Advice on owning first horse

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chrilaur

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I know this isn't necessarily the right forum but no one replying in the other. Ok so we are considering buying our first horse, and I want to know what I need to do when I get a horse. I worked in a stables for years and have part loaned for years, but would like to know what you all think. Thanks for any help :)
 
Personally, as soon as the horse is relaxed I'd give it a good groom and take it maybe for a little walk around so it can get an idea of it's surroundings. That however is all I'd do that day. I really would just work on bonding with the horse and gaining it's trust and figuring out his/her personality. I'd continue doing that for a couple of days until horse was totally settled. Then I'd maybe do a bit of lunging or just taking into arena/paddock and letting off the lead for five minutes. Would also have asked if I could have the horse for a week or two on trial, just to check it's definitely the horse you want. I was lucky, I was riding my pony for months before I got him on loan and didn't have to move him an inch haha.
There again, this is all just my opinion and I could be totally wrong as have never had to do this with a horse. I wouldn't do what my colleague did though, he had her racing around the jump paddock the day he got her. She was untouched for four years after having the foal he owned. He's now selling them both because foal has a rearing problem that he doesn't want to fix and because mom is too small and will take work.
 
Keep your sense of humour

Remember that horses are like toddlers, they have no malicious intent and don't understand consequences

...erm...keep your sense of humour...

That's about it....
 
As above keep a good sense of humour plus remember horses take a bit of settling in, so don't worry if your docile Ned turns a tad scatty when its moved to your yard x
 
Listen to advice given, don't be afraid to ask for help, and don't feel pressured into doing anything that isn't in your comfort zone. Take things at your own pace. Make sure you are secure and comfortable at the yard where you are going to be keeping your horse so you can give it as nice and relaxed environment as possible.
As above, keep your chin up and a good sense of humour as you'll have disastrous days where you'll want to give up but it's all worth it.
Good luck! :)
 
thank you very much. sorry if I sound stupid but don't want to go wrong. been told need to worm horse first, but do I worm and keep in for a few days or can I just worm and turn out? sorry again for sounding stupid.
 
Worm and keep in for a couple of days if he/she will be going into a mixed paddock. Not so important if he/she is going by themselves but field must be poo picked every day for the first couple of days. This is what I do, others may say differently.
 
chrilaur said:
Thank you. Is there anything I should do or make sure of first? Anything I should do before moving?
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Enjoy having your own. Some horses take longer to settle than others, go at a pace that feels right.
Make sure you get passport before horse leaves yard, seems obvious but I've heard so many excuses of 'they were going to send it in post' or 'it's with breed society', you'll be the one in trouble if you have horse with no passport.
Good luck and hope your new ned is all you want it to be
 
Forgot to say - there are no stupid questions - if you are unsure about anything just ask, owning your first horse is a huge learning curve no matter how experienced folk are, if any question you can think of could possible benefit your Ned then its not something to be afraid of asking x
 
Thank you soooo much. Soo excited but don't want to do wrong thing. I hope you don't mind me asking but what breed of horse is your picture?
 
Take everything at the pace you feel happy with..you've got all the time in the world. Enjoy it but don't be surprised by set backs..some horses take longer than others to settle. Listen to advice but don't be pressured into taking it..comments like 'haven't you ridden yet' do not need answering! Good luck.
 
Make sure you take an instructor or experienced friend with you to look at any horses you go view, don't get on it unless you have seen it being ridden first and definitely get it vet checked.

When your new horse arrives at the yard worm and leave in for 24 hours, spend lots of time together on the ground and give them plenty of time to settle in before you ride or expect a lot of them.

Be wary of some dealers, make sure you google all phone numbers (even private sales) to see what results are brought up and how many horses they sell.
 
Thank you very much, I think so to but then I'm slightly biased lol, always wanted a draft breed but wanted something I could get on from the floor! If you get the Ardennes chap then feel free to give me a shout if you need any big tack sourcing advice x
 
The most important thing about owning a horse is first and foremost to enjoy owning him. Get advice by all means but read and learn so you know what is good advice for you. As with all things ideas change and with new wormers strictly speaking you do not need to keep him in . Most yards will have or should have a quarantine period/worming policy. Try not to worry contrary to a lot of forum threads horses are not like sheep who appear to be only on this earth to find different ways to die. This is because fora are a great sounding block for extremes and differing experiences not run of the mill everyday occurrences.
Have fun and learn the best way of keeping your horse healthy and happy you will learn something new every day no matter how many years you own a horse
 
Take someone experienced with you to check the horse over for any issues you may not see/be aware of. I would never buy a horse that is already being worked when I arrive- I want to see what it is like from the box, groomed, tacked up and ridden by the owner before I try (however others may not prefer this).

Get a five star vetting on your new horse (usually around £250-£300, depending on vet). As others have said, worm it when it arrives and don't be scared to ask the seller lots of questions regarding the horse and it's history!

All I can say is that every horse is different. My first horse settled in on arrival, he was happy as larry to have a full haynet, a field and some buddies and I was riding him a few days later, without any hassle (I was VERY fortunate with him!). My next horse however, I hated for months. When I tried her she was perfect, but it took along time for her to come around and find her personality. She was definitely a bit of a robot type donkey who was generally an absolute grouch. Now she is my not so perfect school mistress who loves fuss and is a reall character on the yard! Anyway, my point is take each day as it comes, don't expect perfection from day 1 and be prepared to put in the time and effort to get the partnership and horse you want.

Good luck and enjoy it! It is a great feeling having your own.

Oh, and just to add, trust your gut- If you don't feel a horse is right for you when trying it, don't do what I have seen some people do and buy it for breed/colour/winnings, there are plenty of others looking for great homes!
 
If u are not sure about anything then ask. Horsey people love to give advice. Better to ask than be naive about a situ and make a mistake. Also as u get to know your horse you will know what is wrong with them more than anyone else. So if u are not happy with what a vet, farrier, dentist says....get a 2nd opinion. Your horses welfare may rely on u being pushy! ;-) but above all, enjoy. I got my first after years of part loaning and totally love it!
 
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