How competent / experienced should you be before buying a horse?

lottiepony

lottiepony

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Opinions on the above please as well as what kind/type of horse.
Can't sleep due to being irritated to do with the above lol so would like others thoughts on the matter
Ta muchly :)
 
It all depends on the support network you have. I think if you're surrounded by experienced people and you have a good honest first horse you can have a low level of experience. But I personally loaned and went to riding schools from age 7 until I was 14
 
Sorry sent without finishing- then I bought my first horse. However I think it's so important to have your instructor and a horsey experienced friend with you if you're a novice and viewing a horse. You can easily be taken advantage of and you can think you're better than you are. Eg. I went to view a highly strung sharp Arab who liked to bolt as an option for my first horse (what?!?!:D)
 
Gosh, a big question.

I had my first pony when I was very much a novice at 13 y.o. and the pony was only 5! I didn't have ANY back-up such as horsey parents - and everyone said it would be a complete disaster.

It wasn't. My lovely little pony looked after me for 12 lovely years and every moment with him was just magic.

However, looking back, I know how lucky I was to have the proverbial "pony in a million".

My feeling is that to have one's own horse, a person should be able to be capable of looking after something as complex as a horse independently, and be able to ride-out confidently solo without disasters. Of course, a lot of that depends on the horse....... and this is where the difficulty occurs, in finding the "right" one.

IF a prospective owner is in a yard, say, where there's plenty of help, or something like working livery where the horse is used and kept schooled, plus there's always plenty of advice and support available, then it might be possible to "learn as you go" sort of thing.

But for a DIY livery situation then the prospective owner would need to be able to deal with ANY situation occurring from a stable management point of view plus hack solo and/or with others confidently. And, even more iimportantly, know when to ask for help, i.e. veterinary emergency etc etc.

Personally I'd always advise anyone to wait until they're really sure that they can take on a horse. Its not just about riding ability, its about commitment; and having the confidence to deal with any issues that arise.

Its not the people out there that haven't a clue and aren't afraid to admit it and ask for help that are the problem; its the ones who won't admit they can't cope and won't ask for help is where awful stuff like neglect and cruelty happens unfortunately, albeit unwittingly.
 
I suppose it is much about how you define competant and experienced - and beware of those 'friends' who set themselves up as your advisors - some undoubtably will be competant and experienced - some may have some jolly odd views on what is competant......
I have had friends in the past who took up riding in their 30's - had excellent instructors and advice, bought horses that were recommended to them, continued to have instruction etc. and became very proficient winning competitions et al, and being more than capable of caring for their horses.
I have equally seen others who were great riding school pupils, then went and bought horses of their own, and it all went a bit awry.
I suppose my only bit of advice would be - in purchasing your first horse, buy something that is well within your capabilities - maybe a quiet cob, as opposed to a Warmblood with potential. Perhaps a slightly more elderly horse, that is used to being handled by lots of different people, and knows its job - and possibly keep it in a yard where there is a good (but not over baring) support mechinism - then when you get more experience of caring for and riding this horse, think about up-grading to something slightly more challenging?
 
I think your first horse/pony is always a shock unless you happen to have worked with horses (seriously, not just helping at the local riding school on a Saturday!) for a while first.

I think its always best to have a great yard/instructor/support network first. I came back to horses after a ten year break and bought a horse soon afterwards. Even though I was an instructor previously and had worked with horses, I still needed help from people on the yard I was on to help find good contacts for tack shops, farriers, vets etc. About a year later I built my own yard and moved my horse home (and got three more!), but those first few months on a livery yard were really helpful until I found my feet again.
 
We were incompetent and totally inexperienced. My mum had absolutely no horsey experience outside of watching us every Sunday, we had no experience outside of RS every Sunday and my dad could hardly tell one end from another :D

We were very lucky to be on a private yard initially owned by a family with children our age, a 20 second walk down the road from us. We became friends with the children and so got taken under the family's wing and made to go to PC and things. We then moved the horses next door, to another private yard owned by someone who evented at 2/3* level who helped find appropriate ponies and even now, 8 years on, gives advice and helps us.

Now, people think my mum is from a hardcore horsey family she's so knowledgeable and sensible. My sister rides for her job and we do a lot in the PC, stable managing and helping/ instructing (in my sister's case).

So knowledge isn't a prerequisite I don't think, more having a friendly, supportive but strict support network. The first few years were terrifying and we all read voraciously, to the point that some books became bibles!
 
My advise would be it depends entirely on the support around you.

Also ensure you aren't lured into 'its a cob so it must be slow and safe'. I know some ex-racers that I'd put new riders on before certain cobs I know.

Get an instructor or friend who is knowledgable who you trust and go from there :)
 
I'm new to ownership - had my boy for over a year now at full livery (but do his jobs as part of my learning) and have learnt a hell of a lot - perhaps not as much as if I was at DIY and had to learn very quickly and for all the wrong reasons :D.

I come from a non-horsey background so I love having horsey people about to learn from, talk to and enjoy being horsey.

I really don't think you need that much experience at a full/part livery but I'd personally feel out of my depth at a DIY.
 
I think you need to know enough to know when advice you are being given is complete rubbish - which is a bit more than the very basic stuff. I wouldn't have said you'd need to be an expert though given the right support.
 
Honey08 said:
I think your first horse/pony is always a shock unless you happen to have worked with horses (seriously, not just helping at the local riding school on a Saturday!) for a while first.

I think its always best to have a great yard/instructor/support network first. I came back to horses after a ten year break and bought a horse soon afterwards. Even though I was an instructor previously and had worked with horses, I still needed help from people on the yard I was on to help find good contacts for tack shops, farriers, vets etc. About a year later I built my own yard and moved my horse home (and got three more!), but those first few months on a livery yard were really helpful until I found my feet again.
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Actually it's a shock even if you have!

I started riding at 10, and worked in various yards over the years after leaving school. I bought my first pony at 21 and spent a year feeling like a complete novice all over again! A good support network is definitely key :)
 
Totally agree with what people are saying. Do u think nowadays though there's a temptation for people to buy even sooner on the basis there's so many cheap horses/ponies about?
 
I've just spent several hours showing a prospective purchaser around my stud, in particular a rising 4yo that is very green and only recently broken in.

The visitor was quite impressive, showing pictures of ponies she had owned/shared, etc. and talking of how "her friend" was an accomplished pony clubber and would be showing off my pony to all and sundry and what a good advert she would be. (Her friend was conspicuous by her absence, btw). Her final choice lay betweem the green youngster and an unbroken 2yo which she said she would break and school. Money was no problem as they'd just sold their house!

So, I suggested she might like to try the pony. She was obviously a very inexperienced rider, rode with one rein shorter than the other, and we felt it best to lead her or she was going to fall off!

The point is that until she actually sat on the pony, she seemed to tick all the boxes. So, how do you tell? I've wasted time tidying up, paying for help to show the pony off, and entertaining her and her husband. Clearly, this is another viewer who tossed up between visiting a local museum or zoo or visiting here -- and I lost! Some people fool not only the seller but themselves. Rant over! (P.S. She won't be sold the pony!).
 
We had no experience when I got talked into buying a pony for my 8 yr old daughter, by her riding instructor.

She'd had lessons for 3 years and we kept pony on working livery. We learnt a little, like mucking out and grooming whilst we were there but it was when we left to go DIY that we learnt everything!

I even asked the yo if she would help if we got stuck and she was happy to do that although we never needed it, it was good to know someone was there. And now 2 years later the other liveries on the yard all help each other.

My daughter competes BS on one pony, pony club on her other and uses a friends pony for pony club mounted games!

We've managed to get bought fat ponies healthy again, fittened all the ponies we have bought so they can compete, taught naughty ponies to behave (without battering them!) and generally have very happy, totally spoilt ponies and a happy daughter. Although I have no life at all, as I'm either at work full time or at the stables!:rolleyes:

I maintain that looking after horses needs time, commitment, common sense and good friends! Oh and an understanding husband!:eek:
 
If you are intelligent, practical minded and have an easy rapport with animals you don't need vast amounts of experience.
I've met some people who were 'born in the saddle' who I'm sorry to say were thick as pigshit and seemed totally incapable of learning anything new and had no sound rational basis for some of their methods and practices, and horses DID suffer because of it.
You can learn an awful lot in a short time if you are open to it and are able to filter out the rubbish and recognise the good stuff.
Experience with other species can help - all domestic animals need health checks, tailored nutrition, parasite control, mental and physical exercise, suitable housing, psychological considerations, training etc. If you are used to all that you can transfer it onto horses with a bit of research.
 
I had only been riding for 2 years when we got my first pony, and my family was at the time not horsey. My dad is a vet, but works with farm animals. He was useful I'm an "emergency"...we hadn't had Misty long when we went out to the field and she was lying down. We were convinced she was dying (had her on loan and the owners were so overprotective) so my dad whisked out a thermometer and stethoscope. Ditto to when she had a swollen eye, he had a look and said she'd been stung by a bee and would be OK (I was pretty convinced she was going to lose an eye...overreacting much? Lol).

We kept her at home, and would probably have sunk if it wasn't for my one horary neighbour, who was brilliant. We rented a stable off her, and she'd let us get along with it, but would very nicely tell us if we had got something wrong (eg my original placement of brushing boots! Haha. Err...).

We were also VERY lucky with Misty. She was the only pony we looked at, and was worth 10x her weight in gold. In fact, she was priceless. The owners were genuine (if a bit OTT), the only thing that turned out to not be correct was how old she was (23 instead of 17), but they'd had no idea either. I managed to trace an old owner.

A very sensible neighbour's not so sensible daughter's brand shiny new partner bought her kids a pony each. They'd never even sat on a pony before. Neighbour and I were livid. Not surprisingly, they got bored and got rid of them quite quickly...
 
If you mean going out to purchase a horse on your own - very experienced - I've owned horses for 20+ years, up to 5 at home at one point and I'd NEVER go and buy one on my own. Only need to look at all the disaster threads on here where people have bought unsuitable ones to know you need all the help you can get.

If you mean owning one, if you're on a part/ full livery yard with a good YO and you're happy that you know nothing and accept the advice on offer and have lessons and buy something suitable for your level of riding (which will be expensive if he's going to look after you and teach you everything) - not much experience at all, common sense and a big cheque book will see you right.

The difficulties arise when someone has a lesson for £30 then sees an ad for DIY livery for £30 a week and thinks Oh I can ride every day for the same money, then sees 'free to good home' advert or £500 hasn't been sat on for 3 years but was perfect before then ad and thinks it's a way to save money.
 
Hello!

It really depends on you - I will tell you my story and maybe it will help you put things into perspective a bit :)

I started riding just under 3 years ago (at the age of 22). I had always wanted to learn to ride but as a child my parents could not afford lessons and then when I started working, I just never seemed to get round to it!

Anyway - after a year of having 1-2 private/group lessons a week at a local riding school, I had the bug and HAD to have my own horse, I spent every spare minute at the riding school, helping muck out and learning everything I could about horses. I became a bit obessed, reading as much as I could etc! I decided the sensible option would be to opt for a loan horse so I could get some hands on experience. I loaned a lovely 21 yr old mare who had been there and done it. I started off riding her 3 times a week and the owner was still very much involved which was fab as I could turn to her for advice whenever I needed to. As well as the owner being there, I was on a very supportive yard where I could seek advice if I was ever unsure about anything.
After a few months, I took her on full time (owner was still there if required). I had her for about a year when I decided to take the plunge and buy my own horse. I spend ages researching if I could afford it etc. The BHS website is brilliant - there are loads of leaflets about cost of keeping a horse, buying a horse etc.

After trawling the internet for horses I thought might be suitable, I tried a few and settled on my girl - Tash. She is a 15hh, 8 yr old clydesdale x cob.

I am still on the same yard that I loaned my first horse from and I have a great support network. I really don't think I could have bought my own horse if it wasnt for all the knowlegable people there for support and advice when I need it!

Sorry for the loooooong post - but to sum it up, I would say the following;

1. Make sure you have plenty of hands on experience - maybe try loaning first

2. Make sure you have the time. I could not believe how having a horse took over my life. I would say that a short visit to my horse will take at least 2 hours haha!

2. Be realistic about your level of experience. I am a novice and although I can care for a horse - I would not be able to ride a highly strung horse and I made that clear to people when I was viewing their horses

3. Be realistic about your budget - if a horse seems too cheap, its probably for a good reason i.e. "forward going and spirited" might = bolter

4. Make sure you have plenty of support. Think to yourself - would you know what to do if your horse came in from the field with a puncture wound or was hopping lame?

Good luck with whatever you decide! :D

PS - For info, I have my horse on DIY livery with 24/7 turnout.
 
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armchair_rider said:
I think you need to know enough to know when advice you are being given is complete rubbish - which is a bit more than the very basic stuff. I wouldn't have said you'd need to be an expert though given the right support.
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^^^^^ YES! There are so many opinions in the horsey world as I have found out!
 
It's impossible to ever know everything and horses/ponies always try their best to do the unexpected! So, a good support network, common sense to filter the good from the bad advise or ignore it all and listen to the horse, and the willingness and open mindedness to learn/research stuff yourself are most important imo.
 
Dogrose said:
If you are intelligent, practical minded and have an easy rapport with animals you don't need vast amounts of experience.
I've met some people who were 'born in the saddle' who I'm sorry to say were thick as pigshit and seemed totally incapable of learning anything new and had no sound rational basis for some of their methods and practices, and horses DID suffer because of it.
You can learn an awful lot in a short time if you are open to it and are able to filter out the rubbish and recognise the good stuff.
Experience with other species can help - all domestic animals need health checks, tailored nutrition, parasite control, mental and physical exercise, suitable housing, psychological considerations, training etc. If you are used to all that you can transfer it onto horses with a bit of research.
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Agree with all of this ^^ I was being advised by a born in the saddle type for a while but soon realised that her way was not my way and started to follow my own instinct with the horses. Happier me and a happier horse as a result.
 
I was a late bloomer - I bought my first horse at the age of 34 and had only ridden friends horses and schoolies and had a 10 year break from horses to contend with also. I was considering buying but someone suggested loaning first - I went to visit a loan horse and realised there was so much I didn't know so I enrolled in a Horse Ownership course at the yard I rode at and learned basic stuff like tacking up properly, tying a hay net, picking our feet and basic first aid. I found it really really helped and when I took my first horse on full loan for 3 months and then bought him I was a little more prepared for having him :)
 
Honey08 said:
I think your first horse/pony is always a shock unless you happen to have worked with horses (seriously, not just helping at the local riding school on a Saturday!) for a while first.
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Even 40 yrs on from our first horse (and with multiple horses for most of that time), each time we get a new one, it pulls me up short.
When you know a horse well, you accommodate each other, both riding and on the ground, know which shortcuts can be taken safely and what is the horse's normal behaviour, so can soon recognise if anything is wrong.
With an unfamiliar horse, the responsibility hits me anew, every time. A new owner has to be super-vigilant in order to do the best for that animal. In fact I usually think 'What are we doing?, must be mad'.

OP I think that the new-to-horses owner should get plenty of good advice and buy the type of horse that they would probably have considered 'too easy' at a RS. You can always move on to something more demanding when you have more experience of horse-owning/keeping. Says she who has never sold a horse(!).
 
Dogrose said:
If you are intelligent, practical minded and have an easy rapport with animals you don't need vast amounts of experience.
I've met some people who were 'born in the saddle' who I'm sorry to say were thick as pigshit and seemed totally incapable of learning anything new and had no sound rational basis for some of their methods and practices, and horses DID suffer because of it.
You can learn an awful lot in a short time if you are open to it and are able to filter out the rubbish and recognise the good stuff.
Experience with other species can help - all domestic animals need health checks, tailored nutrition, parasite control, mental and physical exercise, suitable housing, psychological considerations, training etc. If you are used to all that you can transfer it onto horses with a bit of research.
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^^^ Absolutely this.^^^

Its not what you know, its more the type of person you are.

Having a thirst for knowledge, some commonsense , being able to problem solve and having the self confidence to know when you disagree with the method of someone who has more years on the clock.

There was a poster on here who found she had bitten off more than she could chew with her first horse. She sought advice, did research, implemented a plan and started to enjoy a very positive relationship with her horse. All credit to her.
 
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