Genuine question. . .those who have bought horses as novices.

[TarrSteps]

Following on from a couple of discussions recently, I'm curious to know how people have got on who have bought horses with little or no previous riding or horse care experience and no established support system (or who have witnessed similar).

I'll admit it was a bit of a surprise to me how many people buy horses - often young/ex-racing/competition horses - after, for instance, a few months of lessons or having ridden a bit as a child, and having no previous horse care knowledge.

I know how we *think* this often works out and i can judge by the situations I've seen, but I'm interested in the wider experience

 

[Copperpot]

I had a pony on loan as a child and bought my first horse age 28 with little experience. He was totally unsuitable but we had many happy years together. He introduced me to jumping and hunting. I used to come back from a hack glad to be alive for the first year or so. I would have done certain things differently knowing what I do now. But we muddled along together and I had experienced friends I could go to for help and often did.

Not long after I got him, I also ended up with a 17.2 ex steeple chaser. He taught me a lot too. He was a very sweet horse but was very thin when I got him. Fast forward a few months of tlc and he was most definitively a handful at times. I lost him to colic just as things were starting to all come together. I still remember having the saddle fitter out to him and he was being so naughty, she actually asked me to get off lol.

Even though I had little experience, I read up and asked questions from people who did know.

 

[B&J]

I had little stable / ground experience but a fair amount of ridden when I brought my first (on the advice of an 'experienced' friend who came with me to view), was completely unsuitable to the point I ended up hiding, scared rigid in the tack room crying my eyes out (i don't cry easily either!) completely alone one dark winter night after she kicked me in the stable and I had to wait for my husband to arrive and rescue me to finish doing her.

Sold her to a very experienced home who love her dearly and got myself a bombproof older cob that forgives my fumbles and moments of nervousness and is a saint on the ground. IMO being a novice is fine everyone starts somewhere but with the right horse. there are lots of success stories too this was just because of what happened to me

 

[tiga71]

I loaned my horse from the Rescue centre I volunteered at after 18 months of lessons. I didn't even really ride him before I took as they had no saddle to fit him and he had been in a field for about 4 years and was obese. Looking back it was bonkers. I didn't really know anyone else horsey except the people at the rescue and I had a good relationship with my RI at the RS. He was called ASBO Izzy at the rescue as he was so rude and bargy. I went up for 2 months, 4 times a week, to do ground work with him before I agreed to take him as I wanted to be sure I could handle him.

I put him on part livery at a recommended yard and they were great. Another few months of ground work and finally got a saddle. I was terrified riding him for the saddle fitting - Saddle fitter felt sure it would all end in tears within 6 months. But I was determined and I knew I needed support so I got my RI from the RS to give me 2 lessons a week, a better rider to hack him out, I read a lot of books, did the 5 day IH Kelly Marks course and took a lot of advice.

I fell off a lot and Izzy was very difficult at times. He was also pretty green. I learnt to ride on him, to jump on him and to sit a bronc. I will have had him 5 years this August and he is the best horse ever. We have come so far together. We now compete at endurance, dressage, jumping and will soon be doing our first hunter trial together. My goal this year is to do a ODE - 80 cm. We also do Trec, Gymkhana and are due to have a barrel racing lesson soon. Horseball is also on our agenda.

I knew I needed help and I am fortunate enough to be able to afford a good trainer and to go to lots of clinics etc. We still have 2 lessons a week and are out most weekends at either clinics or competitions. We will never be world beaters but we have a great time. But it has taken a lot of lessons, a lot of falling off and a lot of hours in the saddle. Worth every minute.

 

[martlin]

My non-horsey parents have bought me my first horse when I was 12, I had support system in place as it all works a bit differently where I come from and livery is only full, with resident coaches on site; but I or my parents didn't really know how much a horse eats, lol.
Luckily, both my parents being professional people and me doing as I was told, worked out just fine, I made a sort of career in riding and tasted the ''international world'', now I run my own yard and see the ''car crashes'' quite often, even though I am supposed to be the support network you can only help people who will be helped.
I'm not sure the fact that pretty much anybody can afford to buy a horse nowadays is necessarily a good thing :O

 

[asommerville]

I had about 4 months if lessons before deciding to loan a hrse which was a waste of time and money, I got totally bumped by the loaner and decided to buy....... Took an experienced friend with me and came home with a beautiful coloured mare who wanted to kick everyone's head in, I know if I had her now things would be completely different as I am more experienced. She went back to the dealer and I came home with my big mare, I was lucky I was on a yard with some amazing people and had a lot of good advice, but I was also really really keen to learn. I read as much as I could, went to shows, demos and had lessons, I think sometimes the problem with novice owners is that they think they know it all and are it willing to take advice from people

 

[TarrSteps]

My non-horsey parents have bought me my first horse when I was 12, I had support system in place as it all works a bit differently where I come from and livery is only full, with resident coaches on site; but I or my parents didn't really know how much a horse eats, lol.
Luckily, both my parents being professional people and me doing as I was told, worked out just fine, I made a sort of career in riding and tasted the ''international world'', now I run my own yard and see the ''car crashes'' quite often, even though I am supposed to be the support network you can only help people who will be helped.
I'm not sure the fact that pretty much anybody can afford to buy a horse nowadays is necessarily a good thing :O

Almost identical to my own experience,.

I do think it's a bit different when you're 12 though, and basically other people's responsibility and in a much more proscribed system.

 

[martlin]

I've lived in UK for 10 years now, and it still terrifies me... the image of people just left to their own devices. I've learnt to keep my gob shut, but it doesn't shock me any less.
The most common problem I encounter is a parent with a teenage daughter, daughter wants a horse and it needs to be beautiful (read flash, depending on a budget, either a continental reject or a TB), the child doesn't want a teenage pony, although that's exactly what they need. The parent goes out and buys a TB, pretty one, who won races, because the seller tells them it will be just fine to learn to ride on that, and anyway, the child has been riding ''advanced'' in a riding school down the road and they don't have cobs. Then they come to me on livery, wanting help, because the TB keeps beggering off or bucking and the child keeps falling off, I do my best to make not really suitable horse a workable option, the parents become shocked at how much it costs for me to risk my neck every day and decide that the horse is trained now, thank you...

 

[tootsietoo]

I got a 4 year old 14.2 when I was 14 after 3 years of riding lessons and non-horsey parents. Such a stupid idea, I now know, with nearly 30 years of experience behind me! However, we were so so careful and diligent, I read every book going, made lots of mistakes, had zillions of lessons and we ended up pony club open eventing a few years later, followed by a lifetime of happy riding club competing and hunting. He was PTS last year. A very happy ending to an inauspicious start!

 

[buddylove]

I guess we all have to start somewhere. I got my first horse (all 16hh of him) aged 13 after my course of riding lessons finished and my parents wouldn't pay for any more. He was a schoolmaster but knew how to royally take the P. So I got a p/t job to pay for lessons off the show jumper over the road, and along with sheer bloody mindedness we got on top of his napping and bolting. But this was 20 years ago and he was the only chance I was getting so I had to make it work. I was lucky in as much as I lived on a farm so looking after animals was pretty much second nature and the only feeds we had were mollichop and pony nuts so that is what he ate!!
I sometimes wonder whether all the information which we can freely access on the internet now actually makes it easier for people to give up?
Perhaps people are too quick to explain away difficulties rather than work on them? This coupled with cheaper horses and more "experts"
How do novices ever become anything more if not through learning to cope with challenges?

 

[9tails]

I'd ridden as a child for a couple of years, then went back to weekly lessons for 5 years before buying. The riding school were very good; we groomed, tacked up, rugged and turned out afterwards. I then spent 6 months of Saturdays with an owner, turning out, mucking out, making nets, bringing in. I was green as grass when I bought mine and she was on paper a very bad choice, but she is genuine and kind so we get along great. I took ages at first to muck out shavings, I was taking up all the wet daily and going through hideous amounts. I've now had her for over 6 years and she's STILL the best purchase of my life.

 

[Caol Ila]

My experience is like Martlin's and TarrSteps' -- perhaps common for North America (not sure -- are you from there, Martlin?)

I was 13 and my parents bought me my first horse. The horse was a 10-year old QH. My parents weren't (and still aren't) remotely horsey. I had been in weekly or biweekly lessons from about age 7 or 8, but never had that interim step of a lease/loan. But I was at a busy barn with a lot of experienced adults around, some fabulous horsemen and women and on-site trainers as well, and it was the sort of community where the adults looked out for and indeed, were instrumental in teaching the "barn kids," and the whole ethos of the barn was devoted to truly understanding the nature of the horse, in a way I have not seen at any barn since. So that's what all of us who grew up at that barn came away with.

Now I see novices, adults and kids, muddling through horse ownership on their own with horses that they don't really understand and at livery yards where they are left to their own devices.

 

[monte1]

my sister and I had hung around and helped out with anything just to be near horses or anyone horsey and begged and borrowed rides on any pony we could from a very young age, learnt to ride by falling off and getting back on again and trying harder. next time.. finally my lovely but not really horsey parents bought us a 2 year old welsh ( i think??) palomino colt as our christmas present when I was about 11 years old, looking back we had no real support network as such, in those days just got on with it, but I was just mad keen.. I read loads of books and asked all sorts of questions of anyone who i could learn from... pony actually turned out to be a lovely chap, got him gelded and then backed him as a three years old.. realised after a while he was too small ( 13hh ish) for us and sold him on. got loaned a big black cob from what was the ILPH, he was about 14 at the time, he was an interesting character adn we learned loads from him..had him till he was 33 when he sadly died of old age.. I have had a string of probably unsuitable horses all my life and always managed to turn them into something.. it was a case of do the best with what is available..or not ride at all.. LOL..... it wasnt till in my mid 20's I got a quite nice but again, quirky mare and started having proper lessons and really learning how to ride.. with hindsight and more money and more opportunities I would have done things very differently.. hence even in my mid 40's I am still learning and wanting to try new experiences, still totally horse obsessed... and still wanting to learn and improve all the time. I would like to think I too despite a rather inauspicious start have managed OK and the horses in my care over the years have been happy and well cared for. i am no expert by any means, but it does make me sad when I see well meaning people with loads of money but no idea on even the basics of proper horse care or riding buying fantastic expensive horses/ponies for themselves/their kids but end up with problems. no one benefits ..

 

[wench]

I think the biggest factor for a novice buying a horse is... where do they keep it?

As you will see here in NL, most people seem to think it's herasy if you dont have your horse on DIY. A novice with a horse on DIY is generally not a good scenrio.

My first horse was a 17 hand TB. Possibly a disaster, but he was kept on working livery, so he got plenty of exercise, and I took one step at a time with him. It all worked out fine in the end, and he was possibly the best horse I will ever have.

 

[dogatemysalad]

My first childhood pony was kept on full livery at a professional yard, so I had very little idea about horsecare.
I had a break from horses during exams and uni and before buying my first horse at 24 and moving onto DIY.

In my naivety, I believed that my rearing, tanking off and jumping fences, stroppy 'won't do' 6 yr old mare, would come good with a bit of persistence.

And she did. My alarmed YO, gave me advice about general horse care and I quizzed every vet, farrier, saddler and anyone else who treated my horse for information. I read everything I could get my hands on and I watched how horses behave, and listened to people I respected.

3 months later, I was riding a genuine and generous horse who became my soul mate until her death in 2003

 

[fattylumpkin]

My experience is like Martlin's and TarrSteps' -- perhaps common for North America (not sure -- are you from there, Martlin?)

I was 13 and my parents bought me my first horse. The horse was a 10-year old QH. My parents weren't (and still aren't) remotely horsey. I had been in weekly or biweekly lessons from about age 7 or 8, but never had that interim step of a lease/loan. But I was at a busy barn with a lot of experienced adults around, some fabulous horsemen and women and on-site trainers as well, and it was the sort of community where the adults looked out for and indeed, were instrumental in teaching the "barn kids," and the whole ethos of the barn was devoted to truly understanding the nature of the horse, in a way I have not seen at any barn since. So that's what all of us who grew up at that barn came away with.

Now I see novices, adults and kids, muddling through horse ownership on their own with horses that they don't really understand and at livery yards where they are left to their own devices.

This is a lovely description and hits the nail on the head my parents got me a pony when I was a kid even though I'd only really mucked about doing super basic lessons. They put ponio and me on a nice busy yard where the stable manager said he'd keep an eye on us. Stable manager just had to ring my parents if I was messing about or not doing as I was told and I'd get a real bum-kicking at home! He already had five other kids in the same situation we muddled along, did as we were told, learned something new every day and had an amazing, magical time. All the adults on the yard were really helpful, sometimes they gave lessons for free or just let us tag along and watch how things were done. Nowadays people would just leave you to it.

 

[martlin]

My experience is like Martlin's and TarrSteps' -- perhaps common for North America (not sure -- are you from there, Martlin?)

I'm Polish, actually so spent most of my life on the continent, some of it in Germany, but mainly eastern/Central europe and the horse world is, well, much more regimented there.

 

[rainer]

I had read a lot,volunteered on a small stud for 8 months and done other bits and pieces though not much riding and my daughter had had riding lessons for about a year on and off and helped me on said yard.
Then we bought charlie,4 year old 12hh and nothing prepares you for how different it is when u have your own and how hard! We had also shared a couple of ponies before hand so anyway I knew how to care for him properley with the help of a lot of advice from on here and google with the things I wasn't totally sure on like worming,thrush,different tack.
Charlie is great for his age,he's now almost 6 and he can be spooky and nervous but he's improved loads.
The thing I haven't coped with so well is getting charlie and my daughter to progress as a duo as she's nervous too but lessons are on there way and I think they will make a great team
So I have learnt a lot since owning and there are things I would have done differently but on the whole I'm happy with how things are and its a lot easier now spring is here

 

[*hic*]

My experience was, um, interesting! I was mad keen on horses from as early as anyone can remember. When I finally had riding lessons I learnt to do rising trot and was off the lead rein in my first lesson, I was seven. Aged ten I was lent a pony after its owner went off to uni and it was jumping out of its field because it was bored. I had no adult influence or help at all, just me, the pony and his field and stable. I just used to disappear off with him all day. He was pts a year or so later as he was old and arthritic and his owner was never going to want to ride him, I had no part in the decision and was devastated. I was asked to help out with a bunch of unbroken welshies a mad old local woman had "rescued", again there was no adult influence, just a bunch of wild ponies in a field and a few pre-teen kids! No-one got killed, all the ponies were got rideable

 

[arlosmum]

I was 44 when I got my 1st horse. A 17.33hh TBxID. 3/4 TB. I kept him on full livery at a riding school. My RI found him for me.
I was as green as grass(some people may say I still am!)
That was 10 years ago. He's still with me & has been joined by a Sec A & a NF cross.
He still tests me daily but we 'understand' each other now.
I don't think he was particularly well cared for or loved before I bought him.
He is now.

 

[Honey08]

I got my first pony when the riding school I went to shut down. We bought the pony I rode. He was 6 and very green. We brought him home to our land, he went mental at being alone after being at a riding school, and every time I got on him he set off home (just trotting, but not stopping or turning!). One time I got off to lead him down a field past an icy bit of lane, he set off cantering when he saw two other riders lower down, the safety stirrup caught under my coat, and I got towed along. I landed at the feet at the other riders, a muddy crying mess. That day was a turning point, those riders were the PC DC and her husband. They took me home, gave my parents (who weren't horsey) a talking to about how I wasn't safe and needed lessons, and signed me up for PC. That was the turning point. I started having lessons, and started slowly making progress. I went on to do everything at pc with that pony and learned so much. I went on to work with horses and do my AI.

Yes you do learn from experiences, but I wouldn't put a child of mine through what I went through! I was lucky I wasn't hurt.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I loaned my horse from the Rescue centre I volunteered at after 18 months of lessons. I didn't even really ride him before I took as they had no saddle to fit him and he had been in a field for about 4 years and was obese. Looking back it was bonkers. I didn't really know anyone else horsey except the people at the rescue and I had a good relationship with my RI at the RS. He was called ASBO Izzy at the rescue as he was so rude and bargy. I went up for 2 months, 4 times a week, to do ground work with him before I agreed to take him as I wanted to be sure I could handle him.

I put him on part livery at a recommended yard and they were great. Another few months of ground work and finally got a saddle. I was terrified riding him for the saddle fitting - Saddle fitter felt sure it would all end in tears within 6 months. But I was determined and I knew I needed support so I got my RI from the RS to give me 2 lessons a week, a better rider to hack him out, I read a lot of books, did the 5 day IH Kelly Marks course and took a lot of advice.

I fell off a lot and Izzy was very difficult at times. He was also pretty green. I learnt to ride on him, to jump on him and to sit a bronc. I will have had him 5 years this August and he is the best horse ever. We have come so far together. We now compete at endurance, dressage, jumping and will soon be doing our first hunter trial together. My goal this year is to do a ODE - 80 cm. We also do Trec, Gymkhana and are due to have a barrel racing lesson soon. Horseball is also on our agenda.

I knew I needed help and I am fortunate enough to be able to afford a good trainer and to go to lots of clinics etc. We still have 2 lessons a week and are out most weekends at either clinics or competitions. We will never be world beaters but we have a great time. But it has taken a lot of lessons, a lot of falling off and a lot of hours in the saddle. Worth every minute.

Good for you, I think that you recognised what most people do not, ie it is not the end of lessons, but that a whole lot of work is needed to become proficient.
I fear that many people see lessons as too expensive and imagine it is better value to buy their own. To some extent I think that RS lessons on RS plods will not allow people to become good horsemen, the best young riders I have seen have their own horses and take lessons, but it is expensive.
Unfortunately, the average horse rider [RS pony or privately owned] is not very good, I am not sure why, it could be cash, or the system of instruction on placid ponies. Or it could be that people are not really working hard enough during their lessons.

 

[Annagain]

I'm the opposite. Despite (or maybe becuase of) non-horsey parents I did the whole progression thing from working at the local riding school to sharing a pony, having one on loan at his owner's yard, then moving him to DIY and after he had died (when we were both 27) buying my own. I've still made hundreds of mistakes though! Main (painful) lessons

1. Never remove a big burr from between your horse's back legs by just grabbing and pulling.
2. If you have a lesson in 10 minutes and find your horse fast asleep in the field, wake him up gently, give him five minutes and then get him up. Better to be a couple of minutes late to your lesson than have him bite you on the boob....hard.
3. Never allow your horse to engineer you standing in front of him your horse to protect him from a bully mare unless you want to be kicked on the arm.
4. Horses make very good 'speedboats' if you want to go concrete skiing.Just remember the golden rule of water/concrete skiing - if you're in trouble, let go.
5. A flying clip end of the leadrope (caused by horse pulling away when you're leading him with just a rope around his neck) will cause a gash big enough to need 12 stitches when it hits you on the head.

You don't need to be a novice to do daft things

 

[chestnut cob]

I bought my first horse when I was about 22 without having that much experience. I'd ridden on and off when I was younger, and had been riding again for about 3 or 4 years at the same place. I bought a horse from the RS I was at, then their chief instructor moved to set up on her own and I moved the horse with her. He was on full livery including exercise in the week (due to my work/uni commitments) and DIY at the weekends. I could never have done it without the support I had. I look back now, amazed I managed it at all, and am quite embarrassed about some of the things I did! I think I thought it would be like the "Jill" books but of course it wasn't, and was a massive learning curve. Must admit I joined the HHO forum not long before I bought that horse and I learnt loads from people on here too. Have received some great advice over the years, now on my fourth horse and hopefully seem to be starting to get things right!

 

[FinkleyGladiator]

My first pony was completely unsuitable to begin with. Me (age 9) and my mum only had experience of riding lessons and the pony we bought had been broken at 5, turned away until he was 11 and then sold to us. He was absolutely nuts when we got him, couldn't physically canter when I was riding him (he had no lameness issues and could canter easily on the lunge/in the field he just didnt seem to understand cantering under saddle and just used to bunny hop and buck) and I spent more time on the floor than on his back but we got there in the end and within a year we were doing all pony club activities because he'd stopped trying to get me off and he realised he liked jumping. By the time I outgrew him he was jumping 90cm courses at home which isn't too bad for a 12hh pony!
He's now doing the rounds of our local pony club teaching children to jump and sit a buck!!
The best things we did were buying a lunge and moving to a livery yard. We didnt have an arena as we kept him in a field in the village on his own so we used to ride him where he grazed. He would take off across the full length of the field flat out and broncing until I fell off. So, mum bought a lunge and a neckstrap and it meant when he bucked I could just hang on. When he started bucking less we tried jumping and that was his reward at the end of a good session.
After having him 6 months we moved to a friends livery yard so had an arena and people to help us and went on from there really.

 

[Alfiemoo]

I had been riding for 5 years and was a reasonably good rider, however I had no horse handling knowledge. I was going to keep him at my riding school on full livery and was looking for an older horse about 15 or so, so didn't see my experience as a problem I thought I would have help.

However I meet a 3 year old unhandled cob who was extremely ill and the person who owned him was going to PTS as couldn't afford the vet bills so I took him on. The livery yard were fantastic at getting him back to health and I can't fault them, but once he got better and found his feet he used all his weight and force to do what he wanted. The workers at the yard become extremely violent and hit, punched and kicked him. So after one disgusting event I left instantly and was left with a 3 1/2 year old just broken horse.

It was a very steep learning curve but I went onto DIY on a very supportive yard he came around very fast and has become an amazing horse, but I wouldn't ever recommended anybody to buy I horse with as little knowledge as I had.

 

[Blythe Spirit]

In a way I did. My first horse I bought after about 3 years of riding lessons but I was still very novice. I could WTC basically but that was it. Although I kept him on working livery at the local RS and he was chosen by the yard owner. He was totally unsuited to me and unsuited to the RS work. i got the blame when he threw clients and I was terrified to ride him myself. the only help I got involved staff riding him occasionally for five mins with a schooling wip if he threw someone. after 8 months I was sensible enough to find him a better home - the same pony affiliated SJ with the right owner within 4 months. I then was determined I would choose my next horse myself. (I was about 17) i went to see loads and eventually bought a horse who seemed unsuitable as she buggerd off and was very sharp - I refused to keep her on working livery and though I had the odd lesson I mostly just worked very patiently with her myself. I still coudln't ride well and it still took me 8 months before I could canter her. But i took it slowly and we did come to an understanding which was happy and safe for both of us. I later went to college learned to ride much better and did a lot of dressage with her. working with horses as I did for 6 or so years I have seen terrible situations caused by novice riders having unsuitable horses but I have also seen these relationships work against all the odds.

 

[TarrSteps]

Thanks for the replies! Interesting reading, although none of it that surprising. It seems most people who have survived and prospered had this experience as children and/or within a supportive atmosphere.

 

[Ceriann]

I think novices can do well without a horsey background etc provided they are prepared (as is the case with most things) to work at it, ensure they have a supportive network and seek help as and when its needed. I bought my first horse when i was 23, lots of riding experience but no hands on experience of caring for a horse (or actually riding my own horse). I was lucky as my OH at the time had worked at a yard so i learnt the ropes from him and he took away the issues of grazing management. Was it hard - yes and no, yes as i had to learn very quickly but no because i adored her and i gladly gave every spare moment i had to her (and then her companion who joined her less than 12 months later). I still have the very weathered catalogue of mazines i read and the books i bought, which i poured over. Fast forward 14 years (and a few years of not riding due to work commitments etc), i still have one of my mares (retired) and (following time in livery etc) she is now once again at home with me (we celebrated 12 months yesterday) along with my mew mare who i ride. If anything the last 12 months have been more difficult and i have on many occassions felt like a novice again (and will again im sure) - but again i found myself a network quickly (i have some one help exercise my mare) and am having regular lessons on my younger mare.

Whilst i appreciate nothing can beat experience, you wont get any unless you try and novices who are prepared to learn and work at a relationship with their horse should be given the chance and encouragement to succeed.

 

[biggingerpony]

My parents bought me my first horse at the age of 13/14 and I'd been riding since 4. He was bought from a local dealer a 15hh 4yr old Irish cob. I had an 'experienced' family friend come with me to try (my family are totally non-horsey).

I would be looking after said horse completely by myself, at home we didn't have a school so I had to hack out.

I don't know how I did it but I just had NO fear, I would hack out completely by myself and go for a canter knowing full well I couldn't stop and ended up in the dirt several times (he was a beast and I was very skinny!). He took off with me down a fairly busy road when motorbikes went past. And when I tried to school him in the field he would just take me into the nearest tree with low branches to get me off.. So I ended up having to go to school with so many bruises and scratches!

I don't think he was malicious he was just young and confused, but I wanted a PC horse so luckily the dealer took him back after a few months. I learnt a lot though, like how to pull up a tank and sit to a buck!

But I have no idea how my parents let me go out on the roads by myself with him!!