Help with buying a horse

[ALBALD1]

A 3 mnth old horse will need fed & maintained for about 2 years before it can even be ridden. Unless its something special, you'd be better off putting up the feed money for a couple years & getting a well trained horse. I fell into that once. I bought a nice 4yr old mare w/ a 4 mnth old stud cost at side once. When i tried to wean him, he jumped out a barn window to get to his mommy. Ended up boarding him at a stable a few months to get him weaned. Between that & the vet bill for gelding & the feed, I could have bought a good horse. The mare was great though. I just started riding him when he was 2. he wasn't really trained. He still just followed momma. When he was 3, his mother cut a leg & had to be put down. He just had no idea what to do because he always just followed her on the trail. he's now about 14 & he's the most expensive lawn mower in history.

 

[elalexander]

Hey thanks for all of the good/bad experiences. Since our town council won't let us have a horse we decided to just go for the trail rides etc. We still feed our hoofed friends... check out these pics, again we feed the deer

 

[Soundguy]

Since everybody else is posting hay burner pics.. here's a couple of mine.

The buckskin is 'starbuck'.. he's 9 now.. but was 7 in the pic. Good horse.. used alot by state contractors doing controlled burns near wetlands in florida....

The sorrel is 'panama' he is 19 now, and was 17 in the pic. He's a trained search and rescue horse that used to work with the sheriff's dept.

Soundguy

 

[RoyJackson]

Thanks Spiveyman. After our meeting today we can't have a horse intown. I also was going to ask for some good books on horses and my wife jokingly suggested Horses for dummies...didn't know they had one. Are we somewhat upset, you bet. This has been in our dreams forever. To wake up and see "our" horses grazing on "our" land. However, we can still ride them and take our graaddauhghters to see them and when they get old enough they can even ride them. We had just thought with where we know live and so much undeveloped land behind us we could have a horse of our own. After reading some of the stories and vet bill nightmares it may be a good thing. God knows we love em though. Thanks for takin time to write me, EL.

The dream shouldn't die. Now that you have your eyes opened about all that is involved in owning a horse, you can make a better decision.
One of my girl friends (in a previous life) had a horse she boarded close to where I lived at the time. I used to help her with the upkeep (and it is surely expensive!). The horse was a beautiful animal and quite easy to work with.
So...keep looking, but get the right critter. Horses live 25 years...so you want the best friend for you. And the right home for all of you...

 

[Spiveyman]

Hey thanks for all of the good/bad experiences. Since our town council won't let us have a horse we decided to just go for the trail rides etc. We still feed our hoofed friends... check out these pics, again we feed the deer

Wow, that's a beautiful place. You're right a nice horse would do your pasture justice.

I just have one thing to say, this is America dang it! I do understand the reason for zoning. Someone bought the 10 acres next to my parents house and started raising game cocks and fighting them in the barn. That did wonders for the property value, let me tell you, but c'mon, this is America. You own the land you should be able to keep a freaking horse on it. OK, OK, before this turns into a political thread, I'll stop ranting. There HAS to be a way for you to have YOUR DREAM here in American. Don't give up on your dreams. All that stuff about how hard it is to keep a horse, how much money it takes, and how much time - that's all true, but it's still worth it. Just look around at how many people have them. You need to know that up front so that if it was just a whim people will think twice and just go ride a trail somewhere, but if you are serious I encourage you to stick with it. Like the last post said, you horse can be one of your best friends and most loyal. Good luck. I hope things work out for you all.

 

[texasjohn]

You've gotten lots of advice... I agree with what Spiveyman says, so won't repeat that. My recommendation:

Locate somebody who truly knows horses. Let them locate a gelding or mare..8 to 11 years old... that is so gentle that it won't untrack when a dog fight breaks out under it.

I mean it...this animal MUST be not spooky, not jerky, not spirited, not nuthing... it MUST let kids crawl all over it, kick it in the sides, pull its mane, and not bite them, rub them off on a fence, kick them, NOTHING.

There are horses out there that fill this bill...you don't care what they look like...just that it is dog gentle. But beware... there are MANY who will tell you that a horse is like this BUT it will have a bad habit that they don't tell you about.

Reason for this...you are inexperienced and your grandkids are certainly inexperienced with horses. Even horse people get injured/hurt regularly and every time it's a "freak" accident... You don' need any more problems than will naturally come your way if you decide to own a horse.

Best deal is to find somebody with a 14 year old girl who has just graduated from a "kid" poney to a performance horse and daddy needs to sell the pokey kid poney. If you can watch the 14 year old with the horse, talk to her... find out if the horse spooks at cars, dogs, people, loud noises, etc..etc..etc.. Test the animal yourself... throw up your hands unexpectedly while 6 feet from the animal... it should do no more than notice that you are there. If it boogers or jumps... pass on it...

So, if you find an animal that will load into and out of a trailer easily, stand calmly when being saddled and when somebody is seeking to mount it, let people crawl under its belly and not get kicked, let people pull its tail and not kick, walk calmly to and from the barn and not suddenly run back to barn, it should not bite or nip people holding the reins...

When you find this animal...buy it... this animal you will love..and the kids will learn a lot from...later, if they still love horses whenthey turn 14, then they can move on to a more performance oriented horse..

 

[tallyho8]

Horses are definitely good for kids, helping them learn to care for others and filling their spare time in a positive way instead of a life of boredom that frequently leads to mischief and worse. I founded the South Louisiana Saddle Club to help kids enjoy equestrian activities and further their adventures with our four-legged friends and it is remarkable how fast these youngsters learn to ride and compete in equestrian activities. Normally, the adults will be riding the 2 and 3 year olds at the shows with the experienced youths riding the 4 to 8 year olds and the newbies riding the bomb-proof older horses as seen in this photo during halftime at our show where the younguns are doing the chicken dance on horseback.

The only sad part is that our shows are much smaller this year since Katrina because many of our riders came from St Bernard Parish where the flood was devastating and drowned half the horses and then the (uninformed?) deputies shot the rest of them because they were afraid that they would be crazed and attack people!

 

[Cottonhawk]

If your dream is to own one or few beautiful horses, you and your wife should plan it out and it is definitely achievable. All advice given by posters on this thread are excellent and there are consistent messages. I would suggest that you and your family go and take riding lessons from a qualified coach. Often a good coach will suggest the kind of horses you should have. Buy the horses, board them for a while, and learn the proper way to take care of your dream horses. You will enjoy this process and you will end up realize your dream. Your horse can be your buddy! Here is a pic of my buddy .....

 

[elalexander]

Morning Cotton. That is a beautiful animal. I can see how you guys and girls get attached to them. Next week is our neighboring county's fair. We always spend time talking to "the horse people" about their animals. Super nice folks, horse owners and lovers. Today or tomorrow we are taking our granddaughters to see my friend's horses. He is the guy with the 3 month old for sale. I'll take the camera and post some pics when we get back.

 

[riptides]

More hayburners, and their houses.

-Mike Z.