I'm thinking about horses

[MrFluffyandGirls]

My vet is one of the few remaining large animal doctors in the area and I heard him say one time, "Horses and big boats are for people who have so much money they don't know what to do with it."

 

[Folly's place]

Boats are called 'that hole in the water into which you throw money', and horses are very similar. Ours are at home, on pasture, not at a boarding stable, so least expensive that way. But then there's the farrier, the veterinarian, vaccinations and wormers, and sooner or later some injury or something really interesting/ expensive.
Accidents waiting to happen!
Mary

 

[Bird_Lover_17]

Hello!

I’ve been raised around horses pretty much my whole life. I learned real quick that they take a lot of time, work, and certainly money. My two horses take lots of time because I train them, take care of them, etc. In my experience, when you first get a horse, it’s best not to ride them right away and just wait a week or so. I would first probably do a few groundwork sessions for a few days and then ride just so you get to know your horse. Also, if you look at a horse to buy, I recommend asking questions like, has this horse ever had colic or founder? How are it’s ground manners? How is the horse under saddle? Does the horse have or have they had any health issues? Questions like these will show you the condition the horse is in and how well the horse is trained.

Some good horse breeds are the plain old quarter horse. I have a quarter horse, she’s not too hot blooded and she’s quite easy to deal with even if she happens to get anxious or nervous, she’s easy to calm down and have her pay attention to you. I would recommend getting an older horse, maybe in the age range of 15-25 years old and has lots of experience. Getting a young horse that needs lots of training wouldn’t be an easy thing for a first time owner.

I’d say some cons are that you will get frustrated from time to time if you don’t feel like they’re progressing in some aspect such as groundwork or under saddle. But you really have to be patient and try new avenues if you have to so you can see them progress. Another con - money. Hay, grain, bedding, tack, vet expenses, farrier expenses, boarding fees, and other things like troughs, mangers, buckets, halters, grooming supplies etc. can all come to a big amount of money really quick. It definitely can be overwhelming, but if you look into what you have to buy and see how you’ll be able to afford it, you can come up with a plan. Hauling hay is another con as well because you have a way to transport all those bales, you have to have a secure, dry place for the bales, you have to pay for them, and you have to load and unload. But it’s really just part of owning horses! Some pros are that you feel great when you see your horse progress in their training, you have them to turn to if you need a big hug, going for trail rides are the best, just being around horses is a wonderful feeling. I definitely think that the pros outweigh the cons. Horses are an incredible part of my life!

Some important info is that you need to make sure you have enough money, time, and energy for the care of the horse, you need a farrier and vet, you will need a de-icer for the trough in winter, watch out for what your horse’s poop looks like, make sure fencing is secure, come up with the feeding amount based on your horse’s size. I think those are the main things that came up but I’m sure others have more info.

I hope this helps! And I wish the best for you and your possible future horse!!

That did help, thank you!

 

[Bird_Lover_17]

I have a few more questions:
1) Where can I get tack that will last a long time- Tractor Supply or somewhere else?
2) Can you build your own 1-2 horse trailer? or can you only buy it? ( I know I need to license it)
3) Is there any "horse toys" like special feeders I should get?
4) Here in NY the lowest in my area has been like -14 (F) and the highest was like 101 (F)- what temperature should I use a horse blanket (like "at 32 degrees (F) and lower, put on the horse blanket" )
5) How high should a fence be?

 

[Folly's place]

TSC is NOT the place to buy tack, except maybe nylon halters. Tack shops, and when you have more experience, and actually own a horse, because the saddle must fit the individual horse, not only fit you. Good second hand is fine there, if you get lucky.
Horse trailers are not a do it yourself project! You need access to a trailer, and the truck to haul it, for that emergency trip to the equine hospital, which could happen any time. 'Access' doesn't mean ownership, necessarily, it could be a couple of friends who have trailers, and/or the truck. Think lots more $$$ for this part of the story.
Years ago, three of us went together and bought a horse trailer, and it worked out well.
Horses do fine in cold weather as long as they have a shelter. However, if intensive riding all winter, clipping that winter coat is necessary, and then a blanket is required, because the horse has lost his own nice winter coat!
Fencing depends. NO BARBED WIRE!!! Here we have 4.5 to 5.5 ft tall, 2"x 4" woven wire with
electric rope or tape on top. Wood rails are most expensive, and all electric is least expensive, and more dangerous for the horses.
Horses will chew wood, and lean on fencing, unless there's electric, at least at the top.
Mary

 

[JadeFarms]

She covered everything, I was just gonna add on that feed stores can sell really nice saddles and you can even find them at some auctions. Make sure you know what size you ride in and maybe even ask if you can take it home and try it out, that’s what our feed store does.

 

[bluecattlemutt]

Buy a horse from a rescue! Rescues tend to go out of their way to help you find the right horse to match your situation and skill level. They often let you volunteer to help you learn how to care for your horse. Also rescues tend to be more honest as they want to ensure that the horse you take home will have a home forever so they don't try to hide any issues a horse may have. They are also a great way to get a companion horse. Horses are social creatures that need their herd and are happier when they have a friend. Rescues often have companion horses that may have injuries that keep them from being ridden or worked. These are great for your riding horse to have a friend out in pasture with them. Another suggestion, be sure to look for an older horse something over the age of 10. Older horses are more likely to be calm as they have seen and done it all less spookey, easier on a novice rider. My last suggestion, when you find a horse you think might be the one bring a Vet out to look it over to ensure the horse is healthy before you spend the money. Horses are expensive creatures. Buying one is the cheapest part of owning a horse make sure you know what your getting by having a medical expert look them over. Good luck!!!

 

[Folly's place]

A good saddle, well cared for, will last a lifetime. Some of the synthetic saddles are very nice, and less expensive too.
The best saddle I ever owned, I bought used, and it was glorious. HOWEVER, it didn't then fit the horse I bought, and had to be sold.
Mary

 

[HorsesRMe123]

I have a few more questions:
1) Where can I get tack that will last a long time- Tractor Supply or somewhere else?
2) Can you build your own 1-2 horse trailer? or can you only buy it? ( I know I need to license it)
3) Is there any "horse toys" like special feeders I should get?
4) Here in NY the lowest in my area has been like -14 (F) and the highest was like 101 (F)- what temperature should I use a horse blanket (like "at 32 degrees (F) and lower, put on the horse blanket" )
5) How high should a fence be?

Those are some good questions! You can get tack at a nearby tack store or you can get tack online, I’ve done both. Either way, you first have to measure the area where that tack is going to go on the horse to make sure the tack fits properly. Especially saddles. If you don’t get a correctly fitting saddle, the horse might react out of pain by bucking or underperforming. So getting correctly fitted tack is essential. You can look up a video or website info on measuring and fitting tack, or you can get someone to customize the tack for you and come out to see if it fits.

I personally haven’t heard of anyone building their own horse trailer so I wouldn’t know. Could be possible, but you would need all these things done to ensure the trailer is safe and well built and all that. I’ve seen cheap horse trailers for sale that people have fixed up and they look brand new in the end. So that could also be an option.

For some horse entertainment, you can get them a bouncy ball that is specifically for horses to play with. You can get those at a place that sells horse supplies or online. Another thing you can do to entertain your horse is get a feed dispenser toy. You put treats in it while they have to roll it around for the treats to come out. That really occupies them! There’s also another feed toy you can provide them with. It’s a block of oats or grain that hangs from a string which hangs to the ceiling of their barn. That really occupies them.

Using a blanket really depends on if they’re an easy keeper or hard keeper. My pony is a really easy keeper, which means she gains weight easily and keeps her weight. She also has a really thick winter coat and she’s young. My quarter horse is a hard keeper, she takes a bit to gain weight and it takes more effort to keep her at a good weight. She’s also older, in her twenties and has a thinner winter coat. The blanket thickness also is another thing to think about. You don’t want to get too thin and you don’t want to get to thick. Because they may still be cold and they may overheat depending on the blanket thickness. I personally will put my quarter horse’s blanket on when it gets down to 20F and below. She has a medium thickness size blanket. She doesn’t need a large thickness because it’s not like we clip her for shows or anything. Medium thickness is a good general rule of thumb to go by. Then, we will put my pony’s blanket on when it gets to 10F and below. She also has a medium thickness blanket. If your horse won’t be getting clipped for shows or anything and it gets pretty cold there, I recommend a medium thickness blanket. Also, another thing to keep in mind, avoid keeping the blanket on them for too long because that will cause their winter coat to shed away since it’s nice and warm. The longest I’ve ever kept the blanket on my horse was 2 weeks. But I’ve also seen people have their horses blanketed all winter so it’s honestly up to you. But if I were to blanket my horses everyday, it would only be for nights or if the day is really cold with wind chill I will also do it then but once the cold front is gone, I like to take the blanket off so they preserve their winter coats.

A general rule of thumb for the height of a fence is 5 feet. If you’re going to have an escape artist (I have one, my pony) I really recommend putting up electric fencing. It’s a cheaper, easy option of making sure your horse will stay in the pasture. If the horse you’re going to get is like a show jumper or something, I would recommend probably 6 feet. But 5 feet is a good thing to go by.

 

[Bird_Lover_17]

Thank you! Very thorough! @HorsesRMe123 !