I REALLY want a Horse!!!

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Quote:
I've done both and unless you have more than one horse of your own (they are herd animals) and you have exclusive use of the pasture, I would never suggest pasture boarding. There will be other people's horses in the pasture otherwise, and that ALWAYS leads to conflicts. Plus having a stall gives you a place to feed your horse exclusively so it is not fighting for its share of the feed. It gives you a place to groom in and doctor in, saddle, etc so that you are not fighting off other horses at the same time you are trying to care for your own. Plus in bad weather, a stall can be a godsend.

Ideally, working for a horse facility is the way to start. If you are unable to do that, the next best idea is to lease a horse from someone who is going to be around to help you learn what you need to. There is a LOT to learn. I've kept horses for over 50 years and I'm still learning!

JMO

Rusty

 

[PoultryQueen29]

Ok, I have volunteered at the farm but it's 30 minutes away and volunteer days are from 8 am to 5 pm so it would be hard to do that daily. I'm in school during the year so the most I would be able to do is a summer job for 2 months. I'll try leasing for a while and maybe take some more lessons. I saw some people offering lessons with the lease. Should I go for something like that?

 

[OldGuy43]

Ok, I have volunteered at the farm but it's 30 minutes away and volunteer days are from 8 am to 5 pm so it would be hard to do that daily.

If you think that's hard what do you think it will be like if you own your own horse and have no choice, rain or shine, 7 days a week? Your horse won't care about how hard it is for you!

 

[FlaRocky]

I know we are being hard on you, but the reality is: IT IS HARD, IT IS A LONG TERM COMMITMENT.... Are you ready for that? Rain of shine, snow or ice you have to get up early and feed and water, muck ,ect. EVERYDAY!!! And the same thing at night no matter what. You have to make arangements for care 2x a day if you go out of town.


Because I have horses, I have to get up at 3:30 everyday to feed and care for them before I go to work. I have to be at work at 6:00 am to 6:30 pm everyday. And work every other weekend. But I do this because I choose to have horses. I am in the barn every night til at least 10:00 pm that is when I ride and train then do pm chores. But I do this because I love my horses. I trailride,show saddleseat, drive, horsecamp, work cows and will try just about anything with my horses.

Maye

 

[Chickenhugger2]

Howdy, I saw the title of this post and thought I might have something valuable to add... but it's all been said. Oldguy43is full of good information. I wanted a horse since I was 4. Finally got my own when I was 42. Started like you. Leased for a while. Became a barn rat and learned all I could. Well, my first horse was the wrong horse. too much horse for me. Put up with several wrong horses before I found the right one. You must have a relationship with a horse for it to all work. They have to trust you and see you as their leader or it can all turn out wrong. A Friend told me once that when you are on a horse.... never let them have s thought of their own.

I was seriously hurt on horse when I was 45. I was riding someone else's horse.... big mistake ... and it threw me. I broke my back. Was not allowed to ride for a year. Total upheaval for the family for quite sometime. Praise God for my excellent and full recovery. When I did start to ride again I was beyond petrified. Had a lot of good friends hold my hand so to speak. Fell in love allover again on a horse camping trip with the right horse... my horse.. he takes care of me. No feeling quite like the feeling of going down a beautiful trail on a horse. Magical. Glad I didn't give it up although I was tempted to because of my fear.

So the moral of my story is ... It's a head and heart thing. You have to do what's right for you. You don't want to live with regret...there must be a happy ending and a way to make it happen that doesn't throw your whole life into a tailspin. Take your time and do it right. Get all the input you can from experienced riders. Remember it can all change in an instant.. nothing is forever and it works both ways... you can always find the horse a good home... or it may be a dream come true.

 

[OldGuy43]

I trailride,show saddleseat, drive, horsecamp, work cows and will try just about anything with my horses.

Maye

Maye brings up another good point. Sooner or later you will tire of riding in the arena where you board, and want to take part in activities such as she mentioned. Yet more costs. Have you considered the cost of:

• A horse trailer?
• Something to pull it with?
• Fuel and upkeep for said vehicle
• Insurance for your animal while it's in the trailer and at the event?
• Entry fees?

The reason that, as previously mentioned horses are raised for pleasure is that they are costly and a lot of work. It's a shame that Hollywood has led people to believe that any 8 year old can catch a mustang, break it, train it and end up with a lovely, useful, docile, loyal animal. My Friend Flicka comes immediately to mind.

That reminds me of another expense that we've failed to mention. Have you considered the price of tack?

 

[FlaRocky]

Hello,

What breed are you looking for? What do you want to do with your horse? What events? English or western? Just trying to help you out......

How much do you think it will cost you per month to keep a horse?


Maye

 

[yomama]

My sister has always loved horses too,(though not as long as me, lol!!) Anyway, she took an equestrian course, at the community college, which introduced her to more advanced riding. However, her volunteering at a horse shelter is what really opened up her eyes. She worked regularly with abused and neglected horses. Horses with trust issues, health issues, you name it. Most of these horses you could not ride, at least not for a long time. She really got a reality dose of how much time, effort, and MONEY goes into horse care. Granted, you may never have horse that needs as much medical attention as these horses did, but it definitely gives you a worse case scenario. I asked her a while back if she ever planned on getting a horse, and she said no. Mainly because she is afraid she could never afford all the things that could go wrong.

 

[Suzie]

I wish you do achieve your ambition.... I started pony riding ( a Shetland pony ) when I was three years old - my dream was to own a pony when I was young, however, my parents could not afford to buy one for me ... let alone the costs associated. I was fortunate in that a local farmer rewarded me for hard work with helping on the farm with chickens, cows, pigs and ponies by buying me a small pony.... I worked hard for years whenever I could get to the farm to assist with the animals - when I was fifteen the farmer purchased a wonderful pony that was exclusively mine to ride - it was manic but I enjoyed every minute of the wonderful time I had with "Jaffa" - I think in those days I could have ridden almost anything that had some spirit in it! I taught riding to novice riders and used to lead out hacks... my love was ponies and latterly horses.... my love has never waned and I was granted my greatest wish four years ago when I purchased two horses of my own!

What I am saying is that if you really want your ultimate dream to come true then it is possible... hard work and determination are your allies....! Live and learn, all of the advice you have been given is for your benefit!

All I want to hear at some time in the future is that you have reached your goal.... you can do this!!!!

Suzie

 

[PoultryQueen29]

I have looked at all of these prices and I undertand completely how much work it is. I don't really want to show or anything. Just trail ride and stuff like that. There are plenty of barns closer to me than the one I go to but they don't offer anything but lessons and boarding. If nothing works, i'll just lease whenever I can.