turned out to be the horse I nearly quit over ! I rode him ( first time he'd been ridden in months) and he threw me. I got back up. A lot of things changed in weird ways during the couple of years that I rode that horse for those people ( extremely long story) and the upshot was that they actually ended up giving him to me.( I was 34 by then !)

We just hack about ( trail riding in the UK)

Strange things happen - don't give up on your dream.

Answer 10

I had been riding since I was four years old. My aunt owned 5 horses and I would always go out and ride. My whole life I wanted one, but it was too much money my parents said. I didn't like to do anything else. All other sports bored me. So since I didn't have anything to do my parents wanted something to keep me occupied. I at one point wore all black cloths and my mom wanted something for me to love and help me out of those days. So my mom told me she'd maybe get me a horse. I searched the internet forever.... Then my uncle found 2 horses. We called the one just got sold then my uncle took a look at my horse i have now storm. And we bought him. Of coarse they thought it was too costly, but they did it because i needed it. I first started off with storm just trial riding, and cow penning. Now we show jumping and flats. He can basically do anything not like a pro, but I love him because anything I ask him he'll try his hardest.