"What if" questions before buying a horse

[blitznbobs]

What if everything goes right and youve wasted days and months of your life worrying about something that hasnt happened.

what if you make a list of 1000 what ifs but what actually happens is 1001

 

[Kat]

I think your concentrating on the wrong things. Your planning on being a horse owner not a vet, its not your job to have a treatment plan ready for any potential illness. Besides they will only find one that isn't on the list.

Useful what ifs for a new owner when planning a livery situation, insurance etc might be:

What if my horse needs box rest

What if my horse doesn't get on with the management style at the yard I've chosen (eg doesn't like its field mates, isn't happy on individual turnout etc)

What if I need to transport my horse to horsepital

What if my horse needs vet care that will cost more than I can afford from my day to day income

What if I'm not sure if my horse needs a vet, who can I get advice from or am I happy to get the vet anyway

What if I need help handling or riding my horse when I first get it

What if my horse can't be ridden anymore or has to be PTS, do I want insurance for these and if so do I accept the caveats re insurance involvement in PTS decisions

What if a quick decision is needed re my horses care and the person responsible for my horse cannot get hold of me, do they have authority and know my wishes re colic surgery etc

This, exactly this.

I would add financial provisions eg. what would I do if my horse needed bet treatment not covered by insurance? What if I lost my job? What if my horse needed to be retired? What would happen if I died?

 

[Sealine]

I agree with the advice above particularly getting an instructor you can trust and being on a yard with a friendly, knowledgeable owner. I would advise you to be very careful what horse you buy. You need something older, experienced, kind and forgiving. As do most first time owners. Unfortunately I've seen an anxious owner with the wrong horse where the horse became difficult to catch, load, shoe etc. When that same person found the right horse for them everything changed for the better but they wasted too long struggling with the wrong horse.