Horses can look for ways to get injured/ die! Trial and error will be way worse, for sure. And safety for both you and the horse doesn't 'come naturally', it takes training and good instruction.
Mary
Mary
HORSE QUESTIONS FROM A BEGINNER !
- Thread starter Purelychicks
- Start date
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- #12
Purelychicks
Songster
Forgot to tell people my experience- I have been in riding lessons for 4 years, primarily western with a little English. I ride at my family’s ranch about every other weekend, and while I’m there I go catch horses, brush, saddle, pick their feet, etc . My neighbor has Mules that I ride sometimes, so that’s why I was asking the question about mules or horses. (I like mules because they are sure footed, not spooky, and defend other livestock from some predators. In my experience though, no matter the mule.. if they don’t wanna do something. They’re not going to, and you can’t make them.) so yeah, I’m probably going to get a horse I was just wondering if anyone had more experience with mules than me.
Toadstool21
In the Brooder
- Feb 9, 2023
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1. Food cost depends on time of year type of forage how long your winter is how much hay cost in your area of you do rotation grazing or if the horse is kept in one spot if the horse is a hard or easy keeper if they need extra supplements etc I would recommend talking to local barns and asking what they feed and how much it cost
2.breed doesn't really matter as much as training and experience
3. No they don't have to have a stall I actually would advise against stalling as it can be bad for the horses mental health but you do have to have a shelter of some sort for the horse to get out of the rain wind and sun most horses are actually very comfortable in the cold as long as they are healthy and not clipped
4.for a beginner I wouldn't recommend anything under 7 Years old
5. Wouldn't recommend a stallion most if properly trained can be very gentle and smart but definitely for more experienced owners
A mare or gelding would be fine in my experience mares are not moody unless they have a health problem that is causing them pain and the owners just lable her as moody because she is a mare
6. Never had a mule but my donkey is very cuddly and attention seeking but doesn't like being told what to do and does things at his own pace
7. Half an acre should be enough space however it probably won't be enough to be a main food source for the entire year
TIPS
1. Get lessons at a good barn
2. Horses are herd animals and really are not completely happy alone so consider getting a companion horse or boarding
3. sdequus on Instagram is a very knowledgeable trainer that I would encourage you to follow
4.get a good farrier and large animal vet lined up before you get a horse
Toadstool21
In the Brooder
- Feb 9, 2023
- 24
- 23
- 41
I love my horses but they honestly make terrible pets LOL lots of work and worry I would highly suggest lessons and possibly leasing
- Aug 23, 2020
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If you need a saddle I know a guy in Virginia who sells some awesome old school western saddles, good using saddles all the way to incredible collector saddles, and whatever else he's picked up. He's super great and has forgotten more about the history of saddles and all the great makers than I'll ever know. He's on Facebook.
Don't go for the cheapest. No barbed-wire (dangerous) no welded-wire (doesn't last) no hot-wire all by itself (it's fine to use to divide the area into sections to maximize grazing, but the perimeter should be solid fencing.)
If I had a bare field and wanted to put up horse fencing as economical as possible, I would use treated 4x4 posts at the corners, concreted in, heavy-duty metal T-posts every 8 feet on the straight lines. For the wire, I'd use no-climb woven-wire fencing and stretch it tight. Place it on the outside of the wood corner posts, and the inside of the T-posts, so they can't push against it and get out or wreck the fence.
The T-posts need to be capped (seen a horse have to be put down after panicking and stabbing itself on a T-post, what a sad situation that should have been prevented.) Buy the T-post caps that are also hot-wire insulators, so you can put hot-wire all around the top of your perimeter fence. Which makes it easy to divide the pasture into sections with hot-wire, to maximize healthy grazing.
You don't want one horse, horses need company.
You wouldn't believe how quickly a horse can trample a 1/2 acre and turn to mud any grazing that might have been there when you started. Which means you won't have a field to graze, you will have a muddy mess and will be feeding hay all year, at 2% of the horse's weight every day (20 lbs per day for the average 1000lb horse.) Even in a luscious pasture of several acres with perfect nutrition, a horse can only consume about 5-10 percent of it's needs every hour, which means it needs to be constantly grazing for 10-20 hours a day - impossible on 1/2 acre, plus when could you ride it?
Here's what I would do: Fence the whole perimeter of your half-acre like I've described above. Let's say it's 100 by 200 feet - set aside one section, 30x100, for a sacrifice area right off the shelter, for a winter paddock, cover it with gravel near the shelter and hog-fuel (large, coarse wood chips) and feed the full amount of hay all winter. That is where your horse (and a mini or donkey for a companion) stays all winter. Divide the rest of the area into 3, let them grow all winter, and open one in the spring, another one in the summer, and the third in the fall. Every season when you close one and open another one, mow and harrow the one you just closed, then seed it with pasture seed, let it grow all season. This can be done with a regular riding mower or ATV and a pull-behind drag harrow, you don't need a tractor. By rotating the pastures like this, you can reduce the hay by 5-10 lbs per day in spring and summer, 2-7 lbs per day in fall. So instead of needing 5.5 tons of hay per year for a 1000lb horse and a 450lb mini or donkey, this grazing system will reduce it to 4 tons, plus prevent mud that causes diseases to your horses' feet and legs, reduce flies and insect pests, and your pasture will look a lot nicer.
Not a stallion! Nobody but professional breeders should have stallions. Stallions should be inspected by the breed associations and approved for breeding - in my opinion, people who keep unregistered and unapproved colts for breeding, no matter how beautiful, are irresponsible, and adding to the problem of backyard breeding horses going to Mexico for slaughter.
Mares CAN be moody - but not all mares are, and geldings can be, too. Just like people, their history and education, and just individual personality counts for a lot more than their breed or gender. My gelding tends to be a crabby and my mare a sweetheart, but under saddle, they are opposite, so you never know.
Stravager
Songster
1. What is the cheapest option for fencing?
Depends on the area that you're in, what kind of land you have (trees, swamp, floodplain, ravine, etc.) Typically electric fencing works well and has multiple options for setup, but you have to train a horse how to use it. Some horses will go through an electric fence regardless of what setup you have, and those horses need some kind of fixed fencing. Barb wire fence is going to be the most expensive option because of how many vet bills it will create.
2. How much (roughly) does food cost per year if it has a field to graze?
Horses need about 2% of their bodyweight per day in forage. You'd need a very good rotational grazing schedule through several pastures to make it through the year, and hay in the winter if you live in a place that gets snow or has drought during the "cold" season. Cost of hay varies wildly depending on the area that you live. In Canada a big 1000lb round bale can go for $500 or more in a drought year. Anything other than that is supplemental and grain or premixed feeds also vary wildly per bag - usually you have to feed 2-8KG of grain/pellets per day, and most bags weigh 20KG. It can add up fast.
3. IYO what’s the best horse breeds for beginners?
Avoid Off the Track Thoroughbreds and Arabians. Both of them tend to run pretty hot. Also maybe avoid ponies because those things are stubborn as all get out.... although ponies can teach you some very good lessons in horsemanship!
4. Do they HAVE to have a stall? Or can they just be in a pasture 24/7? Also, blanket on cold days, or no? (Ik everyone has different opinions.)
They need some kind of shelter or windbreak in a pasture still. Blanketing will depend on weather conditions and the horse's constitution. If you get temperatures that drop below 30 degrees Celsius, or heavy wet snow you'll likely need to blanket, or if you get a lot of rain. If it's just windy or a light drizzle, then as long as they have a shelter they'll be fine. Horses have the ability to grow their haircoat to match cold temperatures as long as the temperature shift is gradual. When they get cold they will fluff up their hair and insulate themselves. If you see a horse with ice on its back it means it's warm and its natural insulation is doing its job. If you see a soaking wet horse.... well, hair can't insulate from wet and cold, just cold.
5. What age horse typically has the best temperament? (I do not want an horse older than 15 since I plan on keeping it forever.)
Horses are like people - they all have personalities, and age is not a good indicator of temperament. You want a well trained horse with a calm disposition right off the bat. If you are a beginner you should not try and train a horse on your own. 7 year olds might be a decent range to look at since they'll typically have a number of years of experience or training - as long as you get one that has actually been trained and worked consistently, not one that's been sitting around in a pasture doing nothing the whole time.
Any horse younger than 5 years is still considered to be growing, and you might consider them "kids or teenagers" still. Horses can live up to 35 years in the right conditions, and most are still ridable well into their 20's as long as it's light work. Keep in mind that "keeping it forever" might not work out for a number of reasons. You might change directions in riding, go from trail riding to jumping, and the current horse might not work for what you need or want. They might have been a retired lesson horse with joint pain for example and can't take the workload.
6. The age old question, mare, gelding, or stallion? People say mares are always moody. Is that true?
Do not get a stallion unless you are an experienced breeder or a super experienced Olympic level rider. They need way way more care and cautions to handle than a gelding or mare.
Geldings will need their sheath cleaned which is a consideration for a lot of people I know -some people find it weird and geldings can also put up a big stink about it -but most of them are sweethearts and will be submissive to a mare. A lot of people will stick with geldings to avoid a lot of herd dynamic related drama.
Mares will typically want to be the boss in herd dynamics, and they will bully geldings or other mares to get the spot they want. It's not necessarily that they're moody, just that they have a herd mentality and like to know what their place is in the world. They will also go into heat on a fairly regular basis and that can be annoying to deal with which is where the moody reputation likely comes from.
7. Which is better? Mule or horse? (IYO)
Mules are super stubborn and hard to manage. They are hard to train, hard to handle, and hard to ride. If you don't need one for hauling packs on a trail or for hauling heavy equipment, don't get one. They are the size of a horse with the temperament of a donkey and donkeys are temperamental and stubborn to a fault. There's a reason they have the reputation of being an unmovable object if they don't want to go somewhere.
8. Is a little more than 1/2 an acre a good amount for one horse?
It's generally recommended to have at least 1 acre for a horse. You will also need way way way way way more hay or supplemental feeding to manage with 1 acre since the grass will get mowed down into nothing and trampled into dirt very quickly. If you have a dirt or sand pen or pasture impaction colic becomes a very high risk.
Depends on the area that you're in, what kind of land you have (trees, swamp, floodplain, ravine, etc.) Typically electric fencing works well and has multiple options for setup, but you have to train a horse how to use it. Some horses will go through an electric fence regardless of what setup you have, and those horses need some kind of fixed fencing. Barb wire fence is going to be the most expensive option because of how many vet bills it will create.
2. How much (roughly) does food cost per year if it has a field to graze?
Horses need about 2% of their bodyweight per day in forage. You'd need a very good rotational grazing schedule through several pastures to make it through the year, and hay in the winter if you live in a place that gets snow or has drought during the "cold" season. Cost of hay varies wildly depending on the area that you live. In Canada a big 1000lb round bale can go for $500 or more in a drought year. Anything other than that is supplemental and grain or premixed feeds also vary wildly per bag - usually you have to feed 2-8KG of grain/pellets per day, and most bags weigh 20KG. It can add up fast.
3. IYO what’s the best horse breeds for beginners?
Avoid Off the Track Thoroughbreds and Arabians. Both of them tend to run pretty hot. Also maybe avoid ponies because those things are stubborn as all get out.... although ponies can teach you some very good lessons in horsemanship!
4. Do they HAVE to have a stall? Or can they just be in a pasture 24/7? Also, blanket on cold days, or no? (Ik everyone has different opinions.)
They need some kind of shelter or windbreak in a pasture still. Blanketing will depend on weather conditions and the horse's constitution. If you get temperatures that drop below 30 degrees Celsius, or heavy wet snow you'll likely need to blanket, or if you get a lot of rain. If it's just windy or a light drizzle, then as long as they have a shelter they'll be fine. Horses have the ability to grow their haircoat to match cold temperatures as long as the temperature shift is gradual. When they get cold they will fluff up their hair and insulate themselves. If you see a horse with ice on its back it means it's warm and its natural insulation is doing its job. If you see a soaking wet horse.... well, hair can't insulate from wet and cold, just cold.
5. What age horse typically has the best temperament? (I do not want an horse older than 15 since I plan on keeping it forever.)
Horses are like people - they all have personalities, and age is not a good indicator of temperament. You want a well trained horse with a calm disposition right off the bat. If you are a beginner you should not try and train a horse on your own. 7 year olds might be a decent range to look at since they'll typically have a number of years of experience or training - as long as you get one that has actually been trained and worked consistently, not one that's been sitting around in a pasture doing nothing the whole time.
Any horse younger than 5 years is still considered to be growing, and you might consider them "kids or teenagers" still. Horses can live up to 35 years in the right conditions, and most are still ridable well into their 20's as long as it's light work. Keep in mind that "keeping it forever" might not work out for a number of reasons. You might change directions in riding, go from trail riding to jumping, and the current horse might not work for what you need or want. They might have been a retired lesson horse with joint pain for example and can't take the workload.
6. The age old question, mare, gelding, or stallion? People say mares are always moody. Is that true?
Do not get a stallion unless you are an experienced breeder or a super experienced Olympic level rider. They need way way more care and cautions to handle than a gelding or mare.
Geldings will need their sheath cleaned which is a consideration for a lot of people I know -some people find it weird and geldings can also put up a big stink about it -but most of them are sweethearts and will be submissive to a mare. A lot of people will stick with geldings to avoid a lot of herd dynamic related drama.
Mares will typically want to be the boss in herd dynamics, and they will bully geldings or other mares to get the spot they want. It's not necessarily that they're moody, just that they have a herd mentality and like to know what their place is in the world. They will also go into heat on a fairly regular basis and that can be annoying to deal with which is where the moody reputation likely comes from.
7. Which is better? Mule or horse? (IYO)
Mules are super stubborn and hard to manage. They are hard to train, hard to handle, and hard to ride. If you don't need one for hauling packs on a trail or for hauling heavy equipment, don't get one. They are the size of a horse with the temperament of a donkey and donkeys are temperamental and stubborn to a fault. There's a reason they have the reputation of being an unmovable object if they don't want to go somewhere.
8. Is a little more than 1/2 an acre a good amount for one horse?
It's generally recommended to have at least 1 acre for a horse. You will also need way way way way way more hay or supplemental feeding to manage with 1 acre since the grass will get mowed down into nothing and trampled into dirt very quickly. If you have a dirt or sand pen or pasture impaction colic becomes a very high risk.
Super great advice from Stravanger! The only thing I might disagree with (a little bit) is:
only because Arabians can be the most wonderful horses as they get older - as long as they were well-trained and always well-cared-for during their youth. Arabians tend to bond very strongly with their people, tend to calm down but not get dull as they age, and tend to stay sound longer than most breeds.
Definitely 7 or older for a first horse - but if you're willing to modify your age criteria a bit, you will enjoy an 18-20 year-old Arabian who's been well-trained and cared-for and passed a vet check, because of the strong and trusting bond they will offer you. And you'll still get 10 years or more of riding until they need to slow down, and less-strenuous riding after that.
My off-track Thoroughbred is 25, and still sound for moderate work - she got a thorough vet check this past April, the only things not 100% are slight arthritis and a small heart murmur. For the arthritis she got a set of Adequan injections (probably will repeat yearly) and she's on a maintenance of Cosequin. Nothing can fix the heart murmur, but all it means is she gets tired faster and can no longer gallop at top speed for long distances. She can still do lower-level Eventing - as long as we keep the jumps under 3 foot and the galloping not too fast and not too long. Which works fine for me - I'm getting older myself, just want to get out there and have fun, and don't need to jump the huge jumps or gallop three miles at top speed any more. The good shape she's in, with good nutrition and the routine senior-horse maintenance she gets, we will probably have 5-10 more years of riding together. So please don't discount horses older than 15.
Stravager
Songster
I knew a man who had a 35 yo Arabian mare who was still ridable, but she still needed an experienced rider because of how peppy she was. I definitely agree that with the right training they are amazing horses, but usually if you're looking for a good beginner horse there are a lot of them out there who haven't been trained right or have a lot of spice so finding the right one would be tricky depending on what area you're in. Arabians were bred for the desert and bred for endurance, and they definitely do endure - as long as you don't get the super super dishy faced ones, then they can have respiratory issues.
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