Buying a Horse
By Gaye DeRusso
If you want a trained horse, there are only a few ways to get one. You spend the money up front, and you buy a trained horse, it may be expensive but worth it in the end. The horse will have experience, be set in its gaits, and knows all the cues, then you just need to learn how to give the horse the cues and how to ride with a balanced seat.
Why are trained horses expensive? Because someone found a well-bred horse that has a good temperament and trainability. Then, took the time and money to buy it, train it and put some years and miles under its belt. When you add this up and then see the price they are asking, you will see they have lost money and will never get back what they put in the horse.
If you board a horse, it cost at least 300 at cheapest in this area, now add in shoeing- every 2 months, training, and vet care. Now add that to a couple of years and its over 5000 dollars and that doesn't even cover the investment of them buying the horse.
The second way is to train the horse yourself, but if you are not a trainer, get ready to get confused, have the horse get confused and it will take a long time to train the horse if you are not working with it 5 days a week. This is cheaper to start, but cost more in the end, since if you fall off, you may be out of work and must pay a hospital bill.
Lastly you can send your horse to a trainer and pay them to train it for you. If you know of a great trainer, then this may work just fine, but if you don't you will have to find one you can afford. Every week your horse should be improving and if it is not, you may have to find another trainer. Depending on the horse, it may just need a tune-up, so it remembers it's training or it may need extensive training to get it to where you can safely ride and handle it. So, add up the board, the training and vet bills and see if you are really saving any money, vs buying an already trained horse.
When buying a horse there are many things to look for, try to answer the following questions before you start your search.
Age - the most important things to consider is that an older horse has seen more, may have some arthritis and therefore won't be as spunky as a young horse such as bucking. They may not be completely sound and may need Bute occasionally, but if this is your first horse and you don't have anyone to really help you, then an older babysitter type horse is what you need. By old I mean at least 15 and up, a horse that is in its 20's can be a great horse if it has been well taken care of. Don't pass on a good horse because you think it's too old. Some horses can be ridden up into their 30's. They also don't need to get out as much and if you plan on riding just a couple days a week, then this would work out better than a younger horse that needs more work to behave well.
By having a list of what you need you can avoid many useless trips looking at the wrong horses. Also be realistic, there is no perfect horse, you must decide what are the most important things and then, what can you accept or work on. If you want a quiet horse, well then, he might also be a little dull, it you want a horse that wants to go, well then, he might just be a little more reactive to things. If you want a horse that is a great mover, well that also means he has athletic talent which may come out when he bucks, rears or spins. If you just think about it, it all starts to make sense.
Questions you should ask the buyer
Horses that are cheap, are usually older or may have maintenance issues or have behavior problems. Doesn't mean you can't find one, just be careful and bring an experienced horse person with you.
Always get a vet check even on trail horses. They are trained to find the faults that's why they get paid to do it, and it will be worth the $200-400 to find out if this horse will hold up for what you want to do with it. It protects you and the seller. You can still buy it, even if it has issues, but it is best to know up front if you can manage it.
No one wants to spend a lot of money, but it is worth it to spend the money upfront then to find you have a horse you cannot ride, or fall off and end up with a large hospital bill, time out of work etc. Then you'll have to send the horse to a trainer and possible sell if you now feel uncomfortable with the horse. In the end you spent double or more when you could have bought a nice horse to start.
I've seen people get free horses then spend thousands of dollars for the upkeep and training. I don't consider that a deal.
Everyone wants that 6-10 year old calm gelding. I have found that it is not the age that makes the horse but the temperament, a horse that is spooky at 4 will still be spooky at 10, he will have seen more, so not as much will make him spook but it will still happen. The 4 year old horse that is calm and takes everything in stride will do the same when he is 10. Although at 4 he will have a lot more energy to deal with, just like kids do compared to an adult.
Take for an example a draft horse they tend to be very calm even at a young age, compare that to a thoroughbred horse, they tend to be hotter horses, (don't be offended I grew up with thoroughbreds), they are bred to run. Whereas the drafts are bred to work and pull carts. So don't look for that perfect age and color, look harder at the temperament and if the horse will hold up for the sport you will be participating in.
Last of all don't forget, horses, just like people need a job. If you don't give them one, they will find something to do on their own. So, when you do find that horse that you've been looking for, practice what he knows, ride in the arena and on the trail, don't expect him to be a good trail horse if he hardly goes on the trail, or to side pass perfectly if you haven't practiced in a month. Compare this to your job, when you do it every day, you do it well, when you don't do a particle job except occasionally, you will not be very good at it.
Also, if you keep your horse in pasture or a large paddock, he will be a lot calmer then if he is kept in a stall. Remember this if you buy a horse that has been in pasture, and you put him in a stall and everyday he gets a little spunkier. You may not just be able to get on him and ride, you might have to lunge him first for 10 minutes to get him thinking instead of reacting. 10 minutes of lunging and turning can really calm a horse and give you a safer ride, isn't that worth it?
Everyday your horse will either learn something or unlearn something, so make sure you are strict enough for the horse to respect you, kind enough that the horse will trust you, and patient enough so your horse may understand you.
Lastly while you are trying to find that dream horse, take lessons, English would be best as it will teach you balance and build up your strength. If you have a good seat, it's much harder to fall off. Learn how to steer well, how to use your legs to make the horse go forward, how to move the horses body parts, side pass etc. You may not think this is important, but you need to have control of the horse especially on the trail and you will need to side pass to open a gate.
If you have no idea, although horses are smart and some can open gates, it is not safe and sooner or later you will catch your leg and have an accident. You must be always in control, not the horse and therefore you need to learn how to control them. Even the best horses, are still horses and they can all spook, buck and rear, trip and fall.
The more prepared you are, the better you ride, the less likely you will have a bad accident or a scary ride. Sometimes people expect too much from horses, they cannot do everything perfect if you have no idea what you are doing.
Remember learning to drive a car? Someone took you and showed you how it worked, then they drove around with you and then you had to take a test, written and driving to make sure you knew what you were doing.
Imagine if someone just gave you the keys before you ever drove a car and said, it's a great car, have fun. Do you think you wouldn't go too fast and too slow at times, hit something, back into to something, cut someone else off? And a car is not alive, so why do you think a horse should do more for you then your car does? Doesn't make any sense, does it?
If you can't afford lessons, watch videos and practice in a chair at home, but do something. Don't wait until you have an accident with your horse.
People always ask how I ride so well, why are the horses so relaxed and willing to do what I ask of them so easily?
It wasn't magic, I took years of English, dressage, jumping lessons, I took clinics with George Morris (www.showjumpinghalloffame.net/inductees/g_morris.shtml) I rode in any clinics I could, if i couldn't afford to ride in it, I would just go and watch. I got on any horse I could, I took on any problem horse, I took natural horsemanship training as well and when problems arose, I learned to figure out something to do and not just sit there, I fell off more than I can remember. But this is how you become good, the more you fall off the more you try to figure out what went wrong and how not to do that again.
I'm not telling you to fall off to learn, I'm telling you to go take lessons and then get a safe horse and you will have more fun than you can imagine. And when something does happen you will be prepared and be able to help you and your horse.
By Gaye DeRusso
If you want a trained horse, there are only a few ways to get one. You spend the money up front, and you buy a trained horse, it may be expensive but worth it in the end. The horse will have experience, be set in its gaits, and knows all the cues, then you just need to learn how to give the horse the cues and how to ride with a balanced seat.
Why are trained horses expensive? Because someone found a well-bred horse that has a good temperament and trainability. Then, took the time and money to buy it, train it and put some years and miles under its belt. When you add this up and then see the price they are asking, you will see they have lost money and will never get back what they put in the horse.
If you board a horse, it cost at least 300 at cheapest in this area, now add in shoeing- every 2 months, training, and vet care. Now add that to a couple of years and its over 5000 dollars and that doesn't even cover the investment of them buying the horse.
The second way is to train the horse yourself, but if you are not a trainer, get ready to get confused, have the horse get confused and it will take a long time to train the horse if you are not working with it 5 days a week. This is cheaper to start, but cost more in the end, since if you fall off, you may be out of work and must pay a hospital bill.
Lastly you can send your horse to a trainer and pay them to train it for you. If you know of a great trainer, then this may work just fine, but if you don't you will have to find one you can afford. Every week your horse should be improving and if it is not, you may have to find another trainer. Depending on the horse, it may just need a tune-up, so it remembers it's training or it may need extensive training to get it to where you can safely ride and handle it. So, add up the board, the training and vet bills and see if you are really saving any money, vs buying an already trained horse.
When buying a horse there are many things to look for, try to answer the following questions before you start your search.
- where will the horse be ridden and by who
- how often will the horse get out
- where will the horse be kept
- what sports would you like to do with this horse
- how large should the horse be
- can you pay for a trainer
- can you train the horse
- how much can you spend
- gaited or non-gaited
- Age of the horse- See below
Age - the most important things to consider is that an older horse has seen more, may have some arthritis and therefore won't be as spunky as a young horse such as bucking. They may not be completely sound and may need Bute occasionally, but if this is your first horse and you don't have anyone to really help you, then an older babysitter type horse is what you need. By old I mean at least 15 and up, a horse that is in its 20's can be a great horse if it has been well taken care of. Don't pass on a good horse because you think it's too old. Some horses can be ridden up into their 30's. They also don't need to get out as much and if you plan on riding just a couple days a week, then this would work out better than a younger horse that needs more work to behave well.
By having a list of what you need you can avoid many useless trips looking at the wrong horses. Also be realistic, there is no perfect horse, you must decide what are the most important things and then, what can you accept or work on. If you want a quiet horse, well then, he might also be a little dull, it you want a horse that wants to go, well then, he might just be a little more reactive to things. If you want a horse that is a great mover, well that also means he has athletic talent which may come out when he bucks, rears or spins. If you just think about it, it all starts to make sense.
Questions you should ask the buyer
- why are you selling
- does the horse have any injuries
- any previous lameness issues
- history of colic
- any maintenance issues
- what has the horse done in the past -showing, trail riding
- can the horse be ridden alone and in groups
- does it tie, trailer, go thru water, any specific vices
- ask for pictures and find out when they were taken
- does the horse need special shoes or special medications
Horses that are cheap, are usually older or may have maintenance issues or have behavior problems. Doesn't mean you can't find one, just be careful and bring an experienced horse person with you.
Always get a vet check even on trail horses. They are trained to find the faults that's why they get paid to do it, and it will be worth the $200-400 to find out if this horse will hold up for what you want to do with it. It protects you and the seller. You can still buy it, even if it has issues, but it is best to know up front if you can manage it.
No one wants to spend a lot of money, but it is worth it to spend the money upfront then to find you have a horse you cannot ride, or fall off and end up with a large hospital bill, time out of work etc. Then you'll have to send the horse to a trainer and possible sell if you now feel uncomfortable with the horse. In the end you spent double or more when you could have bought a nice horse to start.
I've seen people get free horses then spend thousands of dollars for the upkeep and training. I don't consider that a deal.
Everyone wants that 6-10 year old calm gelding. I have found that it is not the age that makes the horse but the temperament, a horse that is spooky at 4 will still be spooky at 10, he will have seen more, so not as much will make him spook but it will still happen. The 4 year old horse that is calm and takes everything in stride will do the same when he is 10. Although at 4 he will have a lot more energy to deal with, just like kids do compared to an adult.
Take for an example a draft horse they tend to be very calm even at a young age, compare that to a thoroughbred horse, they tend to be hotter horses, (don't be offended I grew up with thoroughbreds), they are bred to run. Whereas the drafts are bred to work and pull carts. So don't look for that perfect age and color, look harder at the temperament and if the horse will hold up for the sport you will be participating in.
Last of all don't forget, horses, just like people need a job. If you don't give them one, they will find something to do on their own. So, when you do find that horse that you've been looking for, practice what he knows, ride in the arena and on the trail, don't expect him to be a good trail horse if he hardly goes on the trail, or to side pass perfectly if you haven't practiced in a month. Compare this to your job, when you do it every day, you do it well, when you don't do a particle job except occasionally, you will not be very good at it.
Also, if you keep your horse in pasture or a large paddock, he will be a lot calmer then if he is kept in a stall. Remember this if you buy a horse that has been in pasture, and you put him in a stall and everyday he gets a little spunkier. You may not just be able to get on him and ride, you might have to lunge him first for 10 minutes to get him thinking instead of reacting. 10 minutes of lunging and turning can really calm a horse and give you a safer ride, isn't that worth it?
Everyday your horse will either learn something or unlearn something, so make sure you are strict enough for the horse to respect you, kind enough that the horse will trust you, and patient enough so your horse may understand you.
Lastly while you are trying to find that dream horse, take lessons, English would be best as it will teach you balance and build up your strength. If you have a good seat, it's much harder to fall off. Learn how to steer well, how to use your legs to make the horse go forward, how to move the horses body parts, side pass etc. You may not think this is important, but you need to have control of the horse especially on the trail and you will need to side pass to open a gate.
If you have no idea, although horses are smart and some can open gates, it is not safe and sooner or later you will catch your leg and have an accident. You must be always in control, not the horse and therefore you need to learn how to control them. Even the best horses, are still horses and they can all spook, buck and rear, trip and fall.
The more prepared you are, the better you ride, the less likely you will have a bad accident or a scary ride. Sometimes people expect too much from horses, they cannot do everything perfect if you have no idea what you are doing.
Remember learning to drive a car? Someone took you and showed you how it worked, then they drove around with you and then you had to take a test, written and driving to make sure you knew what you were doing.
Imagine if someone just gave you the keys before you ever drove a car and said, it's a great car, have fun. Do you think you wouldn't go too fast and too slow at times, hit something, back into to something, cut someone else off? And a car is not alive, so why do you think a horse should do more for you then your car does? Doesn't make any sense, does it?
If you can't afford lessons, watch videos and practice in a chair at home, but do something. Don't wait until you have an accident with your horse.
People always ask how I ride so well, why are the horses so relaxed and willing to do what I ask of them so easily?
It wasn't magic, I took years of English, dressage, jumping lessons, I took clinics with George Morris (www.showjumpinghalloffame.net/inductees/g_morris.shtml) I rode in any clinics I could, if i couldn't afford to ride in it, I would just go and watch. I got on any horse I could, I took on any problem horse, I took natural horsemanship training as well and when problems arose, I learned to figure out something to do and not just sit there, I fell off more than I can remember. But this is how you become good, the more you fall off the more you try to figure out what went wrong and how not to do that again.
I'm not telling you to fall off to learn, I'm telling you to go take lessons and then get a safe horse and you will have more fun than you can imagine. And when something does happen you will be prepared and be able to help you and your horse.