Buying a youngster, care, feed and stabling.

G

GLD123

New User
Joined
28 December 2009
Messages
9
Location
Essex
Visit site
I've decided, whilst i am at horse college i have decided to buy a youngster (probs around 9 moths to around a yard old) which i will then break in when the time comes.

The reason for this post is not on what your opinion is on me doing this, i want to do this, i have the expirience in riding, i am going to horse college, so therfore whilst im there i will be learning how to break in youngsters etc, and im planning on getting a cob youngster, i like to think their a bit easier!

The reason for this post is; i have been researching this for a very long time now, as i want to get it right! I've come across differnt web pages and have read up on them but i wanted the members of Horse&Hounds opinions, as, many of you have probably gone through this all before.

Firstly, buying a youngster.. what do i need to look out for, as i said before, im looking to buy a cob, quite a chunky, hopefully featherd cob
smile.gif
but is there anything i need to check so i dont end up in a pickle and buy a horse, that is not what i think it is.

Secondly, care.. generally, what type of care am i looking at day-to-day, of course, trimming of feet, vaccs and worming is needed from time to time but general all day care, what is expected?

Thirdly, feed.. this is my main, not concern, but un-surity.. obviously throughout the winter, i would be supplying hay, but what other feeds would he need? short feeds - what should these contain? i mean i read that you shouldnt really mess around with yealrings feeds, such as adding loads of supplements, just give them the basics, this correct?

And finally, stabling.. im hoping to find grass livery in my area (chigwell, so if anyone knows of any please let me know! as im sturggling atm), at what age do you recommended to start stabling them?

As i said, i have researched this plenty, i am asking for all your opinions.

Also, how much do you think this is going to come to weekly? Just the stabling, feed and any other things i need throughout the week?

Thank you so much guys.
 
1) The same as when buying any other horse- conformation, temperament, what handling its had, health, level of education, etc. As with any horse the more times you see it and do your homework the less likely you are to get a surprise. When buying a youngster i would also consider its parents (health, conformation, temperament, etc), how it was weaned, how it has been fed and managed.

2)Day to day care is the same as any horse. No offence but if you have done lots of research this should be obvious and if you dont know what is involved then maybe you should wait until you have more practical experience before you buy your own? Youngsters need daily, correct and consistant handling if you are to have a nice, safe horse to ride and look after when its older. You need to teach it EVERYTHING, things that with older horses you take for granted. e.g picking its feet out, leading it, traffic, bitting, wearing a rug, etc. So many 'problems' are man made!

3) Feeding totally depends on the individual horse (type, condition, age, growth) and where/how it is kept (e.g. quantity and quality of grass and hay). Hard to answer generally but you should aim for a fibre based diet, vit/min balanced, low starch diet and ideally steady, even growth of the horse.

4) Horses dont have to be stabled at any age, they can live out. But if you want to teach the horse about stables then you can start at any age but slowly and gradually as with anything else you teach it. i.e. dont just shut it in a stable overnight for the first time and expect it to be happy! You can do it that way but gradually is much better.

Budgeting depends on your area and individual horse- livery fees, hay, feed all vary with location and management but you need to budget for the following-

Livery
Feed
Hay
Farrier (trim every 6-8 weeks)
Worming/lice treatment
Vaccinations
Teeth checks/rasping (obviously less when younger)
Vets bills
Insurance
Regular Lessons
Tack/equipment (obviously less when younger)
 
Most of my Babys costs are the same as my big horses, ie stabling, worming, vacs, insurance.
Farriery is cheaper as he only has a trim and he doesn't need as much food as he's a good doer but obviously needs a youngstock supplement.

So I think it'll vary depending on your horse- even some cobs can need a fair bit of food!

Also a colt will need castrating and you may struggle to get on some yards with one.

As far as handling this is what I did and I think the first 2-3 months you'd need to spend longer with them getting them used to leading/ sights, sounds etc. After that I obviously handled twice a day every day as he was stabled overnight. I then went through phases of doing little bits with him, ie. standing him by mounting block while I jumped around or leading him out for a short while. I'd do this probably twice a week for 3-5 weeks then leave him for 8weeks or more. I've done this during the time Ive had him which included me leaning over him over time to sitting on him now. Ive also done a little loose schooling with him, leading over poles, bags, putting things on his back- not saddle. Also did ride and lead with him twice off my other horse.

Some people would rather do nothing for 2-3 years however I believe each individual horse will benefit from something different in their training.

I have a breed which is known for being cleaver and quick learners and he had benefited from this training, as there is NO pressure from me as he sees this as playing.

Baby is 2 1/2 now, I chose him at 2 months and had him at 6 months. He is still handled every day even when living out in the summer.

Im not in any rush to break him/ ride him, I don't think he's ready at all yet.

Wow, Ive gone on!
 
I just bought my first youngster (April 08 foal) at the end of October!

My suggestions

1. Try and see them in a field with other horses to see their general attitude. Look for one that is fairly chilled- mine doesn't seem to freak at anything, I hope this lasts. Look at their confirmation paces. I would recommend getting it vetted by a good equine vet as they can pick up on anything funny in the way of growth problems etc. Write a list of questions to ask regarding how its been handled etc. Look at as many as possibl even if you find one you think is perfect you might change your mind at the next.

2. Within reason the more you handle the better. I pick mines feet up at least once a day, she gets led up to her stable and then back to her field once a day. I've started putting a bridle on once a week to start and get her used. She has had a roller on once but didn't even stop eating her hay so I'm leaving this for now. I've led her over poles a bit as she has a locking stifle but is seems to be sorting itself out so I've stopped this. I also jump up and down next to her with my hands lightly on her back so when I get on in a couple of years she might not notice. I take her rugs off every couple of days and brush her.

3. I was unsure about this too and had visions of breaking her before she reached 2. With feed you will get loads of conflicting adviceso I rang a feed company - Baileys as I like their feeds - and talked to them. I'm feeding stud balancer at the recomended rate, ad lib haylage and a cup of outshine as fillies coat was quite scurvy and I can't be bothered with oil. When she came she was a bit ribby and underweight so I wormed and fed a scoop of soaked alfabeet a day till she gained a little bit. My vet said it would be a good idea to weight tape on a regular basis to keep track of how she is growing.

4.Mine is living out generally except at the moment my field is too rutted so they are out through the day where they stand in the middle and eat hay until I go and bring them in. I know some people stable overnight from birth so its really just personal preference although its handy if you can put a grill up for a few nights to make sure they don't try to escape, if you can put their mate within sight and sound, or even better touch, then that helps a lot too.

How much will depend on your area and what the horse is like. Mine has been seen by the farrier twice but both times they said she was fine and needed nothing doing so no charge.

Last point- insurance is a really good idea, babies immune system doesn't seem to be as good so minor infections can easily become something more and require extra attention. E.g my filly came in with a swollen leg and a tiny mark, I got the vet the next day who cleaned the tiny wound thoroughly and gave a 7 day course of norodine, the wound was kept clean and I would bet that that would have been the end of it in my adult horses. With baby the surrounding area went red raw so I got the vet back who said that the infection had been quite strong between the skin layers and was causing proud flesh. he gave more antibiotics and some cream. He then came back to check it a week later. Her leg is absolutly fine now but it came to a lot more than it would have with just the infection and is resulting in my first claim in 7 years of owning horses. It is really worth it with youngsters.

Good luck - it is a steep learning curve even if you are very competent, I'm finding babies just don't always react the same was that the adults do. If you find you are having a tough time then come on here and have a whinge to make yourself feel better.
 
Ditto Teddyb - if you've researched this properly you wouldn't need to ask these kind of questions. They're the kind of questions you would know simply from experience of basic horse care. Please be aware that research is in no way a replacement for experience.

I've had my 2.5year old coloured cob for over a year and he costs the same as an adult horse. He's only 'cheaper' on time, as he's not yet ridden. He still needs all the same care in terms of feeding/worming/farrier etc. It's only really as a proper baby (unweaned) that their care differs much.

It might be a good idea to hand fire a little longer and go looking once you're at college and have learnt a bit more about horses. By then you'll know what to look for and also what you actually want. Buying a yearling is a LONG wait until they're ready to be ridden - you may find that you'll want a ridden horse once you get to college. I'm not bothered about the riding my baby as I have another horse who's ridden, but I'd pretty sure I'd be bored out of my mind otherwise!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top