Which horse would you choose? *pics*

[Orchid]

S*T*A*R :

Are you just telling me all your horror stories?

I didn't tell you a horror story.

My first experience owning a horse was a great one.​

 

[michickenwrangler]

I got my first horse at age 19. I had been riding her off and on for a year, fell off twice before I bought her but was uninjured. I was pretty crazy when I got her, she was 7, so we spent our first year together basically galloping all over Gladwin county. We're both lucky we weren't killed just from carelessness.

11 years later, I still have her and she's a seasoned old campaigner of 18 and one of the best distance horses in Michigan if I may brag.

She's an Arab/Saddlebred. Someone told me if I wanted to kill myself that bad, a gun would be cheaper.

Yes, but not as much fun.

 

[Kelly G]

There is so much to learn BEFORE anyone should buy a horse. I wish it required a license to purchase one.

If you don't heed the advice given to you in this thread, you are likely to end up being very sorry.

I have loved horses from the day I first saw one. I started lessons at five and began begging for a horse that very day. Thankfully, I had parents who had no problem telling their child "no". Not only "no," but N.F.W! (if you get my drift

). My parents knew (know) nothing about horses, but at least they knew enough to know that it would take years of lessons before having a horse would be appropriate.

Thank God they did not buy me a horse - until I was in highschool, and I had been riding for 10 years with a trainer(s). The trainer picked my horse. It was a 15 year old American Saddlebred gelding who'd "been there, done that." He was not the horse I would have picked....but my trainer and parents knew better. He was perfect for me....and I loved that horse for 15 more years.

If you are a beginner, you are not capable of making a good decision about what's best for you as you purchase a horse. Believe us now, or be sorry later.

I'm not saying, "don't get a horse." I'm saying, "don't pick one for yourself without the guidance of a trainer/instructor who knows your abilities inside and out. Good luck - it can be a lot of fun if you do things right!

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I've been riding a bit over 50 years, which is to say since I was about 9 or 10. However I did not BUY my first horse until I was in the Marine Corps--I was 19, I think. I bought a quarter horse mare. She was well-bred, not a head-turner, but a good, solid, well-broke working cowhorse. She taught me how to cut a cow and rope a steer. Before I joined the Marines I worked on a number of stud farms and a training barn and that is how I learned to ride. Then she put the finishing touches on me and over the years I have taken everything she taught me and used it to breed, train, and show my own. Even after all these years, I still learn every time I ride.

One thing I learned early on is that if I wanted a horse who was well-trained and had a good mind, I could not go "loaning her out" and still have a great ride when I got her back. After she'd had a stranger on her back, we always had to work together a bit to get our cues and timing back to where we had been before I let someone borrow her. Twice of that and I decided that nobody but me was gonna throw a leg over any horse I was investing my heart and soul in. It wasn't fair to the horse and it sure cost me a friendship or two after I yelled at them for messing up my horse.

Lesson learned: Nobody rides your horse the way you do!!!


HTH

Rusty

edited to add:

Someone told me if I wanted to kill myself that bad, a gun would be cheaper.

Yes, but not as much fun. big_smile

I always tell people that some folks drink, some gamble, and some do drugs. Me, I keep horses!​

 

[txredneckmedic]

My first horse I actually bought was a idiot. She was mean and tried to kick every time I got in the pen. My wife found her with a foal...paid bout 800 i think for both of them. 2 years later they are both gone and we have 2 good horses. I would say look for a older horse that knows what he is doing. I am riding a 18yo ranch bred gelding that I dont even have to rein. He is a bit swayback but he is building up his back everyday. I wouldnt rush into anything and would definetly ride the horse first. If your new to riding dont get a green horse. Hell I wont even look at a horse that isnt atleast bout 10 years old.

 

[greeneggsandham]

My family had a Shetland pony and I first rode him at 4 years of age with my not so bright sister leading him. She dropped the lead line and off went Lucky and I. He stopped at the clover patch and I stayed on. After that you couldn't get me off his back. I rode him bareback and with just hay twine for reins.

When I was 13 I worked at a local restuarant and a friend of mine had 15 horses. When her dad passed away she was selling her herd and I was able to get my favorite horse of theirs. She was a flea-bitten gray Anglo-Arab. Hated men because she was beaten by them before my friend got her, but loved women. Breeze was a great mare and loved to swim. We would go out for hours on end just the two of us. She passed away at the ripe old age of 32.

I currently have a 24 year old Appendix Quarter horse gelding and a 7 year old Saddlebred mare. My gelding is a been there done that horse, my mare spent 5 months at the trainers last year and though she is a great horse with lots of get up and go she needs more miles to be my steady mount still alittle spooky and can be a pill at times.

 

[GalloFino]

I haven't gotten my first horse yet. I took riding lessons in high school, then again for a few years later in life, including doing a part lease on the horse that I used for lessons. I was riding about 5 days a week for a few years there, what with the lease and all. I decided that I wanted to buy my own horse, and started looking for something suitable for me. After a lot of driving around the countryside and riding strange horses, I settled on a thoroughbred gelding that was being used as a lesson horse in exchange for board at a swanky stable. Beautiful horse, in working weight and condition, and the kindest, sweetest temperament. I really fell in love with him.

I went out and took a lesson on him and had the best ride of my life. The trainer told me (as it was an extremely busy arena) that if you could ride a horse there, you could ride it anywhere. I had my riding instructor out to ride the horse, and she gave me the thumbs up. I then had an equine vet out and she looked him over, lunged him in all gaits, etc. She took me aside and told me that although she hadn't seen the horse before, and he was sound as far as the exam she'd done showed, she was going to do a bit of research and see if she could get a hold of his vet records. She also suggested that we do a blood draw to test for drugging, with the idea being that she'd test the blood if there was nothing in his vet records to exclude him as a candidate for purchase. Turns out (even though the trainer who used him for lessons did not disclose this to me) that the horse had been lame to the point of having been seen by the vet a week and a half earlier. The vet asked me if I wanted an x-ray of the leg in question, and I sent an email to the owner of the horse advising her of the situation. She went ballistic on me, claiming that her horse wasn't 'lame in any sense of the word!', etc but she authorized the x-ray. I guess at this point I should have cut my losses, but I did go ahead and pay for the x-ray anyway. The "ankle" had been broken in multiple places at some point and although it was healed up enough for the horse to live happily in a pasture somewhere, he in no way was suited to my purposes or actually the purposes he was being used for at the time according to the veterinarian. When I called the trainer to tell him that I'd decided not to buy the horse, he didn't take my call. The owner didn't reply to my email to the same effect.

Take your time. Take someone with you that knows what they are doing and knows your riding level. And expect that even if all the stars seems to be lining up such that you've found your dreamhorse, he may not pass a pre-purchase physical.

My life has taken some strange turns since then, and I gave up looking for my own horse, but hope to one day begin again. It's a lot of fun dreaming and looking at all the pictures, heck, I even still do it now, but you've got to take your time and have knowledgeable people to guide you (people who don't have a financial interest in the outcome). Good luck!

 

[welsummerchicks]

"She went ballistic on me,...The "ankle" had been broken in multiple places at some point and although it was healed up enough for the horse to live happily in a pasture somewhere, he in no way was suited to my purposes or actually the purposes he was being used for at the time according to the veterinarian"

Some people have no ethics.

Two possibilities, one, that she bought the horse recently and got 'taken' herself, and decided to drug him, sell him and cut her losses, two, that she had the horse longer, knew all about the injury and its serious prognosis, and drugged him to sell him. Yikes!

Did I read right? Was the vet who you worked with for the prepurchase exam, the same one who treated him the previous week when he was lame?

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
If you are asking this question, then the correct answer is "whatever breed the EXPERIENCED, preferably PROFESSIONAL HORSEMAN who is guiding your search tells you that you should look for"

Really really.

Also, try to be taking lessons somewhere that has a good variety of horses in their lesson stable, so that you can see what types of horses you do (and don't) get along well with. For instance some people love the draft-horse temperament, other people loathe it. (Not actually too awful many people in between, in fact!) Similar with other breeds and personality types and movement types. The more you know about what you actually deal well with, butt-in-saddle, the likelier you'll wind up with a suitable horse.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

I have to disagree with that...ther are waaaay too many "experienced, professional horsemen" out there who are going to direct you right into whatever they have for sale, not necessarily what you need. There's one on practically any given horsey corner around here.

I'd ride at several places, try out several horses in lessons with legit trainers and try to find something you like that fits well with where you are in riding, what you want to do and your comfort level. Ride it a lot in several different situations, not just the same one over and over. Then try to buy or maybe even lease first. If you find something you absolutely can't live without, keep that to yourself and try to bargain wisely. Don't let people know you are looking to buy, but that you are looking to learn. If they know you want to buy right off the bat they are more likely to try steering you into a sale, IMO.

I wouldn't buy either of those horses pictured either, unless you have quite a bit of personal experience with either and like them. I wouldn't necessarily let a swayback scare me off if the horse has other very good features, like if I sensed a good reliable lifetime kind of horse in one ...this swayback is an defect caused by ligaments in the back but I have known horses with swaybacks who could actually carry weight quite comfortably for long periods of time. Some breeds are prone to it as are some bloodlines. Not something I would get if I could help it though. There is way too much out there available right now in horses so it's a buyer's market.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
I sure do hope not, because if so, this sounds like a serious breach of veterinary ethics to me.

However, some great advice on the part of the OP about the horse being vetted. Like I said, there's a dishonest seller just about anywhere. You have to be *so* careful when buying horses.