Tips to buying your first horse
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Buying your first horse or 20th can be a challenging experience! As long as horses have been in the hands of humans there has been horse traders. The term "horse trader" should just mean a person who trades horses, but most of the time if you hear that label a red flag pops up!
So why be so leery of a horse trader? Well.......if a person trades a lot of horses, he or she is bound to get stuck with unruly, misbehaved, rank horses and just as they were mislead into buying or trading this horse, they pawn the problem off on to the next horseman.
I can give you some advise and insight I have gained over the years buying and selling horses. First off, I have been in the horse business for over 30 years and have bought and sold more horses than I can remember, having said that, I can say I have been mislead and bought my share of rank horses. And not just once but several times.
If your into horses, your going to eventually buy a misrepresented horse......it is just part of the business! The problem is, if its your first horse, it can ruin your confidence and turn your passion for horses to another hobby. Your first horse needs to be one that allows you to learn horsemanship comfortably. Being bucked off, getting kicked or bit, barn sour, or rearing are things better left to a qualified trainer. You should enjoy your new horse and look forward to your trip to the barn!
There is a saying that "Old horses teach young riders and old riders teach young horses" That is a great statement to live by, but there are some exceptions. I have seen 3 year old horses that are perfectly bombproof, with a very willing spirit and I have seen old cantankerous horses unsuitable for green riders.
Riding lessons before purchasing a horse is always a wise idea. Either way, you need to figure out what discipline you want to ride, Trail? Show? Western? English? there are a vast array of riding styles, you need to figure out what you will use your horse for. Once you have done that, then you need to find a trainer or a more experienced horse person to evaluate some of the horses you have on your list.
When you are looking for a horse on the internet, newspaper classifieds or auctions be cautious if they say the horse is for an experienced rider, usually they are saying this for a reason. Horse traders use this term loosely if the horse is a bucker!
When evaluating a horse on a online horse classified usually they will have a temperament scale. First time horse owners need a horse with a calm, quiet disposition. Look for a horse with a quiet to bombproof number. Its a good place to start.
When you go to look at a horse for the first time there are some things you should be cautious about......
- The horse is already saddled when you arrive.
- The horse is already sweaty as if it has been worked before you arrived.
- The owners won't ride the horse first.
- The horses feet are in bad condition.
- The owners say "he has never done that before.
- Overall condition of the horse, good fair poor
- Hooves, is the horse shod? Special shoes? condition good fair poor
- Did the owners clean his hooves? Ask if you can? How was he?
- How is he to catch? Did he run from his owners? How about you?
- Does he stand quietly tied while you talk to the owners?
- How did he saddle, quiet fidgety?
- Does he bridle easily?
- How did he ride for the owners?
- How did he ride for you?
- Ask if you can see how he goes in a trailer?
- Overall did he seem calm and quiet or excited and fidgety?
Ideally, if you can take riding lessons at a stables and get to know the residents, you can usually find a descent horse that will be recommended or one you can get to know first.
All in all remember this, if you buy a horse and find he is not right for you, you can always sell him and if he unruly or rank and you were mislead, now you are stuck with the problem, you can either be honest and tell potential buyers about his problems or you can learn first hand why horse traders get their bad name and pawn your rank horse off on an unsuspecting buyer! Its always better to tell the truth and cut your loses. Sometimes lessons in horses are expensive........
Closing advise.......
Get a few lessons under your belt, learn the language of the horse. Even the best horse can become ugly in inexperienced hands. Spoiled horses can be just as dangerous as wild ones. Don't look to impress anyone one with your spirited horse, look for something bombproof, childproof! Enjoy your horse while you develop horsemanship skills. You can always move up in your experience level. You'll be so glad you started slow.
Good luck in your equine adventure....
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