Buying a horse

J

Jen92

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16 June 2009
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Im 16 and looking for a horse at the moment, thing is im getting really worried about lots of things lol. I have been around horses pretty much all my life but it has been on and off, but recently been back on for about 2 years and am going to a horsey college. Im just thinking to myself what if my horse gets ill and i dont notice? And there are still so many terms that i dont understand. I need reasurance! lol!
Thanks
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At 16 years of age you cannot do much without your parents/guardians consent. You need to have a fair amount of knowledge to look after a horse & a large amount of cash. If you are away at college where will you keep your horse assuming you were to get one. If you take a horse to college with you it will be expensive. If you have it on livery whilst you are at college again it will cost a fortune. To be honest you could do with waiting until you have finished your studies before committing both time & expense to a horse.
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Hi Jen, welcome to the forum! I'm 17, and I got my first pony(don't tell her, she likes to think she's a horse!) back in October last year. I've been riding since I was 5, so a good few years now! At the end of the day spotting illness is quite often down to common sense as you will know if your horse is 'not right' in some way. Ask a knowledgeable person on the yard for some advice and see what they think. You can also ask here on the forum. But remember if it seems dangerous or nobody knows what's wrong then call the vet. With the terms then you can simply google them.
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I hope this helps and makes sense, I'm pretty tired!
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awww, dont worry hun, its always daunting when you first get a horse, i only got my first horse 3 years ago, and remeber panicking the day she was due to arrive worrying if i had everything i needed, and basically running round like a headless chicken thinking up things that could go wrong!
If your going to equine college then that will teach you just about everything youll need to know and more some, also when you get your horse im guessing it will be on a livery yard or something like that? When you go looking make sure you take a trusted friend, instructor with you, as theyll always spot things that seem so obvious but are easy to miss (trust me, ive done it, twice!).
Owning a horse is all about enjoyment and the pleasure you get from being with them, otherwise whats the point in all those 6am starts in winter and frozen fingers! I dont think there are many people that can say theyve stopped learning, whether theyve owned horses all there lives, or are just starting out, its an ongoing process, and i know my mare is frequently coming out with new tricks and quirks to suprise me with! The trick is to find yourself a good yard, where there are people that can help and advise you when neccesary, learn as much as you can at college, and just relax and enjoy it!
 
Thats okay, and its easily done, lol. The best thing you can do though if your even in any doubt is just to ask. This forum is a good place to start, people on here are generally very helpful, so no matter how trivial or obvious the question may seem, you wont be the only one, so just ask away
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It's good that you're thinking of all angles of horse ownership!
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. As others have said, you'll get to know your horse and know if something feels 'right' or not. Find yourself a good equine vet and a farrier - word of mouth is a good way if you have friends with horses, if not, just give your general location and someone on the Forum will probably be able to provide recommendations.

What sort of ned are you looking for?
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I agree, if you find a good yard with nice knowledgeable people you are sorted really.
When I got Torus I decided to keep him stabled and found a nice yard - I had not had anything to do with horses for about two years and even then it was keeping my loaned mare out on grass all year round so having a stabled horse was a real change!
Everyone at my yard was really helpful and gave me pointers on things i didn't know or had forgotten over the years, plus i had picked a yard where there was someone around most of the day so I knew that I had extra eyes on my new horse to make sure he didn't get into trouble!
Good luck and hope you find a nice one x
 
aww im sure you will be great! and well done for considering this too!
it is really common sense, if your horse usually eats everything out infront of him, and then suddenly stops, you know somethings wrong.
or usually jumps everything and stops.
never bucks, but starts bucking, something could be wrong.
it is often easier to tell when your own horse is ill, as you know more about him and know what he does/doesnt do.
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good luck in the horse-finding, hope you get a good one
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My only advice is be careful when buying, take an experienced person with you and have the horse vetted. Also, if at all possible, have the horse on short loan with a view to buying.
 
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