Buying a Horse
Published by GHC • Aug 25th, 2008 • Category: Horse Advice, Junior Blogger Archivesby Sweetie, age 12
Are you lucky enough to have finally convinced your parents to buy you a horse? Or have you out-grown your old pony, and you are buying one you can do more with? Read on to find out how to find your perfect horse!
To start, you need to work out what kind of horse you want. You have probably already pictured your perfect pony, but now it’s time to be realistic. You need to consider all these factors:
- How tall should the horse be?
- How old should the horse be?
- Do you want a mare, gelding or stallion (see SB’s blog What Gender Is Right For You?)?
- What do you want to do with your horse?
- You should also have an idea of what you want him to look like, but don’t only look for a certain coloured horse.
As I said earlier, you have to be realistic. If you are young and inexperienced, there’s no point buying a 15hh, four year old stallion. Likewise, there’s no point buying a 14hh, 20 year old gelding if you have been riding for a long time and like a challenge.
Now, you need to find some horses that are for sale. Ask around your stable to see if anyone has a horse for sale, or knows someone who is selling their horse. If no one knows a horse you could buy, look in magazines or online.
Once you have found a couple of horses, it’s time to phone the owners. When you call them, ask them these questions:
- What have you done with your horse?
- Where did you buy him from?
- Does he buck/rear/have any vices?
- Is he good to load/shoe etc?
- Has he had any health problems or serious injuries?
- Why are you selling him?
If you are sure this horse is right for you, it’s time to arrange a visit. When you go to see the horse, you need to make sure he is absolutely perfect for you. To start, try groomng him and leading him, to make sure he is good to handle. When you know he is quiet and well-mannered, you can tack him up. Ask the owner to ride the horse before you, so you can see how they ride him and how he behaves. Afterwards, you can mount. Do lots of transitions and change the rein often whilst you are riding. If you plan to jump him, ride him over a few small jumps.
If you really like the horse, and he is well-behaved and well-mannered, you should now have him vetted. A vet will check him over for any illnesses, injuries and just check his general health. Once the vet has given you the all clear, it’s time to decide if you really want the horse. He isn’t just a jumper you can take back to the shop if he doesn’t fit. Go to see all the horses you like before making a decision.
Buying a horse will take a long time. You can’t just buy the first horse you see because he is your favourite colour, as he might buck or bite.
Good luck, both with finding your horse and with owning him!
You’ve got me so excited to continue growing in my riding and learning about horses. It would just be a dream come true to buy a horse. Great job writing this blog :)
This is like a little extension part from my first blog. Very well done, Sweetie. I hope you keep on writing blogs!
mustangmane
Thanks! I have also written a blog on selling a horse, but it’s not that good. I was in a rush.
this is really goodadvive keep it coming!=]
would it be ok if i did a one aout sellinga horse ?[=
ponygalmaddy, Sweetie’s blog about selling a horse is already on the calendar. When it’s posted, you’re welcome to share your perspective in the comments. You’re also welcome to submit a guest blog. The Casting Call for Bloggers will help you learn what we look for in blog submissions.
cool i bought my horse bout 3 years ago when i learned this year that he didnt have enough “heart” for drill. So that’s when i bought my new horse who is just as amazing as my old one!
Wow!! This is a fantastic blog I really enjoyed reading it!! I can not wait to hear more from you Sweetie! This is really informative and I absolutley need to learn more about the few horses I was thinking about buying. Love it. Hope you keep writing. I can not wait to read the blog about selling horses
Thjnaks guys! Good luck with your new horses, horsecrazzz!