Buying a Horse

[elly_g]

HELP!
I'd like to know if it would too risky for someone with approx. one year of riding experience to buy a horse in the near future in order to learn more about the horse.

[intouch]

Don't rush into it! What about sharing for a while, or leasing at a good riding school? If you have a really good support system and use it, it might be possible but try to follow your head rather than your heart. Horses are all to easy to acquire, and very hard to part with! Believe me!

[elly_g]

Thanks , intouch! for your advice.
but i'd also like to know if there will be any complications involved when sharing a horse with another person. i'm not too good when it comes to sharing unfortunately....that's why i couldn't share a flat with my friends... :(
any advice on "sharing a horse" would be helpful!

[clairev]

Elly

I think with sharing works best with one person taking ultimate responsibility (usually the horse's owner) and the sharer arranges convenient times to ride etc. This way there is continuity and everyone knows where they stand. I have two girls sharing our two ponies. I look after their everyday needs and ride whenever possible and the girls ring and "book" rides and pay me a small sum towards the horses' keep. Then if I fancy a day off one of them comes and looks after them and rides for free. This works very well and we all benefit. If you feel you would prefer to have much more control over the horse and it's care then perhaps sharing isn't for you unless you did buy your own horse and kept him in a good livery yard and then found a sharer to help with expenses and then you would be in charge - it isn't easy - there has to be give and take on both sides.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[chinesewhispers]

Be really careful if you do decide to buy a horse. I bought my horse in good faith from people whom I had known for a long time. I was not told that they were frightened of her or any of the terrible things that had happened to her until I had got her home for a while. Her previous owners were so frightened of her that they took an iron bar into the stable whenever they handled her!!! She is now wonderful and has gotten over her fears of jumping and of horseboxes but it was a lot of work to get there.

I am not saying that buying a horse is a bad idea but I think you should be careful how you go. Also I happen to think that shareing a horse is a terrible way to go as things can get really difficult for all people involved. You need contracts erc to ensure that you are not liable for vets fees etc if an accident should happen.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

[Allie]

If you are planning to keep the horse at a stable with a knowledgable trainer who is willing to help you, there really is no problem with owning a horse. Just make sure the horse is really suitable for you, and remember they are a lot of work.

I bought my first horse knowing how to ride but not really how to care for one, but learned from the advice of a friend and the owner of the ranch where I board. My horse has not suffered form it, in fact I now have two horses, and my life has only been bettered. If you do not have anyone willing to help you learn, it is probably a better idea for you to share a horse though. Make sure you get a sharing contract in writing so they are no disputes over who rides when or who pays for what. Good Luck!

Allie :)

[~alison~*]

Hi- I lease a horse, and I really think that it is a good idea. I, too, have only been riding a year, and I love to even just go out and groom her when I feel like I don't need to ride. Unfortunately, her owner hasn't been out in a month, and then sort of acts hostile towards me. However, she is a very nice person, and I'm sure she's just worried about her horse (which she has no reason too...). But, I think that you should try to lease a horse, b/c even if you dont go out and ride, the owner would probably be more than happy if you came out and spent time w/the horse.

[cynthia]

hi there, elly.

i've been riding for quite a while (about 9 years if you count my childhood/adolescence, when i owned 2 geldings), and i've just started leasing a really great 17hh TB gelding. i'm really very happy with the arrangement, and i've been riding at least 3 times a week. it's great to be able to ride so much more often, and get back into the swing of caring for a horse on my own. i absolutely love being around a barn with other horses again, and even *without* owning Raven myself, it's without a doubt still a lot of responsibility!

the advantages over owning? there're lots:

1) i don't have $10,000 to spend on an already-trained dressage horse (i want to get into dressage, and this is truly the best way for me to do it).

2) i don't have $1,000 a month to spend on board, veterinary costs, farrier costs, feed supplements, equine massage, and various other (costly!) things. not to mention the costs of buying ALL my own tack, grooming supplies, and whatnot.

3) i get a horse that's already superbly-trained, and i get to advance my riding abaility with the added opportunity to care for a horse on my own, but without the phenomenal expenses of ownership. i also get to meet a whole slew of knowledgeable "horse people" at the barn where Raven's boarded, and get to take lessons with a great dressage/eventing instructor.

all in all, it's a pretty good deal for only $300 a month, i think. :)

seriously, the advice given by all the other posters is great - don't overlook the possibility of leasing. start by placing an ad on one of the "horsey" websites, or perhaps in one of your local tack shops - i found my horse through an ad i placed on EquiSearch.com. if you eventually find a good horse/owner combination, one that you can learn from, it'll be a great way to get into horse ownership under the guidance of someone knowledgeable, without having to forge your own support system. if you DO find a good barn with a built-in support system (lots of horse people that are willing to be your guide in all things equine!), then you might be able to go for it, but leasing is a great first step. :)

good luck!

-cyn

[Medalia]

Well, one thing I have to stress is:
DON'T BUY THE FIRST ONE YOU SEE. Just because you might like it, is no reason to get all happy and make a desision right away. There are a LOT of horses for sale out in the equine world right now, and you know, there might be a few better ones for you than there are really "favourable" I guess. I don't think that came out right... :( okay, well, I guess I'm just saying don't leap to any conclusions right away.

You don't have to spend a fortune on a horse, to get one. It doesn't need to be a perfect KWPN Dutch Warmblood or anything like that. I have a Tennessee Walker/Quarter horse cross. Odd combination, but she looks and moves like a little Warmblood without the block-headedness (JUST A GENERALIZATION, they are hard to ride). :D :D :D

:) Hope this helps! :)

[Allie]

like Medalia said, you don't have to be rich to have a horse. I've got two horses, both 1/2 Quarter horses, one cost $400, the other cost $800. Both were 4 years old when I bought them, so I will have them a long time, and they already had basic training and were suitable for my purposes- trail riding. It costs me approximatley $80/month each for board, feed, wormer, farrier, etc. Horses do not have to be only for rich people, it really just depends on what you want to do with them. If you want a horse only as a recreational activity, it will cost a lot less than if you want to compete. Good luck!

Allie

[Horselover2]

Hello there Elly_G,

If you do decide to buy as opposed to sharing or leasing, be sure to take a knowlegable horse person with you, and I would also strongly recommend that you have a pre-purchase exam done (not by the seller's vet). Good luck with whichever way you decide to go!

HL2

[elly_g]

Big thanks to everyone for many good advice!
I've been quite buzy lately with my work as well as with the matter of buying a horse as you all know....
Unfortunately my instructor hasn't been very helpful ..... :( he said he hasn't got a time for that. So I asked a friend of mine who's been riding a horse for more than 5 years. I wasn't very close to her but I knew it'd be dangerous if I went to see a horse alone. We tried two places and they were located in the country side. I was too excited the night before the visit when I inspected the horse first time I almost made a decision to buy the horse. It was a thoroughbred and was very beautiful that I almost agreed to buy the horse. Until my friend stopped me.
Luckily the price of those two horses was good. I could certainly afford to own the horse alone and I , at that point, decided to buy a horse , not sharing. This is until I discovered that the stable fee is approx .$200 p/week!!!
Since I live in the city area I looked for places within about 1/2 hrs drive from my place. Certainly I don't want to spend more than an hour on road to see my horse.
I did notice that the stable fee gets lower as it gets further away from the city but they usually take 1 1/2 -2 hrs drive...

I'm still very much uncertain of what to do.
Can anyone give me some advice?


elly

[cynthia]

if you're concerned about the exceedingly high cost of boarding in your area (and you probably *won't* find great place that's also cheap, unless you decide to go DIY, which might not be the best of all ideas for a first-time owner)... why not LEASE?

seriously, i'd say it's your best option, particularly if your only hope of a support system to help you out is one lone friend who doesn't even own a horse herself.

and don't EVER decide to up and BUY a horse after only "inspecting" him, and not even riding at least twice!! you need to put a lot more time into this than one visit to one stable, without even getting your own vet out there to do a check.

really... place an ad, visit some tack shops, TALK TO PEOPLE. you're not going to be able to do this all by yourself!

again, good luck.

-cynthia

[This message has been edited by cynthia (edited 01 December 1999).]

[Sarah]

hello!

Usually when deciding to buy a horse, the purchase cost is pretty irrelevant. it is VERY important to work out the costs of running the horse - stable costs, feed and hay and bedding, shoeing, vets visits, worming, lessons, etc, etc. Also think about the petrol cost of getting to see your horse twice a day. In the middle of winter when it is cold, dark and wet, do you really want to be driving for 30mins to see your (often ungrateful!) horse! Even if your horse is on full livery (when the yard does all the looking after of thte horse and you just turn up to ride) you still need to see your horse everyday so that the horse knows that you are its owner, not the people who look after it.

I would strongly reccomend that you look into sharing a horse - you have one or two days a week when you 'own' and look after someone else's horse. that way they bear the main costs and resposibility and you get lots of contact with the horse and time to ride. The owner will also be able to give you advice on looking after the horse.

Be aware that taking on a horse is a hell of a commitment, and that at times you will be wondering why on earth you did it. Having a horse means you spend MUCH less time at home, with your friends and most other interests have to give way to the horse, after all your guitar (or whatever) can happily live in the cupboard, your horse still needs care everyday, twice a day. If you have a partner or kids (don't know if this is at all applicable!) you will have MUCH less time to spend with them and they will get fed up of having to come up to the yard with you everyday and may get annoyed if you leave them at home with how much time you spend with the horse.

Whatever you do, really think this one through, afterall if you buy a horse, you will have an animal that depends on you for the next 20 years (assuming you buy a 10 year old!).

bye!

[Brenda]

Read this with interest as I am looking for a pony for my kids.
Allie, where do you get horses for $400-800?? Here you cant even find an aged pony for under $800. I have been waiting for a deal on a horse again- my Dolly was $400 (19 yrs old) but the only horses for sale around here are $1500-2500. Sorry, my last car cost that much :) And these horses are backyard bred rather ugly things!! Anyways i'm done venting :)

To elly-g, re: boarding. I wish you lived near me. I have been thinking of having a boarder since there are few people around for me to ride with or even to talk horses with. As far as buying, my head agrees with the boarding side but my heart agrees with the buying side. When we moved out into the country i said now i can get a horse, my hubby said sure start looking.... 1 week later Dolly was in my pasture :) She was the 2nd horse i looked at. My hubby never even seen her till we brought her home! She was so gentle that my kids who were 2 & 3 at the time could stand beside her and she just stood still with her head down for them to pet her. My daughter could barely reach her belly. Even though we only had her for 4 years(she had twisted bowel colic) I don't regret buying her, she was one in a million.
But it was silly of me to rush out like that, i did buy her from a reputable place, she had been there since her birth,her owner, an elderly man had died and they had offers for much more money from a horse trader but they wanted her to go to a family. Good luck , let us know what you do.

[Mavi]

If you want to buy a horse and live in the city, think about it a lot, I moved to the country to be able have my own horse and other animals and I have a 1/2 hour drive to go to work in the city, this means that the first thing I see every morning is my mare Morgana (after my husband of course) and even though i have her at home she still is a lot of work, I do enjoy it and after a hard days work, when I get home just to go and feed her relaxes me, last week after a very hard day at work, I worked since 8.30 am until 9.30pm with just a small lunch, when I got home I asked my husband if He had fed her and he said: why should I do it if you are still going to the stable to see her ..... It is very nice to own your horse, but if you live far away from him/her is more work that is worth May be you can share one with a friend and share costs so you will have him close to you and will only need to go and see him every other day, Here in Spain we do not have leasing, sharing etc.. so or you have a horse or you rent one for trail rides that is half dead. Thick about the choices that you have.

All the best.

Mavi

[Allie]

Brenda- you get horses for $400-800 in the middle of nowhere- specifically, Kansas. These prices are a little below the norm even for here, but still, you can get a good trail horse for around $1000.

elly_g where is it that you live that it costs so much to board? You might look into a pasture arrangement as opposed to stall board. Not only is it cheaper, but generally the horses are happier too. Part of the reason my horses are so (relatively) inexpensive is that they live outdoors 24/7. This also makes less work in caring for them. They have plenty of grass in summer, and are fed hay in the winter, so I only need to feed grain when I ride, and not really even then- it is more of a treat than a food source. Good luck in whatever you do!

Allie

[Anne]

Hello ...

Could anyone comment, following on from topic of loaning a horse, what a reasonable contribution would be on part-livery of £403.00 per month ... riding 3/4 days a week. I've been loaning a horse for 6 months with a view to buying, unfortunately now fallen through due to failing full vetting ... Contract was that I would not be responsible for vet fees/shoeing/insurance and would pay £4OO.OO per month.

Also ... if a horse has a wolf tooth still, at 8,and teeth which need rasping, could this be a cause of her head-tossing and resisting the bit? I would have thought so myself, but since the owners said nothing about this (although I
now know they knew about it, I'm beginning to feel suspicious about other things they might know about and haven't mentioned .... I don't want to feel this way as I have been quite happy at the yard, but there seems to be an awful lot of bending the truth and "not quite lying" in the horse business ... and I'd like to know how much I should trust my instinct, or whether sometimes you can let too much suspician get in the way ...

Sorry if this is a bit garbled or "incomplete" but any comments much appreciated ....

Anne
nd I frankly have limited practical knowlege of equine problems,

[Susan B.]

Dear Allie: Ah! The advantages of living in the middle of nowhere!

Susan B., Edmonton,Alberta,Canada

[This message has been edited by Susan B. (edited 03 December 1999).]

[Brenda]

Believe me,we are in the middle of nowhere :) :)! I will have to keep looking. What I want is just a family horse or pony. But all the ads around here are for show horses or just weaned. I think in the spring I will place an ad myself, perhaps most people looking for a "good home" etc aren't putting ads out??? I wish there was a rescue operation around this area but I haven't heard of any in S.W. Ontario. Anyone know of one here?? This is a GREAT site!!

[Susan B.]

Dear Brenda: found this website called Heaven Can Wait Equine Rescue, they're in Ontario, but I'm not sure of the exact location.They have a bulletin board. BTW, nice to here someone in Ontario say they're in the middle of nowhere!
hope this works http://members.tripod.com/~hcwequinerescu/index.html

[Brenda]

Well, when anyone comes to visit us, they always say " Geewhiz your'e out in the middle of nowhere,aren't you?" so I believe them. :) Hey, it makes people call before they come! Are you from around here too?? Thanks for the site, I will check it out.

[Brenda]

That is a great site!!! They didn't have anything there for us but I just spent an hour on other links. There is a pony rescue operation in London, Ont.(1 hour away) that I am going to check into. Thanks so much, really helped me out. :) :)