How soon can you consider buying your own horse?

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AliciaA

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Sep 18, 2015
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Hi all,

I started riding a couple of months ago but have always loved horses. I actually rode about 10 years ago until I got thrown off my horse because he got spooked by the riding instructor :oops: - This was when I lived abroad in the Emirates and he probably wasn't qualified (didn't know much about what qualifications he should've had at the time)..

Anyway, I have been looking around for a horse share and think I've found one which I'm hoping will be great for confidence building and an alternative to lessons once I have the basics down.

So my question is, how soon is it okay to look at buying your own?

I'd really like my own some day but am wary of becoming 'over horsed' (I think that's the term I've seen being used). I wan't to do this the right way and am aware of the fact that it is expensive to keep a horse (I've read that it ranges between 8-12k a year on full livery - please correct me if i'm wrong!)
 
Sharing is a really good stepping stone before buying, no stable management class/lesson really prepares you for those decisions you need to make alone like when your horse goes lame miles from home out on a hack or gets injured in the field and you discover it after everyone else has left the yard for the night! and what feed do you choose and why ;) sharing gives you a lot of insight and knowledge :) I think how soon you can buy your own depends on your support network, experience and confidence, you can't really put a time on it :)
 
I'd say my horse costs about £500 a month, all in. She is on DIY livery and I have weekly lessons, and a horsebox, and she eats a lot and needs a lot of shoes! There's no real getting round the fact that horses are expensive, unless you have your own land.

I came to horses in my late 30s and bought too soon and it was a bad decision that cost me a lot of stress - and money. My advice would be to take some stable management lessons at a local riding school, maybe even work towards BHS Stage One, and whatever you do, make sure you take someone experienced with you when you go and look at potential share/ purchase ponies and always gets the seller/loaner to ride them before you get on. There are a lot of shysters out there looking to palm off dangerous horses on unsuspecting novices - I had my fingers burnt in that respect.
 
Thanks for the advice squidsin! I was looking at the BHS Stage One but not sure if the Riding School I have my lessons at even have that option in the evenings (I have my lessons after work and they close the school straight after!)

Thanks Jessey! My problem is, other than my riding instructor, I don't actually know other people who ride - again, the riding school is empty when I have my lessons. They also don't do any hacks because it's in a city area so there doesn't even seem to be the opportunity of meeting people in that scenario. This is also what I'm a bit concerned about when looking for a horse to share :/
 
AliciaA said:
Thanks for the advice squidsin! I was looking at the BHS Stage One but not sure if the Riding School I have my lessons at even have that option in the evenings (I have my lessons after work and they close the school straight after!)

Thanks Jessey! My problem is, other than my riding instructor, I don't actually know other people who ride - again, the riding school is empty when I have my lessons. They also don't do any hacks because it's in a city area so there doesn't even seem to be the opportunity of meeting people in that scenario. This is also what I'm a bit concerned about when looking for a horse to share :/
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Join your local riding club - that's a great way of meeting local horsey people. Even if you don't have a horse, you can go to the pub meetings and fence judge at events and get involved with stuff. They'd be the best people to advise on local share horses too.
 
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squidsin said:
Join your local riding club - that's a great way of meeting local horsey people. Even if you don't have a horse, you can go to the pub meetings and fence judge at events and get involved with stuff. They'd be the best people to advise on local share horses too.
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Hmm, sorry for sounding like a complete noob but how do you do that? I don't even know if there is such a club in my area (facepalm)
 
AliciaA said:
Hounslow area (I ride in Ealing) - let me ask Google!
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Oh I re-learnt to ride there as an adult! I rode Betty and Megan a lot.
I am a member of South Oxfordshire riding club (www.SORC.biz). We have quite a few members from West London, it's only a short hop down the M40!
 
squidsin said:
Oh I re-learnt to ride there as an adult! I rode Betty and Megan a lot.
I am a member of South Oxfordshire riding club (www.SORC.biz). We have quite a few members from West London, it's only a short hop down the M40!
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Ealing Riding School? I've ben riding Raz so far - don't know the others. I got really excited about SORC but when I put it in to Google Maps it says it would take me an hour without traffic! :(

Thanks for the link, I can see 2 which are about 40mins from me...
 
AliciaA said:
Ealing Riding School? I've ben riding Raz so far - don't know the others. I got really excited about SORC but when I put it in to Google Maps it says it would take me an hour without traffic! :(

Thanks for the link, I can see 2 which are about 40mins from me...
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It was a few years ago that I rode there so they've probably got different horses now. There's no hacking round there though. I hacked round Richmond Park and Bushey Park a few times but it costs a fortune!
 
A share owner would give you support and guidance, its in their best interests that you are well equipped to look after their horse :) and if you ever came upon one of those emergency situations they are most likely always on the end of the hone to discuss options with you :)
 
squidsin said:
It was a few years ago that I rode there so they've probably got different horses now. There's no hacking round there though. I hacked round Richmond Park and Bushey Park a few times but it costs a fortune!
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Yup exactly! I feel like hacking might give me a bit of confidence outside of the ring.. I tried out Park Lane Stables but didn't love the horse I was put on (quite round barrelled and I found it difficult to get my leg positions right) - I'm quite shy and not sure how it would appear to ask for a different horse.. The one I'm looking to share (hopefully!) will be based somewhere there is good hacking (probably near Windor)
 
Jessey said:
A share owner would give you support and guidance, its in their best interests that you are well equipped to look after their horse :) and if you ever came upon one of those emergency situations they are most likely always on the end of the hone to discuss options with you :)
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Thats what I'm counting on - learn on the job kind of arrangement with extra support when needed :p
 
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We bought our first horses after about six months which is very soon but had some amazing back up and support on a yard. Otherwise it would have been a recipe for disaster. I also devoured pretty much every piece of horsey reading matter I got my hands on. That, coupled with three lessons a week worked for us.
 
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