Who has horses?

[ShrekDawg]

Thanks for all the replies and info everyone, it's really helpful.

Horses are possibly the most expensive animal that people can own legally... If you have enough land that is zoned correctly you can keep them at home, but that means if you have just one, it will be lonely. They are a herd animal. They do not think or act like dogs, do not necessarily want to please you or be ridden. You will have to earn their respect by proving you are dominant. This mostly means NEVER let them think they are getting their way about anything. And most will subtly test you, trying you in just about every instance of contact. The best ones are the ones that have grown up with experienced people and never been allowed to go wrong, and constantly used. Expect to pay more for that, but also, keep in mind that you will have to maintain that training or it will be "gone with the wind". Expenses are endless. Even if you don't shoe your horse, the farrier will charge $50 every 8 wks to trim the feet. For an average sized horse, a bale of hay will last 3 or 4 days, at 10 to 15 dollars a bale, it adds up in a hurry. Expensive equipment! Eventually, you will want a horse trailer and a truck to pull it. Saddles, pads, bridles, bits, hoof picks, hay hooks, mounting block, endless expenses. Stable maintenance! Horses eat wood and destroy fences. You will need a good job to go with that horse, so stay in school... Of course that good job will take time and energy too, and you may not have enough left to ride the horse at the end of the day (after you feed, clean the stall etc.). The horse not ridden at least 3 times a week (and more often is better) will "go sour" and not want to leave the stable. A horse that is well taken care of and that comes from healthy stock will need less veterinary care, but still, the day may come. Some always seem to get into trouble, tangling themselves in fences, eating wood, or other things they shouldn't. You can't feed cheap or moldy hay as they will colic and sometimes twist a gut. In short, horses are time consuming, expensive, and the work load is tremendous. I was a horse crazy kid too, so I know what that is like. My best recommendation is find another similarly minded person to co-own a horse with, and share the expenses, riding time, and chores. This person should be compatable and knowledgeable. No one these days with a full time job really has enough time to give to properly maintaining a horse in good riding condition unless they cut everything else out of their life, or are wealthy enough to pay to have help to care for them (or possibly have a big family that is supportive and will help).

Thanks, didn't really think of the job thing especially causing less time with horse. Might have to wait. Hopefully eventually I'll have a farm/homestead that makes money and/or work from home. Thinking of starting a dog walking and/or training business or working for one of the dog walking apps because that'd be a pretty flexible job and still great money. But I won't get one for a while, taking lessons first.

I would definitely ride it at least 3 times a week though, probably more, I love animals so I'd make time for it.

Oh and I definitely get the point that you were trying to make, that horses are crazy expensive, but around here, that hay would be considered crazy expensive. Here it's usually only like $5-$7 for a bale, sometimes $4 or $8. And that's including horse hay. Obviously the cheaper end of $4 or $5 is more goats or cows but still usually only $6 or $7 even for good first cut horse hay. And a round bale is only like $50 to $60

I’m horse crazy too! I started taking lessons when I was 6 & am now 33. I’ve learned things from dressage to barrels to reining to play day events to trail riding... then to my favorite... endurance riding. Yay!
We currently own 3 horses, (2 Arabians and an Apendix (TB/QH)) but I have had more than a few, over the years.
As for the cost, yes, they are expensive, but the level of cost involved is greatly dependent on your situation. Also, emergencies do happen with horses and you need to be prepared to make decisions with your veterinarian that may be based on what you can or cannot afford.
My horses are cheaper to care for now, as we have our own barn and hay pasture, but they still cost money for upkeep. Boarding can be extremely costly in some places while being perfectly reasonable in others. It is generally dependent on what perks are available: training arenas, round pens, ponds to swim in, obstical courses, trails to ride on, etc., and like minded friends or trainers that you can be in contact with every day.
However, if calm confidence & a good steady seat are issues, you can improve your skills quickly at the right facility or if you have access to another skilled horse-person that can take you under their wing.
Horses can be dangerous but with the right amount of learning, you can do things in a fun, much safer, manner. All horses are different. I have one that I constantly have to tinker with to keep him the way I want, and I have another that I can pull out of the pasture after a year and in 5 minutes he is back to being a bomb proof kids horse. Take lessons in different disciplines and see what you like best. You never stop learning with horses.

Wow you've done a lot of disciplines! Thanks for all the advice. I think I'm definitely going to start with lessons or possibly even therapy LOL and work on my seat and anxiety first. When i first started I thought wanted to do Western but then she thought I should try English so I did and I actually liked it. The posting was definitely a lot of work but Western was actually kind of uncomfortable when going faster lol

 

[casportpony]

The posting was definitely a lot of work but Western was actually kind of uncomfortable when going faster lol

Watch some videos of cowboys riding western, they usually post when a horse is doing real trot.

I ride English and western too and much prefer posting to sitting.
https://www.equisearch.com/articles/ups-and-downs-posting

 

[BreanneRN]

I don't really want to discourage you from your "horse dreams", because I have been there... Just want you to know what you are getting into, so you can be prepared. Remember that most horses have to be fed twice a day, every morning and afternoon/evening. In the event you want to go some place, you will need someone to feed for you and make sure the horse has water. You may have an automatic water, but someone should still come in to check it daily while you are gone. This is possibly something you can do for other people now, to help make money, or even offer to do it free for the experience of getting to know/care for horses. A mentor that can teach you horse handling tips would be invaluable, particularly since you have not grown up with them. Many people who have grown up with them learn to handle them from parents/mentors and it is so natural that they don't even value the knowledge they have. Find someone like that and watch and listen. You will never get that information from a book or a class in college, they will just teach you feeding, diseases, breeds, and the importance of spending lots of money on vaccines, hoof care, teeth floating etc.... Find a stable to hang around, pitch in and be helpful, and pick people's brains. You will learn many amazing things about horses. Remember when you take on the responsibility, that horses can live for a very long time, I have had several that lived past 30, and record ages are 50+. Unfortunately, a horse over 15 or so is considered aged, and a 20 year old horse is a give away that no one will take. End of life issues can be expensive. If age makes your horse too thin (from probable kidney failure), the neighbors will complain and report you for neglect even if you are grinding grain to feed it. Final expenses for horses... Call the vet to put one down? Expect to pay $400+, disposal will possibly be another $300, unless you have land and a neighbor with a backhoe. Remember that prior to the decision to euthanize, you will have called out the vet to find out what is wrong with the horse, so you will be paying maybe a $1000.00 to humanely end your horse ownership experience. It pays to keep that money banked because you never know when you might have to do that. Oh, and make sure you stay physically fit because those bails of hay weigh 100+ lbs and you are going to be either loading and hauling them or paying for delivery. I have done both (paying for delivery is better). But, unless you keep a strong, farm type boyfriend around, you will wind up moving them around a lot yourself after delivery, and worrying about them getting rained on too. Having good facilities, covered areas to store hay/feed, pipe corrals that can't be chewed through, shelter from rain and sun for your horse can help make your ownership experience a positive one.

 

[Tesumph]

Watch some videos of cowboys riding western, they usually post when a horse is doing real trot.

I ride English and western too and much prefer posting to sitting.
https://www.equisearch.com/articles/ups-and-downs-posting

I ride western and post when when I trot. My butt is too bony to sit a hard trot lol.

 

[BreanneRN]

I ride western and post when when I trot. My butt is too bony to sit a hard trot lol.

Different breeds of horses have very different gaits, I have found... I had a little Arab mare that had a trot as smooth as glass and never had to post on her, but the quarter horses I have owned are just built differently. For them, the lope takes the place of the trot, unless you want to be jack hammered and have chipped teeth. The lope in quarter horses is very smooth and easy riding, not too fast, and gets you and your horse there comfortably.

 

[Tesumph]

Different breeds of horses have very different gaits, I have found... I had a little Arab mare that had a trot as smooth as glass and never had to post on her, but the quarter horses I have owned are just built differently. For them, the lope takes the place of the trot, unless you want to be jack hammered and have chipped teeth. The lope in quarter horses is very smooth and easy riding, not too fast, and gets you and your horse there comfortably.

Yep, at the ranch it’s solid quarter horses built for heat and cutting cattle. No dainty ride there I’m afraid. They do have nice lopes, easy to settle into.

 

[casportpony]

Gaits vary horse to horse, not just breeds. I've riden some QH's with horrible canters and great trots and Arabs with wonderful canters and horrible trots.

Now when looking to buy a horse I look for those with wonderful canter because I feel that the trot is easier to improve with training and conditioning.

 

[BreanneRN]

Thoughts on this one? I wouldn't get her but I'm curious if any horse experts could read between the lines and/or see if she's actually as bad as they say she is or worse or if they're just inexperienced? Seems like she might just be spoiled?

https://nh.craigslist.org/grd/d/horse-for-sale-paint-mare-12/6625642761.html

Avoid this horse! She is 12 years old and not an "easy keeper". They allude to the fact that she is too "hot" for them, and mostly show head shots in the multiple pics. Only side view pics are from far away (probably so you can't see the bones sticking out). This horse is most likely a paint with too much TB (thoroughbred race horse) in the pedigree, giving her an insatiable appetite, poor feed conversion, and too much energy for the average rider. They have not done well with her and she is most likely underweight, undertrained, under ridden, and at 12 years old, hard to change all that, as she probably has a lifetime accumulation of bad habits. Note the narrow, somewhat slabby build in the pic that shows her down to her feet in the front view. You would additionally have trouble finding a saddle to fit her. Last horse you should buy, or anyone for that matter. Someone might pick this horse up for a broodmare, because she is a Paint with nice color, for not too much money, and they have a stud they want to breed, but anyone else should avoid. Unless it is someone that just enjoys a challenge and would enjoy turning this horse around, but I would think someone like that could find better prospects to put time into, especially if they actually had the ability to do it... Something younger for instance, so they could sell the horse more easily. This horse is 3 years away from being "aged".

 

[BreanneRN]

Gaits vary horse to horse, not just breeds. I've riden some QH's with horrible canters and great trots and Arabs with wonderful canters and horrible trots.

Now when looking to buy a horse I look for those with wonderful canter because I feel that the trot is easier to improve with training and conditioning.

Absolutely agree with you there, as even within breeds, horses have different builds and conformation and even early training can make a difference. I was speaking in generalities related to my personal experience and those of others I have known with those breeds.

 

[casportpony]

Avoid this horse! She is 12 years old and not an "easy keeper". They allude to the fact that she is too "hot" for them, and mostly show head shots in the multiple pics. Only side view pics are from far away (probably so you can't see the bones sticking out).

X2. She might be a sweet mare for the right person, but if she's not papered I bet she's older than 12 and probably needs her teeth floated.