What You Need To Know Before Buying A Horse

It's always exciting when buying a horse for the first time. I remember the feeling of anxiousness and excitement when I got my first horse. I still get a similar feeling every morning when I head to the barn. However, there are numerous things to consider before buying a horse.

You should have at the least, a little horse sense and knowledge of horses before choosing a horse. Take it from someone who’s been there before. There are some “horse traders” out there that will tell you anything to make the sale. If you don’t have a good deal of knowledge about horses, please, take someone with experience with you.

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You should know the different types of horses, and which one will suit you best. Mares, geldings and stallions all have different temperaments. Each individual person seems to have their favorite. My personal favorite is a gelding, but I have them all, and love them all.

All horses have different personalities. Some better than others, although some horse breeds seem to be more high strung. One thing you dont want is a really high strung horse if you're a novice rider.

The different horse colors can even be a factor in your decision when choosing a horse. They come in black, white, red, gray and just about anything in between. You may prefer a red horse over a white horse, or a paint horse over a solid horse. The choice is yours.

A horses age and a horses conformation should also play a role in your decision making. The horses age should be a very important factor when buying a horse. A inexperienced rider should not get a two or three year old inexperienced horse. There's a saying in the horse world, "Green on Green makes Black and Blue". I've been there and done that!

As you can see, it is very important to do as much research as possible before choosing a horse. I’m not saying that you should know all about horses before you buy. I am saying, the more facts about horses you have, it will greatly reduce the chance of getting something you don’t want.

If you are already a horse lover, it is easy to see a horse for the first time and fall in love. Then you get it home and find out that you just bought the Tasmanian devil.

If possible, make several different trips to see the horse before making the purchase final. Ride the horse as much as possible just to make sure that he or she isn’t just having a good day.

I have seen people purchase a horse after riding it one time, only to get it home and get bucked off or worse. I know this from experience. Hey, anybody can get burned once!

Some of the more questionable horse traders have even been known to drug a horse so that it appears to be easy going and easy to handle. After the purchase, when you get the horse home, you wake up to Godzilla in the barnyard.

Be smart when buying a horse. You are spending your hard-earned money, be sure you're getting what you want.

If you are considering buying a horse, and your not sure about his bloodlines, you can search it at Pedigree Online.

8 Signs You Should Walk Away From A Seller

1. If the horse has a bad attitude. This would include: pinning his ears, tail swishing and trying to bite or kick.

2. He's hard to catch, lead, groom or saddle. If he does'nt act right on the ground, he certainly wont act right when your in the saddle.

3. Turning his butt to you or trying to plow you over shows a lack of training and respect.

4. Throwing a fit when you try to lead him away from the barn or his buddies. This probably means he's barn and/or buddy sour.

5. If the horse is lame or limping.

6. If the owner acts reluctant or afraid of the horse, there's a reason for it.

7. If the seller refuses a vet exam or drug test.

8. If the horse is different in any way from what the ad claimed he would be.

This is why I cant stress enough that if you don’t know a lot about horses, take an experienced horse owner or even a reputable horse trainer with you to help with your decision. This should make buying a horse an enjoyable experience.

Before you make the final decision to buy a horse you should consider these 5 things:

1. Do you have the time it takes to properly care for a horse? Proper care and training takes time.

2. Do you have the extra money it takes to properly care for a horse? Horses can get very expensive.

3. Do you have the knowledge and patience to handle a horse? They can cause extreme nail-biting at times.

4. Do you have, or have access to, the proper living arrangements for good horsekeeping?

5. Are you able to give a horse the love and respect that he deserves? Especially when you don't think he deserves it.

If you truly love horses, they will be a part of you for your entire life. If you dont, it should'nt take you long to figure it out.

I truly believe that horses are majestic creatures. They are full of beauty, grace and style. I also believe that God entrusted them to us to be treated as such.

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