Let's Buy a Horse!

Our little Q-horse just isn't going to work for us. He goes back to his home this afternoon after 4 days on trial. I'm certain he'll make a great horse for someone, but I don't have the time and my mother doesn't have the know-how to make it happen for our family.

Green horse, green rider, per my instincts was a BAD COMBO. One of them has to know what their doing, otherwise it is misery for both of them. My mom is a little heart broken over the "loss" of "her" horse, but when it got down to it, no matter how cute the little fella was he didn't fit into my purchase parameters.

My mom's goal in horse ownership is to get out of the house come to the barn, and get on for a ride. She doesn't want to show, she doesn't even really want to canter. She just wants to ride. Her only requirements are: the horse is small (that's 17hh right?)and quiet. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care what it looks like or how it moves. All I'm interested in is finding a safe horse for my mom to ride that is within our price range.

To me, it is very important for people to ride horses they enjoy riding. After all, equestrian sports are supposed to be fun. Few of us riders are professional horse trainers obligated to ride green horses for our clients. My advice to all horse buyers is this, make sure it is someone (the horse) you enjoy working with. Think about your goals and if the horse you are looking at will help you achieve those goals. DO NOT let the owner, your friends or those big beautiful brown eyes persuade you into comitting yourself to a horse you are not confident you can handle.

Here are a few things to consider when buying:
Training (what does it do now?)
Mentality (does he/she have bad habits?)
Rideablity
Physical issues (sound? quality hooves? scarring etc)
Age
Price
Goals for Horse
Potential
Looks

And just because you're on a tight budget, doesn't mean you can't find a great horse. Take your time, ride the horses. If you can, get a horse on a trial basis. If you're serious about your prospective buy, get a vet check. Above all, be pragmatic and honest with yourself.

All horses are beautiful, and there are plenty out there, so don't rush into buying if something isn't as close to perfect as possible. Don't invest your money and time into some one with a problem you not sure you can handle. Don't buy a horse simply off breeding (unless its gonna be a brood mare), or looks or because your trainer can ride it. Spend the time to find the horse that best fits your needs, and you will be a happy rider.