How did you feel when you bought your first horse?

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Tayto

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Hiya!

I am currently loaning a horse but have decided to buy my own one as the owners want my loan horse back for their daughter to ride. Just out of interest, how did you feel when you bought your first horse?

I am going to view 3 this week and am a mixture of excited (my very own horse that no one can take away from me yippee), scared (holy moly, I might actually OWN a horse and cant just call the owner to pay the vet bill if it gets sick), nervous (eek, a new horse, what if it tanks off with me, bucks,rears, generally tries to kill me). Overall just got an excited/nervous knot in my stomach constantly just now!

I look after my current loan 7 days a week, turn out/muck out in morning and take in/ride/feed at night so I know I have the time and can look after a horse but just seems so daunting that the security of having the owners to fall back on for support will not be there and I will actually be 100% responsible for a horse!

The yard owner and other liveries are fab and always there with a second opinion or a sympathetic ear so I know I will be fine but just a bit nervous about it all!
 
I bought my first pony as an adult last year (had them as a child but parents paid) and yes the feeling of responsibility is huge

But for you it means the freedom to do what you like, change tack feed and rugs if needed etc so should be a wonderful liberating experience

It sounds like you have a good support network too

Good luck with it
 
How exiting for you!! I think you will be fine :) the only difference being that the horse will be in your name and ownership really, If you've got people around you who are experienced it will be just the same. And try not to worry about horses tanking off with you etc, that's just horses, all I can say is really make sure you look for the right sort of horse as you will be "stuck" not in a bad way lol, but stuck with it for years so make sure you take someone experienced with you and make sure you take into consideration exactly what you are capable or riding, what you would like to accomplish with the horse etc. don't buy the first thing that comes along. My dad bought me my first horse when I was 15, it was incredibly scary as none of my family are horsey at all an don't have a clue. Luckily I knew the horse for a few years before buying but he wasn't your typical first horse if you know what I mean. But turned out to be perfect for me, lol, got hurt alot, learnt more than I ever thought I would.

All I can say is....good luck!!!! :D
 
Absolutely bloody terrified!

I was pretty well prepared but it is still a hugely overwhelming responsibility. I was terrified, worried about the financial commitment and the responsibility of actually having sole care of a horse and being the person who made the decisions etc.

I also had moments of wondering whether I'd taken on too much, she was young and not entirely straight forward and there were days when I thought I should have bought a sensible middle aged first horse type. But she's brilliant really and I couldn't have bought better if I'd quadruplled the budget and searched for another 5 years - she's worth her weight in gold.

It has all been fine, she's pretty much in one peice two years on and we've managed. I'm skint, but I'd far rather spend every penny on my gorgeous mare than have it sitting in the bank!
 
Well my riding instructor who I still have regular lessons with has offered to come with me. A lot of my friends from the yard offered to come - no offence to them but I really want someone who can be impartial. I worry that taking a friend, they will just say "yeah that ones fine" cos it doesnt really affect them and they might get carried away in the excitement of it all however if I take my instructor hopefully she will give me a more impartial opinion :confused:
 
First horse, bought for daughter, (totally unsuitable for us at the time) got her off the trailer and thought, "what on earth do I do now?!" which has been sometime of a leitmotif for our relationship with this horse :)

Second horse, also bought for daughter- I thought "oh my God, what I have I done?!" as I bought the horse with funds that I had borrowed to remodel my kitchen (which still hasn't been done!) He's a total gem and a pleasure every day so I don't regret my irresponsible action, even when non-horsey friends remark with surprise that I still haven't done the kitchen, meh, it's not like I spend a lot of time in there.

My finances have now improved a lot so I've just paid deposit on my own horse, a horse that I can ride and enjoy for myself, which despite owning horses for the last 12 years, I've never had before. I have had the pleasure of having her on full loan since September and I know there is no better horse (for me) on the face of the planet. I've wanted my own horse since I was a little girl and at last, aged 43 I have her, a so I feel really very happy, extremely lucky to have such a horse and content, maybe a little concerned about the responsibility of having 3, and she's not a young horse and worked hard in her life, so I hope that we have some happy years ahead of us before she retires.
 
I found the "what have I done" feeling lasts for the first 5 or 6 your buy. Now it's more of "oh **** it's another one better build more stables" feeling. ;)
 
I got my second horse in November and I was thinking "what have I done? Do I really want all this responsibility?". I lost my confidence on my first horse - on the ground and in the saddle as she was very difficult so was questioning whether this was actually a good idea and was i ready? My new boy has changed all that and I wouldn't be without him. Went for our first trip to the beach yesterday and it was brilliant
 
Lisa_Reid said:
Well my riding instructor who I still have regular lessons with has offered to come with me. A lot of my friends from the yard offered to come - no offence to them but I really want someone who can be impartial. I worry that taking a friend, they will just say "yeah that ones fine" cos it doesnt really affect them and they might get carried away in the excitement of it all however if I take my instructor hopefully she will give me a more impartial opinion :confused:
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Take your instructor. They know your capabilities better than a yard friend and will hopefully have a good level of experience too. Taking my instructor was really beneficial, she was really good at asking the right questions and spotting things that we hadn't. She had a good idea of what was suitable and what wasn't and really encouraged me to "test" the horses on trial rides.

I found that, as she was busy, the best thing was to go for an initial viewing with the OH, and if we liked the horse based on that to ask her to come for a second viewing.
 
Same as above really - I had a horse on loan for four years and it was as if he was mine; I moved him about 60 miles to my yard and during that period his owner came to visit him twice (when she was in the area anyway) and as she was pleased with how he was being looked after she just left me to it. I just paid for his insurance via a standing order every month as it was easier to keep in in her name. We had a very detailed loan agreement and everyone knew where they stood.

Unfortunately he died suddenly due to a very nasty bout of colitis; I had been thinking of offering her a token amount and buying him but unfortunately I never had the chance. I dealt with the vets and cremation etc, and have his ashes as if he was my horse. Of course I always treated him as my own (although he was my first horse apart from a share so I had no ownership experience to compare with), but I suppose his owner was always 'there' in the background.

After my loan horse died I decided to buy a horse, I'd wanted to loan at first just in case anything happened; I wanted the full responsibility as I knew I was capable but I didn't have the confidence to actually go and buy a horse. I bought my current horse from my yard owners - he is a homebred and I'd known him (and admired him!) since he was 18 months (bought him as a 5 y/o and had him on trial for four weeks) so I wasn't necessarily taking a huge risk, but it felt it at the time!

I didn't think I would feel any different as an owner rather than a loaner, as I'd be doing exactly the same pretty much, but there is definitely a difference. I wouldn't say that I was more attached to my current horse, but he does feel more 'mine'; even though his breeders/old owners are always around to ask for advice they leave me to do my own thing as apparently they wouldn't have sold him to me unless I was more than capable of bringing him on etc. It has been a very subtle change between loaning and owning, but an incredibly positive one - it sounds like you will have a similar experience from what you've said. Will you be keeping your new horse at the same yard?

I think my parents have felt a more dramatic change - they aren't horsey and always worried about my loan horse being taken away from me, even though I used to reassure them. They seem much more attached to my current horse, and it is as if they have finally realised that I will always have a horse in my life. My dad actually bought my current horse for me and he is much more into the horsey lifestyle now as a result - he's getting into dressage (watching, not riding!) which is rather endearing!

Sorry for waffling - but it sounds like you'll have a similar experience to me - good luck! Although I'm sure you'll be sorry to see your loan horse go back to his owners, you have a chance to buy a horse now and that is the best feeling ever! Had my loan horse not passed away I would have probably bought him, but sometimes you have to make the best of a horrible situation.
 
I was given my two as gifts ( I suppose I'm spoiled ... ) so I was left with a feeling of how the hell am I going to pay for these eating machines :D !!! They're worth every penny in my eyes, though not sure hubby feels the same way .... When he's having a moan I just tell him the horses came first! I think I was in a bit of a daze when I got mine, the overwhelming feeling of responsibility didn't sink in for about six months! It's a lovely feeling knowing they're all mine though and I can do what I want with no interference. I was working and riding for other people previously so it was a pleasant shock to suddenly have full control! :)
 
I loved it! I love having the freedom to change things, to go down there whenever I want, do whatever I want, feed her what I want and buy her things for the heck of it, not having to answer to anyone!

All that and in the back of my mind 'please don't turn out to be a wrong'un!'
Taking your instructor is a wise idea, you'll probably be looking at quite a few before you find one (I think I had to look at a few before I was really ready in retrospect, although none of them were really suitable anyway).

It's amazing how many more horses will come up in your budget when winter comes, but prices are still fairly reasonable now, just bear that in mind if you find yourself looking at the beginning of summer!

Prepare for some interesting viewings and 'not as described'!
 
I bought my first horse Leo in May last year and I was nervous that something was going to happen and that I wouldnt be able to buy him right up until he was on the lorry!!! I was terrifed that she would sell him to someone else!

Once on the lorry I couldnt quite believe it driving to the yard! I was a bit in shock! oh.my.god.I've.bought.my.own.horse!!! arrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!

Then I was just sooooo excited when I got him to the yard, I didnt want to leave him that night!!

Before going to pick him up I had a panic moment of bl@@dy hell I'm going to be responsible completely for this horse, but it passed and I dont really think about it like that any more.

Buying him was the best thing I ever did :D
 
when i bought my first (had two previously but parents bought them i paid for the upkeep)

i was terrified.

Handed over £1200 after 10 minutes of riding her - she was mine the next day.

best decision i ever made - but took me a few months to realise it :)



you will have moments of sheer omfg what have i done?!! and tiny regret but that goes as quick as it comes in

good luck :)
 
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