Buying your first horse... nerves!

Each time I buy a horse I still get that nervous flutter of 'am I doing the right thing!' I think that is pretty normal, it's a big financial & emotional committment.

God just imagine the nerves if you were to have a human baby ... you can't even sell that if you don't like it ;)
 
Yep, I was exactly the same! Lots of questions fluttered through my head from 'Am I doing the right thing?', 'Can I really afford a horse?', 'Do I have time for him?', 'What about the costs in winter?'

Turns out there was nothing to worry about!
 
I had already had my first horse for 5 years by the time I bought him for £5 so didn't have any of this, I didn't choose him for loan either, started with the odd ride as he belonged to friend gradually did more and more until I did more than his owner, I never planned it or made a conscious decision, it just happened. By the time I bought my second, horse ownership wasn't new to me. I did have that mix of excitement and nerves and "have I chosen the right horse?" though. I think you always have that.
 
From my experience when you go and see a horse for sale you know within the first few seconds of clapping eyes on it whether or not you'd like to proceed with the viewing and riding of it. As for making the commitment, yes, it's a huge step and every horse I've had I've got it home and thought s**t! What have I done!!! In my experience the first ride out at home is the scariest step and all sorts of negative thoughts fly through my mind. Soon as I get back to the yard from that first ride my shoulders drop, I stop having the feeling of wanting to wet myself and finally relax. We're all human and these feelings are all perfectly normal. Good luck :-)
 
I bought my first horse 6 months ago and I went through a range of emotions including "oh ****, what have I done?!". We have had ups and downs but we are getting there and I am loving every minute of it! Good luck with your search :)
 
Yes, I got feet of a slightly less than ambient temperature and worried for a few days. She was big, green and a bit of a handful. I definitely wondered what the heck I'd done when this big green handful mini broncoed the entire 50 mile journey home in the horsebox then rocketed out jumping the entire ramp dripping with sweat. There were clusters of liveries whispering, no doubt saying "rather her than me". But she came good within 24 hours and we're still together nearly 6 years later. I've never travelled her in a 3.5 ton box since though.
 
I keep thinking all the what ifs... What if I can't afford it, what if I have to sell up, what if I can't handle the horse, even though when trying it, it was ok.

I have had a horse on full loan, where I paid for everything, but it didn't work out very well, as she had typical TB feet, and I hardly got to ride her. Then the owner told me she was selling her and wanted £2800 for her. I had no option but to give her back, as my OH wisely said I shouldn't be buying her, for that amount with continuous foot issues. I was gutted, but he was right!
 
When I'd last owned a horse I'd been at uni working two jobs and supplementing any deficits with my student loan and before that my parents had always paid for my horses instead of pocket money (at the time I thought this was a real hardship but now realise that I had a good deal going on!) so hadn't really been financially independent.

So going to look at my first horse as an adult was terrifying as despite knowing I could afford a horse on paper I was worried how I'd afford him if we only had one income coming in or had a huge vet bill. As soon as I saw my boy I knew he was the one for me even though he was so unresponsive I could barely get him to trot whilst viewing him. It was 3 weeks before he moved to our yard and in that time I went from being over-excited to "oh s**t what have I done?!" but I've had him almost two months now and wouldn't change it for the world.

Just take your time when viewing (I went up several times, a few just on my own to see how he'd act) and draw up a list of what you do and don't want and don't be swayed by anyone. I've always found I have a gut feeling when it comes to horses and will know immediately whether I want them or not, but others are far more rational than me.

Good luck with your search :)
 
Yes I was really nervous, just seemed like such a massive responsibility and was a bit overwhelming really. My tummy was churning constantly for the first few weeks until I got used to it, but it soon settles down. Good luck. We need pics. X
 
Lippyx said:
GG2B, that is exactly how I feel! But I am being very picky when it comes to looking. I have quite a strict list of what i want, and have a few areas I will accept if different. I don't want to view loads of horses like some people do.
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Honestly it gets easier, I promise although two days before he was due to move I was in two minds whether to call things off as I was so worried I wouldn't be able to give him the forever home I desperately wanted to give him. It was actually hubby who told me to stop being silly and that there were people out there that kept their horses fine on a smaller income than us and that if one of us lost our job we'd just have to find something else to make ends meet. I'm just super analytical when it comes to committing financially to things but since I've had H I've not worried about the financial side of ownership at all :)
 
I remember being a little anxious about buying the pony (my reference to my 16.3 TB) but it all happened so fast to be honest. I was due to be gifted a horse but he failed his vetting and within a day of that i heard about my current horse being for sale and after a couple of phone calls ... and realising that he had been hacked down to a private yard to a lady i had been speaking to on here ... I phone her back and was like 'Is that Mel from HHO?' and she was like ... 'Yes is that Ant from HHO' and then the penny dropped we had been chatting on here for a few months :D So went to see him, went for a ride. Took the OH down there the next day and chatting away about him and us both walking off and looking at each other and saying 'Have we just agreed to buy that horse ...' ... it was all a bit whirlwind to be honest :o

This was word of mouth so no advert to call up about and my yard owner was my cyber friend and offering me livery as well, it was more a case of damn i want a bloody horse, how much more heartache can i take!!! :mad: Oh i see a horse that ticks a few boxes ... Oh I've just brought that horse and im keeping it at this same private yard so dont need to go back to horrible livery :eek:

Nearly five months on and I cannot be happier with him. I took a chance yes so wouldnt advise it but it worked for me. With a pretty blank passport and the world wide web I now know his full history and am in contact with his previous, previous owner and i know his previous owner through my YO but have never spoken to him.
I have the most amazing animal I could have ever wished for ... Now just got to teach the ****** to jump and he will be my horse of a life time :p
 
I was nervous and did a lot of obsessive forum reading! I was very worried about sudden health issues and that sort of thing, it was like a full time research job!

I looked at a few horses before I was really 'ready' to buy, including getting roped into a bad loan, which with all its negatives made me know what I wanted and that I was ready, as soon as I saw my horse's ad and chatted to the owner at length over facebook, seeing lots of pics, I knew I was going to buy her. Obviously reserved judgement til I had viewed but no regrets a year on, I truly feel she was meant to find me.

I do wonder if I had seen my horse first, or seen one of the earlier horses last, how things would have been different? There was a lovely TB who was just the sweetest most sensible little horse and sometimes I wonder about her, but she would have been a lot more expensive to keep than my girl and I think it would have been harder.
 
I was so excited about finding a horse I wanted to buy, getting my 1st horse aged 37, I didn't really consider nerves. I did 3 viewings for scalet, did everything I needed to within them to make sure she was right, organised the vetting and then organised the drop off. THEN I started to panic about the enormity of the situation! It lasted until getting her and a few weeks after. I never wanted to change my mind, but was very aware of the responsibility I had taken on. After a few weeks it wears off! and while I knew I didn't know enough to be comfortable I had enough help around me to assist. Knowing when to ask for help was key for me. Now 2.5 years on I'm an old hand and love every min of it!!
 
Its so nice to read all your experiences! I keep feeling that maybe I'm not ready, and I should wait... Then I think if I wait, will I ever do it... Will I ever be ready!

Like I say, I had a horse on full loan, and considering she had terrible feet and I had the vet out for xrays etc, I just accepted it and got on with it. I guess I'm worried I'll end up with a similar situation!
 
Quite honestly you'll probably never feel ready for a illness situation and no one wants to have their horse need medical assistance, but the reality is, it is part of horse owing. Most horse owners seem to have dealt with horse health issues at some point and you have to accept it and fingers crossed it not too serious. My girl just had an op for a rare condition which was quite the shock, but she should make a near full recover within the year and be good enough to ride in a few months. It's not ideal but as an owner you just get on with it as best you can cos they are worth it!! :-)
 
All the time, every time I buy a new one and it continues for a few weeks afterwards and it doesn't get easier for me either. Hundreds of doubts and worries and then when it comes to selling them I spend even longer worrying about them in their new homes and if the new owner is getting on ok with them! It's terrible, I even worry about new livery horses arriving and going home too, spend hours awake at night but never worry about anything human related. :)
 
Perfect thread for me as I'm currently pretty close to getting one, I think my big reservations are the time commitment as a whole and any health problems that might creep up. I feel like I know I'm going to get one but shouldn't at the same time (just in case) I do thing it will be very rewarding but I'm also thinking should I wait till next spring now as as much as I don't want to admit it, it's starting to feel a bit cold and wet and obviously alot harder and alot less on during winter. at the same time that gives me chance to get to know said horse ready for spring.. arghhh... Has anyone any opinions/experiences on waiting to purchase in spring or purchasing October ? :)
 
This thread has reassured me quite a lot as I am coming to a point in my life where owning a horse becomes a realistic idea and I keep wavering between very excited and having massively cold feet!
 
My new girl arrives today and I have a serious case of nerves. She is not our first, but we are going from a 14H2 to a 16H2 which feels like a huge jump. We still have our pony, she is out to pasture and her health is improving daily, so we now have 2 horses (gulp). None of this is helped by the fact our instructor has said he is not the right horse for us - or rather that he is right for me and OH but not our daughter. I really hope I can prove him wrong.
 
J1993, it's all about swings and roundabouts! There are advantages and disadvantages of buying any time of the year. If you buy now you have all the long, dark, winter nights to contend with, along with costs for rugs, hay, bedding etc. but on the plus side you'll know how to deal with your first winter pretty quickly. Buying in spring you'll have (hopefully!) better weather to enjoy and longer days ahead. From experience I have also found horses can be slightly cheaper to buy in the depths of winter, as sellers are often prepared to negotiate that bit more as they may be overstocked and just want horses gone before the rising costs of keeping the horse over the winter. On the other side of the scale buying in spring/summer, competition season has just started and horses often look their best in the summer and the price can certainly reflect. This is just my opinion and is certainly not meant to be biased in any way! Good luck and tell us what you decide to do :-)
 
I didn't know I was getting a horse :P
YO gave me his passport for Xmas and said he was mine!! Thankfully she gave me until Feb before I had to pay livery, so it gave me time to sort my finances out and get settled into routine!

I was ecstatic for a few days, then I realised...I had no idea what I was doing!! I then had a few days of utter panic and dread, but after that came the happiness again!

Good luck on your search :)
 
I think the first winter is a killer! I got scarlet in the march and everything was great. It gave me enough time to get used to giving up so many hours each day in good conditions. However once the winter came I felt the issues about not riding and increased bills etc. By the next winter I was ready for it but I am glad I didn't buy in the winter as it just may have been too much of a shock with it being my first ever horse! I'd buy one in the winter now cos they do seem cheaper!! Shame I am not in the market for one!
 
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