Many folks love the idea of owning their own horse. Often, that is as far as it goes. Life's situations, finances, conflicts and limitations, can mean that the dream of owning your own horse stays just that, a dream. If that is what will best fit into your life, I suggest that you be satisfied with that reality, at least for the time being. Trying to make this dream a reality, in a life where it does not fit, will often cause real problems. Perhaps down the line, life's situations for you will change.
Some people are fortunate and life presents a situation where, fulfilling the dream of owning your own horse is feasible and you decide to take action. The purpose of this article is, to help those of you who decide to move forward with the purchase of your own horse and make the dream come true a happy event and not a nightmare.
On our web site we help folks develop strategies to save money on horse care and how to generate an additional income stream to help people afford their horses, without putting their regular finances at risk. We hope this information will prove helpful to you. Before you go out and start looking at prospective horses to buy, there are several items you need to consider.
Define what you want to do with your horse.
I recommend that you decide what activities or disciplines, would you like to pursue? Do you just want an equine friend that you can look at or visit in the pasture? Do you want to trail ride? Would you enjoy participating in local competitions or do you have the goal of competing at a higher level?
What discipline do you want to participate in?
Does competing in Pleasure Classes meet your goals? Do you thrive on the excitement and speed of Barrel Racing? Do you dream of clearing an Oxer in a Jumping Course? Is Reining, Dressage or Endurance Riding what you really enjoy?
I recommend you spend some time taking some lessons and trying different disciplines, if you are unsure as to the direction your horse journey will take. Although some horses are multi talented and can perform in a variety of disciplines, others horses are more suited to specific activities and although they could be used in another discipline, they are not suited to excel at it. Therefore it is to your advantage to have a pretty good idea as to what you want to do with your horse before you go out and buy one.
Where are you going to keep your horse?
You have two initial options. Do you want to, and do you have the land to keep your horse on your property or will you keep him somewhere else?
If you have the land to keep your horse on your own property, you have a number of decisions to make. What kind of fencing currently exists and is it safe? If you do not have current safe fencing, what kind will you use and who will install it? What will the cost of that be? Do you have a barn/stable? If not, will you build one? Will a run in shed meet your needs and those of your horses? Where will you store feed, hay, tack and other horse related supplies? Do you have an adequate water supply? What will you do with manure and soiled bedding? What will the cost be to prepare your place for your horse? Where will you purchase, hay, feed, bedding and at what cost?
If you will board your horse you have a lot to consider:
How far away is a reasonable distance to keep your horse from your home? At first consideration a certain commute might seam reasonable, until you have done it for a while and then, going to see or ride your horse can become a chore.
Do you have a horse friend who has property and room for your horse? If so will their facility meet your needs? If you chose this option, make sure you have a clear understanding with the property owner as to financial and other responsibilities. Always better, as the boarder, to try to do a little extra and make sure the property owner knows you appreciate the opportunity given you. Do not make them wish they did not let you bring your horse on their property. You also do not want to lose a friendship over horse issues.
If you board at a stable
What characters are important to you at a boarding facility? Certainly you want to look for safe stalls and fencing. Are basic accommodations satisfactory to you, or do you want something nicer? Do you look for an enclosed arena to ride in. What about an indoor riding arena or access to trails? What is their feeding policy? How often are stalls cleaned? What are the pastures like and when are the horses turned out? Is pasture board available? What kind of folks board at the facility? What kind of riding activities do they participate in? Are there a lot of kids there? What are the owners, managers and employees like? Is a Trainer or Instructor available on site? What is the cost of the board? Is the facility run safely? Is this a place you will feel comfortable? There are many wonderful facilities out there and many others that you will not be comfortable at. Take your time to decide and visit each option a few times.
Once you have decided where you will keep your horse, line up an Equine Vet and a Ferrier. You may want to consider using ones that other boarders recommend or that a neighbor has had good experiences with.
What can you afford?
The cost of purchasing a horse can range from free to many thousands of dollars. You should do your homework and see what the price range and value in your area is. You will normally pay more for a better trained horse, one that is registered, one from successful breading lines, one that has been campaigned successfully or one that is an appealing color. Decide what attributes are important to you. Take your time.
The purchase of your horse is only the beginning of the financial challenges of owning a horse. Beyond that there is, the ongoing costs of hay, feed, bedding, barn maintenance or board at a stable. Then add to that tack, Vet bills, Ferrier bills, supplements you chose to use, trailer and truck if you chose to purchase them. Training for your horse or lessons for you might be needed. Cost of going to competitions and other equine events if you chose to participate in them. Make sure you have the funds available to meet these needs. We have compiled an extensive list of cost saving tips through our web site. These may help you keep your horse expenses at a reasonable level.
Define what your horse skill and knowledge levels are.
We all start the development of our horsemanship skills and knowledge where we are today. We have all had different backgrounds and experiences. You are encouraged to take an honest evaluation of your horsemanship skills and abilities. Where you are in your horsemanship journey should influence what horse you purchase. You should match your horse to your abilities. If you are new to horses and do not have advanced skills, you would be well served to select a horse with significant experience. One that is well trained and can help you learn and develop your horsemanship skills.
Have a Vet perform a pre-purchase exam and ask for a week trial period.
It is a very good investment to have an Equine Vet examine the horse you are looking to purchase. You can do this before you bring the horse home or you can ask for a week trial period and have your Vet perform the exam at your place during that week. This is a real good idea and will work well if you live near the seller. You do not want to purchase the horse and get him home only to then discover a problem that you did not know existed.
Where do you look to find your horse?
There are a lot of places where you can look to find the horse you are going to purchase. Equine Vets, Ferriers, Trainers, Instructors and other knowledgeable horse people are good to touch base with. There is an informal network of horse people in most areas the can really help you find the right horse if you take your time. Feed Stores and Tack Shops normally allow flyers noting horses for sale. Check their postings frequently. There are many sites on the internet that allow folks to advertise horses for sale.
Buyer Beware!
There are many very honest folks out there and I have had the fortune to have met many of them. On the other hand, there are others who are not so honest. I have met my share of those as well. Hopefully the seller you are dealing with honestly portrays the horse you are interested in. To help safeguard your purchase, I advise making multiple visits to see and evaluate the horse. See him at different times of the day. If you are able to show up without advanced notice, that would be helpful. As noted above, having an Equine Vet evaluate the horse and a week trial would be a real good safeguard
If the horse is portrayed as being well trained, ask for the owner or someone else to show you how the horse performs and then ask to ride the horse yourself if you feel comfortable with this. It is not recommended that folks new to horses purchase a horse at an auction. It can be very hard, even for experienced horse people to be sure of what they are buying at auction. New horse owners should also avoid purchasing a stallion. These animals require experienced handling and specific living accommodations.
By all means, take your time in the buying process. Educate yourself, evaluate the criteria noted above. Make sure you are comfortable with your purchase. Make sure you have the financial resources to not put the rest of your financial life in jeopardy. It is a really good idea to seek the help and guidance of an experience horse person. They can make a big difference as you try to sort this all out.
Visit our website for cost saving tips and a proven system to generate additional income that can fund your horse journey.
I truly wish your dream of owning your own horse comes true in a very satisfying way.
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