12 Great Essentials Tips To Buying Your Perfect First Horse

Taking the step to horse ownership is not something to take lightly. Before doing it, there are several things you need to consider seriously. Remember, horses are expensive and need care every day of the year.

From our experience, we’ve come up with the 12 most important things to consider before buying a horse. This will help you avoid some of the common pitfalls that we others have experienced in our journey.

You need to ask yourself several questions before making the leap, and remember to be honest with yourself. Owning a horse is a huge financial, physical and mental commitment. You want to be sure you’ve considered the following.

#1 Know Your Budget And Stick To It

It’s often said the purchase price of the horse is the cheapest part. However, that can be a little hard to grasp, as it involves paying a large sum of money in one go. But, what comes after is where you will see the expenses add up.

It doesn’t matter if you pay $1,000 or $100,000 for your horse. It will still require several essential things.

Including the cost of feed, bedding, care, vet expenses, and the services of an experienced farrier or highly experienced barefoot trimmer. Plus all the tools and equestrian gear you will need.

These are ongoing costs that you always have to have, at least on a basic level, for the horse’s welfare. Over the years, this can add up to a substantial amount of money.

Keeping a horse can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars a month. This will very depending on where the horse is kept and any unexpected bills that may come up. Working out your expected costs and comparing them with your budget is an essential step.

#2 Assess Your Riding Abilities & Skill Level

Take an honest look at your riding abilities. To have a long, happy relationship with your horse, you need a horse that suits your level of riding. You also need a horse that will safely perform the activities you intend to carry out.

It is a common mistake for people to choose a horse because it is the fanciest, most athletic, or a young horse (due to budget).

Unfortunately, if the horse is beyond your current riding level, many problems can ensue.

This can be detrimental to the rider, as they can lose confidence and become afraid of their horse. It’s also bad for the horse, which can develop behavioral problems.

One of the best ways to assess your riding abilities is to seek the help of a trustworthy, experienced trainer. You can discuss what activities you want to do, and they can take an unbiased look at your riding skills to help you find the perfect match.

#3 Consider What Horse Breed Is Best For Your Riding Situation

Assessing your abilities and wants will bring you to considering certain breeds of horses. For example, suppose this is your first horse, and you are a novice rider. In that case, a Thoroughbred is probably not for you as they are not generally the most stable and calm-minded horses, although there are always exceptions.

Horse breeds tend to have common traits. For example, Quarter Horses are one of the most versatile horse breeds. They are athletic but have good minds and suit riders of many levels.

Remember, all horses are individuals. There are rogues and lambs in every breed of horse.

#4 What Are Your Wants From The Horse. What Activities Are You Hoping To Carry Out With Your Horse?

Sit down with your trainer and discuss what you want. What equestrian activities do you want to do? What size horse do you need? Notice need and not want with that one. Not everyone needs a 17.2 hand horse!

If you are average or short in height: A smaller horse that meets all your other criteria is just as perfect. Make sure the horse is big enough to accommodate your height and body size.

Do you have a preference for a mare or gelding? Many people prefer geldings as they are generally more forgiving and easier to manage.

Avoid stallions unless you have the knowledge and experience to handle them. No matter how beautiful and majestic they are.

Work out the horse’s age range that is best for you: If you’re buying a horse for the first time, consider purchasing a horse above 8 years of age. A horse with training and experience will help your confidence and help improve your riding.
The horse’s color: This may be very important for you, and it is ok to have a preference. But if you find a horse that is perfect in every other way, except for its color, and you feel a good connection with it. Don’t let it go. Consider forgoing the color option in preference to all of the above.

#5 Never Buy A Horse Unseen Trying Before You Buy Is A Must!

Buying a horse unseen is where many first-time horse buyers get caught. You are sent beautiful pictures and videos and told there is nothing wrong with the horse.

Then, when you excitedly get your horse home, there are problems. The horse might be in poor condition, smaller than you were told, lame, or have unforeseen behavioral issues.

You can avoid this happening most of the time if you go and view the horse in person. There are exceptions where people successfully buy a horse this way. Still, they probably have a long-established relationship with the seller, or it is from an elite auction.

#6 Don’t Buy A Horse Alone Take An Unbiased Friend

Regardless of your experience level, bring someone with you to try horses. Make sure this person has more experience than you with looking at and evaluating horses. Your trainer is a good option.

An extra set of eyes might spot something that you don’t. They can observe you riding the horse from the ground and may see something that you missed. They can also ask important questions that you may not think of in the moment of excitement.

#7 Get A Veterinarians Appraisal Before Buying the Horse

Never buy a horse, even if you are spending a small amount, without vetting from a reputable vet who is unconnected to the seller. There are different levels of vettings which you can choose based on what the horse costs and its intended purpose.

If buying a quiet trail horse to do a couple of short rides a week, you probably don’t need to go all out and get x-rays. A basic vetting will let you know the horse is in good health and can perform the desired activities.

If you are buying a horse for sport and competition, it’s good to get a full vetting, including x-rays. This will show up any major hidden issues and gives you a bit of confidence for future soundness.

Remember, no equine vet or x-rays can guarantee the horse won’t have future problems, and some things on x-rays will never actually end up affecting the horse at all.

Finally, remember to get your own independent vet. Don’t use the seller’s vet. If they pressure you to do so, it’s a big red flag.

#8 Check The Horse’s History

Regardless of the intended use, you want to learn as much about the horse’s history as possible. If the horse is for competition, you will want to confirm its record and find out how it travels and behaves at shows.

Try and find out if the horse has had any health issues in the past. This can be hard to uncover, as even good sellers can be reluctant to share this for fear of losing a sale on what is now a healthy horse.

If you happen to find out who owned the horse in the past, try to contact them to ask them about the horse. This is sometimes quite revealing if they are willing to share.

#9 Research The Seller

Before seeing a horse try to find out about the seller. There are many groups for different regions on Facebook that can help you uncover dodgy horse sellers. You want to avoid these sellers, and many are pretty sneaky, using front people or different names.

For sport horses at higher competition levels, you can find out about horses they sold before and what the horse is doing now. Better still, find an experienced person who might have the connections to know who is reputable and not.

#10 Avoid Daydreaming And Stay Realistic

You might see a beautiful horse that you love the look of, but it is obviously out of your budget. In this case, happily appreciate the horse but don’t take it further.

#11 Spend Some Quality Time With The Horse

If you do find a horse that looks like it will suit your needs and budget, always make an appointment to view it in person.

Arrive on time and spend some quality time with the horse.

It’s essential to know you can connect with the horse. Some horses get along better with different people.

A good seller who cares about the horse’s well-being will understand this fact and will be more than happy to allow you to go through this process.

Please appreciate the seller’s time and don’t waste it.

#12 Where Will You Keep Your Horse

Before buying a horse, you need to know where you will keep it.

If it is your first horse. A boarding barn with full boarding facilities is a good option, as they will take care of the horses, day-to-day needs.

It will also have the necessary facilities and someone on hand for lessons or other help. However, this can be pretty expensive depending on the standard of the facilities.

The other option is to keep your horse at home. For this, you need appropriate shelter, storage, safe fencing, and pasture for the horse. Horses are also social and should not live alone, so ideally, they will need a companion horse.

To keep the horse at home, ask yourself if you have the time to care for it and if you have the knowledge to manage the horse’s health and property correctly.

Conclusion

Sadly, there is no shortage of unscrupulous sellers. If you’re reading this, you’re off to the right start by taking the time to understand what really goes into buying a horse. Following these 12 things to consider before buying a horse will significantly help you avoid many of the negative experiences people have. We share these from our misfortunes in the hope that you can avoid them.