How did you learn to look after your horse?

AgentM

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Maybe thats a strange question, but having only been able to take lessons for years, and considering a jump to ownership, i'm worried about how i'll know what the right thing to do is! I'm planning on maybe purchasing my own horse next year. My best friend is a very experienced teacher / owner and will help me with everything, but I don't want to constantly bug her!

So, when yuo made the jump to owner, how did you cope with the responsibility?!
 
I was very young at 6 but i was on a yard with some of my friend's mums so they gave me a helping hand.

A friendly yard is always a bonus as your neighbours may lend you a helping hand.

I now have mine at home so it's all down to me now as i do not have a horsey family. i do find it a bit lonely sometimes tho
 
I think the trick is not to know everything (impossible anyway) but to get know what 'normal' is for your horse and ask someone for help if you spot anything that isn't normal.

Make sure you are on a good yard with a YO you trust and plenty of other nice, knowledgeable liveries.

Learning takes time and experience (and a few mistakes).
 
Would your friend let you help her look after hers to give you a rough idea?
The best thing you can do is ask but please make sure its someone who actually does know and not just the loudest person on the yard who sticks their nose into everything
 
The right yard is a big factor here.

Perhaps go somewhere that has a hands on YO or YM that can assist with advice it.

Also forums are great for advice!
 
Our first pony was a riding school pony and was on working livery, which was an ideal entry point to ownership, as I was being told the whole time I was doing it wrong! When I got accustomed to being "back in school" I accepted that it was all a good learning experience. It helped that the horse was a cob and very low maintenance.

Owners were also encouraged to take their ABRS exams, so I took a few of those including Stable Management.

There was a groom working at the yard at that time who I felt had a natural connection with horses and I made a point of picking up a lot of tips on how to read a horse from him.

The rest has been picked up by instinct and a great deal from the internet, especially this forum
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Going on a stable management course might give you a bit of confidence, and help you learn some basic techniques.
Your local riding club, riding school or even agricultural college may be able to offer a suitable course.
Perhaps you could help your friend for a couple of hours at weekends - knowing how to deal with rugs, boots etc is just practice.
Getting to know your horse is very important - our mare for example is very quiet in her stable (except at tea time!) so if she was agitated, sweated up or her bed was a mess, I'd know something was wrong. But have a chat with your friend and explain you'd rather be safe than sorry, and that you might ask some dumb questions, she won't mind, we've all been there!
 
From a very young age....My Uncle taught me alot,I guess alot is just plain common sense!
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I have in my time of being round horses(More Years than I care to mention!) seen some very bad horse ownership,from plain stupidness,down to complete ignorance...from the person that cannot see their horse is lame,the person that has not given the right diet to their horse... the list is so endless...I think owning horses should not be entered into lightly,after years of owning them I see it as a privilege and a big commitment.....as my Uncle(A hunting man) once said: 'Horses are high risk' ....and his words are so true!
Enjoy your horse and except that you will be offered loads of advice,and pick through what will work for you!
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can you offer to help out at a riding school or livery yard - even if you can manage a couple of mornings a week you'll soon pick up things.

I started riding lessons, then helped out at the yard after school & weekends, then worked there full time, then got my own. It's scary, having your horse relying on you and only you. Make sure you keep him somewhere there are good people who will help you with things you are unsure of. Read lots of books and use HHO lots too.

When you know your horse well, you'll have a routine & you'll soon know whats normal and whats not.

F x
 
I jumped in the deep end and bought my own horses (2 of) one a native and one a t/b one was a youngster and the other 8 year old. It was pretty much learn as you go with help from friends and YO's what i would say is although i learnt a lot from the tb if my time was to come again i would definately not have bought him, they are difficult to look after and he was a bit of a self harmer. However time was also another major factor I went on DIY and found i spent all weekend at the yard compensating for the time i didnt have during the week!
 
I only got my first horse 18mths ago (i'm 39!), I helped out at the local stables as a kid / teenager for years and learnt a lot then. I then shared a horse for 6mths before getting George which was v helpful, but I put George on part livery where there was someone to help me and warned people I was a novice! Unfortunately the first 2 yards I was at went wrong for various reasons but where I am now is brilliant and everyone is happy to help me out, although I suspect I drive them nuts with my numpty questions!
 
I learned a lot when living at home with my parents but then had a 15 year break when I went into the world of work and home ownership...I forgot a lot then!
Alot of it is common sense and knowing your horse, but I got books too and spent a lot of time on the internet exploring. I also learn't through trial, error and getting it wrong too! Not the best way to learn really but I was not on a yard where there are people to ask.
 
as an 11 year old i decided i wanted to play pretty ponies.

I went to a riding school and worked on the yard for nearly a year until i sat on a horse. I learnt a hell of alot at that place.. Moved on to a bigger, better yard and refined my skills.

Lou x
 
I started having lessons for years well about 3/4 years, then palled up with someone from riding school who was on livery and went to see a horse with her, then bought it but learnt what I could from her. I also bought a few books but there's nothing like learning on the job. Im now an expert with abscesses and poultices. Oh and whilst at rs I started an NVQ level 1 I think but didn't finish it because it was rubbish, you have to put a rug on a certain way you cant just throw it on. I got bored with that.
 
Parents and grandparents had horses so I had no choice but to pop out of my mother like a cannon ball with a p*ss pot helmet on and mini jods complete with red wellies and riding whip!
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all my horsemanship skills were handed down to me
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so any bad habits I have blame the parents!
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I lived in London and before I bought my own horse I shared three different horses one after the other over a period of 5 years at a yard in North London before buying my own. It was a full livery/diy yard and I learnt a lot from the different grooms/yard managers and owners.

I then bought my own horse but I bought a nice sensible cob locally which all the locals new the history of (riding instructor - who I did not have lessons from found it for me).

It is on going as you continue learning by your own experiences and that of your friends etc.. I eventually moved to another yard and then bought my own place with land so then had to learn all about land management as well.

I have had a lot of fun with my horses and the secret is don't overhorse yourself when you buy a horse.
 
I hung around Mum's horses from a very young age and had riding lessons from the age of 5/6. i also went to a 'pony camp' at the riding school a few times, where I'm sure I learnt things. Most of my learning though was on a livery yard, after I started riding the YO's pony at age 9. She was very knowledgeable, and there were plenty of other people on the yard to point me in the right direction. There were also some older kids, which was good for me as it meant I had people I could talk to but who still knew more than me. I spent every weekend there, hanging round all day messing with the horses. I still tend to rely on my mum to know everything, even though she's not had her own horses in years, and between us we manage to figure most things out.
 
From having lessons from the age of 5 or 6, with some added pony days and 'offering' to learn more about it by mucking out etc, then three riding holidays before I was 11, then working at a dealer's yard every day (During school holidays) for 5 years!!!! I finally got my own beast at 16, but there are still things I am shaky at, and ask about such as worming (never really understood)! Also having a breakable horse - I can bandage hocks like a pro!
 
Thanks guys, this is a massive confidence boost!

I've been riding since i was 7 (25 now), and did the whole helping out at my local riding school thing. But owning fills me with fear! My bessie mate is a qualified teacher and has owned for a long time, so she'll be a wonderful help. It's just scary and i want to make sure i'm prepared!
 
I only started being involved in horses when I was 29, so a late starter.

I have a neighbour who is a dealer so I started off by helping her out at weekends - this involved me grooming her very old pony and trying to put his rug on backwards/inside out etc
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I soon started to get the hang of things and got to handle all sorts of horses and ponies and go to the horse sales etc.

I bought a couple of Shetlands from her and learnt lots from them without having to worry about the riding side
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I bought my first pony from her and kept him at the yard for about a year before moving to another yard with better hacking and a YO that looked out for me too.

I now (nearly 6 years after first sitting on a horse) keep them on my own - I can hopefully tell immediately if there is a problem but have friends and a good instructor and HHO to help me too
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Don't be afraid to ask questions on even the simpliest things and follow your instincts if you think something isn't right
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I got my first horse at age 37(bought it with a friend) and had been riding since the age of 9. Horse was on full livery to begin with.
I finally took the plunge and bought my own horse after having done my Stage 1 and 2.
I still make mistakes, and have a super friend who answers my stupid questions and tells me where I'm going wrong. And I have lessons.
I dont think I will ever know enough about how to look after my horse, but I know I learn something new every day.
 
I started riding when i was six, and began helping at my local riding school when i was twelve. I then got a job at another riding school and then went on to myerscough college after i finished school.
Ive learnt loads from all 3 places, college especially since we do a stud module so ive learnt a lot from there.
And ive just taken the plunge at 18 and bought my own. I know i will make mistakes, i can only learn from them
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went on pony camps etc and helped at local stables
went to presentations at veterinary centres and read books.
got pony on loan then bought
bought 3 more since







and still learning
horses have a way of throwing something new at you every now and again
 
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