First Horse

[Eliskaxo]

Hi, I'm contemplating buying my first horse and I would like to know the steps I would need to take to purchasing my own horse. I've been riding for about 2 years and I feel like I'm ready to make that commitment. I currently loan a horse however that's only twice a week, and I would like my own horse where I can make decisions on my own and sort of progress with my riding. I have spoke to my parents about it and we agreed that we would keep the horse at a livery yard with Part-livery as I would be able to tend to it after I have finished school each day.

Any advice/opinions are appreciated

 

[chestnut cob]

Are you parents horsey and if not, do they completely understand the cost and time implications?
What happens if you can't get there after school, or when you have exams and are too busy? Who will look after the horse?
Do you parents understand that they will be paying for 6 monthly dentistry, addled checks, 6 weekly farrier visits, insurance, hay, feed and so on?
What happens to the horse if you go away to university?
Will you be able to have regularly lessons on the horse? Will your parents be willing to pay for that, or can you get a Saturday job to help with costs?

Just some things to consider.

 

[Theocat]

First up: money. It can be a shock to the system, but you can work on the basis of:

£500ish per month for normal running costs, assuming you don't do masses of competing and excluding extraordinary costs like non-routine vet bills.

£1000ish for equipment to get you started, assuming a second hand saddle. This is a realistic minimum.

£300ish for a vetting, which may need to be repeated if horses fail it during the search. Do not buy without one.

Plus the purchase price, whatever you set it at.

Support:

An instructor who knows you well needs to accompany you to viewings. You will need to pay them for their time and listen to their advice.

You need to carry on with a lesson every week. I'd suggest two a week while you get to know the new horse.

Do not be afraid to ask questions of your yard owner if you ever feel you are struggling!

Things you need to know:

The Fear. Everyone get a this with a new horse. Hence two.lessons a week to start.

The Stupidity. You will lose the ability to make decisions about rugs / tack fit / feed / the severity of injuries. This is normal too; be prepared to buy decent thank you presents for yo/ instructor.

The Arrogance: we all reach the stage where we think we've nailed this horse thing; that's when we decide to buy. You will quickly realise that you a) can't and won't "add value", b) don't ride as well as you thought, c) need help. This is normal. Just make sure you ask for the help when realise you need it!

Do make sure your parents are fully aware of the requirements, in time and money. Don't rush into buying if anyone that knows you well advises against it. Do consider a full.loan before you buy.

 

[Eliskaxo]

Are you parents horsey and if not, do they completely understand the cost and time implications?
What happens if you can't get there after school, or when you have exams and are too busy? Who will look after the horse?
Do you parents understand that they will be paying for 6 monthly dentistry, addled checks, 6 weekly farrier visits, insurance, hay, feed and so on?
What happens to the horse if you go away to university?
Will you be able to have regularly lessons on the horse? Will your parents be willing to pay for that, or can you get a Saturday job to help with costs?

Just some things to consider.

I would say they are horsey, my mother used to compete and train horses when she was younger. If I wouldn't be able to make it for some reason I would consider asking the yard owner to cover for me or my mother would tend to the horse for that day. We have been through all of the costs and we are sure that the horse would not be a problem financially. University is still a long way away at least 5 years or so however if I did go to university I would not even consider moving to another city. I would attend from home. I would be able to have lessons with my parent's paying for them. I also forgot to mention that I currently loan a horse.

 

[Eliskaxo]

Oop, just realised I did mention about loaning

 

[Shay]

Theocat's reply is great. Don't take offense OP - there are a lot of younger folk (and not so younger folk!) posting about wanting to get their first horse but without actually having anything like the means or knowledge to do it. Its important to be realistic with them.

Working on the basis that you have all your ducks in a row financially and practically then the next step is actually to start horse hunting. This is a bit of a logistical juggling act.

First figure out what you want from the horse / pony. Both now and over the next couple of years. Are you going to join Pony Club? Or is there a particular discipline you want to focus on? If you haven't done so already have a look at either the Pony Club efficiency tests or the BHS horse owner's certificate so that you can make sure that you have a good basic grounding in stable management. You sound like you might be too young yet to start the BHS stages - but you can do the ride safe course from 12 so perhaps also look at that. If you think you might want to make something horsey your future career it is great to get a head start on your BHS qualifications anyway!

Once you know what you are looking for you can decide a reasonable price point. Don't overlook taking something on full loan - that is quite different from the part loan / share you have now because you would have sole responsibility for decisions on care, upkeep etc. Full loans can be quite useful in the early days as you can get something which suits you now and then be able to move on knowing the pony has a home to go back to. But the snag there is that good loans are hard to find. Speak to your local pony club DC - most loans to younger folk come about through that.

Does the yard you want to be at currently have spaces? If so are you sure it will have a space when you find something? Or can you pay a retainer to hold the space? If not - you need at least an outline of a "plan B" of where you might put the horse if you can't get into your first choice of yard.

The get together with your instructor and start looking. This isn't the best time of year to look - but that can be a bonus. When my daughter was younger we bought most of our ponies in the winter. And if you have the determination to care for it all the way through the rotten weather it stands you in good stead for later. It can take a long time to find a good first pony / horse. Take you time to get the one that is right for you and never buy anything without getting it vetted!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Hi, I'm contemplating buying my first horse and I would like to know the steps I would need to take to purchasing my own horse. I've been riding for about 2 years and I feel like I'm ready to make that commitment. I currently loan a horse however that's only twice a week, and I would like my own horse where I can make decisions on my own and sort of progress with my riding. I have spoke to my parents about it and we agreed that we would keep the horse at a livery yard with Part-livery as I would be able to tend to it after I have finished school each day.

Any advice/opinions are appreciated

Surely the best person to ask these questions is your mother who used to compete, or your instructor who knows you and your capabilities, rather than a bunch of strangers on a forum. If you are 5 yrs away from University, all the decisions about any horse, before and after purchase, should be your parents. It is not reasonable, or fair to either the child or the horse, to expect a 12/13 yr old to make such decisions - they just do not have the experience - especially after only 2 yrs of riding.