First horse - opinions please

[gugglebum]

At the grand old age of 35 I'm finally in a position to start thinking about buying my first horse, but can't decide what to go for.

I rode every day from the ages of 10-20 on loan ponies & horses but then infrequently since, so I guess I'm questioning my experience and ability. I am totally out of the horsey 'loop', but plan to have lessons for the next few months and buy the horse in June(ish). I'll be keeping said horse at DIY livery which has a school.

I'm totally aware of the work & commitment levels involved, and my passion for horses isn't in question, so if I find the right one this won't be an impulse or hasty buy, thats not a concern.

But do I buy a safe senior for hacking and lessons, or do I buy a 4-5 year old for bringing on? My budget is about £2k. Although I'm not competitive I do enjoy the satisfaction of bringing a youngster on. I'm not sure if I'd be satisfied with just hacking & lessons, and would hate to have to part with a horse after a few years if I needed something more challenging. But then again don't want to bite off more than I can chew!

What kind of horse would you buy if you were me? Any advice gratefully received.

 

[jcwh]

i'd buy the quality allrounder, at your budget he will probably be a TB.
he will be about 9-12 years old, that way it's sane enough, but also lively enough to keep things interesting for me.
i say he because he will most likely be a gelding, no doubt mares are quality (i own one, i personally prefer them) but i find "quality allrounders" are mostly geldings because they don't have hormones to succumb to.
he will come in all shapes and sizes and colors and you just need to pick and choose
he will have done some SJ, low level maybe up to 1m, and then some dressage, maybe prelim or novice, unaff. perhaps if he was a great allrounder he'd have done some XC too (but that might be pushing it considering the budget)
he is easy to do in all ways, although trailer loading sometimes causes some delays he loads up after some pushing.
and as your first horse no matter what he is he'll probably steal your heart anyway and you'd love him for the rest of his life.
**Edit**
This horse will most likely be found at a local RC, or on the Horse and Hound ad section. alternatively, some members may be looking for new homes for their horses. good luck!

 

[Booboos]

I would start with the lessons, get back in the swing of thing and then see how it goes.

To be perfectly honest I would not buy a youngster as first horse, you may well cope fine, but chances are it won't go well. A youngster needs a lot of experience and a lot of patience. You may also need some practical things to make the youngster work, e.g. frequent lessons, other people with a calm horse to hack out with, transport to get him used to loading and going to shows, etc. An older horse may allow you to go straight out and have fun!

 

[LaurenM]

My first horse was 15 and was low mileage - he hasn't done much in the way of competitions as he was a happy hacker. I paid less for him than your budget.

My second horse is 8 - she's an rc type and cost half what the first one cost. She's a blank canvas with no bad habits whereas the gelding still thinks he's a youngster. The gelding is a cob and mare is a cob x.

My point is - whilst age should be considered, its how you feel when riding the horse and the horse's temperament that should count.

 

[Divasmum]

If I were you I would have lessons initially on a variety of horses. Then ask your instructor to advise you when you are ready to take the ownership plunge.

 

[JennBags]

If I were you, I'd go for a share first - will get you back in the swing of things without the commitment. If you've been out of the loop for a while, you might be surprised how easily your confidence gets a knock if something happens!

Lessons also a good idea, but private horses are so different to RS horses, it could be a bit of a shock to go from RS lessons to owning your own.

 

[xspiralx]

Perhaps look for a loan horse first, just to ease you into the swing of things before buying your own. That way you could loan a real confidence giver and then maybe buy something a little more challenging in a few months - this would also give you a chance to save so you have more money to buy the horse with.

I wouldn't go for a youngster, but that doesn't mean you have to go for a happy hacker either - I'd look for a nice allrounder that has done pc/rc activities and is safe but not a plod - you might have to look for one in its teens if you can't stretch your budget, but I think its important to have a horse you can really have fun with.

 

[MrsHutt]

Of course, once you start 'shopping' all advice will fly out the window!

You will fall in love and buy something totally unsuitable! Like me! Actually, not totally unsuitable - just not the schoolmaster/confidence giver I should have got for the money I paid for him! lol! He was too irresistible and gave me a kiss over the stable door when I first went to see him! Also, although he's 10, he's not very well schooled, pretty green in fact and a bit cheeky!

But, I love him anyway and he's not going anywhere!

 

[paddi22]

i def wouldnt buy a youngster for a first horse. i think a first horse should give you confidence and be mannerly enough to give you a good experience in all your first outings to hunts, treks etc. having your own horse and guiding it on its journey through everything, is completely different to riding friends horses etc.

i got a young second horse who needs work, and the only way i can introduce him properly to situations is because i have the 'good' experience from my old horse about how he should be acting. if it was unchartered territory for both of us i think i'd lose confidence.

you sound like you don't need a safe senior, you could buy something in between! its amazing the amount of friends who have sold cobs they thought were boring and limited, and then have been shocked to find them looking like different horses and working 100 times better in comps and shows because they have gone to people who keep improving them and don't put a limit on their potential.

people seem to underestimate horses potential and overestimate their own skills. not saying this in regard to you. just noticed it recently , especially in relation to a friend who moaned about her coloured cob x as limiting her progress in dressage , she sold it, bought a gorgeous floaty tb, but not regularly gets lower scores than her cob, who has come on brilliantly with a new owner.

 

[gugglebum]

Thank you for some very good points people, some of which I hadn't even considered. I came to H&H looking at the articles & then horses for sale. I never really appreciated forums before, but now I realise there's a wealth of advice and experience out there, which is great for someone like me with limited contacts.

I think on reflection I was wrong to consider a youngster. Its sad to see horses paying for their owners mistakes and I don't want to add to the problem. I guess if I make the right choice on this first horse I shouldn't have too much trouble finding it a good home if I want a youngster after a few years.

Hmmm so much to think about, I think I need to sit down with a paper and pen. I work well with lists, and at least that way I'll be able to look back and see exactly how much what I end up with deviates from the initial brief

 

[cobiau]

hi, was in a very similar position to you a few years ago, had done lots of riding and owned a pony in my younger days had quite a few years off when children were young and then got to the stage where i wanted to buy again, so just a little something to add to the good advice already given, my mistake was i bought a horse that had been out of work for a while - big mistake on my part as the mare i bought was completely different when back in work and fit, she was fab but way too much for what i wanted, in short if i had gone to view when she was fit i wouldn't have bought her and so i ended up selling her on which was heart wrenching, just something else to bear in mind when you're shopping around

 

[gugglebum]

^ thats a good point to consider, thanks.

i'd buy the quality allrounder, at your budget he will probably be a TB.
he will be about 9-12 years old, that way it's sane enough, but also lively enough to keep things interesting for me.
i say he because he will most likely be a gelding, no doubt mares are quality (i own one, i personally prefer them) but i find "quality allrounders" are mostly geldings because they don't have hormones to succumb to.
he will come in all shapes and sizes and colors and you just need to pick and choose
he will have done some SJ, low level maybe up to 1m, and then some dressage, maybe prelim or novice, unaff. perhaps if he was a great allrounder he'd have done some XC too (but that might be pushing it considering the budget)
he is easy to do in all ways, although trailer loading sometimes causes some delays he loads up after some pushing.

I just saw this ad, quite a co-incidence!

Description
Ollie Oop- All Rounder, Ollie- 15.2, Liver Chestnut Gelding, 15 yrs. Fantastic All Rounder, forward going, so not really a novice ride. Has successfully competed in local shows, in hunter and working hunter classes. Hunted, Hunt fun rides, Cross Country, Riding on the beach etc. Hacks Alone or in Company. Lives in or out.. Excellent stable manners, such a kind natured, affectionate horse. Good to clip , shoe and in traffic. However can be difficult to load as to what we are led to believe due to bad previous experience. But this has never stopped us from going anywhere just a little bit of patience and perseverance was needed. A joy to own, very sad sale due to school commitments, and is felt that he is being wasted. £1500 including all rugs and tack. , Thoroughbred, General, 8+ years, Gelding, 15+HH, Liver Chestnut, £1,500.00, Haverfordwest, 07523857444.
Price: £1,500Haverfordwest

It seems there's a lot of what I'm looking for out there, which is encouraging. It also now feels a lot more positive now I'm narrowing in on what I'm looking for. Where do the hours go when you're looking at horses online...

 

[Morganlafaye]

I've been where you are now, buying my first horse as an adult, and so have several other people I know.

Based on our experiences, all I can advise is:

(1) Buy with your head NOT your heart. Don't buy that pretty horse with the long-term back problem and terrible feet if you want a horse to ride! You have to be pretty ruthless about this. Too much goes wrong with horses anyway without buying trouble at the outset! Always get a horse vetted.

(2) Be honest with yourself about your riding ability and try not to overhorse yourself. It is so easy to get this wrong and I've seen people completely lose their confidence as a result. It almost happened to me with my first horse. Even if you err on the side of caution, the horse will probably be a lot 'more horse' than you were expecting when you get it home. After all, when you try a horse, you're probably seeing it at its best, behaviour-wise.

(3) I'd avoid youngsters as a first horse, but if you think you could cope with 2 horses down the line, then why not aim to get something more experienced now, and then when he/she gets older, maybe bring on a youngster then? You'll have more mileage plus an older horse as a nanny.

(4) Know what job you want the horse to do, and make sure the horse can do it. There no point in buying a horse to hack out alone, if its a danger to you and everyone else on the roads.

(5) Know what compromises you are prepared to make, and which ones you're not.

I was prepared to look at any colour, either sex, and most breeds within a general height range to give me the most choice. I wanted one that was good to clip, box, shoe and in traffic, but I decided I could live with stable vices and a horse that was difficult to load or clip, but not one that was bad in traffic. Too many mad drivers around here!

(6) Consider sharing, as it'll keep you riding regularly and help you make contacts locally. Many horses are sold by word of mouth locally.

I hope that helps! Good luck with the horse search.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Go for a share initially, you'll get lots of hands on experience and it'll get you back in the loop. Tack shop owners are a great source of local knowledge for everything, livery yards, local horses for sale and up to date info on worming, tack and pretty much all you need to know.
Make friends with your local farrier,worth paying for his time to check your potential horse purchase, he'll look at its feet long before he looks at its beautiful, buy-me eyes.